by seekchristonly 194 Replies latest watchtower bible
How many of you all have faith that Zeus, Hera, Posiedon, Ares, Athena, etc. do not exist?
Is this just an unproven belief system? Do you all have meetings to share your faith? Why or why not?
Are any from that belief system also in other belief systems, such as rejecting the similar ROMAN gods? ...or the Viking gods?
How do you keep track of all your belief systems?
| Main Entry: | belief system |
| Part of Speech: | n |
| Definition: | faith based on a series of beliefs but not formalized into a religion; also, a fixed coherent set of beliefs prevalent in a community or society |
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/belief+system
A community could be a group of atheists. There are groups of atheists. There on line communities. We don't have to be theists to have a belief system. A belief system is not synonymous with religion.
Websters
be·lief noun \bə-ˈlēf\
: a feeling of being sure that someone or something exists or that something is true
: a feeling that something is good, right, or valuable
: a feeling of trust in the worth or ability of someone
Full Definition of BELIEF from Webster's Dictionary
1 a state or habit of mind in which trust or confidence is placed in some person or thing
2 something believed; especially : a tenet or body of tenets held by a group
3 conviction of the truth of some statement or the reality of some being or phenomenon especially when based on examination of evidence
Origin of BELIEF from Websters
Middle English beleave, probably alteration of Old English gelēafa, from ge-, associative prefix + lēafa; akin to Old English lȳfan
First Known Use: 12th century
So basically, a belief system is not religion. It can involve a set of commonly held beliefs in a group or community. It could be a science community or an online community. There are online communities of atheists and they do share common beliefs and tenets.
: a feeling of being sure that someone or something exists or that something is true
Everyone who can think has a system of beliefs.
Atheist: An individual that finds insufficient evidence for the thousands of gods purportedly in existence based on the claims of their adherents. NOT a belief system.
That is the ONLY thing an atheist has in common with another atheist. Everything else, is up for grabs, including a fascination for extra-terrestrial life, that football is somehow better than hockey (good luck!), that waffles are superior to pancakes and a million other things that atheists won't have in common with each other.
Atheist: An individual that finds insufficient evidence for the thousands of gods purportedly in existence based on the claims of their adherents. NOT a belief system.
You're right, that would only be one belief in an individual atheist's personal belief system.
You're right, that would only be one belief in an individual atheist's personal belief system.
Are you saying that unbelief/disbelief is a belief?
If you believe there isn't a god, is this not a belief?
Is this not a conviction, a worldview?
Of course, this doesn't equate the opinion with that of one that believes there is a god. The burden of proof resides on the believer. This also doesn't mean the opposite opinion is any less a position of conviction.
Technically, if all the evidence available is not on the table, neither position can be validated. As regards god, it's a delicate matter.
Are you saying that unbelief/disbelief is a belief?
If you believe there isn't a god, is this not a belief?
Yes, in a backwards way it is. An atheist believes there is no god. There is no way to prove there is or is not god(s). So whether you are an athiest or diest or theist, your feeling on the existence or non existence of god(s) is your personal belief. The word belief isn't a bad word.
Except it isn't a 'feeling on the existence or non-existence of gods'. It's stating that the claims believers make regarding the existence of gods is lacking substantive evidence. NOT a personal belief system.
