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MineralMan

(151,222 posts) Sat Dec 29, 2018, 12:34 PM Dec 2018

Atheism is a very, very narrow thing. [View all]

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Last edited Sat Dec 29, 2018, 02:10 PM - Edit history (2)

It has to do only with the idea of the existence of deities. Atheists don't believe that such supernatural entities exist. Some atheists declare that they don't exist. Most simply don't believe they exist.

Either way, that is the only tenet of atheism. Atheism doesn't have anything to say about other philosophical questions. Individual atheists may be humanists or royalists. Atheism can exist in democracies, socialist societies, or even in tyrannical government systems. However, atheism is not in any way about politics. It is far narrower in its scope than that.

Atheists, as individuals, believe many things about many things. They just don't believe that deities or other supernatural entities exist. That's about the only principle you can depend on an atheist to hold. Beyond that, you must ask the individual atheist how he or she things about other subjects.

Atheism is not a belief system. It is simply non-belief in one particular area.

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Atheism is a very, very narrow thing. [View all] MineralMan Dec 2018 OP

Agreed. And atheism is not an end-all concept. no_hypocrisy Dec 2018 #1

Right dvduval Dec 2018 #15

+1 Atheism is no more a 'belief system' than 'non-belief in unicorns' is a belief system mr_lebowski Dec 2018 #2

Or my preferred analogy TlalocW Dec 2018 #14

That is also an excellent analogy ... (nt) mr_lebowski Dec 2018 #22

Exactly. Vinca Dec 2018 #3

Knowing I don't believe in God my catholic boss told me 'happy voodoo day' for Christmas Corvo Bianco Dec 2018 #4

I stopped letting people at work know I was Pagan after a boss... moriah Dec 2018 #16

I'm not sure that a Pagan qualifies as an atheist... Wounded Bear Dec 2018 #21

I only mentioned it cuz of the voodoo comment. moriah Dec 2018 #33

Oooh, what he say/do? TlalocW Dec 2018 #17

I didn't know I was suppose to have voodoo dolls. LiberalFighter Dec 2018 #67

Exactly ismnotwasm Dec 2018 #5

Wouldn't that be more of an agnostic...? Wounded Bear Dec 2018 #19

Pretty much ismnotwasm Dec 2018 #32

Proof is the responsibility of the person making the claim........ USALiberal Dec 2018 #38

Very true, but people like using the white crow theory ismnotwasm Dec 2018 #51

Other things I don't believe in until I see proof: Stonepounder Dec 2018 #69

Can you prove everything you believe? Doodley Dec 2018 #72

Atheism doesn't require certainty. Mariana Dec 2018 #53

Is that agnostic? ismnotwasm Dec 2018 #60

I always understood the difference between Atheism and Agnosticism is Fla Dem Dec 2018 #75

Well said ismnotwasm Dec 2018 #82

I'll not believe it until there is proof of it. No one should. nt USALiberal Dec 2018 #24

This is my point ismnotwasm Dec 2018 #31

I actually think "proving the negative" is how a lot of mathematical proofs are constructed. erronis Dec 2018 #39

Naw, I'm just pointing out why I'm not an atheist using a poor argument ismnotwasm Dec 2018 #47

And most believers are atheistic when it comes to other religions Ron Obvious Dec 2018 #6

One of my favorite quotes: DFW Dec 2018 #7

I like that very much. smirkymonkey Dec 2018 #10

Wow, I just downloaded that very quote pic Duppers Dec 2018 #20

Well, see? There is a higher power! Or you two are "entangled". erronis Dec 2018 #41

By the way, Happy Chrismahannakwanzakah. notKeith Dec 2018 #8

Clearly, you are not Keith. MineralMan Dec 2018 #11

I look at it statistically and logically. mwb970 Dec 2018 #12

I am tired of being told that atheism is a religion. mwb970 Dec 2018 #9

I like that variation on the theme! MineralMan Dec 2018 #13

Me too! bitterross Dec 2018 #26

I think there is another aspect to atheism Kablooie Dec 2018 #18

For most atheists, that follows logically. MineralMan Dec 2018 #23

I've long thought that the concept of "life after death" is a result of luvtheGWN Dec 2018 #56

I think of death as returning to the state you were in... Kablooie Dec 2018 #77

That would be a naturalist by philosophy edhopper Dec 2018 #25

Really, just as I don't believe in supernatural deities, MineralMan Dec 2018 #44

I agree, I don't either edhopper Dec 2018 #49

I don't know how one would rationalize such a belief. MineralMan Dec 2018 #54

As I said edhopper Dec 2018 #57

Buddhism is a complicated religion. MineralMan Dec 2018 #63

There is great YouTube from Buddhistttemple ismnotwasm Dec 2018 #86

I have done some study of Buddhism in the past. MineralMan Dec 2018 #90

There is some indication that time is tied in with observation and consciousness Farmer-Rick Dec 2018 #76

We have plenty of evidence of the effect of time on our lives. MineralMan Dec 2018 #88

And many of us look forward to that end, not through fear or escape, just completion. erronis Dec 2018 #45

You can not assign such things to "all" atheists. A HERETIC I AM Dec 2018 #73

Yes, you are right. I overstepped in my generalization Kablooie Dec 2018 #89

Agreed LiberalFighter Dec 2018 #79

MM edhopper Dec 2018 #27

It's in GD because Republican politics in the US is so heavily tied into MineralMan Dec 2018 #35

fair enough edhopper Dec 2018 #36

Did it bother you? Seems to be a popular post, soo that covers it. nt USALiberal Dec 2018 #40

Not at all edhopper Dec 2018 #46

I tell my friends, "I just believe in one less god that you do!", usually shuts them up. nt USALiberal Dec 2018 #28

That doesn't work on polytheists, though. :) nt WhiskeyWulf Dec 2018 #42

Good point. nt USALiberal Dec 2018 #43

Never thought about it that way, do I say leprechauns DO NOT or I dont believe they do. Eliot Rosewater Dec 2018 #29

I leave believe out of it edhopper Dec 2018 #37

Yeah, do not is what I said. Asking me if I BELIEVE in leprechauns is Eliot Rosewater Dec 2018 #62

absolutely; it's just another version of bothsiderism AlexSFCA Dec 2018 #30

"Faith is believing what you know ain't so." ― Mark Twain yortsed snacilbuper Dec 2018 #34

Wouldn't Sam Clemens have a hay day with the current situation? erronis Dec 2018 #50

Don't forget the greatly missed Molly Ivins. PWPippinesq Dec 2018 #74

Atheism.org definition of atheism (which is the way I've always understood it) ffr Dec 2018 #48

Oh, people define it in different ways. There are all sorts of semantics MineralMan Dec 2018 #59

Atheist churches with sacraments and other trappings of religion confuse me. Marcuse Dec 2018 #66

That is spot on for me. Greybnk48 Dec 2018 #52

We don't believe in all 2000 gods Johnny2X2X Dec 2018 #55

It's not that simple, really. MineralMan Dec 2018 #65

Some of us are skeptics which simply means we need proof, facts, for everything, then we believe. shockey80 Dec 2018 #58

Absolutely TxDemChem Dec 2018 #61

I appreciate the dialogue, MineralMan, though I doubt this question and others like it will ever be in2herbs Dec 2018 #64

Hmm...well, if you look at most religions, you'll find that they MineralMan Dec 2018 #70

What moral compass does the Christian right use? Belief in a God or religious texts does not Doodley Dec 2018 #80

Guides the moral compass? ThirdEye Dec 2018 #87

Well stated, sir! Generic Brad Dec 2018 #68

Yes, they do. And that's a huge mistake. MineralMan Dec 2018 #71

Religion works much better when people treat it metaphorically instead of literally. backscatter712 Dec 2018 #78

And your point? To whom are you addressing this? Do people disagree with you? nt LAS14 Dec 2018 #81

Atheism is narrow if you define God narrowly. Atheism is broad if you have a Nitram Dec 2018 #83

Thank you for this discussion, Mineral Man PWPippinesq Dec 2018 #84

Any difference between atheist and agnostic? Martin Eden Dec 2018 #85

Locking... DonViejo Dec 2018 #91