not a theist

What does an atheist believe about what?

Are you asking my opinion on U.S. foreign policy?
On the dating of the Synoptic Gospels?
First you'll have to tell me exactly what you want my opinion on.

I don't have a "belief system" per se, rather I have many different beliefs about many different things.

I've tried having belief systems before, they tend to make one reject evidence that goes against that system. Rather I have loose sets of beliefs, some which I hold with more committment than others. Which of these are you interested in knowing?

[ May 19, 2002: Message edited by: not a theist ]</p>

tronvillain

HelenSL:
Meh. Why bother? I prefer the direct approach.

HelenM

What's indirect about explaining why you are making a request?

That was what I meant - I was not in the least suggesting you be indirect. I don't like indirect either

love
Helen

St. Robert

Not a theist,

What does an atheist believe about life's origin, meaning, purpose, and destiny.

How did we come to exist?
What is the meaning of life?
What gives our lives purpose?
What happens when we die?

I would contend that you do have some system or criteria by which you would answer these fundamental questions about life. Consequently, this system shapes your beliefs and essentially becomes a belief system even if it's only based on opinion.

[ May 22, 2002: Message edited by: St. Robert ]</p>

not a theist

I was born. Most likely, it seems to me that as a species we evolved from other species.
Words and statements have meaning. As do certain actions. To ask what the meaning of life is does not seem to be a well-formed question. I doubt that the question itself has meaning. Things and events within life have meaning within a social and personal context.
This is subjective from individual to individual. For me, it varies in many particulars from day to day. Those whom I love give my life some purpose. Otherwise, whatever strikes my fancy at the time.
Some of us are placed in the ground others are incinerated. I have no good reason to believe that anything beyond this happens though I would not rule it out completely.

I have criteria but no system. My criteria are based on my experiences and observations modified by the information from experts in their respective fields and logic.
Once again, it really isn't systematized even though your paradigm forces you to believe that I have a system. I suppose you could call evaluation a system in the loosest sense of the word, but even the criteria that I use for evaluation are liable to frequent change.

[ May 22, 2002: Message edited by: not a theist ]</p>

Vorkosigan

Not a theist,

What does an atheist believe about life's origin, meaning, purpose, and destiny.

What kind of atheist? A metaphysical naturalist? A believer in ESP but not gods? A Buddhist? A Confucian? A Taoist of certain flavors? A pantheist? Depends on what the atheist's beliefs are. Atheism is just a lack of belief in gods. It has no other moral or philosophical fallout. For that we rely on other systems.

Vorkosigan

David Gould

Not every person has beliefs about the questions you raised. Some people might say 'I don't know,' to one or all of them.

And if an atheist gives you a set of answers, that does not make that an atheistic world view because another atheist is likely to give you a different set of answers.

As someone stated earlier, perhaps you are looking to attack metaphysical naturalism, which is not the same as atheism.

All metaphysical naturalists are atheists (I think )but not all atheists are metaphysical naturalists.

St. Robert

Not a theist,

Would you be willing to die for your opinion that God doesn't exist?

St. Robert

Not a theist,

Would you be willing to die for your opinion that God doesn't exist?

not a theist

I don't think I've ever been asked such an absurd question?

In the abstract, I have no idea.

I would need to know the concrete situation.

If it would do others sufficient good to allow them freedom of belief, perhaps I would. If atheists were being slaughtered and my death would have some effect, then perhaps I would.

If some random Joe on the street just decided to kill atheists and asked me, I would lie and say I believed.

Are you asking if I would die rather than change my belief? Yes. I would have no choice since I can't just change my beliefs at will.

What is the point to this question?

Are you just randomly asking questions, or is this leading somewhere?

[ May 23, 2002: Message edited by: not a theist ]</p>