[late]

Except for the part where you're stuck being a god. That sucks.

But it does make for an apt philosophy.

[froggo]

what is the purpose in a philosopher stating that their preferred philosophy is apt?

[late]

what is the purpose in a philosopher stating that their preferred philosophy is apt?

What would be the purpose in having a philosophy you didn't like?

Beyond that, fewer assumptions is generally better.

[froggo]

I guess I am just wondering what the hope for this thread to become might be. All you have said is "I like atheism" People are either going to say "I like atheism as well" or "I dislike atheism"

[Godstud]

@froggo It's an affirmation!

Atheism rocks!!!

[froggo]

Isn't an affirmation a byproduct of faith? (It serves a similar function)
Atheists shouldn't need to restore their beliefs from doubt with positive shallow confirmations and assertions.

[Godstud]

Faith in ones self isn't religion. Faith is only complete trust or confidence in someone or something. Being confident in yourself if a great thing.

Atheists don't need to restore their beliefs, since it's in themselves, and they are in control(as much as you can be). Pepping ones self up isn't bad, though.

Self affirmations are what many successful people do, incidentally.

[froggo]

Self affirmations are what many successful people do, incidentally.

To overcome the truth of their frailty and push beyond into a desired sense of completeness.
I wonder... does late wonder if atheism is truly wonderful?

[Godstud]

Truth of frailty?


Atheism is wonderful. It's taking FULL responsibility for your actions. You can't blame it on someone/something(The Devil, Satan, etc.) else, and you can't attribute it to something/someone(God, Allah, etc.) else.

[froggo]

This may sound somewhat obscure but there is a form of belief in 'God' or 'Spiritual Apparatus' which simultaneously recognizes the pointlessness of believing in 'God' or 'Spirit'. In such a circumstance, one is not afforded Providence, and is also responsible for the actions of the self, so those attributes are not solely given to the realm of atheism. I would suspect that few would recognize this kind of view of 'God' or understand what purpose this view of God serves to the believer of this view, and the believer in this view would hardly be able to offer a why, yet still have the faith in it.
I suppose the best I can offer is this person would view God as that which created all, yet, like a negligent mother, could care less about how her offspring fares and leaves its fate in its own hand, like a bird ejected early from the nest.

[Godstud]

Some religions or forms are Atheist. Buddhism is Atheist in some ways, as they aren't worshipping a god but revering people who have achieved "Enlightenment".

[froggo]

I suppose it helps to define God... as that which is undefinable(I recall that appearing often when I read the sacred nitnem randomly one day, and i rather like that description)
If God is simply whatever it was that made the universe, or its residual energy, or essentially whatever cannot be fathomed, then I think the concept of a 'God' which is unconcerned with the affairs of humanity is legitimate and not atheistic. Also, enlightenment is not praise of an individual, it is rather a desire to get nearer to the unfathomable. I wonder, besides the ability to have full responsibility for ones life, what are the other wonderful aspects of atheism? I am not against atheism and those who believe it, I just would want to know what makes it more wonderful than taking a non-atheistic stance? Can they not be equally wonderful stances?

[Godstud]

Take whatever stance you want. Atheism is not a "belief" but a lack of one, however. It's good to understand that, first.

Believe what you wish, as long as your belief doesn't force ME to do anything. If your religion tells your that you can't drink, then don't drink. Just don't tell me that I cannot drink.

[Odiseizam]

@Godstud the need to proclaim that You dont believe in something is belief by itself ...

~

I just would want to know what makes it more wonderful than taking a non-atheistic stance?

think the careless feel of having no accountability as devoted believer or the fear to become one in correlation to the hedonistic lifestyle i.e. the need to restrain oneself as much as possible in the passionate material or prideful life so one would gain as much as possible virtues in the spiritual life thus worthy for spiritual evolution and like that path to Salvation from all delusions of freedom and happiness in this world that are so tempting that when one is overpowered by life by the spirit of this world simply its even disgusting to read what about partake in Inchurched Religious Life ...

to be honest as teen I was with atheist mindset, luckily my parents raised me as traditional Orthodox Christian so later when I was trapped by neopaganism lusts for the astral realm simply that early childhood Baptism and my sudden invocation of Christ when I will encounter unescapable demon attacks simply brought me back to Inchurched Life when little by little by the degree of time spent in Praise and Prayers (mostly effective on collective Liturgies) I really understand what is Word about as from aspect of Grace existence so as the path of Suffering and Salvation now I am happy as ex-ghetto resident that I've didnt became street butcher everything else is bonus even when I will loosen from time to time even for a while [1] so in question as for everything is also condition except focus once You force Yourself to seek knowledge from above for what still one need at least to loosen the "ropes" of this world what is most doable through Inchurchment because wanted or not we all even atheist are aware for the spiritual world yet someone coz various reasons accept to ignore that fact, defacto the motor that moves this is the the spiritual world, but as is not handed to many to become versed scientist so as not all can become versed Monks, yet thats why we are calling it Belief that rest to our intuition and some experience but insured by witnesses in Christianity for 2k years tradition by Saints Martyrs Hermits ...

[late]

Just a reminder, I did this thread in reaction to a thread that said something like 'atheism is awful'.

[Odiseizam]

respect @late , being there for someone is humane thing, stil in respect to atheism that is unusual way of fostering damnation, I mean literary ...

... now redemption can come easily if people seek for repentance, some times is easy like this one public sorry, some times needs exactly just not to judge or condemn those who are opposite to us, so in a way I should also probably repent coz altho naive my assertion could be seen as rhetoric judgement, hm its extraordinary difficult to have Christian feat while living among atheists homosexuals or abortionists to keep calm and not respond anyhow to their bursts, especially problem coz we live mostly in secular world thus somehow officially we are bullied as believers, reason why not rarely I jump in debates so would say here we are still live and smiling almost as mirror to those that choose to live careless ...

... stile I respect the Free Will and cant say atheists are this or that, just hope Our Almighty Lord Will Have Mercy and wake in time everyone of them so they would have chance to Repent and head up for Salvation or as I would prefer to say Soulful Growth in Jesus Christ ...

[Godstud]

@Godstud the need to proclaim that You dont believe in something is belief by itself ...

No. It is not. It is convincing simple people that belief is not assured, and not a religion(something they can't comprehend) in itself.

That you link hedonism to atheism shows your true ignorance of what Atheism actually is, as "Hedonism" is a lifestyle, and not linked to any particular religion, or lack thereof.

It's wonderful that you were "saved", but many of us don't need to be "saved" simply because of who we are. Belief doesn't factor in to self-discipline, morality, and most things that a person "Good".

[Odiseizam]

. It is not

Please check the first footnote in the next one [1] when You project what is not then You believe is like that otherwise by what mean You can say its not, its causality of intention to prove there is nothing, but have in mind that also causality springs from every created event or thing [2] so its willingness to comprehend or not some others belief and will to ...

That you link hedonism to atheism shows your true ignorance of what Atheism actually is

I am not ignorant of someones Free Will, just pointed to froggo there are many also who embrace atheism so they would continue easily living decadent lifestyle, and respect to them coz at least they are honest unlike many wanna-be Christians who live double lifes and like that tempting others through their not hidden opportunistic hedonism materialism or egoism, even I am felling in this last category educating others what is what, yet I respect their Free Will and opinion altho know to defunk some not useful attack or risks around [3] the one debated in this last footnote think also crucial for many even to abandon Christianity when swim for first time in some historical textbooks where sadly the notion I am sharing is not rarely but almost never pointed ...

Belief doesn't factor in to self-discipline, morality, and most things that a person "Good"

I pointed to this as logic why many cant get to greater spiritual growth altho even live Inchurched Life its like driving track cargo with super'mini car so surely like that its difficult to get to the mountain top, some relay on the witnesses others simply give up as demotivated altho its their Free Will not to accept the ascetic anecdote that to Christians two wings are fasting and prayers i.e. as i pointed literary as much one loosen from this gain from the spiritual world, balanced path is the Salvation one i.e. nor pushed by zealotry nor used for judging others, so me jumping in this thread is to hand a hand to those that are curious why to some atheism is wonderful, if I was negative I'll jump in the other thread late suggested and join the bandwagon, altho must say its Free Will to those there pointing to others hey atheism is risky think if You have judging stealing or lusty mindset, yet is way lesser risk that neopaganism coz in the end atheist havent lived in full apostasy so embracing Christianity in the end maybe of his life could be to his Salvation ... but think false Christians will be at worst Judgement [4]

[Cartertonian]

As I've said before, the only logically consistent position one can take is agnosticism.

Neither Theists, nor Atheists can prove their position to be true.

The only defensible position is to say that we don't know, either way.

[blackjack21]

What would be the purpose in having a philosophy you didn't like?

Understanding the world you live in, perhaps? Why should you have to like a philosophy that has utility, but doesn't cater to your whims and fancies?

Atheism rocks!!!

I think it is dogmatic, pretentious and ignorant.

Faith in ones self isn't religion.

Well, faith does not require evidence. So it would seem it is a bit of a religion, just a very self serving one.

Being confident in yourself if a great thing.

Absolutist statements like this generally bring us back to Godwin's law. Is it a great thing that Hitler was confident in himself? Stalin? Mao? Fauci?

Atheists don't need to restore their beliefs, since it's in themselves, and they are in control(as much as you can be).

It seems they do, or late would not have launched this thread.

Self affirmations are what many successful people do, incidentally.

Successful at what though? Success at running concentration camps?

It's taking FULL responsibility for your actions.

Really? There are a lot of atheists who do quite the opposite of that.

You can't blame it on someone/something(The Devil, Satan, etc.) else, and you can't attribute it to something/someone(God, Allah, etc.) else.

You can certainly blame everything on Republicans, conservatives, etc. Atheists do this all the time.

This may sound somewhat obscure but there is a form of belief in 'God' or 'Spiritual Apparatus' which simultaneously recognizes the pointlessness of believing in 'God' or 'Spirit'. In such a circumstance, one is not afforded Providence, and is also responsible for the actions of the self, so those attributes are not solely given to the realm of atheism. I would suspect that few would recognize this kind of view of 'God' or understand what purpose this view of God serves to the believer of this view, and the believer in this view would hardly be able to offer a why, yet still have the faith in it.
I suppose the best I can offer is this person would view God as that which created all, yet, like a negligent mother, could care less about how her offspring fares and leaves its fate in its own hand, like a bird ejected early from the nest.

Many of our great scientific leaps forward are from people who believe in a God, not necessarily defined by Biblical teaching as such. Nikolai Copernicus, Francis Bacon, Johannes Kepler, Galileo Galilei, Rene Descartes, Blaise Pascal, Isaac Newton, Robert Boyle, Michael Faraday, Gregor Mendel, William Thomson Kelvin, Max Planck and Albert Einstein come to mind.

If God is simply whatever it was that made the universe, or its residual energy, or essentially whatever cannot be fathomed, then I think the concept of a 'God' which is unconcerned with the affairs of humanity is legitimate and not atheistic.

That's a deistic interpretation. Many of America's founders were deistic in their beliefs.

Atheism is not a "belief" but a lack of one, however.

It's a belief that there is no supernatural.

Believe what you wish, as long as your belief doesn't force ME to do anything. If your religion tells your that you can't drink, then don't drink. Just don't tell me that I cannot drink.

What if I decide to shoot you? That doesn't force you to do anything. If I believe it's okay to kill you, provided I'm not forcing you to do anything, is that okay with you? Or are you going to tell me that you have some sort of "rights"?

Belief doesn't factor in to self-discipline, morality, and most things that a person "Good".

If belief doesn't factor into morality, how would you enforce any sort of morality?

I am not ignorant of someones Free Will, just pointed to froggo there are many also who embrace atheism so they would continue easily living decadent lifestyle...

In my opinion, atheists tend to be quite arrogant and dogmatic--in other words, very much religious people. I think atheists tend to be intellectually incurious about what is not yet explained, preferring the certainty of what is explained. Hence, people who consider themselves "experts" frequently present themselves as atheists. So you get statements like this:

That you link hedonism to atheism shows your true ignorance of what Atheism actually is, as "Hedonism" is a lifestyle, and not linked to any particular religion, or lack thereof.

@Odiseizam, it ultimately just becomes a personal attack of some sort.

I pointed to this as logic why many cant get to greater spiritual growth altho even live Inchurched Life its like driving track cargo with super'mini car so surely like that its difficult to get to the mountain top, some relay on the witnesses others simply give up as demotivated altho its their Free Will not to accept the ascetic anecdote that to Christians two wings are fasting and prayers i.e. as i pointed literary as much one loosen from this gain from the spiritual world, balanced path is the Salvation one i.e. nor pushed by zealotry nor used for judging others, so me jumping in this thread is to hand a hand to those that are curious why to some atheism is wonderful,

I don't think you can interest atheists in concepts like spiritual growth. Even many theists--like the scientists I mentioned above--are much more interested in natural philosophy than anything supernatural.

As I've said before, the only logically consistent position one can take is agnosticism.

Neither Theists, nor Atheists can prove their position to be true.

That's correct as far as I can ascertain, because there are limits to knowledge. However, there is plenty of evidence for something like intelligence as a force. Atheists, presenting as scientists, would argue that it's perfectly possible for a universe to exist that evolves randomly and would posit that there is a statistical probability of something like a can of Coca-Cola arising. Yet, such obtuse use of statistics belies the infinitesimal possibility of a six pack of Coca-Cola cans, yet alone a whole warehouse full of them. Modern physics does not have a rational explanation for why life exists, why it evolves, and how living beings behave. There are tons of physical and non-physical sub-disciplines to try to explain it, but it most certainly cannot be explained using only the electro-magnetic, strong nuclear, weak nuclear and gravity forces. Arising out of thermodynamics, we get a big bang and an inflationary universe hypothesis. Yet, a singularity or what causes the Big Bang cannot be so explained either.

I find atheism utterly unsatisfying.