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must we call ourselves atheists?

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    #62
    Sofaspud
    Registered Users Posts: 3,625 ✭✭✭Sofaspud


    magicbastarder wrote: »
    i don't believe in atheists. does that make me an aatheist?
    if i don't believe such a position is possible, does that make me an aaatheist?
    this could get recursive.

    Nope, the "a" prefix just means "not the following thing" so "aatheist" would mean not an atheist, i.e. a theist.


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    #63
    Hotblack Desiato
    Registered Users Posts: 34,347 ✭✭✭✭Hotblack Desiato


    DarkDusk wrote: »
    I don't take part in religion, have no interest in it and it doesn't bother me anytime during my life.

    Grand. I wish I was the same (the last bit, I mean.)
    May I ask, are you a parent of school-going children in Ireland?

    Fingal County Council are certainly not competent to be making decisions about the most important piece of infrastructure on the island. They need to stick to badly designed cycle lanes and deciding on whether Mrs Murphy can have her kitchen extension.



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    #64
    ibstar
    Registered Users Posts: 373 ✭✭ibstar


    I am an atheist.
    This means in order for me to believe something, there must be:
    -Hypothesis
    -Test/observe
    -prove the theory of the hypothesis
    -retest and confirm without any reasonable doubt

    eg. I have two children which I claim to be of my own assent and my partners.
    -Test/observe- They look like me and my partner, behavioral similarities.
    -prove - DNA test
    - retest- retest DNA in different environment, season, time and age of all people involved.

    In the case of god/deity/super natural being we have:

    -Hypothesis that god exists.
    -test/observe- we must testify if claims from the bible/quran are true
    -prove- then we must try and prove if those claims are true ie. find a profit of modern age and have them revive a dead person, predict future with high amount of QUALITY information and cure someone of incurable disease(at this particular age ie. AIDS). Have them point us to talking objects and animals. List is endless.
    -retest- repeat the experiment with different profits, at a different time in a different environment.


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    #65
    joseph brand
    Registered Users Posts: 4,537 ✭✭✭joseph brand


    ibstar wrote: »
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzSMC5rWvos

    After watching this I come to realize that maybe we Atheists/Agnostics shouldn't refer to ourselves by the branding that religious organizations name us. As Neil deGrasse Tyson points out, people that don't ski, don't refer to themselves as non-skiers etc.

    Any thoughts from the boradsies?

    Of course it would be better if we didn't feel it necessary to call ourselves atheists, but since Ireland, and the rest of the world is full of theists, 'what are you gonna do?'.

    I have a friend who was never believed in religion and doesn't bother getting involved in religious debates. He has a problem with being labelled an atheist, like a 'non stamp collector'. I can see where he's coming from but, stamp collecting will never affect civilisation like an organisation which preaches; the virtue of ignorance, bigotry, misogyny, and homophobia whilst raping thousands of children. Not to mention fighting our legal system tooth and nail.

    Personally I want to show from the rooftops "I'M AN ATHEIST, BABY EATING, LEFT WING, LIBERAL, HAPPY GO LUCKY SCAMP!"

    Now all I need is a few Flying Spaghetti Monster car panel stickers and a megaphone and I'll do my rounds.


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    #66
    ShooterSF
    Registered Users Posts: 8,824 ✭✭✭ShooterSF


    Firstly it is important when reading a forum to keep in mind the definition of labels used in the forum or the chances of miscommunication increase. But more interestingly is the idea of a pure "agnostic" fence sitter. I know when I had my doubts about the religion I was brought up in I had to try my best to examine it's likelihood given the whole hell threat. And had I still been on the fence I fear such a threat might have been enough to see me continue to follow it but I don't know if it is possible to start questioning your belief but stop before you have resolved your doubt at least for me.


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    #67
    bobwilliams
    Registered Users Posts: 1,050 ✭✭✭bobwilliams


    biko wrote: »
    There's no reason really to use the term but it's in common use and I don't think it has a particular good or bad connotation.

    i like the fact that atheists don't try to shove their beliefs down peoples throats like a lot of religious people do.
    I think it would be a nice change to have atheists going around doing door to door calls.


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    #68
    ibstar
    Registered Users Posts: 373 ✭✭ibstar


    bobwilliams wrote: »
    i like the fact that atheists don't try to shove their beliefs down peoples throats like a lot of religious people do.
    I think it would be a nice change to have atheists going around doing door to door calls.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dW-bt_1LzY


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