Who's going to protect the Christians?

[denlin]

The situation wouldn't arise for most of the atheists here, as they consider atheism to mean 'an absence of belief (in God)'.

 

So, they neither believe in God, nor, disbelieve in God.

 

This is plainly farcical - I do not believe in God so therefore I disbelieve that he exists or any other mythical creature come to that

 

So your statement is not true

[RootsBooster]

This is plainly farcical - I do not believe in God so therefore I disbelieve that he exists or any other mythical creature come to that

 

So your statement is not true

 

Allow me...

The situation wouldn't arise for most of the atheists here, as they consider atheism to mean 'an absence of belief (in God)'.

Correct, the only thing you need in order to qualify as atheist is an absence of belief in any God or gods

So, they neither believe in God, nor, disbelieve in God.

If your definition of "disbelief" is "a belief that there is no God(s)" then no, you're not quite right.

An atheist is free to believe in anything else they like, but the moment an atheist believes in a god, he/she becomes a theist.

So an atheist can believe that there are no gods, they just don't need this belief in order to be an atheist.

 

I think you already know this but I'm clarifying it so that Denlin can rest assured that she is an atheist

[Ryedo40]

It may have been something he was going to do until he became an atheist, but his final decision sounds like it was inspired by a sense of self preservation, which will have taken priority after his sense of religious duty/honour had been diminished.

 

That's what I'd think. See I'm not sure that atheism itself inspires good or positive behaviour(I think other factors come into that). That said, I do think atheism itself is a positive stance or state of being; partly because it doesn't come with all the trapping and ignorance that usually comes with god belief.

[RootsBooster]

That's what I'd think. See I'm not sure that atheism itself inspires good or positive behaviour(I think other factors come into that). That said, I do think atheism itself is a positive stance or state of being; partly because it doesn't come with all the trapping and ignorance that usually comes with god belief.

 

Doesn't that simply make it the default stance of being then, rather than a positive stance?

[MrSmith]

Which part would make you a theist?

 

EDIT: You do realise that being ignostic doesn't make you exempt from being a theist or atheist?

That’s right but until I know what God is I wouldn't know which one I was so Ignostic is the correct term.

[deedap1]

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[Ryedo40]

Doesn't that simply make it the default stance of being then, rather than a positive stance?

 

I suppose it does. Maybe it's both.

[PaliRichard]

The biggest's problem is freedom of speech. Also this country has not got solid religious laws. Ban things what are forbidden and then people will be more disciplined and we will have less gays. Adam (pbuh) and Eve not Adam (pbuh) and Steve.

 

Oh I'm going to have fun with you

 

Just for now though I think you maybe on the wrong thread.

 

Nip over to the gay marriage one and we`ll go into detail about what the Qu `ran says about homosexuality.

[Chris_Sleeps]

The biggest's problem is freedom of speech.

You're a fascist and you disgust me.

[onewheeldave]

 

Someone with a belief in God is about to blow himself up along with many other people, but all of a sudden ceases to believe in Gods existence, and thinks, crap what I am doing, I don’t want to die and so walks down the road and helps an old lady over the road. Something he was going to do until he became an atheist.

 

assuming his motivation for the suicide bombing was religious, it would be fair to say that the act would be motivated by his belief in God.

 

If he suddenly becomes atheist in the sense that he ceases to have a belief in God, then it's not the case that his new decision to not do the suicide bombing, is motivated by atheism (a simple absense of belief cannot motivate anything).

 

Rather, the preceeding religiously motivated intent to bomb, has ceased to be- it's original motivation, a belief in God (obviously in combination with other beliefs, as a belief in God on it's own would not be sufficient cause to motivate a bombing) is no longer operating.

 

As to why he helps an old lady across the street- I'm not sure what the cause of that is- maybe he's just a nice guy? But, again, it most certainly can't be his atheism, as, an absence of belief can't cause anything.