Explain Atheism to Justinian2

[Foster Zygote]

The belief system of many, but not all, atheists is that theism is bad. The belief system of theists is that atheism is bad. If a sufficient number of atheists oppose religion, they (atheists) will probably become the enemy of the religious.

And many, but not all, people who don't collect stamps regard collecting stamps as boring. That doesn't make people who don't collect stamps a "creed".

Not that your response addressed what Dave Rogers wrote.

 

[Justinian2]

Do we need to start another thread to explain agnosticism to you, as that's clearly another word whose meaning you don't understand. Did you go clear with that, yet?

I have no need to logically answer your rabid reply as you apparently have already decided to be hostile regardless of anything I say.

 

[Justinian2]

So this lowly inferior was able to steal power from people who had much higher OT levels than he did? Again, it sounds like higher OT levels offer no discernible advantage in life.


So you've known a lot of infamous people then?

I've read about the infamous and seen them on documentaries. I have also had some bad tenants with whom I was suspicious before they became a nuisance.

As for this lowly inferior, apparently top lawyers were on his side. Scientologists can't overrule judges, government officials, and the FBI in this society. LRH's wife was in jail at the time because she spied on the FBI (and got caught).

 

[Jack by the hedge]

The belief system of many, but not all, atheists is that theism is bad.

That's so vague as to be meaningless. If you actually meant "most" rather than "many" it would be more meaningful but then I'd probably ask you to justify the claim.

 

[Ignosticist]

That's so vague as to be meaningless.

As pretty much anything in this discussions is...

If you actually meant "most" rather than "many" it would be more meaningful but then I'd probably ask you to justify the claim.

Justify the claim?

It will be fun to watch him try....

 

[Justinian2]

And many, but not all, people who don't collect stamps regard collecting stamps as boring. That doesn't make people who don't collect stamps a "creed".

Not that your response addressed what Dave Rogers wrote.

We all have complex belief systems.

My Scientology belief system starts with Dianetics which believes that we are all susceptible to important hypnotic-like phrases. Furthermore, the actions of many are guided by their own particular hypnotic-like phrases.

Do you collect stamps? Has anyone ever told you "I think stamp collecting is boring" when you were tired?

Sorry about the evaluation. I didn't mean to imply that you had been hypnotically induced into believing that 'stamp collecting is boring'. But that would be the type of implant that you could get if you were tired and heard that phrase. It would create internal conflict if you were an avid stamp collector.

That is an example of one of my sub-beliefs, anyway.

 

[dafydd]

We all have complex belief systems.

My Scientology belief system starts with Dianetics which believes that we are all susceptible to important hypnotic-like phrases. Furthermore, the actions of many are guided by their own particular hypnotic-like phrases.

Do you collect stamps?

Dianetics is made up crap.

 

[Jack by the hedge]

To me, agnosticism is more valid that atheism.

To me, agnosticism is declining to come to a conclusion in the absence of proof. But I'd by lying if I said that, having considered the evidence, I actually thought there was even an infinitessimal chance that God exists.

Agnosticism does not make war with the theists as do the nonreligious.

I do not make war with theists despite being nonreligious. I'm prepared to tell people what I believe, though, which is not the same thing at all.

As a Scientologist, I think much like the atheistic Buddhists except that I have a slight belief in spirits of all sizes - except those powerful enough to dictate my life. Scientologists are tolerant of all other religions.

I don't believe in spirits at all. Not even slightly. I also tolerate all other religions. I reserve the right not to tolerate whatever people feel allowed or required to do to other people in the name of their religion.

 

[zooterkin]

I have no need to logically answer your rabid reply as you apparently have already decided to be hostile regardless of anything I say.

Probably just as well; I'd save your first attempt for something a bit more important. It also seems 'rabid' is another word you run through your clearing process.

 

[Dancing David]

I allow gays their rights because I think natural selection will make gays extinct eventually.

So you don't know that siblings share 50% genetic material and that rearing of siblings children by homosexuals would be a reproductive benefit and therefore carried on?

 

[Justinian2]

To me, agnosticism is declining to come to a conclusion in the absence of proof. But I'd by lying if I said that, having considered the evidence, I actually thought there was even an infinitessimal chance that God exists.

Proof follows belief. For example, people had the belief that the world was a sphere before it was proven. It took hundreds of years to prove the world was a sphere. Sailors made a profit from their belief that the world was a sphere long before the fact was proven.

There are many beliefs and theories in religion. An atheist knows that nothing else exists. I am very skeptical of the belief that nothing exists beyond what some worldly people can see with their own eyes.

I do not make war with theists despite being nonreligious. I'm prepared to tell people what I believe, though, which is not the same thing at all.

I don't believe in spirits at all. Not even slightly. I also tolerate all other religions. I reserve the right not to tolerate whatever people feel allowed or required to do to other people in the name of their religion.

You have that right. However, people have good reason to be highly skeptical of your belief or absence of belief - whatever you call it.

 

[Dancing David]

The belief system of many, but not all, atheists is that theism is bad.

Data ,evidence, citations? Most religions are somewhat detrimental to neutral, however deism itself is mostly neutral.

The belief system of theists is that atheism is bad. If a sufficient number of atheists oppose religion, they (atheists) will probably become the enemy of the religious.

Some theists are so strong in their faith that is a given. I am no threat, I just don't share their beliefs.

 

[Dancing David]

Dianetics is made up crap.

Pretty much the statistics (and based upon very small sample sizes) are interesting but mostly unreplicated.

Apparently some people have never heard of cognitive behavioral therapy, which would argue against any secret mind control phrases.

 

[Mister Agenda]

What do atheists do for Christmas?

It depends. I ask people to give to charity instead of to me. Last year I had dinner with friends at a Chinese restaurant. This year I expect to celebrate at my gf's with some of her family.

What are your mores?

I try to live with honesty, integrity, honor, and compassion.

What is your profession?

If you mean what I do for a living, I manage a small department in a big corporation. If you were going for the other meaning, I suppose I'm a ratskep humanist.

What is your charity?

My favorite is Camfed (educate girls in Africa).

How do you vote?

I vote for the person who I think is the best candidate, or I protest vote Third Party (usually Libertarian) to show my displeasure at the offerings.

I assume all the answers are different. No implication. Just trying to get a feel for who you are.

Good assumption.

 

[Mister Agenda]

My town had no colored people, no Asian people, few Catholics, and no Jewish people. We were WASP.

My college was pretty much the same.

I doubt that I ever met an atheist in person. I certainly never met an atheist that raged against religion.

I am familiar with Protestants, Masons, Catholics, Jews and Scientologists. Atheists are unknown.

I was 42 before I knowingly met my third atheist. I started a Meetup for atheists, no one but me turned up for the first few meetings, but then two guys showed. One of them was someone I already knew, but didn't know was an atheist.

Most of us don't rage against religion in casual conversation. Critiquing religion is appropriate in discussion forums, not so much with someone not interested in having that conversation.

 

[dafydd]

An atheist knows that nothing else exists.

I know that the universe and everything in it exists, where did you get that stupid idea from?

 

[Foster Zygote]

We all have complex belief systems.

My Scientology belief system starts with Dianetics which believes that we are all susceptible to important hypnotic-like phrases. Furthermore, the actions of many are guided by their own particular hypnotic-like phrases.

Do you collect stamps? Has anyone ever told you "I think stamp collecting is boring" when you were tired?

Sorry about the evaluation. I didn't mean to imply that you had been hypnotically induced into believing that 'stamp collecting is boring'. But that would be the type of implant that you could get if you were tired and heard that phrase. It would create internal conflict if you were an avid stamp collector.

That is an example of one of my sub-beliefs, anyway.

Did you not understand the analogy at all?

 

[Mister Agenda]

By your own words, you're a Nitpicking dilettante

This thread is about Atheists. Do Atheists have tolerance for other creeds? Do Atheists want tolerance for their own creed?

Neither atheism nor theism are creeds. Everyone wants tolerance for their own creeds, whatever they may be.

 

[Foster Zygote]

An atheist knows that nothing else exists.

That is preposterous assertion. Have you been reading anything that anyone has said to you regarding atheism?

 

[Mister Agenda]

From Wikipedia:

Wikipedia makes a distiction, which I can't see, beteen atheists and the nonreligious. I'm not sure what that means. The implication is that atheists are spiritual but don't believe in a deity whereas people that are nonreligious don't believe in religion. It seems like atheism should be the larger set/group of which nonreligion is a subset.

Some atheists are 'spiritual' for different values of spiritual. Some atheists are religious, presumably following a religion that doesn't require theism. Atheism is a category that includes everyone who doesn't believe in deities, the category of 'not theists'.

Atheists are a group just as conservatives are a group. Atheists get lumped into the same bin with all other atheists. So, whether you think it's a creed or not, people still categorize you by your belief.

The only group that can be meaningfully compared to atheists is theists. We're not a group in the sense that we share common attitudes, preferences, and values. We are only the group of all people who don't believe in any gods.