I am not an atheist but I know lots of them! Tends to happen when you work in the secular science community. Interested in the points of view here!
Hi GBTG!
The more the merrier! Hope you'll stick around for a while - many theists don't. But some do, and we have much fun "debating" them.
Welcome, to our little band of heathens.
You a scientist yourself?
Quote from: GBTG on November 02, 2017, 06:03:21 PM
. Interested in the points of view here!
Well, my point of view is that the word "God" is incoherent and means nothing at all, since it can mean anything at all.
Quote from: Charles Bradlaugh
Atheism is without God. It does not assert no God. The atheist does not say that there is no God, but he says 'I know not what you mean by God. I am without the idea of God. The word God to me is a sound conveying no clear or distinct affirmation. I do not deny God, because I cannot deny that of which I have no conception, and the conception of which by its affirmer is so imperfect that he is unable to define it for me.
Welcome also. I have no problem with science or religion, but then I am a heretic. I also have no problem with irrationality or imagination. Science is useful in devising better medicine and engineering. Then the medical community and technical community can get to work on more practical matters than a Higgs boson.
Welcome stick. I am curious how long it will take you to turn into a pretzel.
Hopefully your interest is to learn and contribute to intelligent discussions, rather than to preach. Welcome to our forums.
QuoteI am not an atheist but I know lots of them!
I bet some of your best friends are atheists..Better start distancing yourself just in case trump is impeached and pence is installed as head theocrat.
Personally I'm a toothfairian.. I sacrificed all of my teeth for the greater good. And as a child I actually received cold hard cash for teeth. I bet god never left cash under your pillow at night.
Hello GBTG. What's secular science? Is it a new field?
Quote from: Jason78 on November 04, 2017, 02:14:14 AM
Hello GBTG. What's secular science? Is it a new field?
Isn't science by nature "secular"?
Quote from: Cavebear on November 04, 2017, 02:42:54 AM
Isn't science by nature "secular"?
Not if you're trying to weasel creationism into the mix by claiming it's "science".
Quote from: Cavebear on November 04, 2017, 02:42:54 AM
Isn't science by nature "secular"?
Mere Lysenkoism, Comrade Cavebear. Everything is politics, and the important thing is to think, say and write just like our Chairman in the Kremlin.
"scientia" is a Latin word meaning knowledge. It was hijacked around 1750 by Enlightenment terrorists like Voltaire and Robespierre. Before that it was called Natural Philosophy ... but that wasn't good marketing, because we know that philosophy is bullshitting. Too bad the Church of Reason was so short lived, in Paris, during the Terror. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times ...
Quote from: Baruch on November 04, 2017, 09:54:28 AM
Mere Lysenkoism, Comrade Cavebear. Everything is politics, and the important thing is to think, say and write just like our Chairman in the Kremlin.
"scientia" is a Latin word meaning knowledge. It was hijacked around 1750 by Enlightenment terrorists like Voltaire and Robespierre. Before that it was called Natural Philosophy ... but that wasn't good marketing, because we know that philosophy is bullshitting. Too bad the Church of Reason was so short lived, in Paris, during the Terror. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times ...
However, in current times, "science" means a method of thinking in terms of observations and testable conclusions. Which is why it beats theism...
Quote from: Cavebear on November 07, 2017, 05:06:15 AM
However, in current times, "science" means a method of thinking in terms of observations and testable conclusions. Which is why it beats theism...
Theism and science aren't opposites, neither are atheism and theism. Making opposites is a simplification, and a tool of polemic. Not this here, but that over there ... though both items are on the same planet. Deeper thinking requires peeling back simplification, particularly the kind one is unaware of.
Quote from: Baruch on November 07, 2017, 06:20:36 AM
Theism and science aren't opposites, neither are atheism and theism. Making opposites is a simplification, and a tool of polemic. Not this here, but that over there ... though both items are on the same planet. Deeper thinking requires peeling back simplification, particularly the kind one is unaware of.
Theism and atheism are opposites. The latter is "the not" of the former. Theists persist in the hare-brained concept that "atheism" is just another theism. I resent it. It is as if you tried to claim the moon was a species of cow.
Quote from: Cavebear on November 07, 2017, 09:34:42 AM
Theism and atheism are opposites. The latter is "the not" of the former. Theists persist in the hare-brained concept that "atheism" is just another theism. I resent it. It is as if you tried to claim the moon was a species of cow.
I understand and appreciate your point. But I tend to think of love and hate as not opposite, but the other side of the same coin. I see indifference as the opposite of love. I view atheism and theism the same. They are not the other side of the same coin. They are opposite one another. Atheism is indifferent to theism. I see religions as being the other side of the same coin; atheism as being indifferent to the idea of religion in any and all forms.
Quote from: Mike Cl on November 07, 2017, 10:17:26 AM
I understand and appreciate your point. But I tend to think of love and hate as not opposite, but the other side of the same coin. I see indifference as the opposite of love. I view atheism and theism the same. They are not the other side of the same coin. They are opposite one another. Atheism is indifferent to theism. I see religions as being the other side of the same coin; atheism as being indifferent to the idea of religion in any and all forms.
You put it better than I did. Thank you. Had I to repost my thoughts, I might have theisms as a bunch of small circles together on one page and atheism as non-circle not on a page at all. All comparisons fail to some degree though.
Quote from: Cavebear on November 07, 2017, 09:34:42 AM
Theism and atheism are opposites. The latter is "the not" of the former. Theists persist in the hare-brained concept that "atheism" is just another theism. I resent it. It is as if you tried to claim the moon was a species of cow.
Theism and anti-theism are opposites. But that is not what MikeCL is pointing to. His atheism is un-religion, not anti-religion.
Quote from: Baruch on November 07, 2017, 01:17:06 PM
Theism and anti-theism are opposites. But that is not what MikeCL is pointing to. His atheism is un-religion, not anti-religion.
My interest is a world of non-religion. I merely have to deal with theists until then. The JWs came banging on my door last week. Again.
My ideal world would not involve any theisms. It still is cow and moon...
Quote from: Cavebear on November 07, 2017, 01:53:12 PM
My interest is a world of non-religion. I merely have to deal with theists until then. The JWs came banging on my door last week. Again.
My ideal world would not involve any theisms. It still is cow and moon...
My interest is a world of non-Gentiles. I would do your bris ;-)
Quote from: Baruch on November 07, 2017, 07:17:24 PM
My interest is a world of non-Gentiles. I would do your bris ;-)
My world would be simpler that yours. A world of Cavebears. And peons. What, isn't that the Republican dream? I would be a logical but benevolent tyrant. Galadriel with the Ring on meds...
Quote from: Cavebear on November 07, 2017, 09:34:42 AM
Theism and atheism are opposites. The latter is "the not" of the former. Theists persist in the hare-brained concept that "atheism" is just another theism. I resent it. It is as if you tried to claim the moon was a species of cow.
Well, theists practice athinking, which they believe is similar to atheism.
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on November 11, 2017, 09:37:15 AM
Well, theists practice athinking, which they believe is similar to atheism.
Ack! THAT WAS GREAT! I cracked up. "athinking" You made my day... I want to see that one in the dictionary soon.