Apatheism: your opinion/facts?

[Aquila King]

7 hours ago, anton00 said:

Hello everyone,

What do you think about 'apatheism'? Are you an apatheist?

I discovered that concept a few weeks ago and it fits me almost completely well.

https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-apatheist-247851

The word apatheism is a portmanteau of apathy and theism/atheism. Apatheism is apathy towards the belief and the disbelief in gods. An apatheist simply doesn't care whether there is or isn't any god. (they simply don't need that belief/disbelief in their own representation of All.)

Apatheism can be described as the position that neither the existence nor the non-existence of gods is important, thus neither belief in nor denial of gods is important. For this reason, apatheism overlaps with pragmatic atheism and practical atheism.

 Apatheism is regarded as an attitude towards a type of belief, not a belief or disbelief itself.

An apatheist likely would disagree with anti-religious thinkers who seek to remove religious belief and practice. The apatheist attitude would be for freedom of religious belief and practice so long as there are no restrictions on being a non-believer. It is a position of tolerance without promoting religious belief or opposing it.

Apatheism sometimes goes a bit further and asserts that even if it were proven conclusively and without a doubt that some sort of god existed, then the person's general behavior and life would not change, For that person, the existence of gods is not only irrelevant now but would be irrelevant in the future no matter what sort of evidence or proof is present.

Atheists and theists might look at professed apatheists as being lazy thinkers who don't want to do the intellectual, philosophical, and emotional analysis to determine what they truly believe. Committed atheists and believers might be frustrated in any attempt to sway the professed apatheist to their side.

In social situations where the discussion of religion is frowned upon, the apatheist is perfectly happy and welcomed. An apatheist might attend religious ceremonies and appreciate the beauty of the music, religious art, and rituals without being bothered to take a position on whether the god or gods being worshiped exist.

Every bit of that describes me perfectly. 

[Aquila King]

5 hours ago, anton00 said:

Alright. If there were an actual evidence for the existence of god:

- would you acknowledge the existence of that god?

- would you deny it?

I'd base my position on the objective veracity of the claim.

But ultimately, I wouldn't really care either way. Kinda the whole point to this really.

5 hours ago, anton00 said:

- do you think there cannot be such an evidence anyway?

What evidence is there that there can't be such evidence? That's a self-defeating statement that's impossible to prove.

[Aquila King]

1 hour ago, lightly said:

It strikes me as humorous that an apathist is said to regard the existence of God as completely unimportant,   No matter how much PROOF of God's existence was evidenced !     What if God was real and his law caused you,because of your life choices,to be cast into a fiery lake to burn for eternity ! ?    ....would the question ,then, gain importance ?    Hehe.

.......then again!   Maybe a true apathist just wouldn't care one way or the other ! Hehe

Not really. I'd rather burn forever than live under totalitarian rule of any kind. That'd just be it's own separate brand of Hell.

So no, no major life change for me even in that scenario.

[Likely Guy]

1 hour ago, Imaginarynumber1 said:

@Likely Guy

I've been summoned!

2 minutes ago, Nnicolette said:

So in other words an apatheist doesn't care about anything.

No. Apatheists vary by degree, as all people do. While an apatheist doesn't care about the debate of whether or not God exists, we can still very much care about our fellow human beings, including their belief systems.

While not religious I find religion to be a benefit to most people. Most religious people I know are kind and caring. It's the people that abuse religion I find offensive. Deep down inside I believe Muslims, Jehovah's Witnesses, Hindus, etc. to be decent people, as most people are. I guess maybe being an apatheist I have no concept of 'us' versus 'them'. We're a big stew, if you like, and the pot would be blander if something was taken out.

And has been said, if the existence of God were proven tomorrow, I wouldn't live life any different the day after. If this 'God person' chose to throw me into a lake of fire for my few transgressions, I'd be glad that I didn't waste my earthly time in worship.

[Aquila King]

44 minutes ago, Mr Walker said:

We would never know a true apatheist  because, by definition, they would be too apathetic to ever discuss such issues.   

Usually it only comes up for me in realation to religious folks trying to use their religion for nefarious purposes.

When the religious start poking their nose in the affairs of others, that's when I care.

[Jodie.Lynne]

1 hour ago, lightly said:

It strikes me as humorous that an apathist is said to regard the existence of God as completely unimportant,   No matter how much PROOF of God's existence was evidenced !     What if God was real and his law caused you,because of your life choices,to be cast into a fiery lake to burn for eternity ! ?    ....would the question ,then, gain importance ?    Hehe.

.......then again!   Maybe a true apathist just wouldn't care one way or the other ! Hehe

Or maybe.... if your god exists, he/she/it, created us all exactly as it wanted us to be. And maybe the idea of eternal torment & punishment is your concept.

Theists are all about "God created everything", so, if that is a true premise, then god created believers to believe, and disbelievers to disbelieve. 

And maybe, just maybe, god doesn't give a damn either way.

[Aquila King]

37 minutes ago, Nnicolette said:

So in other words an apatheist doesn't care about anything.

No, it means we don't care about any god(s)/goddess(es). Thus the theist in apa-theist.

[Likely Guy]

4 minutes ago, Jodie.Lynne said:

And maybe, just maybe, god doesn't give a damn either way.

So, God might be an 'Apa-humanist'?

[Jodie.Lynne]

42 minutes ago, Nnicolette said:

So in other words an apatheist doesn't care about anything.

You are conflating the term 'apatheist'. It only regards the belief or disbelief, in gods. An apatheist, really doesn't care, one way or the other.

It has nothing to do with how an apatheist feels about any other issue.

It's like saying "Oh, you are an atheist, you must believe in the Big Bang!" One has nothing to do with the other.

 

[Jodie.Lynne]

2 minutes ago, Likely Guy said:

So, God might be an 'Apa-humanist'?

DAMMIT! I was gonna coin that term and trademark it! 

[Piney]

10 minutes ago, Jodie.Lynne said:

And maybe, just maybe, god doesn't give a damn either way.

That how Indians and Asians feel about our 'Higher Power", the Living Universe. 

[Likely Guy]

6 minutes ago, Piney said:

That how Indians and Asians feel about our 'Higher Power", the Living Universe. 

Most people, I think, are like that in that we don't like to "put a label on our can".

[Piney]

1 minute ago, Likely Guy said:

Most people, I think, are like that in that we don't like to "put a label on our can".

When somebody compares the Christian God to Kiitaanituu, I want to choke the **** out of them. 

[Likely Guy]

6 minutes ago, Piney said:

When somebody compares the Christian God to Kiitaanituu, I want to choke the **** out of them. 

You travel in strange circles.

[Jodie.Lynne]

1 minute ago, Likely Guy said:

You travel in strange circles.

Not really.

Ever have a thing you were passionate about, and have someone with no knowledge of that thing define it for you?

Ever have the urge to slam their head into a wall and scream "NO you idiot! That is NOT what it is!"?

[Aquila King]

10 minutes ago, Piney said:

Kiitaanituu

Gesundheit. 

[Piney]

5 minutes ago, Jodie.Lynne said:

Not really.

Ever have a thing you were passionate about, and have someone with no knowledge of that thing define it for you?

Ever have the urge to slam their head into a wall and scream "NO you idiot! That is NOT what it is!"?

It happens way too often with my people. Especially with all that Newage horse****. 

[Dejarma]

6 minutes ago, Jodie.Lynne said:

Ever have the urge to slam their head into a wall and scream "NO you idiot! That is NOT what it is!"?

for me= no

[Aquila King]

9 minutes ago, Jodie.Lynne said:

Ever have a thing you were passionate about, and have someone with no knowledge of that thing define it for you?

Ever have the urge to slam their head into a wall and scream "NO you idiot! That is NOT what it is!"?

 

[Jodie.Lynne]

4 minutes ago, Piney said:

It happens way too often with my people. Especially with all that Newage horse****. 

Wait a sec! Are you telling me that The People didn't live in complete tranquility with nature and each other? That they didn't/don't have the secrets to life, the Universe, and Everything?????

Next thing you know, you'll be telling me that Tonto didn't ride with the Lone Ranger!

[Likely Guy]

4 minutes ago, Jodie.Lynne said:

Ever have a thing you were passionate about, and have someone with no knowledge of that thing define it for you?

Actually no. The things I care about, most other people don't care enough about to comment on.

They usually give me a verbal pat on the head by saying, "That's nice!"

[Jodie.Lynne]

Just now, Aquila King said:

 

Could you say that a little louder? I'm a little deaf, in one ear....

[Aquila King]

Just now, Jodie.Lynne said:

Could you say that a little louder? I'm a little deaf, in one ear....

If it'll get someone to actually listen and comprehend, then I'll say it as loud as need be. 

[lightly]

Good grief!     I just realized the topic was about apathEists...and not apathists !   sorry .   Old age and dane brammage are wondrous things!   hehe

[Likely Guy]

1 minute ago, Jodie.Lynne said:

That they didn't/don't have the secrets to life, the Universe, and Everything?????

Douglas Adams wrote the book on that.