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*Ebz*



Last Updated: 9/26/2009

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Gender: Female
Status: Single
Age: 24
Sign: Sagittarius

City: D.C. / RVA
State: Washington DC
Country: US
Signup Date: 12/8/2005

Who Gives Kudos:

LoLa (2)
Tuesday, August 15, 2006 

Current mood:  confused
Category: MySpace
After reading this I might make the shift of Agnostic Atheist to Atheist.......I'm thinking..

From rational responders:

what is 'belief'?
1. The mental act, condition, or habit of placing trust or confidence in another: My belief in you is as strong as ever.
2. Mental acceptance of and conviction in the truth, actuality, or validity of something: His explanation of what happened defies belief.
3. Something believed or accepted as true, especially a particular tenet or a body of tenets accepted by a group of persons.

It's good to be clear about that, and an important aspect of the whole thing.

Now that we have a clear understanding of what 'belief' is, let's think about it again. If you claim agnosticism, saying in effect, "I don't KNOW if I have BELIEF that there is a god" then obviously you do not have belief in a god yet. Check the definition. You do not yet place trust or confidence in the idea. You do not yet have mental acceptance and conviction in the truth, actuality or validity of that idea. You have not yet accepted that idea as true. So you don't yet have belief. It's that simple. Well friend, if you don't have belief yet that there is a god, you ARE an atheist, like it or not. icon_wink.gif

The definition of 'theism' was decidedly NOT the opposite of the definition of 'atheism' in the dictionary. That much was clear. Hmmm... It seemed there was some kind of double standard involved that didn't fit with the word roots themselves.

So I put the meaning of 'a' at the beginning of the definition of 'theism' and arrived at a simple definition for 'atheism' that I have used since:

"Without belief in the existence of a god or gods, especially belief in a personal God as creator and ruler of the world."

I looked hard at 'belief' again. Got it! With that, I came to my own personal truth: I am an atheist because I do not have belief (as defined) in the existence of a god or gods, especially belief in a personal God as creator and ruler of the world.

So if someone asks me if there IS a god I can honestly reply that I am agnostic, since I don't KNOW. Depending on the conversation, I may go on to say that I doubt it, but have no way to KNOW - still agnostic. Depending on the conversation, I may ask them to define 'god' with characteristics and attributes and so forth and, depending on the description, I may go on to say I HIGHLY doubt it OR there may be some possibility of it OR (usually) I can then show how that particular version of a god is logically impossible, at which point I am no longer agnostic about THAT PARTICULAR god. At that point, I KNOW that particular god does not exist.

BUT, when asked do I BELIEVE there is a god, with OR without description, I have only one answer. I am an atheist, for I do not have belief that there is. If pressed, I can go on to declare that neither do I have belief that there is not - still atheist. I am simply without belief.

Boiled down:

'Gnosticism' and 'agnosticism' answer only to "do you KNOW if there IS a god?" They cannot answer to "do you have BELIEF that there is a god?"

'Theism' and 'atheism' answer to "Do you have BELIEF that there is a god?" They cannot answer to "do you KNOW if there IS a god?"

Hope that helps...
_________________
Smile... There is no Hell.


8:52 AM
 
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LoLa

 
hmmm...lets hope your last line in true if u do indeed decided to claim the title as "atheist" lol
 
Posted by LoLa on Friday, August 18, 2006 - 1:51 PM
[Reply to this] 
*Ebz*

 
Hell in my mind is a Christian concept for where "bad" people go but in the bible it says anyone who has no belief in God goes to hell, that could be a toddler who doesn't know anything about religion, a baby, etc. A good person who helps speacial needs kids and never committed in crimes in there life who is an atheist of all religions could go to "hell" because of lack of belief in a God(s) or higher power but a rapist or child molester who believes in God can go to heaven. If there is a God(s), Buddha w/e I'm sure he or she or they will respect me not believing in something because i'm told to or because everyone else does and I choose to have a mind of my own.
 
Posted by *Ebz* on Friday, August 18, 2006 - 10:05 PM
[Reply to this] 
yoSHORTNESS*

 

who told you a rapist or a child molester that belives in God can go to heaven?

Just because you BELIEVE in God doesn't automatically mean you're going to heaven.


 
Posted by yoSHORTNESS* on Friday, August 25, 2006 - 1:45 AM
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