
Is the "Babies are Atheists" topic just an excuse to shove Atheism down people's throats? Is the topic absurd?
Posted by: DishounghI certainly think so because it's not even important. What matters is what's going on right now. Not what happened when we were infants. Seriously, what does us being atheists before have to do with anything? Plus, that's not even true because babies can't make a conscious decision to choose if they believe or disbelieve in God(s). So, the entire debate topic about "Babies being Atheists" is unimportant and absurd.
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29 Total Votes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qjQjQQrdk8
You mean Christians are getting offended by the same nonsense they do to everyone else?
This has nothing to do with Christianity. This is about babies and atheism. The reason why you considered bringing up that argument is beyond me.
I brought it up because you did, in the title of this poll.
But, still you brought up Christians being offended when this poll is based on Atheism and babies.
I was atheist when i was in my moms womb and.....
Eskimo: if I didn't know about god and sin would I go to hell?
Priest: No, not if you didn't know.
Eskimo: Then why did you tell me?
Fact is everyone is born without believing in God, therefore Christians are responsible for everyone who is being tortured in hell. STOP INDIRECTLY TORTURING PEOPLE! CHRISTIAN SCUM!
Madness: Lol, I never thought about it that way. I also think that if all religions work that way that the safest thing to do is get rid of all religions so no one knows about the religion. That way if any of those religions is true than everyone can go to heaven/paradise/whatever. If they are not true than we lose nothing.
Tabula Rasa.
Dishoungh saysMay 1 2014 06:09 PM Report Post
This argument is ridiculous. It's as like it's trying to create this delusional statistical buffering for Atheists. Yeah, but I'm sorry to bring up the fact that babies will not be able to help Atheism at all. In order to be called an Atheist, you need to know what theism is. There is no possible way to actively and truly believe in something you know nothing about.
---Atheism is the absence of believing in...Ergo, by your own last sentence, Tunis impossible to label babies as anything but atheists...And thus your entire argument is self-defeating.
Tunis= it is. I apologize but I am on my smartphone which, with all its "smartness" thought Tunis was more applicable. Thanks technology...
@xxWesxx
Babies have the absence of the belief that there is "not a God" either. They can't conclude about anything. So; therefore, babies are neutral meaning they are left out the equation. Just because there is an absence of belief doesn't mean you can take it literally. In the English language, there are words that are appropriate and inappropriate to use for certain things. Atheist is not appropriate to use for babies or anything that can't be able to conduct a belief. It's not appropriate to say "I molested my puppy." That is inappropriate to use in the casual context of giving your dog a bath. I mean you have touch his scrotum to clean it. Even though babies were Atheists, they won't be for much longer because, once they become aware of Theism and they start developing the ability to make decisions for themselves, then they can believe which makes the entire debate topic irrelevant and not feasible.
Atheism Definition
Oxford Dictionary Definition:
- Atheism - Disbelief in, or denial of, the existence of a god.
- Disbelief of, or in denial, of the existence of deities.
Disbelief - To not believe or not take credence to
Deny - To refuse to recognize
Note that the OED definition covers the whole spectrum of atheist belief, from weak atheism (those who do not believe in or credit the existence of one or more gods) to strong atheism (those who assert the contrary position, that a god does not exist).
Webster's 3rd New International Dictionary
Atheism - disbelief in the existence of God or any other deity b: the doctrine that there is neither god nor any other deity.
Disbelief - the act of disbelieving and a MENTAL REFUSAL TO ACCEPT.
Disbelieving - to withhold and reject belief
Note that again, both strong (1b) and weak (1a) atheism are included in the definition.
To Atheists (Atheist Books)
Basic atheism is not a belief. It is the lack of belief. There is a difference between believing there is no god and not believing there is a god--both are atheistic, though popular usage has ignored the latter. That means that the basic definition of Atheism is oversimplified.
If you look up "atheism" in the dictionary, you will probably find it defined as the belief that there is no God. Certainly many people understand atheism in this way. Yet many atheists do not, and this is not what the term means if one considers it from the point of view of its Greek roots. In Greek "a" means "without" or "not" and "theos" means "god." From this standpoint an atheist would simply be someone without a belief in God, not necessarily someone who believes that God does not exist.
Atheism[ ey-thee-iz-uhm ]
noun
1. The doctrine or belief that there is no God.
2. Disbelief in the existence of a supreme being or beings.
Disclaimer: These URLs are from mobile websites. You'll probably be able to view them from your smartphone maybe.
Infidels.Org/library/.../sn-definitions.Html
www.Atheistrev.Com/.../what-is-atheism.Ht...
M.Dictionary.Com/definition/atheism
www.Merriam-webster.Com/.../atheism
www.Oxforddictionaries.Com/definition/...
Now that I'm back home, I can re-submit this comment to make clearer.
Atheism Definition Oxford English Dictionary:
Atheism - Disbelief in, or denial of, the existence of a god.
Disbelief - To not believe or not take credence to
Deny - To refuse to recognize
Note that the OED definition covers the whole spectrum of atheist belief, from weak atheism (those who do not believe in or credit the existence of one or more gods) to strong atheism (those who assert the contrary position, that a god does not exist).
Webster's 3rd New International Dictionary:
Atheism - disbelief in the existence of God or any other deity b: the doctrine that there is neither god nor any other deity.
Disbelief - the act of disbelieving and a MENTAL REFUSAL TO ACCEPT.
Disbelieving - to withhold and reject belief
Note that again, both strong (1b) and weak (1a) atheism are included in the definition.
Dictionary.Com Definition:
Atheism[ ey-thee-iz-uhm ] noun 1. The doctrine or belief that there is no God. 2. Disbelief in the existence of a supreme being or beings.
To Atheists (Atheist Books):
Basic atheism is not a belief. It is the lack of belief. There is a difference between believing there is no god and not believing there is a god--both are atheistic, though popular usage has ignored the latter. That means that the basic definition of Atheism is oversimplified.
If you look up "atheism" in the dictionary, you will probably find it defined as the belief that there is no God. Certainly many people understand atheism in this way. Yet many atheists do not, and this is not what the term means if one considers it from the point of view of its Greek roots. In Greek "a" means "without" or "not" and "theos" means "god." From this standpoint an atheist would simply be someone without a belief in God, not necessarily someone who believes that God does not exist.
Sources:
1. http://infidels.org/library/modern/mathew/sn-definitions.html
2. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atheism
3. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/atheism
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheism
5. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/atheist
Hmmm
The votes for #2 is suspiciously increasing. Hmmmmm. Something seems fishy around here. I'm going to do some investigation.