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Ask an Atheist.


onlookerofmayhem

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Instead of the usual meandering threads I wanted to created something a bit more straightforward. 

Ask me any question(s) regarding atheism and I will reply with as concise an answer as I possibly can.

That being said, all answers will be from my perspective since I don't contend to speak for all atheists.

To preemptively clarify, my definition/usage of atheist is :

One who is absent of the belief in the existence of any deities. 

I look forward to your questions.

Thank you in advance for staying on topic and focusing on the questions and answers as opposed to the rabbit holes some of the questions or answers may lead down.

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My hat's off to you. So here goes.

Have you always been an atheist?

 

 

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13 minutes ago, Will Do said:

 

My hat's off to you. So here goes.

Have you always been an atheist?

 

 

No.

I was raised Christian and went to Sunday School and church until about 12 or 13 years old.

I was told god existed and believed that until I could question the assertion. 

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1 minute ago, onlookerofmayhem said:

No.

I was raised Christian and went to Sunday School and church until about 12 or 13 years old.

I was told god existed and believed that until I could question the assertion. 

 

How old were you when it first occured to you to question the assertion that god existed and what was it that triggered it?

 

 

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Just now, Will Do said:

 

How old were you when it first occured to you to question the assertion that god existed and what was it that triggered it?

 

 

Around the same age. 12 or 13.

I don't remember it being one specific moment or trigger.

I suppose it goes back to the natural questioning of authority figures most children and teens reach at some point.

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Just now, onlookerofmayhem said:

Around the same age. 12 or 13.

I don't remember it being one specific moment or trigger.

I suppose it goes back to the natural questioning of authority figures most children and teens reach at some point.

 

Are you okay with being asked about your personal experiences?

 

 

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Atheism is the default position of humanity. Some have chosen to believe in fairy tales. If it works for them, so be it. 

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2 minutes ago, Will Do said:

 

Are you okay with being asked about your personal experiences?

 

 

Yes.

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4 minutes ago, Imaginarynumber1 said:

Atheism is the default position of humanity. Some have chosen to believe in fairy tales. If it works for them, so be it. 

I think the default state would be Agnosticism. Even atheism has fairy tales.

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3 minutes ago, Eon said:

how do you feel about Buddhism

I have researched it a little bit. Never practiced it.

I like the concept of not worshipping a god, but I don't agree with the nirvana, karma or rebirth aspects of it.

I'm not very familiar with most aspects of it though.

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6 minutes ago, Eon said:

I think the default state would be Agnosticism. Even atheism has fairy tales.

Agnosticism implys consideration. Do you really think an infant give a **** about the christian god?

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Just now, Imaginarynumber1 said:

Agnosticism implys consideration. Do you really think an infant give a **** about the christian god?

In that case it's Apatheism

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Just now, Eon said:

In that case it's Apatheism

Apathy would require an default stance with which to be apathetic towards.

The default stance is "no gods". Belief in any God requires be taught that belief. You are not born believing in any gods 

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6 minutes ago, onlookerofmayhem said:

Around the same age. 12 or 13.

I don't remember it being one specific moment or trigger.

I suppose it goes back to the natural questioning of authority figures most children and teens reach at some point.

 

When you started to question things, was there something in particular that drew your attention?

 

 

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6 minutes ago, Will Do said:

 

When you started to question things, was there something in particular that drew your attention?

 

 

I'm not sure I understand the question.

Regarding what?

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22 minutes ago, Eon said:

I think the default state would be Agnosticism. Even atheism has fairy tales.

Atheism, at the very least, is the lack of belief in a god.

Which fairy tales are associated with that?

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9 minutes ago, Imaginarynumber1 said:

Apathy would require an default stance with which to be apathetic towards.

The default stance is "no gods". Belief in any God requires be taught that belief. You are not born believing in any gods 

How would a child be an atheist if they aren't aware of anything. To be an atheist you have to deny the existence of gods but a mere child wouldn't understand 

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2 minutes ago, onlookerofmayhem said:

Atheism, at the very least, is the lack of belief in a god.

Which fairy tales are associated with that?

I'm not on either side, the same way atheist think religions are a bunch of fairy tales, atheist theories are most likely fairy tales to religious people.

Call it fairy tale, call it non-sense.

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Just now, Eon said:

How would a child be an atheist if they aren't aware of anything. To be an atheist you have to deny the existence of gods but a mere child wouldn't understand 

An atheist simply belives in no gods. Please explain how you think that definition doesn't apply to a newborn. 

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Just now, Eon said:

I'm not on either side, the same way atheist think religions are a bunch of fairy tales, atheist theories are most likely fairy tales to religious people.

Atheists don't have theories, in general. 

They lack belief in a god. That's it.

An atheist can believe in ghosts, or astrology or bigfoot. Some do and some don't. 

None of that has to do with atheism though.

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5 minutes ago, Imaginarynumber1 said:

Belief in any God requires being taught that belief. 

 

But if we go all the way back to the first humans when the default position was to not believe in God, then where did the first person get the idea to believe in God when there wasn't already someone believing in God to teach them?

Somebody had to be the first to believe in God before there was anyone there to teach them.

 

 

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2 minutes ago, Imaginarynumber1 said:

An atheist simply belives in no gods. Please explain how you think that definition doesn't apply to a newborn. 

It's like saying newborns have a default language

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3 minutes ago, Eon said:

I'm not on either side, the same way atheist think religions are a bunch of fairy tales, atheist theories are most likely fairy tales to religious people.

Call it fairy tale, call it non-sense.

You are cleary in a side. There are no "atheist theories". Atheism is a state of non'belief. You are likely an atheist when it comes to the Greek pantheon, or the Roman. Perhaps yoi worship Odin. But more likely, you are an ATHIEST when it comes to Nordic beliefs. 

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2 minutes ago, Will Do said:

 

But if we go all the way back to the first humans when the default position was to not believe in God, then where did the first person get the idea to believe in God when there wasn't already someone believing in God to teach them?

Somebody had to be the first to believe in God before there was anyone there to teach them.

 

 

You're better off not talking to me

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