Do Atheist Still Believe in God?

Most are actually agnostic, a true atheist believes we are here while we are alive and once we die that's it we are just like a fly that lives and dies, it has 100% no hope for the future. And nothing can or will save our planet from any and all catastrophic events that would end all life on this planet.

This is a very sad way to think and may contribute to Nihilism, as a person with that perspective of reality can't help to lean that way. And they create their own code of ethics and morality, some might be intrinsically good as they are a good person at the core of who they are. Of coarse the dark version of that exists for that too. The bad part about that is that if the bible is like the traffic rules for life, they are making up all there own rules as they go along, for good or bad.

Agnostics at least have intellectually honesty saying "I just don't know". This at least gives them a sliver of hope for the future beyond death. They may live the same as atheists, but everything is more tempered as they may just be hedging their bets just in case.

a reply to: Blue_Jay33

a true atheist believes we are here while we are alive and once we die that's it we are just like a fly that lives and dies, it has 100% no hope for the future. And nothing can or will save our planet from any and all catastrophic events that would end all life on this planet.

None of that defines an atheist.

originally posted by: Edumakated
There are no atheist in foxholes....

I'd say I am agnostic. I certainly reject man made religions, but I still believe their may be some creator. I don't have any opinion as to if that creator is benevolent or otherwise. We could be a science experiment in a petri dish for all we know.

Yes there are atheists in foxholes. I know a few that have directly been there. They don't magically turn into believers just because they are in danger. Weak minded people, might, however. Fear definitely makes people do irrational things.

a reply to: Barcs

I also know a Fox who happens to be an atheist backing up your claim.

originally posted by: Blue_Jay33
Most are actually agnostic, a true atheist believes we are here while we are alive and once we die that's it we are just like a fly that lives and dies, it has 100% no hope for the future. And nothing can or will save our planet from any and all catastrophic events that would end all life on this planet.

This is a very sad way to think and may contribute to Nihilism, as a person with that perspective of reality can't help to lean that way. And they create their own code of ethics and morality, some might be intrinsically good as they are a good person at the core of who they are. Of coarse the dark version of that exists for that too. The bad part about that is that if the bible is like the traffic rules for life, they are making up all there own rules as they go along, for good or bad.

Agnostics at least have intellectually honesty saying "I just don't know". This at least gives them a sliver of hope for the future beyond death. They may live the same as atheists, but everything is more tempered as they may just be hedging their bets just in case.

Ah, my good ol' rival, Blue Jay. How are you? I just wanted to point out that most people who call themselves atheist OR agnostic are actually agnostic atheists. Agnostic/gnostic is a knowledge position, while theist/atheist is a belief position.

Almost every atheist is agnostic, because they don't have knowledge, they lack belief in the positive claim that god exists. This means they could change their belief if evidence were to arise. Even agnostics lack belief in god, so they are indeed atheists until they DO believe. Most atheists admit they don't know for a fact that god doesn't exist, although some very strongly believe it just like theists. A great video was posted on the previous page about this.

a reply to: Barcs

Given that the Gnostic knowledge of Christianity is the bible which has only been available to the public since around the 1500's (estimated 3/4 since its inception), i consider myself a Gnostic Atheist with regards to Christianity.

Coomba98

a reply to: Annee

God belief is faith based. Not science based.

Faith and science need not be mutually exclusive. I have faith when I flip a light switch that the light will com on. God's entry pervades the Universe and all its dimensions. I have faith and see science in his works on earth.

a reply to: thepixelpusher

Your confusing reasonable expectations with faith.

You have a reasonable expectation that the light will turn on due to the many many past experiences where you flipped the light switch and the light comes on. Any reasonable person would know that at times this may not happen due to a wiring issue or the more common issue the light bulb blew out (wiring and bulbs dont last forever)

Coomba98

Double post

originally posted by: thepixelpusher
a reply to: Annee

God belief is faith based. Not science based.

Faith and science need not be mutually exclusive. I have faith when I flip a light switch that the light will com on. God's entry pervades the Universe and all its dimensions. I have faith and see science in his works on earth.

"His" works?

originally posted by: Blue_Jay33
. . . a true atheist believes we are here while we are alive and once we die that's it we are just like a fly that lives and dies, it has 100% no hope for the future. And nothing can or will save our planet from any and all catastrophic events that would end all life on this planet.

NO.

Atheist means: "Lack of belief in a God/Deity" - - period. It does not mean anything else.

However, each atheist is an individual - - beyond the one thing that makes them atheist - - each has their own philosophy (belief).

Atheists argue all the time about their different philosophies.

I do agree that most atheists do consider themselves agnostic. "God can not be proven or dis-proven".

originally posted by: NoCorruptionAllowed
The whole idea is to have a little faith at first and learn individually that God DOES exist. After that first step a person can discover that God is real for a fact

Well, that's just a blatant lie. There is zero evidence that a God exists, anywhere, ever. That fact that you believe in it, or that you claim to 'know' it is true, does not mean it is true.

I claim jumping out of a 30 story building will kill me. I'm 100% certain of it - that's my claim. However, unlike yours, we have vast amounts of evidence that my claim *is* true and is a repeatable experiment to prove it's true. By repeatable I mean as a whole, not for the individual.

Atheism is such a stupid word. Why label what you don't believe in?? I also don't believe in Thor or Zeus. Am I aThorist? Or aZeusist?

I don't believe your claims, NoCorruptionAllowed. Does that label me as an aNoCorruptionAllowedBeliefist?

If you want to claim X and you expect others to believe in claim X, or you are arguing a case for the existence of X, then you need to demonstrate empirical evidence of X. It's not my job to disprove you. It's your job to prove your claim.

originally posted by: Annee

I do agree that most atheists do consider themselves agnostic. "God can not be proven or dis-proven".

Using the definition that 'God' is a "mind that created everything," then I am in the camp that says "God can not be proven, because Nature disproves 'God.'"

Ideas born in minds do not spontaneously materialize from sheer will alone. Only ideas in nature can come together to create new ideas that exist in nature (...and fleeting ideas that are born and/or exist solely in minds, too, btw).

I don't care what label someone else wants to assign to me. ^^^^That's me and I gotta be me!

a reply to: noonebutme

You need to up it to at least 48 stories!

He survived 47-floor plunge — and now walks for charity

But there is a lot of amazing science behind how he survived a 47 story fall (doctors for one), so I am sure you will have zero issues with adjusting your numbers!

a reply to: MotherMayEye

👍

I do believe there is energy consciousness.

But, in no way do I believe there is a god or omnipotent being of that nature.

originally posted by: Annee
a reply to: MotherMayEye

👍

I do believe there is energy consciousness.

Me, too.

I am just glad that my comment made sense to you because after re-reading it...I am not sure I worded it very well.

a reply to: Barcs

You are of course correct there are all those, but the bottom line is there is a bunch of people that are very sure of there belief structure they debate it passionately on these forums, they aren't coming into threads saying I don't know.

My experience online across all forums not just ATS is simply this, the more time people spend defending their "No Creator" position and attacking any type of creation ideology the more hardcore atheistic ideologically they are, they can categorize themselves however they want, their passion and time spent tell the tale.

Definition of atheist: a person who does not believe in the existence of a god or any gods : one who subscribes to or advocates atheism

Barcs which do you consider yourself ?

1)Negative Atheist (A type of agnostic)
2)Positive Atheist (A person who believes that no god or gods exist.)

a reply to: Blue_Jay33

I have pretty unique thoughts on the cause and meaning of it all that no one has articulated on ATS (that I have seen).

People aren't starting threads on my line of thinking. And I don't care if those threads don't exist. I like where I have taken my thoughts (over the last five years, especially).

Thirty years ago, I just denied that a 'mind' created Everything.

Today, I have POSSIBLE answers to profound questions -- to MY satisfaction -- thanks, in large part, to quantum mechanics.

The correct definition of atheist. From: American Atheist.

Atheism is one thing: A lack of belief in gods.

Atheism is not an affirmative belief that there is no god nor does it answer any other question about what a person believes. It is simply a rejection of the assertion that there are gods. Atheism is too often defined incorrectly as a belief system. To be clear: Atheism is not a disbelief in gods or a denial of gods; it is a lack of belief in gods.

Older dictionaries define atheism as “a belief that there is no God.” Clearly, theistic influence taints these definitions. The fact that dictionaries define Atheism as “there is no God” betrays the (mono)theistic influence. Without the (mono)theistic influence, the definition would at least read “there are no gods.”

www.atheists.org...

originally posted by: Annee
a reply to: MotherMayEye
👍
I do believe there is energy consciousness.
But, in no way do I believe there is a god or omnipotent being of that nature.

Hi Annee, and MME who agreed with Annee's point.

What's the difference between the belief in a god, and a belief in in "energy consciousness"?
Do they both not require a leap of faith?