Topic: Rise of atheism.
Dragoness's photo
Mon 07/18/11 05:26 PM
Edited by Dragoness on Mon 07/18/11 05:27 PM

not a person of faith but i don't see so much a rise in atheism as i see a rise of secularism in general. 'strong' atheism, a BELIEF that there is no god makes no more sense than a BELIEF that god exists. i think that more and more folks are turning towards scientific explanations of creation, evolution, etc., more so than simply rejecting religion. and of course our governemnt separates itself from religion more and more with each challenge in the courts in general.


The strong/fighting for the rights of all atheists atheists don't exist in large enough numbers because if they did the changes in the laws would have happened sooner than now.

Atheists really just don't want to have to be subjected to religion in their daily lives, they do not really want to fight about it.

That is the misunderstanding about atheists.


Dragoness's photo
Mon 07/18/11 05:30 PM
I would think the people of faith, which I am not, would be extremely accepting of anything others choose to believe so they can keep their beliefs.

no photo
Mon 07/18/11 05:37 PM

I would think the people of faith, which I am not, would be extremely accepting of anything others choose to believe so they can keep their beliefs.


Not to mention those who respect the rule of law would look to the 1st Amendment.

jrbogie's photo
Mon 07/18/11 05:44 PM



What you might be referring to is anti-theism. Most atheists are agnostic atheist as i'm sure you know the meaning.


I've heard 'agnostic atheist' to mean "people who lack a belief in a deity, who think that such knowledge is also not obtainable". I've also heard "agnostic atheist" to simply mean "people who lack a belief in a deity" (in other words, a 'weak' atheist).

I like to linkify:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_atheism#North_America


sorry but i can't buy off on your descriptions. firstly, what you describe as an 'agnostic atheist' is simply an agnostic. agnostics believe in nothing thinking that nothing, especially god, can be known. a weak atheist does not believe in god but does not rule out god as unknowable if evidence could be produced.

RKISIT's photo
Mon 07/18/11 06:51 PM
I'm one of those anti-theism atheist who "refuse" to believe there is a God.So if you never heard or seen an atheist say or type this OP,you just did.Theres a first time for everything.drinker

Dragoness's photo
Mon 07/18/11 06:57 PM

I'm one of those anti-theism atheist who "refuse" to believe there is a God.So if you never heard or seen an atheist say or type this OP,you just did.Theres a first time for everything.drinker


I feel the same but I have been told that I am not an atheist because of my spiritual beliefs. And I do fight for the rights of atheists to live religion free.

mykesorrel's photo
Mon 07/18/11 07:46 PM
Edited by mykesorrel on Mon 07/18/11 07:48 PM
I'm one of those anti-theism atheist who "refuse" to believe there is a God.So if you never heard or seen an atheist say or type this OP,you just did.Theres a first time for everything.


I actually stated that:

What you might be referring to is anti-theism. Most atheists are agnostic atheist as i'm sure you know the meaning.


atheism(no god)

agnostic(without knowledge of God)


atheist(to me) seems like a very FIRM stand (NO God)


You're confusing a lot. There is Gnostic atheist and agnostic atheist, your confusion can be found here:

http://freethinker.co.uk/2009/09/25/8419/

Anti-theism in itself is its own category. I recently almost argued with my world religion teacher because he was asserting atheism is someone "who knows for a *fact*" there's no God.

I feel the same but I have been told that I am not an atheist because of my spiritual beliefs. And I do fight for the rights of atheists to live religion free.


What do you mean by spirituality (in your terms)?




msharmony's photo
Mon 07/18/11 07:50 PM
it seems as if agnostic theist and antitheist are two more terms which kind of confuse things more

I was just explaining the foundation for my post, the definitions I was using for TWO seperate words

atheism ( literally NO GOD)
agnosticism (literally WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE)


,, I kind of thought I simplified it actually,,,

msharmony's photo
Mon 07/18/11 07:53 PM
doesnt matter, I didnt wish to get off topic

whatever terms are used,, as a CHRISTIAN, It wont bother me if more people question or ask questions about religion/God/faith,,etc,,,


it would bother me if more people started to insist upon living without giving thought or consideration to religion/God/Faith,,etc,,

no photo
Mon 07/18/11 08:02 PM

I'm one of those anti-theism atheist who "refuse" to believe there is a God.So if you never heard or seen an atheist say or type this OP,you just did.Theres a first time for everything.drinker


That's called Dogmatic Atheism. There are plenty of atheists like that, becoming more common every day. We are witnessing the philosophical decline of atheism.

Kleisto's photo
Mon 07/18/11 08:19 PM

doesnt matter, I didnt wish to get off topic

whatever terms are used,, as a CHRISTIAN, It wont bother me if more people question or ask questions about religion/God/faith,,etc,,,


it would bother me if more people started to insist upon living without giving thought or consideration to religion/God/Faith,,etc,,


Why? It's their choice, who are you to say your beliefs are any better than theirs are, or that to be good is dependent at all on what they believe?

mykesorrel's photo
Mon 07/18/11 08:19 PM
Edited by mykesorrel on Mon 07/18/11 08:21 PM

it seems as if agnostic theist and antitheist are two more terms which kind of confuse things more

I was just explaining the foundation for my post, the definitions I was using for TWO seperate words

atheism ( literally NO GOD)
agnosticism (literally WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE)


,, I kind of thought I simplified it actually,,,


I don't like going into semantics of labeling, but i didn't want a misrepresentation of the meaning, it's better to know than to assume.

it would bother me if more people started to insist upon living without giving thought or consideration to religion/God/Faith,,etc,,


What consideration might that be? A high percentage of people who become agnostic or atheist read the Bible back and fourth, i'm assuming you mean consideration in either reading the Bible and going to church or on a more faith based level (ease my confusion, thanks)?

That's called Dogmatic Atheism. There are plenty of atheists like that, becoming more common every day. We are witnessing the philosophical decline of atheism.


I wouldn't really consider that, if any of your are familiar with Reddit there are plenty of anti-theistic people there. Most of them started as a "weak atheist", to seeing the issues religion place on people/world and then really despise religion.

msharmony's photo
Mon 07/18/11 08:21 PM


doesnt matter, I didnt wish to get off topic

whatever terms are used,, as a CHRISTIAN, It wont bother me if more people question or ask questions about religion/God/faith,,etc,,,


it would bother me if more people started to insist upon living without giving thought or consideration to religion/God/Faith,,etc,,


Why? It's their choice, who are you to say your beliefs are any better than theirs are, or that to be good is dependent at all on what they believe?


of course its their choice, I didnt say otherwise

its also a personal choice to commit suicide, or use drugs, or eat fast food every day

that doesnt stop me from being able to worry about people who make such choices though

msharmony's photo
Mon 07/18/11 08:23 PM


it seems as if agnostic theist and antitheist are two more terms which kind of confuse things more

I was just explaining the foundation for my post, the definitions I was using for TWO seperate words

atheism ( literally NO GOD)
agnosticism (literally WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE)


,, I kind of thought I simplified it actually,,,


I don't like going into semantics of labeling, but i didn't want a misrepresentation of the meaning, it's better to know than to assume.

it would bother me if more people started to insist upon living without giving thought or consideration to religion/God/Faith,,etc,,


What consideration might that be? A high percentage of people who become agnostic or atheist read the Bible back and fourth, i'm assuming you mean consideration in either reading the Bible and going to church or on a more faith based level (ease my confusion, thanks)?

That's called Dogmatic Atheism. There are plenty of atheists like that, becoming more common every day. We are witnessing the philosophical decline of atheism.


I wouldn't really consider that, if any of your are familiar with Reddit there are plenty of anti-theistic people there. Most of them started as a "weak atheist", to seeing the issues religion place on people/world and then really despise religion.



Im posting about people giving consideration to the validity of the bible and of the existence of God

as opposed to the bible being brushed off by more and more as only fairytale,,,(as in nothing legitimate or relevant in it, not to be confused with a FABLE which still has a moral to learn)

or to God being brushed off as no more real than Santa Claus,,,

Kleisto's photo
Mon 07/18/11 08:25 PM
Edited by Kleisto on Mon 07/18/11 08:27 PM



it seems as if agnostic theist and antitheist are two more terms which kind of confuse things more

I was just explaining the foundation for my post, the definitions I was using for TWO seperate words

atheism ( literally NO GOD)
agnosticism (literally WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE)


,, I kind of thought I simplified it actually,,,


I don't like going into semantics of labeling, but i didn't want a misrepresentation of the meaning, it's better to know than to assume.

it would bother me if more people started to insist upon living without giving thought or consideration to religion/God/Faith,,etc,,


What consideration might that be? A high percentage of people who become agnostic or atheist read the Bible back and fourth, i'm assuming you mean consideration in either reading the Bible and going to church or on a more faith based level (ease my confusion, thanks)?

That's called Dogmatic Atheism. There are plenty of atheists like that, becoming more common every day. We are witnessing the philosophical decline of atheism.


I wouldn't really consider that, if any of your are familiar with Reddit there are plenty of anti-theistic people there. Most of them started as a "weak atheist", to seeing the issues religion place on people/world and then really despise religion.



Im posting about people giving consideration to the validity of the bible and of the existence of God

as opposed to the bible being brushed off by more and more as only fairytale,,,(as in nothing legitimate or relevant in it, not to be confused with a FABLE which still has a moral to learn)

or to God being brushed off as no more real than Santa Claus,,,


I see, still don't see why it has to be so personal though. They're not attacking YOU, it's the belief system that they attack. The two are totally different things. How is it gonna hurt you if they choose to see things different from you?

Kleisto's photo
Mon 07/18/11 08:27 PM



doesnt matter, I didnt wish to get off topic

whatever terms are used,, as a CHRISTIAN, It wont bother me if more people question or ask questions about religion/God/faith,,etc,,,


it would bother me if more people started to insist upon living without giving thought or consideration to religion/God/Faith,,etc,,


Why? It's their choice, who are you to say your beliefs are any better than theirs are, or that to be good is dependent at all on what they believe?


of course its their choice, I didnt say otherwise

its also a personal choice to commit suicide, or use drugs, or eat fast food every day

that doesnt stop me from being able to worry about people who make such choices though


Totally different things, the effects of those are OBVIOUS, this one is only assumed. You can assume till the cows come home that you know how God is, but what if you're wrong?

Dragoness's photo
Mon 07/18/11 08:29 PM
Edited by Dragoness on Mon 07/18/11 08:33 PM


What do you mean by spirituality (in your terms)?






For lack of a better word to use, my spirituality is that there is an energy to life itself that interacts with it's surroundings and other life forms. When we die the energy joins the universal energy.

Making us all the same at this level and making us responsible for what type of energy we choose to put out for others to have to deal with, either positive or negative.

That is it in really simple form. It is kinda like karma in that I believe if we live negatively we bring negativity to ourselves.

mykesorrel's photo
Mon 07/18/11 08:40 PM


What do you mean by spirituality (in your terms)?


For lack of a better word to use, my spirituality is that there is an energy to life itself that interacts with it's surroundings and other life forms. When we die the energy joins the universal energy.

Making us all the same at this level and making us responsible for what type of energy we choose to put out for others to have to deal with, either positive or negative.

That is it in really simple form. It is kinda like karma in that I believe if we live negatively we bring negativity to ourselves.


I see what you mean, wouldn't that fit more with some kind of naturalism? Spirituality to me is more religion lite (one can be atheist and spiritual though).


Im posting about people giving consideration to the validity of the bible and of the existence of God

as opposed to the bible being brushed off by more and more as only fairytale,,,(as in nothing legitimate or relevant in it, not to be confused with a FABLE which still has a moral to learn)

or to God being brushed off as no more real than Santa Claus,,,


Wouldn't that undermine faith by definition. There is no evidence for the existence of God only what someone wishes to believe. And the validly of the Bible, if was valid would have been proven already. Not trying to argue religion, but any theologian can say that many of the stories in the Bible is pretty inane. As far as the fairy tale bit, i'm sure people who came to that conclusion have all right to regard as such, as i do, you seem pretty rational when it comes to not pushing your beliefs and staying to yourself, so i don't my thoughts on the Bible matter to you. I'm pretty sure you feel that other Gods are false, no different then how some people feel the Judeo-Christian God is in that regard.

Dragoness's photo
Mon 07/18/11 09:03 PM
Yea it has been compared to naturalism. Mine is not as detailed nor do I hold anything above anything else. It is all equal.

msharmony's photo
Mon 07/18/11 09:46 PM




doesnt matter, I didnt wish to get off topic

whatever terms are used,, as a CHRISTIAN, It wont bother me if more people question or ask questions about religion/God/faith,,etc,,,


it would bother me if more people started to insist upon living without giving thought or consideration to religion/God/Faith,,etc,,


Why? It's their choice, who are you to say your beliefs are any better than theirs are, or that to be good is dependent at all on what they believe?


of course its their choice, I didnt say otherwise

its also a personal choice to commit suicide, or use drugs, or eat fast food every day

that doesnt stop me from being able to worry about people who make such choices though


Totally different things, the effects of those are OBVIOUS, this one is only assumed. You can assume till the cows come home that you know how God is, but what if you're wrong?



IF Im wrong , then no harm done

but I dont go on the assumption that I am wrong

and if I am right, the mortal choices could affect the immortal consequences,,,