Religion

guillaumeb

(42,649 posts) Tue Jun 19, 2018, 07:44 PM Jun 2018

What is "a certain belief"? [View all]

I read the following in a post recently:

So, there it is. Belief in the "divine" is a belief in the existence of deities. Atheism is the disbelief in deities
or the certain belief that no deities exist. The two things are incompatible, by definition.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1218287061

So the question is, what is meant in this instance by the phrase "a certain belief"?

My view is that the author meant that this certain belief is a strong belief, meaning that the author strongly believes that this particular belief is correct. And in this post, that certain belief refers to atheism.

What proof does the author present for this certain belief? None, because as a belief, it requires no proof. Belief exists in the absence of any proof.

But in each case, and in each definition of atheism, the author defines atheism as a belief. The difference is that the first is expressed as a negative, and the second is expressed positively.

Thoughts?

91 replies

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Highlight:

What is "a certain belief"? [View all] guillaumeb Jun 2018 OP

Similar to the "sure and certain hope" referred to MineralMan Jun 2018 #1

2 of 40 Major Nikon Jun 2018 #3

Teehee... MineralMan Jun 2018 #4

What are the chances that meaningful discussion will ensue? Voltaire2 Jun 2018 #6

Some 'certain' people in here get to "talk amongst yourselves. Discuss..." sprinkleeninow Jun 2018 #12

I am this much 📈 certain that in an Eastern Orthodox sprinkleeninow Jun 2018 #11

That covers less than 1% of the Christian population in the US Major Nikon Jun 2018 #15

Gee, thanks for the resounding. 😐 sprinkleeninow Jun 2018 #17

I suppose I could have wrote... Major Nikon Jun 2018 #18

All them big words smushed my brain. sprinkleeninow Jun 2018 #38

Yep...you're a believer then... n/t Fix The Stupid Jun 2018 #43

I refrain from replying inna wise acre truck driver manner. sprinkleeninow Jun 2018 #44

I'll try to use words with less than 3 syllables next time Major Nikon Jun 2018 #46

You are so kind. sprinkleeninow Jun 2018 #47

Well, gil has his fan club. trotsky Jun 2018 #19

Maybe he has a little crush on me... MineralMan Jun 2018 #21

The dude cares so much about you, he literally tallies up the number of posts you make. trotsky Jun 2018 #30

Yes, I think about the attention he's paying to me all the time. MineralMan Jun 2018 #31

Is he hurting you? You don't need to suffer alone. marylandblue Jun 2018 #33

1-800-ATHEIST? MineralMan Jun 2018 #34

You can't prove there's no proof Major Nikon Jun 2018 #2

Got 'eem!!! n/t trotsky Jun 2018 #20

Are you able to prove there's no proof. So, all these tons of peoples who 'believe' are schnookered, sprinkleeninow Jun 2018 #41

I feel no obligation to disprove that which never offered proof to begin with Major Nikon Jun 2018 #42

I'm outta gas. You people make a body weary. sprinkleeninow Jun 2018 #45

As has been explained here many times there Voltaire2 Jun 2018 #5

The 2nd is a subset of the 1st Major Nikon Jun 2018 #7

Good point. Voltaire2 Jun 2018 #8

As the imaginary fan club roars Major Nikon Jun 2018 #9

Rrrrr! I Am Woman. sprinkleeninow Jun 2018 #10

Except for those few atheists who do believe. guillaumeb Jun 2018 #26

Logic isn't your strong suit Major Nikon Jun 2018 #28

You really must keep up on the various threads. guillaumeb Jun 2018 #48

Name one Major Nikon Jun 2018 #51

I posted about it recently. guillaumeb Jun 2018 #53

If you can't name one I'm simply going to assume a backlog of merde Major Nikon Jun 2018 #54

Having once again driven his op straight into a wall Voltaire2 Jun 2018 #60

Are you people in here older younger in-between or what's the deal?🤔 sprinkleeninow Jun 2018 #13

I think you covered all the possibilities there. Voltaire2 Jun 2018 #22

😁 sprinkleeninow Jun 2018 #39

I yam not a technical person per se. sprinkleeninow Jun 2018 #40

Two positions? MineralMan Jun 2018 #32

Can an atheist believe in the missionary position? marylandblue Jun 2018 #35

Well, if one remembers that it was Christian missionaries MineralMan Jun 2018 #36

We'll see we got both types...country and western Docreed2003 Jun 2018 #79

Faith exists in the absence of proof, belief may or may not. marylandblue Jun 2018 #14

A belief may or may not be based on evidence and reason Major Nikon Jun 2018 #16

Oh and "off" is not a tv channel. Voltaire2 Jun 2018 #23

Well that explains why their shows are so boring marylandblue Jun 2018 #24

I. Just. Got. This. 😆 sprinkleeninow Jun 2018 #81

You may be the only one who thought it was funny. marylandblue Jun 2018 #83

Well, it did take me a tad for the lightbulb to light up. sprinkleeninow Jun 2018 #85

Once again you take a simple concept and fail miserably in the interpretation Major Nikon Jun 2018 #25

So you disagree with MM? guillaumeb Jun 2018 #27

No Major Nikon Jun 2018 #29

Like this response from you? guillaumeb Jun 2018 #49

No Major Nikon Jun 2018 #52

That sentence uses the word "or" in the exclusionary sense. MineralMan Jun 2018 #37

You are apparently arguing with your own words. guillaumeb Jun 2018 #50

It's a two part definition. Each part stands alone. marylandblue Jun 2018 #55

Because it directly contradicts what many atheists have already claimed. guillaumeb Jun 2018 #56

Most atheists on this site are soft atheists marylandblue Jun 2018 #57

So first you falsely claimed MM contradicted himself Major Nikon Jun 2018 #58

Nope. You failed to understand the plain English words. MineralMan Jun 2018 #65

MineralMan, these concepts can be very confusing. Mariana Jun 2018 #62

Perfectly Brilliant! MineralMan Jun 2018 #64

It's actually pretty simple once you realize non-belief is really belief Major Nikon Jun 2018 #67

🙃 sprinkleeninow Jun 2018 #80

I certainly believe this is yet another faithiest train wreck Voltaire2 Jun 2018 #59

Faithed another one up till hell won't have it Major Nikon Jun 2018 #61

Why do you think he abandoned it already? trotsky Jun 2018 #63

You can't prove that. Act_of_Reparation Jun 2018 #66

I have a certain belief that if I hit "post my reply" Eko Jun 2018 #68

Proof. Eko Jun 2018 #69

Proof again. Eko Jun 2018 #70

I could keep going. Eko Jun 2018 #71

Lets go for 10 out of 10. Eko Jun 2018 #72

6. Proof. Eko Jun 2018 #73

7 proof. Eko Jun 2018 #74

8 proof. Eko Jun 2018 #75

9 proof. Eko Jun 2018 #76

10 proof. Eko Jun 2018 #77

This is an inductive proof. Voltaire2 Jun 2018 #82

I have a certain belief that gil has abandoned this failed thread, trotsky Jun 2018 #84

You are so very predictable. guillaumeb Jun 2018 #86

Irony is funny. MineralMan Jun 2018 #87

Coming from you, that is a good one. eom guillaumeb Jun 2018 #88

Thanks! MineralMan Jun 2018 #89

I feel like I'm on a playground Lordquinton Jun 2018 #90

Guilty as charged. trotsky Jun 2018 #91

Hmmm. Snackshack Jun 2018 #78