Do Atheist Believe in Nothing?

[biggun]

First of all I understand that organized religion is the root of most evil. And that believing in and praying to little statues is nothing more then kneeling down and hoping for good things. But is hope a "spiritual" thing that we all share and feel together? or is it only a individual wish for something and we really have no connection to one another at all? I hope not that sounds kinda lonely, doesn't it?

 

[morgentaler]

Maybe you should look up the definition for atheist.
If you feel that people have to believe in something make-believe in order to have meaning in their lives, that can be your own little fantasy.
Some people would rather put value in things like family, friends, and reality.

Who is lonelier? The people that accept the reality of the world and live in it, or the people that have to make up ghosts, spirits, gods, and the afterlife to make it from one day to the next?

 

[biggun]

I agree, my question is if two people find meaning in the same thing and are in love, is it something chemical in your brain that makes you feel something more or is there some sort of spiritual connection between them?

 

[fulbright]

I agree, my question is if two people find meaning in the same thing and are in love, is it something chemical in your brain that makes you feel something more or is there some sort of spiritual connection between them?

This is of course depends entirely on the beliefs of each person individually. The term Atheist simply means one who denies the existence of any and all deities. Many Buddhists are in fact atheists, but do believe in reincarnation and spiritual things.

I myself, being an atheist, also believe that love is a purely physical thing, bound to the chemical and mental aspects of our bodies. One could argue that even the mental aspects of love are prompted by chemical reactions in the brain, but I can't claim to know much about that. This position is not inherent in or equal to the atheistic one, though I feel they certainly are connected.

 

[biggun]

SOunds to me like you want to have it both ways. look like I said I do not believe in any deities. But I do feel spiritual. Hell maybe I am just insane or maybe there really are little green men inside my head. To much to think about, time to smoke

 

[fulbright]

SOunds to me like you want to have it both ways[...]

I'm not sure what you mean by this. Can you elaborate on what you're saying here?

 

[hempcurescancer]

Maybe you should look up the definition for atheist.
If you feel that people have to believe in something make-believe in order to have meaning in their lives, that can be your own little fantasy.
Some people would rather put value in things like family, friends, and reality.

Who is lonelier? The people that accept the reality of the world and live in it, or the people that have to make up ghosts, spirits, gods, and the afterlife to make it from one day to the next?

So the answer is yes. They believe in nothing.

 

[morgentaler]

So the answer is yes. They believe in nothing.

You're absolutely correct, if you are a child molester.

Look, I can make irrelevant stupid insights as well!

 

[JazzCigarette]

We believe in the non-existence of omnipotent Gods or deities. It's okay for an atheist to believe in a spiritual aspect to human existence, just not in the context of an organized, indoctrinated religion. Essentially, unlike agnostics whom believe that somebody out there COULD be right, we believe that everybody out there is trying in vain to explain that which we do not even have the capacity to understand. Agnostics believe that somebody could be right, we believe that nobody has it right. For example, I deny the existence of God, Shiva, Muhammad...etc. However, I do believe that there is a POWERFUL force of nature which created and binds us all, even if it is nature itself.

 

[dbo24242]

It is an unfortunately inherent to atheism to believe in god as far as an entity thereof which can be discredited as existing. The atheist acknowledges the existence of god as the brainchild of most religion and discards that way of thought, calls it false. It is a religion under false pretenses - literally (my paradoxical explanation) - mostly reserved for angry school girls, orphaned rednecks, and metal music.

 

[CrackerJax]

Atheists are simply more logical.

Where's the beef?

Please no mythic Bible quotes.... That's not beef, that's filler.

 

[dbo24242]

indeed. more logical, but less legitimate
regardless, bible = really bad bedtime story.. never read it though

 

[CrackerJax]

Only if you define legitimate by popularity.

there was a time when everyone thought the sun revovled around the earth. Not legitimate though, but you risked ur life saying otherwise.

 

[Leothwyn]

The atheist acknowledges the existence of god as the brainchild of most religion and discards that way of thought, calls it false. It is a religion under false pretenses

Acknowledging that other people believe something does not make a religion IMO.
You may acknowledge that there are people out there who actually believe that fairies are real, but I don' think that makes you a part of some fairy religion of false pretenses.

 

[dbo24242]

Acknowledging that other people believe something does not make a religion IMO.
You may acknowledge that there are people out there who actually believe that fairies are real, but I don' think that makes you a part of some fairy religion of false pretenses.

not what I was saying.

Think about it like this. Snafflegorfins. Do they exist? well there is no thing called a Snafflegorfin. Say Billy really believes in Snafflegorfins. Well, now, if I am to say Snafflegorfins don't exist, I would be acknowledging that they do exist, albeit intangibly, in Billy's brain. Otherwise they wouldn't even be cognizable.

So to say God does not exist is to acknowledge God exists as a belief. I mean to say I don't believe in God is accepting God as an entity. if it were like I don't believe in any higher power then it would be accepting there is a higher power to not believe in. As in it doesn't exist, but it is a thing that is real in not existing.

 

[CrackerJax]

It's okay to believe in a creation point and not accept the man G*D myth. The two are not connected.

 

[Leothwyn]

I understand what you're saying - basically if we know that somebody out there believes something, no matter how ridiculous, then we believe in it too. IMO, that does not = religion. And, I don't buy the logic. I see your example as a belief in a belief, nothing more. I don't want to bog this thread with bickering over semantics, so I'll just let it go. I just had to respond initially because, as an atheist, I'd rather not be called religious - not exactly a flattering thing to be called IMO.

not what I was saying.

Think about it like this. Snafflegorfins. Do they exist? well there is no thing called a Snafflegorfin. Say Billy really believes in Snafflegorfins. Well, now, if I am to say Snafflegorfins don't exist, I would be acknowledging that they do exist, albeit intangibly, in Billy's brain. Otherwise they wouldn't even be cognizable.

So to say God does not exist is to acknowledge God exists as a belief. I mean to say I don't believe in God is accepting God as an entity. if it were like I don't believe in any higher power then it would be accepting there is a higher power to not believe in. As in it doesn't exist, but it is a thing that is real in not existing.

 

[dbo24242]

ok so if atheism is not your religion than you are a non-religious person
it really does come down to semantics. and I get it.

you are an atheist but are non-religious
I am non-religious but am not an atheist


prolly I see it more as one of those 'negating' cult things like satanism or the twilight fan club which isn't really what it is

 

[CrackerJax]

Yes, you don't get it. ur trained to live by category.

Atheism is the lack of religion. It isn't a belief system.

It's not ur an theist BUT are non religious.

it's U R an atheist AND ur non religious.

 

[hayzeheven]

Im quite the atheist.

I don't even believe in atheism.