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Is it true that an Atheist might be just as ignorant as a Theist?!

Being an Atheist you are 100% sure there are no God(s)? I mean, I consider myself to be arrogant, but compared to the people who claim to KNOW there is nothing... I do not even want to fantasize how arrogant you must be. OK!, I admit I already did that. Anyway, I dare proclaim we have no clue what is going on out there. So i would like to know, how can you be that certain? Please, enlighten me 🙂

vsh76 5 May 11
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1

To say that Theists have a monopoly on ignorance and arrogance is a bit of a stretch but then again so is saying that Atheists know there is nothing. An Atheist knows that there is no physical proof to support the existence of an all powerful creator who takes a personal interest in each and every human creation, casting judgment on our actions from heaven and possibly punishing errant humans by sending them to hell, sending angels to influence the actions of men and performing miracles to provide us with moral lessons but to say that Atheists think they know there is no possibility of the existence of a creator god would not be completely correct. Many atheists allow for the possibility that god exists in some form, perhaps an impersonal cosmic life force or the singularity that created the Big Bang but I don't know of any Atheists who believe in the various religious fairy tales dating back to the Bronze Age, developed by primitive humans in an effort to make some sense of the world around them and their place in it. If that is an ignorant and/or arrogant position then it is one that I as an Atheist am quite happy to take
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@Surfpirate Great, this is right down my alley!

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When did Ignorant become synonymous with Arrogant, exactly?

@AnneWimsey I am sorry I came across to you as saying that. My bad. Let me try to clarify a little. Let us say that I am very very arrogant. So arrogant I am 100% sure that something that has no real proof at all is just bullshit. There has been no solid proof for that specific case ever. Just some theories created my imagination. Then suddenly someone looks at this specific case in a whole new way. There are shreds of some sort of evidence emerging, but I keep on being 100% sure it is bullshit. This goes on and on and on. More evidence emerge, I still keep my blinders at 100%. One day I may then be called an ignorant because my arrogance kept my blinders at 100% when all I really needed to do was keep an open mind. Perhaps just adjust my blinders to a 99% setting.

@Kbdank71 stop? I am not entitled to having an opinion about it? But the atheists can just slam the door in peoples faces cause there is no empirical research on the field? Sounds about just as easy as being a theist claiming the God almighty will save you to me. I find the 100% claim sad. That is my opinion. on good days i may try to talk to people about it. On bad that i just think «to bad for you», and walk on by.

@Kbdank71 Happy to hear about the openness! The 100 after evidence was just me trying to clarify something. Anyway, I agree that I could relax on the100% assumptions, and I will. Many have already proved me wrong, including you in your last reply.

It was not you I wanted to walk by. That was me admitting that at times I do not have the energy to take a deep discussion. So, in a way, not living up to the standard I set for myself. Communication can be hard when people meet for the first time.

3

I'll piggyback on the last response...

Theism is belief in a god or gods.
Atheism is 'not' belief... that's the root of the word.

Gnosticism speaks to the knowledge of a proposition. A gnostic theist believes and also claims to know of the god's existence, while an agnostic atheist would be the counter position.

If you engage directly with atheists, and ask them, you will find that the majority will not claim to have knowledge that no gods exist.

Alright, thank you. I am not that good with accurate labels. On the bottom line I am just trying to make people think.

@vsh76 If you're truly wanting "to make people think", wouldn't it be better to not make ignorant assertions?

You came in making statements... and not asking questions... which means you're not off to a good start.

@azgreenskeeper, ok, i see that it may have been a little over the top as nobody here knows me or where I come from. That was not the intention though. I just figured there would be a lot of headroom on a forum like this.

Thank you for your advice.

2

As long as there is absolutely no evidence that a god exists I am comfortable being an Atheist.

You being on this rock right now, how did that happen?

Just because I don't know completely doesn't mean a God did it. @vsh76

@nicknotes Totally agree with that.

2

The same way I am sure there is no Santa Claus or Easter Bunny. The Tooth Fairy told me.

Yes, i agree, but if we think past all the clearly made up things. I mean, past the big bang and so forth. Is this a simulation? I mean, what ever this is, we are here. Something is going on. Right?

@Kbdank71 sure 🙂 i am fine with saying that. It is not really about Santa, the tooth fairy, nessie, bigfoot, unicorns, or whatever creature the atheists like to compare to the possibility that there is something going on. It is about leaving the door to the mind open so you can take in Information.

4

You have misunderstood what atheism is.

Theists claim that a god/s exists.

Atheists do not believe that claim.

They do not claim that no god/s exists or cannot exist. When I see evidence for the existence of god/s I will believe in them. Not before.

Ok, so an Atheist needs evidence. Still an Atheist do not keep the door open for the possibility, or am i wrong again?

Any claim such as anti vax, anti-gmo claim should have some evidence to back it up. This is the basis of skepticism If and when proper evidence is presented then you have a justified reason to believe.

Now when it comes to the god claim, that will require a very strong form of evidence and maybe never reached. I always ask, how can you tell the difference between a god and a very advanced life form that can fool us.

@DavidEwers60, I agree.

@TheAstroChuck, I might have been to hung up on the 100% when i made this thread yesterday. It was just that I think keeping an open mind is very important, and that can be hard if you are 100% sure about something. After reading more about what you all say here and in other threads I see that there is a lot of diversity. As you also point out. That is great!

@vsh76 "Still an Atheist do not keep the door open for the possibility, or am i wrong again?"

Yes, you are wrong again. Which bit of 'When I see evidence for the existence of god/s I will believe in them' did you not understand?

@Uncorrugated I just find that attitude to be very limiting.

@vsh76 ? I don't believe in Bigfoot or the Loch Ness monster either. I have better things to do with my time than spend it trying to prove whether or not they exist. Just like the current definitions of god/s they have no impact on my life, but should those who seem to be obsessed with their existence prove that they exist, then I will review the evidence they produce and decide whether or not it is sufficient for me to change my mind.
Do you not think that if a theist discovered a testable way to prove that their god existed that they would not be in line for a Nobel prize or at least claim James Randi's $1,000,000 prize for proving the paranormal exists?

@Uncorrugated It warms my heart to see that you will review new evidence with an open mind. That is great!

(As this is written I would like the state that I am not being sarcastic. I am truly satisfied reading that you keep an open mind. Good for you and, the people around you.)

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