Atheist = 100% no supreme being of any kind, cased closed. The absolute term. Agnostic = I don't know. Not gonna investigate too deeply either. I have to bump into it or it has to bump into me. Technically if you claim any agnosticism it wipes out any claim to atheism, because agnosticism puts even the smallest trace of possibility. So I should have left "atheist" out my comment. To me, the point is there's powers greater than us natural, galactic or deified. Does there have to be a "personality" to it? Its to ALL be respected. Whether there's a supreme being or not doesn't change life's pursuits much. I still get moved by things that happen around me. I didnt become a lifeless emotionless drone once I claimed atheism. I believe for most part people like living, simple. Like I said in the atheism thread, if a fireman saves me and my family from a deadly fire blaze, I wouldnt care about his choice of faith in the LEAST bit. And I'd still have plenty to be thankful for.
I think you will find most atheists also consider themselves to be agnostic in the strictest sense of each label. An atheist does not believe in the existence of god. An agnostic claims to not be able to know 100% whether or not god exists. The terms are not mutually exclusive however it seems most people have a hard time understanding that. Atheism and agnosticism are not rungs on a hierarchy. One is about belief and one is about certainty. For all reasonable purposes god does not exist for atheists but it's common for atheists to admit they cannot know with 100% certainty there is no god. Then again, we cannot know 100% that the Tooth Fairy does not exist but a reasonable person will no longer give plausibility to the idea of a tooth fairy based on the knowledge available to us. We (atheists) treat god the same way most people treat the Tooth Fairy. That may come off as overly simplistic to many people but it really is that simple. Many theists just have a hard time grasping that because of the emotional attachment they have to the idea of god.
I've never been a theist so I can't relate to the differences between that and being an atheist. I do know I put a higher value on reason and logic than most people I know. To delude myself for the sake of happiness I know is based on a delusion would not work for me. If it works for you and you are happier overall then I would not criticize your choice but it wouldn't work for me.
Actually, Christianity is as Polytheistic as Hinduism. Hinduism believes in one god, which takes many forms - called avatars. These avatars are not god, just different aspects of god. Christianity has the same thing. The father, son and holy ghost. Be careful what you judge about other religions, I suggest you learn from a more credible source.
Uhh, Religion is overplayed. Who ever follows their religion to a tee and this whole idea that god will forgive you for doing the same sin over and over again is far fetched. I'm not talking about just Christian but most all religions. Hope we do not take up the Caste System it is a harsh reality in India, persecution because you are poor.
Huge fan of that question too. This is super interesting to me. My belief is the polar opposite of yours but with the same goal. Prophet Muhammad PBUH spent most of his time talking about right here right now as well. Including how small we are. How small the earth is. How short our life is. How silly it is to want to do certain earthly things. Basically, your life, in the big picture of eternity, is as significant as a grain of sand in the desert. But this specific grain of sand is your chance at doing a lot of great things. It's not a checklist test or anything like that. It's your chance to shine, your chance to be a good person, to make a difference, to connect with God through your soul (your soul knows God already because in Islam all souls were created together and are in a state of forgetfullness on earth). We spend far too much time trying to label people as Muslims, Christians, sinners, hell-bound, heaven-bound, etc... When in reality, we are not meant to decide that nor will we have any say in that. We don't even know how it's going to go for ourselves - but as long as we do what we sincerely believe is OUR best, you will be nurtuting yourself and your improved self will become an asset to everyone around you.
To me this definition makes no sense. Just because you don't believe in something doesn't mean you have to 100% deny its existence. You can simply choose not to believe it unless given irrefutable evidence. For example, as an Atheist, I believe in the same odds of any of the following being real. God - as denoted by Judaism, Christianity, and Islam Zeus - and by extension, all other Greek/Roman gods Thor - and by extension, all other Nordic gods Loch Ness monster Leprechan Gremlin Vulcans Jedis Tooth Fairy Heaven where you get to have sex with 70 virgins if you decide to blow up those terrible Americans
After much deliberation and soul-searching, I've settled on these odds: 5% God - as denoted by Judaism, Christianity, and Islam 3% Zeus - and by extension, all other Greek/Roman gods 3% Thor - and by extension, all other Nordic gods 13% Loch Ness monster 87% Leprechan 2% Gremlin 0% Vulcans 0% Jedis 20% Tooth Fairy 1% Heaven where you get to have sex with 70 virgins if you decide to blow up those terrible Americans
That would be my ultimate pursuit in following a religion. As a person who can't stop thinking, God is more of an intellectual puzzle to me. Some atheists here categorize God as a bearded old man in the sky, and I bet even some Christians too. Yet there is so much more. To shorten it into an untidy sentence, following God should be a constant paradox in not being self satisfied while also having ability to forgive yourself.
You have great faith in yourself and others. Admirable. I hope there is someone better than me at work in this world. Because so far I have measured the results of your philosophy and find myself swamped in the path of destruction. I don't think labels mean squat, nor do religious systems, but if I thought for one second that anyone or anything besides Jesus could get us to our best I would change my faith in a heartbeat. I find these types of pats on my own back an offense to the cross Jesus suffered on.
