Wackyboy

I'm pretty new to the message board and have spent a bit of time trolling around trying to gauge the general attitude of the board. Please forgive me if I am rehashing an old topic.

Before I begin, let's be clear on definitions. An atheist is one who positively asserts that there is no God or gods. A theist is one who positively asserts that there is a God or gods. An agnostic is one who doesn't know if there is a God or not. (If you don't agree to these terms go get a dictionary)

God can not be proven to exist. I am going to concede this point right from the get go. God also can not be disproved to exist. I am not sure if the atheists within earshot are going to concede this as well or not, if not I would appreciate if they would prove me wrong.

It is irrational to believe in that which can not be proven. It's not bad to be irrational, lot's of people are irrational.

My perception of most people who claim to be atheist is that they exalt and cling to rational thought above all else and yet agnosticism is by far the most rational approach to take concerning the existence of God question.

So it seems to me that atheism is irrational and yet most atheist use ration as the reason they give for being atheists.

That's how I see it,

Wackyboy

Edited because I am in point of fact a horrid speller, which doesn't mean that I am wrong.

[ December 04, 2002: Message edited by: Wackyboy ]
{Edit to correct title spelling- J.}

[ December 06, 2002: Message edited by: Jobar ]</p>

Aquila ka Hecate

...apart, of course, from good spelling.
I WORSHIP correct spelling, along with etymology.

Amie

accidentally hit submit...post on its way

[ December 04, 2002: Message edited by: Amie ]</p>

LordSnooty

This is your first mistake. An atheist does not 'positively assert that there is no God'. An atheist simply does not believe in God. There is a very big difference.

Paul

Amie

Hi Wackyboy

Agreed

well you can't really prove a negative.

For example you can't prove that I don't sell street drugs. You can't prove that the purple people eaters that live on planet zygo don't exist. You can't prove that I don't dress up like Olivia Newton John every friday night and sing the songs to Xanadu in my living room and on and on

Technically speaking it is the theists who are making the claim so the burden of proof falls on us...not the atheists.

I don't think atheism is irrational at all. Its a position I don't maintain however I wouldn't call it irrational.

This would apply to Christians...

[ December 04, 2002: Message edited by: Amie ]</p>

Wackyboy

Please explain how they are different. If what you are saying is true and there is a difference, then all athiest either a)positively assert that there is no God, or b)assert that they do no know if there is a God but have chosen to believe that there is not. If they choose "b" then they are not athiest, but agnostics who've made a leap of faith based on something other than rational thought.

-Wackyboy

Infinity Lover

Call me irrational; but I believe Amie is a Godess.

I can understand how the difference between an atheist simply not drawing the conclusion that there is a God, and an agnostic believing there may be a god can be confusing. I can't properly make heads or tails of it myself.

I'm not to keen on labels myself to be honest.

Wackyboy

Not entirely true, technically speaking athiests are making a claim as well, and that claim is that God does not exist. Because it can not be proven that God does not exist it is irrational to assert that God does not exist.

-Kevin

LordSnooty

OK, look at it this way. I don't believe in god. I can't understand why anyone would believe in god. There is no reason to believe in it.

However, I cannot possibly say 'God does not exist', the reason being that I don't know. I can't have that knowledge. I don't know whether god exists, and nor do you.

I haven't chosen to believe that there is no god, I am incapable of that belief (whilst there is no evidence to support it).

I am an atheist, not an agnostic. I doubt you'll find any rational atheists who'll say 'God does not exist'.

Paul

Infinity Lover

Wacky...

An atheist doesn't believe there is a god.

Do I need to PROVE that I don't believe there is a god?

NOT all atheists CLAIM there is no god. They'll claim that God as portrayed in holy scryptures doesn't make sense, but that's about it. I think you have a wrong idea of what atheism means.

It's NOT being a theist... that's all.