There is no evidence/proof you'll vanish into non-existence

Wife just asked me to go shopping. Be back in about an hour.

By the way, I am damn close to being deaf myself. My hearing aids help, but the hearing destruction is almost complete.
 
ThatOwlWoman said:
The very word "atheist" means "without deity(ies)." Then we add layers of meaning on to that.
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I agree. But when one states that they are opposed to Christianity, that is not a genuine statement of atheism.

Although I think the definition of aetheism encompasses more than just rejection of Gods.

It seemingly must include a wholesale rejection of religious belief. I don't think one can reject dieties, but accept the Eucharist, baptism, Sikh mysticism, Ramadan, or Buddhist asceticism.
 
Cypress said:
I agree. But when one states that they are opposed to Christianity, that is not a genuine statement of atheism.

Although I think the definition of aetheism encompasses more than just rejection of Gods.

It seemingly must include a wholesale rejection of religious belief. I don't think one can reject dieties, but accept the Eucharist, baptism, Sikh mysticism, Ramadan, or Buddhist asceticism.
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I can only speak from the personal knowledge I have of people who are atheist, one of which I'm married to. First, they don't use that word to describe themselves, any more than they use "brunette" or "tall" to describe themselves.

They don't acknowledge that there are gods, supernatural events, souls, prayer that works, afterlives, eternal anything including heaven and hell. They are not militant about this; it's just who they are. They tend to feel uncomfortable with discussions of things of a spiritual nature, mostly because it often leads to judgmental comments from believers. So they do not seek such discussions out, unlike some Internet atheists that we've all encountered.

They're just people, nor more nor no less moral and ethical than anyone else. I fail to see why some believers feel so threatened and fearful by their very existence.
 
AProudLefty said:
Oh yes. 'Religion'. That's the key, isn't it?
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I don't see how one can reject dieties, but accept the sacraments, prayer, Ramadan, Rosh Hashanah, or any of the mystical experiences and sacred traditions of major world religions.

I would say atheism in it's broadest sense is a rejection of religion.
 
AProudLefty said:
Actually that illustrates a point. The concept of deity is taught by parents and society. If they weren't, they wouldn't be looking for it!
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In every sense every religion is predicated on someone telling someone else that there's something there.

That's all fine and good because there are aspects of the universe we don't personally perceive but are real (neutrinos for instance), but the problem arises when you compare all the various religions and realize that they don't really converge on a consistent "god".

If there was some convergence maybe there would be some reason to think people are experiencing something real but lacking that convergence it is little different from people's imaginations.
 
Cypress said:
I don't see how one can reject dieties, but accept the sacraments, Ramadan, Rash Hashanah, or any of the mystical experiences and sacred traditions of major world religions.

I would say atheism in it's broadest sense is a rejection of religion.
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That would be a good definition.
 
Cypress said:
I don't see how one can reject dieties, but accept the sacraments, Ramadan, Rash Hashanah, or any of the mystical experiences and sacred traditions of major world religions.
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Cultural connection still has value. I am an atheist but if you drop me in any European city the very first place I'm going is a Medieval Cathedral. I love the history and the art and the amazing stuff that came out of others' beliefs. People believed enough to create these amazing things. I value them.
 
Frank Apisa said:
Why are you being so vague? You usually are not.

THIS THREAD is the most interesting one I've seen in JPP in years. Let's not screw it up.
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Sorry I'm tired. I'm on a tablet and I don't feel like using my yuge thumbs to type slowly. Lol. I'll be more in depth when I'm on laptop.
 
Cypress said:
I don't see how one can reject dieties, but accept the sacraments, prayer, Ramadan, Rosh Hashanah, or any of the mystical experiences and sacred traditions of major world religions.

I would say atheism in it's broadest sense is a rejection of religion.
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Well there are atheist Jews who do observe.
 
Quincunx said:
Cultural connection still has value. I am an atheist but if you drop me in any European city the very first place I'm going is a Medieval Cathedral. I love the history and the art and the amazing stuff that came out of others' beliefs. People believed enough to create these amazing things. I value them.
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Those cathedrals are amazing, and even though I am not Catholic, I get a palpable sense of peace and holiness in a cathedral.

Lots of atheists celebrate Christmas or Hanukah as a family tradition, but I don't see how they could consider it sacred if they reject dieties and the sacred experiences of religion.
 
AProudLefty said:
Well there are atheist Jews who do observe.
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Lots of atheists celebrate Christmas or Hanukah as a family tradition or holiday, but I don't see how they could consider it sacred if they reject dieties and the sacred experiences of religion.
 
ThatOwlWoman said:
I'm sorry to learn of this, Frank.
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Probably a result of so many years of bartending in VERY LOUD bars. The hearing aids do help, but my hearing is very selective. Some areas of the spectrum are just total mumbles. There is sound (which separates me from deaf), but having it be intelligible is often a problem. Get me in a room with lots of ambient noise, and the best I can do is an occasional nod, a smile, and a fervent hope that whoever I am speaking with is not telling me that a relative was run down by a tractor trailer.
 
Quincunx said:
Cultural connection still has value. I am an atheist but if you drop me in any European city the very first place I'm going is a Medieval Cathedral. I love the history and the art and the amazing stuff that came out of others' beliefs. People believed enough to create these amazing things. I value them.
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Me, too.

Give me a cathedral to visit...and I am there. Even when I visit the City (NYC) I often go to St. Patrick's. Great places to amble.
 
Frank Apisa said:
Probably a result of so many years of bartending in VERY LOUD bars. The hearing aids do help, but my hearing is very selective. Some areas of the spectrum are just total mumbles. There is sound (which separates me from deaf), but having it be intelligible is often a problem. Get me in a room with lots of ambient noise, and the best I can do is an occasional nod, a smile, and a fervent hope that whoever I am speaking with is not telling me that a relative was run down by a tractor trailer.
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You sound like my husband. He can’t hear birds sing anymore, that is just so sad to me.
 
AProudLefty said:
Yep. And no evidence of you disappearing into oblivion.
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I don't know about an afterlife, but we will always be a part of the universe; our hydrogen, carbon, and nitrogen are always going to be integral parts of Earth's biosphere.
 
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