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Characterization of Atheism

HikakaGirl

Student
H
Joined
Oct 14, 2011
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46
Hi all,
At the risk of opening Pandora's Box, I have a high level question to put to you all. I am an atheist, and recently got a tattoo of a scarlet "A" to signify said atheism. A friend commented that she thought it was ill-advised to get a tattoo that signified atheism, as that was "a spiritual issue, and people's spiritual beliefs change all the time". Now, let's put aside the last part of the phrase, regarding beliefs changing "all the time" (although I suspect some among you may not be able to resist that little nugget). When I reflected on her comment, I realized that I don't consider atheism to be a spiritual issue. I did not arrive at the conclusion that I was an atheist from a spiritual journey. I then began to ask myself, and others, the question of how to characterize atheism. Is it a spiritual issue? Philosophical? Intellectual? Scientific? I haven't yet figured it out, but I'm enjoying the thought exercise.

I know there is a significant amount of content on this forum addressing the question of whether or not the existence of God can or should be subjected to scientific inquiry. That's not what I'm asking. I'm asking for your opinions on how you would characterize atheism. Feel free to qualify your answer (i.e. strong or weak atheism, compare and contrast to agnosticism), but please state assumptions where appropriate so that I, and others, understand your thoughts correctly.

Thanks in advance for your considered responses.
HG
 
Atheism = nonstampcollecter. It's like how a Christian isn't a Buddhist, because they don't observe their spirituality.I'm an atheist because I don't believe in Gods, simple as that. When people use Gods to explain a phenomenon I am hardpressed to believe it, but am open minded to investigate the claim, sure. But that's not what makes me an atheist (the investigation) that's skepticism. I'm an atheist because the conclusion (tenable for now, who knows...in years to come I may investigate evidence that convinces me otherwise; I will not hold a torch for agnosticism though) I have drawn shows that there aren't any Gods, even within the philosophical realm (read the "The Great Debate" thread if you want to understand that more)
 
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Lowpro said:
Atheism = nonstampcollecter. It's like how a Christian isn't a Buddhist, because they don't observe their spirituality.I'm an atheist because I don't believe in Gods, simple as that. When people use Gods to explain a phenomenon I am hardpressed to believe it, but am open minded to investigate the claim, sure. But that's not what makes me an atheist (the investigation) that's skepticism. I'm an atheist because the conclusion I have drawn shows that there aren't any Gods, even within the philosophical realm (read the "The Great Debate" thread if you want to understand that more)
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So, are you saying it's a spiritual position of nonspirituality?
 
Whoops, sorry, I only saw the first line of your response at first. That was weird. So, then would you characterize it as a spiritual concern? Philosophical? I hear both in your reply.
 
It's not even a spiritual position.

There is a line that a lot of people draw in different areas. I think you have to investigate evidence of a God before you can draw whether it's true or not. I don't think newborn babies are atheists (though by literal definition they have to be) because they don't even have the faculties to draw a conclusion at all. I wouldn't call that spiritual, even if you're investigating spiritual claims.

ETA:
Perhaps that's why it's feasible to be a hard atheist to some Gods, and a soft atheist to others, much as Dawkins refers in "The God Delusion"
 
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By default an atheist has a lack of spirituality rather than going through a spiritual phase
 
As a favor to myself, can we define spirituality really fast? I've always considered it in two parts, (1) the afterlife and (2) just something more to us than what's real ie "sacred for reasons other than what we determine ourselves, must have come from something...spiritual"
 
Lowpro said:
As a favor to myself, can we define spirituality really fast? I've always considered it in two parts, (1) the afterlife and (2) just something more to us than what's real ie "sacred for reasons other than what we determine ourselves, must have come from something...spiritual"
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Absolutely, I appreciate the definitional clarification.
 
I define spirituality as coming from the word spirit, as in a spirited horse. Not a ghost horse, but a horse with vibrant burning passion. And spirituality would be the experience one has when reflecting upon a sense of profound meaning to their existence, those moments when the now is loud and apparent and one feels awe or wonder or great appreciation for one's place in reality which cannot be summed up in words adequately. Some feel this passion more than others, but it has nothing to do with non corporeal beings, disembodied consciousness which is intrinsic to the universe, or dogmatic systems of belief. Religion and new age hucksters currently have a monopoly on wonder and indescribable depths of emotion. Horse hockey.
 
HikakaGirl said:
So MG, is this the same as the non-stamp collector position?
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No because a choice not to collect stamps represents a lack of desire not to do so. Atheists don't desire to be atheists, they simply are
 
Atheism is best characterized as a non-belief in god(s). There are a number of ways to come to that particular conclusion, and there are many flavors of atheism.

Just as an a-unicornist is someone who lacks a belief in unicorns. Pretty much everyone is an a-unicornist, but for different reasons.
 
Halfcentaur said:
I define spirituality as coming from the word spirit, as in a spirited horse. Not a ghost horse, but a horse with vibrant burning passion. And spirituality would be the experience one has when reflecting upon a sense of profound meaning to their existence, those moments when the now is loud and apparent and one feels awe or wonder or great appreciation for one's place in reality which cannot be summed up in words adequately. Some feel this passion more than others, but it has nothing to do with non corporeal beings, disembodied consciousness which is intrinsic to the universe, or dogmatic systems of belief. Religion and new age hucksters currently have a monopoly on wonder and indescribable depths of emotion. Horse hockey.
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Very well said. Nom'ed!
 
HikakaGirl said:
I am an atheist, and recently got a tattoo of a scarlet "A" to signify said atheism.
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um, a scarlet "A" is a symbol for "Adulteress"
there was a book and a film and everything
The story starts during the summer of 1642, near Boston, Massachusetts, in a Puritan village. A young woman, named Hester Prynne, has been led from the town prison with her infant daughter in her arms, and on the breast of her gown "a rag of scarlet cloth" that "assumed the shape of a letter." It is the uppercase letter "A." The Scarlet Letter "A" represents the act of adultery that she has committed and it is to be a symbol of her sin—a badge of shame—for all to see.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scarlet_Letter
:D
 
For me, while recognising that technically speaking atheism is clearly an absence of belief, the main reason people identify as atheists is in opposition to people who claim to be theistic or religious. The only times my atheism ever matters is in discussions with theists - it doesn't matter to anyone else. So I characterise atheism as a practical label for identifying a difference in belief within a specific context (discussions with theists) and leave it there.
 
MG1962 said:
No because a choice not to collect stamps represents a lack of desire not to do so. Atheists don't desire to be atheists, they simply are
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I don't choose not to collect stamps, I just don't see the point.

I don't choose not to believe in gods, I just don't see the point.

I mean, why should I? What do I gain? All evidence points to nothing.
 
Marduk said:
um, a scarlet "A" is a symbol for "Adulteress"
there was a book and a film and everything

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scarlet_Letter
:D
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Um, yeah. I'm gonna assume you're just teasing me, but just in case someone else interprets what I'm saying the wrong way...

I didn't think it was relevant to detail the tattoo itself, but it's the scarlet "A" that Richard Dawkins' foundation (RDFRS) is using in their Out Campaign. See outcampaign.org. I only wanted to include enough to get the tattoo across; the real question is about the characterization of atheism.

Thanks,
HG
 
Ginarley said:
For me, while recognising that technically speaking atheism is clearly an absence of belief, the main reason people identify as atheists is in opposition to people who claim to be theistic or religious. The only times my atheism ever matters is in discussions with theists - it doesn't matter to anyone else. So I characterise atheism as a practical label for identifying a difference in belief within a specific context (discussions with theists) and leave it there.
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Ginarly, does your atheism matter to you? Either within, or outside of the context of discussions with theists? I am starting to wonder that the answer to my question is..."it depends" and that the characterization of atheism depends on the individual - how that individual perceives it. Thanks,
HG
 
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