Faqs About Atheism And Agnostics

Discussion in 'Agnosticism and Atheism' started by Meagain, Mar 26, 2005.

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  1. MeAgain

    MeAgain Dazed & Confused Lifetime Supporter Super Moderator

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    What is an atheist?
    An atheist does not believe in a god or gods. Not all atheists deny the existence of any gods; they simply do not believe it. Anyone who does not affirm the belief in a god or gods is an atheist by default. In this sense, everyone is an atheist at birth.
    Those who lack a belief in a specific God are known as weak atheists. Those who lack a belief in any gods are known as strong atheist.

    What is an agnostic?
    An agnostic is anyone one who claims that the existence of a god or gods is unknowable. Agnosticism says nothing about a person's belief in the existence of a god or gods; it only states that we cannot know of that existence.
    A belief that we cannot know whether God exists is known as strict agnosticism and the belief that we do not know yet is known as empirical agnosticism.

    Can a person be both an atheist and an agnostic?
    A person can be an atheist and an agnostic (depending on the definition of god), or a theist (one who believes in a god or gods) and an agnostic.
    We can list four possibilities:
    Agnostic Theism: belief in a god without claiming to know for sure that the god exists.
    Gnostic Theism: belief in a god while being certain that this god exists.
    Agnostic Atheism: disbelief in gods without claiming to know for sure that none exist.
    Gnostic Atheism: disbelief in gods while being certain that none can or do exist.

    Is atheism a religion?
    No.

    Are atheists Satanists or do they believe in Satan?
    No. Atheists do not believe in a deity such as Satan.

    Is atheism "anti-religious"?
    No, atheism does not demand an anti-religious stance. Some atheist are anti-religious, some are not.

    How do atheist define the word God?
    Atheist do not dispute that the idea of God can exist in people’s minds and be used as a guide to morality, but they do not believe that an actual God exists independent of human beliefs.
    Atheists also dispute people who claim that God exists in objects such as rocks or trees. They would contend that adding the word God to the rock or tree imparts no more information than the original label so the projection of God into the object is irrelevant.

    Can the existence of God be proven?
    Many atheists feel that the idea of God as presented by the major religions is essentially self-contradictory, and that it is logically impossible that such a God could exist. Others are atheists through skepticism, because they see no evidence that God exists.It is generally accepted that we must assume things do not exist unless we have evidence that they do. Even theists follow this rule most of the time; they don't believe in unicorns, even though they can't conclusively prove that no unicorns exist anywhere.To assume that God exists is to make an assumption, which probably cannot be tested. We cannot make an exhaustive search of everywhere God might be to prove that he doesn't exist anywhere. So the skeptical atheist assumes by default that God does not exist, since that is an assumption we can test.

    Can the existence of God be dis-proven?
    Some atheists believe that the existence of god can be disproved logically or empirically. Others concede that it may be impossible to know for sure whether a god can or does exist. We can compare the existence of God to the existence of a prime number larger than all other prime numbers. It is quite simple to prove that there does not exist a prime number larger than all other prime numbers

    What if God exists but is undetectable by humans?
    If God interacts with our universe the effects of his interaction must have some physical manifestation. This means his interaction with our universe must be in principle detectable. If God he undetectable, he does not interact with our universe in any way. A thing, which cannot even be detected in principle, does not logically exist.
    Of course, it could be that God is detectable in principle, but we cannot detect him in practice. However, if the Bible is to be believed, God was easily detectable by the Israelites. Surely he should still be detectable today? Whether by direct revelation or by observation, it must surely be possible to perceive some effect caused by God's presence; otherwise, how can I distinguish him from all the other things that don't exist? Atheists have found no such interaction.

    What else do atheists believe in?
    Atheism implies no other belief system. It is not political, philosophical, social, or religious or anything else.

    Do atheist believe that science disproves the existence of God?
    All atheists do not believe that science is the best way to find out about the universe.

    But if God is unique, he is the Supreme Being, the creator of the universe. He must by definition exist.
    Things do not exist merely because they have been defined to do so. We know a lot about the definition of Santa Claus such as what he looks like, what he does, where he lives, what his reindeer are called, and so on. But that still doesn't mean that he exists.

    Can God be logically proved to exist?
    First, you must come up with a clear and precise definition of exactly what you mean by God. An atheist's idea of what is meant by the word 'God' may be very different from your own views. Next, you must realize that reality is not decided by logic. Even if you could rigorously prove that God exists it could be that your logical rules do not always preserve truth, that your system of logic is flawed. It could be that your premises are wrong. It could even be that reality is not logically consistent. Logic is a useful tool for analyzing data and inferring what is going on; but if logic and reality disagree, reality wins. The only way to find out what is really going on is to observe it. Besides, Even after centuries of effort, nobody has come up with a watertight logical proof of the existence of God.

    What would it take to prove to an atheist that God exists?
    A clear definition of God, and objective, compelling supporting evidence would be enough. Anecdotal evidence of other people's religious experiences isn't good enough. Strong, compelling evidence is required, because the existence of God is an extraordinary claim and extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

    Are atheists less moral than religious people?
    If you define morality as obedience to God, then of course atheists are less moral. But usually when one talks of morality, one talks of what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior within society. Most atheists behave in a moral or compassionate way simply because they feel a natural tendency to empathize with other humans. Remember, belief in God does not guarantee that people will always behave in a moral manner.

    Are atheists going to Hell?
    Atheists don’t believe in an afterlife and don’t believe in a place called Hell.



    These questions are offered as a simple introduction to the Atheism.
    They are presented as an opportunity for further exploration and understanding. No claim is made as to their accuracy or validity.

     
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