"Is Atheism a Belief or a Lack of Belief?"

Originally posted by Ghost of a Duke
Is your plan to ask every atheist this question and are you absolutely sure FMF is an atheist?

I haven't bothered to correct him.

Originally posted by FMF
I haven't bothered to correct him.

Would you care to share your beliefs?

Originally posted by Fetchmyjunk
I see you evaded my first question so I will ask you again: "As an atheist, what absolutes do you believe in?"

I'll speak on my own behalf, and let the atheists speak for themselves. What do you mean by "absolutes"? Give me some examples of yours.

Originally posted by Fetchmyjunk
Would you care to share your beliefs?

There has been no revelation of God as far as I am aware. No one has presented me with any convincing evidence anyway. So there are no 'instructions' for us to follow. There is no reason whatsoever to believe there is any kind of 'life' after death.

Originally posted by Fetchmyjunk
I see you evaded my first question so I will ask you again: "As an atheist, what absolutes do you believe in?"

And you have evaded mine which I posed as a preparation to answering yours because you bandy about the word "absolute" in a peculiar as if use of it - or applying it to things you believe - lends somehow lends weight to your views. So, I'll invite you once more: you haven't explained what "absolutely sure" means.

Originally posted by FMF
I'll speak on my own behalf, and let the atheists speak for themselves. What do you mean by "absolutes"? Give me some examples of yours.

I believe there are such things as absolutes. There are also things that are relative, but if everything were relative then it would be absolutely true that everything is relative, and that would be self-refuting. So saying that everything is relative can’t be true. Likewise, if everything were absolutely true, then we couldn’t have such things as personal preferences or things that change. Relative truths can be things dependent upon each person.

That which is absolute is always true. That which is relative is not necessarily always true. For example, it is always true that the number seven is greater than the number five. It's always true that something cannot bring itself into existence.

On the other hand, one person may believe that blue is a better color than green, where another person may disagree. In this case, what is true for one person is not true for another. Therefore, there can be truths that are relative, that change. The person who believes that blue is a better color than green may change his or her mind later on.

Unfortunately, more and more people are not able to distinguish between absolute truths and relative truths, and they put their feelings and preferences above absolutes to make them more palatable. A typical example is when someone would say that “It is true for you that Jesus is the only way to God, but to a Muslim, Mohammed would be the only way." Such statements ignore the logical possibilities of having two "only-ways" to God.

So, there are absolutes and there are things that are relative.

Originally posted by Fetchmyjunk
Unfortunately, more and more people are not able to distinguish between absolute truths and relative truths, and they put their feelings and preferences above absolutes to make them more palatable.

Well sorry, I cannot even start to believe you are able to distinguish between absolute truths and relative truths in some real or practical way or in a way that is relevant to me. The one about the number 7 and the number 5 doesn't cut it, I'm afraid. You are asking people about "absolute truths" but when you are asked to give some of your own examples of them, you come out with a load of waffle.

Originally posted by Fetchmyjunk
So, there are absolutes and there are things that are relative.

What do you mean by "absolutes"? Give me some examples of yours.

Originally posted by FMF
There has been no revelation of God as far as I am aware. No one has presented me with any convincing evidence anyway. So there are no 'instructions' for us to follow. There is no reason whatsoever to believe there is any kind of 'life' after death.

There has been no revelation of God as far as I am aware.

So you are open to the possibility that there is a God?

No one has presented me with any convincing evidence anyway.

What would you accept as convincing evidence of the supernatural?

So there are no 'instructions' for us to follow. There is no reason whatsoever to believe there is any kind of 'life' after death.

By 'us' do you mean everyone or just yourself?

Originally posted by FMF
Well sorry, I cannot even start to believe you are able to distinguish between absolute truths and relative truths in some real or practical way or in a way that is relevant to me. The one about the number 7 and the number 5 doesn't cut it, I'm afraid. You are asking people about "absolute truths" but when you are asked to give some of your own examples of them, you come out with a load of waffle.

The one about the number 7 and the number 5 doesn't cut it, I'm afraid.

So you are saying that there is a situation where 5 is bigger than 7? What do you mean by 'doesn't cut it'?

FMF: So there are no 'instructions' for us to follow. There is no reason whatsoever to believe there is any kind of 'life' after death.

Originally posted by Fetchmyjunk
By 'us' do you mean everyone or just yourself?

I don't believe anyone has received instructions from a supernatural being. Of course, I know that there are people who think that they have. But no, as far as I am aware, there are no divine or divinely-inspired 'instructions' for we humans to follow.

Originally posted by Fetchmyjunk
[b]The one about the number 7 and the number 5 doesn't cut it, I'm afraid.

So you are saying that there is a situation where 5 is bigger than 7? What do you mean by 'doesn't cut it'?[/b]

It doesn't cut it as an example of an "absolute truth" that might then be applied to a discussion about whether there are supernatural beings and what the source of morality might be. I assumed you were just being facetious when that was the only example you could come up with of an "absolute truth" when asked to do so.

FMF: No one has presented me with any convincing evidence anyway.

Originally posted by Fetchmyjunk
What would you accept as convincing evidence of the supernatural?

I will be able to answer that once something convinces me.

FMF: There has been no revelation of God as far as I am aware.

Originally posted by Fetchmyjunk
So you are open to the possibility that there is a God?

I posted this on another thread a few months back.

I am a non-Christian/former Christian. Indeed, I am not a religionist of any kind. I don't see myself as an atheist because I feel an unclear and inexplicable instinct that there is a God.

I have no specific "beliefs" rooted in this instinctive belief ~ which perhaps can be referred to as deism ~ and there are no superstitions or notions of the supernatural that I know of or act upon in any way, let alone proselytize. Perhaps the "instinct" is hard wired into us - like morality - or only some of us - and/or its a product of factors that have had a bearing on our evolution. I really don't know for sure.

For example, I have no reason to believe there is an afterlife as there is no evidence of it. I am not aware of any revelation that God has made or of there being any 'instructions' for mankind.

I find the religions, such as those propagated here, completely unconvincing, although I attribute their putative attractions and purported functions as an understandable product of the human condition. None of the Christian proselytizers in this community are persuasive - in fact I find most of their mind maps and behaviour completely counter productive.

I do not "hope" that there will be a revelation as that strikes me as a rather spurious use of the human spirit; the same goes for contemplation of forms of immortality that there is no reason to think exists.

I am quite happy and reconciled with the fact that I will pass away in a decade or two from now, indeed I believe that its finite nature is in part what makes life delicious and wonderful.

I might say something different if I was due to die next week, but broadly speaking I am not interested in trying to soften the inevitability of death by subscribing to religion and dwelling on dogma that has been generated by ecclesiastical technocrats and their followers.

I am not interested in hoping for supernatural things to happen in order deal with real life. Personally I think it is a squandering of the amazing capacities of the human spirit which ~ perhaps ~ no one knows for sure ~ is God given.

Originally posted by FMF
I don't believe anyone has received instructions from a supernatural being. Of course, I know that there are people who think that they have. But no, as far as I am aware, there are no divine or divinely-inspired 'instructions' for we humans to follow.

When you say 'as far as I know' it means that if there were any, you are ignorant about them, right?