f0rd Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 I guess that is why people 'find' God. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootsBooster Posted January 8, 2012 Author Share Posted January 8, 2012 I guess that is why people 'find' God. Most people are taught about whichever god their family believes in by their parents. I've never personally met anyone who "found" God without someone else programming them with the concept first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSmith Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Most people are taught about whichever god their family believes in by their parents. I've never personally met anyone who "found" God without someone else programming them with the concept first. I suppose it’s the same with any emotions, when you feel it you won’t know what it is unless you have been previously taught about it. The only thing that comes close to the same description as God is emotions. You can't see them, touch them, smell them, taste them, but they can affect you and cease to exist when you die. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy Jnr Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Absolute nonsense. They have no knowledge of (the concept of) god, agreed. That does not mean the cannot be atheists, in fact, that means they must be atheists. The logic is very very simple. We can start from the same place you did: "babies have no knowledge of god" Therefore they cannot possibly believe in god Therefore they are atheists. They certainly are not pantheists, which requires a positive belief that everything is part of god. My argument would be that a baby must be neither simply because they have no knowledge or understanding of either belief or non belief. You cannot be described as one simply because you aren't the other. If it were at all possible to ask the baby if they were or were not at birth the answer could only be that they have no comprehension of either. Until they can understand both, judge it and form an opinion on what they know, they cannot take sides or be pigeon holed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootsBooster Posted January 8, 2012 Author Share Posted January 8, 2012 I suppose it’s the same with any emotions, when you feel it you won’t know what it is unless you have been previously taught about you it. The only thing that comes close to the same description as God is emotions. You can't see them, touch them, smell them, taste them, but they can affect you and cease to exist when you die. ... and what is your source for this definition of God? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeMaquis Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 They have no knowledge of (the concept of) god, agreed. That does not mean the cannot be atheists, in fact, that means they must be atheists. The logic is very very simple. We can start from the same place you did: "babies have no knowledge of god" Therefore they cannot possibly believe in god Therefore they are atheists. They certainly are not pantheists, which requires a positive belief that everything is part of god. Babies have very little knowledge of anything. To say that they're atheists because they can't possibly believe in god is like saying they must be religious because they can't possibly believe in atheism. They have no beliefs at all and will become religious or otherwise only when they start to believe in something. Until then they are undecided. Atheism is much simpler than religion. Observe: Atheism: God? What god? As above. God? What god? is a thought process that babies are incapable of making. When they believe one way or the other is when they can be called religious, atheistic or whatever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f0rd Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Most people are taught about whichever god their family believes in by their parents. I've never personally met anyone who "found" God without someone else programming them with the concept first. Doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootsBooster Posted January 8, 2012 Author Share Posted January 8, 2012 Babies have very little knowledge of anything. To say that they're atheists because they can't possibly believe in god is like saying they must be religious because they can't possibly believe in atheism. They have no beliefs at all and will become religious or otherwise only when they start to believe in something. Until then they are undecided. As above. God? What god? is a thought process that babies are incapable of making. When they believe one way or the other is when they can be called religious, atheistic or whatever. Posts #22 and #27 should clear this up for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootsBooster Posted January 8, 2012 Author Share Posted January 8, 2012 Doesn't mean it doesn't happen. I never said it doesn't. I would be very interested to hear from anyone who has "found God" without being primed with the concept first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy Jnr Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Posts #22 and #27 should clear this up for you. But it doesn't. Atheism exists as an opposite of belief in god. Without one the other would be needless. Since it's a description used to describe a non believer the baby cannot be described as an atheist as it is impossible for it to be either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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