Musings about different types of atheist! (page 8)

adamah

Mr Fool said-

Is it a fair analyze that a "soft atheist" is not sure, but just suspect that God MAY not exists (like 55/45 % in chance)

and a "hard core atheist" is convinced 100% (he "knows") that God does not exists? (100/0 % in chance)

The distinction is not really about a numerical estimation of certainty (for statisticians, the confidence interval of one's being correct, the certainty), as much as the claim one wishes to make AND the strength of the supporting evidence they have to prove their assertion to others.

Remember, the idea of proof is very different when used in the legal arena vs that used in the world of mathematics, with its absolute 'perfect' proofs. The courts use different standards, based on the seriousness of the charges, eg "beyond a reasonable doubt", "the preponderance of the evidence", etc. Few bother getting into the legal standards, other than it's good to realize that waiting for ABSOLUTE proof or certainty defore deciding on ANYTHING is silly.

If I assert, "no God exists" (hard atheist), then the burden falls on me to prove the claim.

If someone asserts, "Gods exists" (theist), then the burden falls on them to prove the claim.

If I don't hold or accept any beliefs in Gods, it's because I have no rational grounds to support the belief: I'm a "soft atheist". I have no burden to prove anything to anyone, since I'm not making any claim on God's existence, either way.

In contrast, both the theist and hard atheist have to support THEIR claims by producing evidence.

There's overlap between the agnostic and the soft atheist, such that they're synonyms. I'd just as soon disgard the term agnostic, since the term 'gnostic' involves the old-fashioned concept of God-given knowledge.

Adam

cofty

I am 99.99% convinced - snare & racket

WHAT only 99.99%. You indecisive, wishy-washy agnostic you..... ;)

Mr Fool

Don´t be superstitious, I dont try to score points. I just asked a question. You didn´t answered it. Let me ask in a different way; Do you concider yourself (as an atheist) to be wise (?) and are you 99.999...% sure that your way of thinking and behaving should be the best way of living and thinking for most of the human beings on this planet?

snare&racket

It is the airport incident.....

Can't get over the feeling Jesus was there with me in WH Smith before the flight....

"Put the smut down, you will embarass yourself on the plane!"

Jesus Christ.....

"what?"

Oh no sorry, I was just saying Jesus Chri.."what"..... sorry, I was blaspheming, sorry JC

"you are forgiven"

Obviously.....

"don't push it!"

God!

"what?!

Oh Jesus "what?" the catholics were right! Hello there to the holy ghost too!

[squeeky voice] " Hello wee man, nice magazine you have there!"

"oy"

Jesus christ calm down Jesus Christ....... sorry

"you are forg..."

Obviously!

snare&racket

MR FOOL I see you spent time choosing an appropriate name, good work ! ha ha, joking ! (I keep geting misintepreted here, I am cheeky not rude)

I can see your thought process a mile away.... put the fishing rod and worm away..... no bites.

Of course athesits don't think they are smarter, Newton believed in god and was a genius....

It has nothing to do with intelligence at all.

As for how we live, why wuld that matter in what we believed? Even if we felt we woulf live a better life as a muslim, you can't make yourself believe in something you don't believe. They are not connected !

If you are asking if atheists live better lives, more moral lives? Go research the data yourself.

If you are asking if we are immoral without the help of god and the bible, I would say there are a million books for you to go and read if you really want to know the answer. Maybe start with the author Sam Harris he discusses the issue well, or watch some Christopher Hitchens debates on moral issues online, his favourite question being "What moral act can a christian do that I cannot do as an atheist?"

Then we have long discussions ahead as to what is moral and what is not? Does god decide? Why? What if you don't believe he exists? What if he is immoral? Just because you believe he made everything does he have the right to demand worship and kill people, command slavery, genocide, rape, sexism, racism, homophobia , infanticide etc?

So before you go to a huge topic ....morality... maybe look at what we have all writren about it millions of times already or even better don't rely on some people on the internet you don't know, go and read what the experts say on morality and its influences.

But no the bible is not my guide. Yes I live a good life, I love people and consider the human race a good and decent thing with huge potential for good and I am positive about the future of mankind.

snare x

Berengaria

I am 0.00% convinced that there is a god

adamah

Mr Fool said-

Do you concider yourself (as an atheist) to be wise (?) and are you 99.999...% sure that your way of thinking and behaving should be the best way of living and thinking for most of the human beings on this planet?

Ironic question, since isn't that EXACTLY what the Bible claims to offer: 'one size fits all' answers for all of humanity?

My take is it's up to each individual to take control of their own lives, and to develop and nurture their own talents to the best of their ability.

Adam

cofty

Mr Fool - I'm always happy to discuss ideas, but I'm not going to play along with your vague and rambling interrogation.

I am sure that a superstition-free world would be a far better one.

Goodnight. I leave you with some of the best song lyrics ever written...

"I hope some day you join us and the world will live as one"

...

Seraphim23

Adamah If I go to see a movie without memory I might question the wisdom to go. My point is that something about the movie continues to exist that is not to do with the movie itself. That is memory in the brain and also the ability to experience memory. Even memory would be useless without someone to experience it. Death means even the memory is destroyed if there is no other record of the events of a life, and the death of the universe means no record of the events of the universe. If no record exits and time stops because it is a function of gravity and matter, then how could anyone say the universe ever did happen if someone could be there at that point? The circumstances are the same as if there wasn’t ever a universe. Complete nothingness that always was without anything before it and nothingness that comes after something like the universe are the same things.

The idea of all-encompassing eternal nothingness when compared to a life span of the universe or a man is literally non comparable! One or a trillion are both zero percentages of infinity. This means for reality to even exist something has to always exist. I’m not saying its God but a record of history needs to always exist for history to have been real and to keep being so. Information and reality i.e mathematics and the universe have a correlation this much cannot be denied. Why is a mystery but I suspect it is to do with this metaphysical implication forced by infinity itself.

Berengaria

This means for reality to even exist something has to always exist.

Hogwash

Musings about different types of atheist!

Share this