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Atheism
Atheism is the disbelief in or denial of the existence of God or gods.
1,002 Questions
Moral theory that focuses on an act being universalizable?
Kant's theory of Moral Imperatives is based around the idea of good actions being those that could be universal and not lead to negative/self-contradictory results.
Who are the most influential people past and present in atheism?
Big question! Several of the ancient Greek philosophers were believed to be atheists (although they had different gods not to believe in from the modern ones). Socrates was executed for "impiety" - he was accused of not believing in the gods. Moving to the 18th century, Baron d'Holbach and Jacques-André Naigeon were openly atheistic writers and David Hume developed a rationalist philosophy. The French revolution introduced a secular atmosphere for European philosophers such as Ludwig Feuerbach, Arthur Schopenhauer, Karl Marx, and Friedrich Nietzsche. In the modern day, Richard Dawkins is probably the most famous atheist living, but Christopher Hitchens has also written critical books on religion.
What is the Catholic view on atheists and those who strongly oppose the concept of God?
Opinion:
The official Catholic position regarding non-believers is to be found in the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) declaration on the Church. This is a dogmatic declaration which means all Catholics are required to believe what it states: "Those also can attain to salvation who through no fault of their own do not know the Gospel of Christ or His Church, yet sincerely seek God and moved by grace strive by their deeds to do His will as it is known to them through the dictates of conscience.(Nor does Divine Providence deny the helps necessary for salvation to those who, without blame on their part, have not yet arrived at an explicit knowledge of God and with His grace strive to live a good life." (Declaration on the Church paragraph 16)
Taking the above statement, which has further been expressed in the Catechism and various Church statements, it is clear that Catholicism accepts that non-believers can be good people; this would apply to atheists. However, Catholicism also believes in religious freedom: "This Vatican Council declares that the human person has a right to religious freedom. This freedom means that all men are to be immune from coercion on the part of individuals or of social groups and of any human power, in such wise that no one is to be forced to act in a manner contrary to his own beliefs, whether privately or publicly....." (Vatican II's Declaration on Religious Freedom paragraph 2)
This means that atheists, whilst rejecting the concept of God, must respect the rights of people who do believe. It would be unacceptable to the Church for atheists to berate those who believe in God, as this would be a violation of their right to faith.
Equally important, and as part of the various Church positions outlined above, is that the religious freedom of atheists demands that they be respected in their lack of faith in gods. Atheists are an integral part of the human family that enjoys the freedom to choose what they believe or don't believe. It would be unacceptable to atheists for Catholics to berate those who don't believe in gods as it would be a violation of their right to not believe.
Opinion:
To give one Catholic's personal take on the above answer: Atheists, like all human persons, are made in God's image and likeness and are deserving of the love and respect that is due to all human persons. Catholics would distinguish between live-and-let-live atheists and those who "strongly oppose the concept of God." Live-and-let-live atheists who enjoy their day-to-day lives, pursue their careers, friends, and interests, all the while treating others with the courtesy and respect with which they wish to be treated, are an admirable element in what we hope will become an increasingly civil society. Here in the U.S., with all our diversity and richness of heritage, background, lifestyles, and religious affiliations, many Catholics would agree that responsible, tax-paying atheist citizens who want to enjoy what this country has to offer and just get along with everyone else - are worth their weight in gold. On the other hand, the phrase "persons who strongly oppose the concept of God" suggests to me persons who may find it difficult to extend the respect and tolerance to believers that the many groups living in our society, with such different ideas and different values, must extend to one another in order to have a civil society for all to enjoy. I don't know: Can a "person who strongly opposes the concept of God" live and let live and behave with consideration and respect toward his believeing neighbor? Can he contribute to a civil and diverse American society? My answer as a Catholic is: I very much hope so.
Nothing prevents them from getting christened. An atheist would have to seriously mis-represent her/himself in order for this to happen, since in most cases anyone getting christened would have to demonstrate knowledge of and commitment to a Christian church. In this case, the christening would be of no effect since it would be done under completely false pretences.
What does a little philosophy unclineth man's mind to atheism mean?
I think the quotation is actually "A little philosophy inclineth man's mind to atheism", said by Francis Bacon. Bacon was a 16th century English philosopher.
The full quotation is "A little philosophy inclineth man's mind to atheism, but depth in philosophy bringeth men's minds about to religion."
What Bacon meant was that if someone thinks briefly about God, he will think that there is no God, if he thinks deeply about God he will start to believe. Although nowadays, most philosophers probably are atheists the priniciple of thinking deeply about things before coming to a conclusion still stands.
Relativism in morality ensures a progressive value system?
No.
A distinction must be made between right and right.
Correct, and Moral.
Example:
If your grandmother makes you cookies, and they taste horrible to you, and she asks if they taste wonderful to you.
Correct answer: No, they taste horrible to me.
Moral answer: ?
Relativism is correct, but that doesn't mean it is moral. In fact, relativism is "amoral"- not immoral or moral. It has no moral opinions. It doesn't want people to do bad things, and it doesn't want people to do good things; because the nature of good and bad are opinions in the context of relativism.
Relativism isn't about telling people what they "should" do. It implies no value system whatsoever.
Whatever the consequences of relativism are, it remains the correct interpretation.
Usually, though, we as human beings impose our own value systems upon society, and hold each other to them. These are social value systems. While social value systems are relative (to each society), within the society themselves they are as absolutes (though people may still disagree with them, and never be wrong, they will be held accountable by them).
Sometimes those social values become so strong and wide-spread that people mistake them for universal, absolute values- that is is a factual mistake, and the interpretation is incorrect. Is this false interpretation moral? You decide.
Relativism doesn't ensure anything, nor does absolutism. Absolutism, however, can be more dangerous when two absolutist-thinking societies come into contact and disagree on some key point of morality.
Whether the true number of atheists has gone up or if there are more atheists, the causes are probably to do with the publication of books such as Richard Dawkin's The God Delusion, and the growth of religious extremism.
AnswerSecularism has been the largest growing faction in Western civilization for over a hundred years. All religions are shrinking if population growth is factored in. The USA has been the slowest of the Western countries to show this trend, and is still the most religious Western country. This is probably due to social factors: it is much less acceptable to be an atheist in the USA than -say- Sweden (where most people are atheist).Why did Joseph Fletcher become an atheist?
I'm not sure he ever explained exactly the circumstances, but someone who Fletcher had told reported that Fletcher had spent 70 years trying to believe before finally conceding to himself there was no god.
To understand that, social and family pressures may make "belief in belief" extremely important.
Is False dilemma a valid argument?
False dilemma is a logical fallacy. A logical fallacy is a tool used to point out an inherent weakness in an argument. Several fallacies are used over and over again in various contexts and so it has become useful to categorize these fallacies so they can be pointed out and acted on.
The false dilemma is a logical fallacy where the arguer states that only two outcomes are possible when reality shows that there may be many more.
For examples, see "An example of false dilemma?" link below.
Is billy connolly atheist agnostic or theist?
Pretty much atheist; a quote from a 2001 interview:
I don't believe in angels and I have trouble with the whole God thing. I don't want to say I don't believe in God, but I don't think I do. But I believe in people who do. I have a wee parking angel, it sits on your dashboard and it's supposed to get you a parking space. It's worked so far. But I get a bit bored with people who believe in angels. It's a bit in the aromatherapy field for me - a bit hocus-pocus.
How long has China been atheist?
== == There is a difference between "officially" atheist and "effectively" atheist
The Communist Party of China, who govern the nation, is atheistic, came to power in 1949 and restricted religious freedom. This made the country "officially" atheist.
However, by and large the people of China are not atheist. The majority of Chinese people are either Buddhist or Daoist (Taoist), or both. Significant minorities are Muslim or Christian. The Falun Gong movement claims a growing number of adherents, although it is illegal and must operate underground. Of course, there are also many atheists, although it is hard to estimate the proportion of atheists in China.
== ==
Who was the first person to publicly state that God is not real?
ANSWER:
Thomas of the original disciples, known as doubting Thomas considered that God was not real and was unable to raise his son from the dead.
Re: John 20:24-28.
As no American has responded, I'm Australian and I would probably be best described as agnostic or irreligious.
I would either say bless you, out of habit or nothing at all.
Sometimes, if the sneeze is funny, I might laugh.
Sometimes, if the sneeze is loud, I might say "Woahhh!"
Sometimes, if the sneeze is extra disgusting, I might say "eeeeew" and hand them a tissue.
I don't see much need to say anything special. It's just a sneeze.
Have a nice day! :)
Opinion:
Only about 4% of the United States is atheist, so it wouldn't be accurate to say that it's popular, but since so many people in the mainstream media are atheistic, it may seem that way. ...and another which supports the one directly above:
In a recent survey of our major universities and colleges, it has been found that an overbearing majority of teachers and professors have a liberal stance, many denying the heritage of faith upon which our country was founded. As they teach, they effect our young people, some of whom become teachers in our public and private schools. This liberal bent has created a conflict with many Americans, especially with those who still hold on to the heritage faith of our forefathers.
The Supreme Court (Liberal at the time) in the 60's outlawed Bible reading and prayer in our public schools. Whereas our schools, in the earlier 1900's used the McGuffey Reader to educate young children, they were educated with a position of faith in God. While using the Bible as its base, the Reader gave effective reading, writing, arithmetic and grammar teaching programs for over 200 years in our nation. A certain socialist movement in the 1900's, outlined in the Humanist Manifesto, had been designed to gradually remove spirituality from our society, particularly targeting our public schools.
The ensuing turn away from God in our nation has certainly given the atheists more room to foster their position. Yet many of those who have faith in God remain.
Opinion:
It seems extremism is a fad that never dies. Yes it is because of a "liberal bent", but true still there are highly intelligent religious people. Even still yet there are "stupid atheists," and vice-versa. some who desire to have a certain social stipulation, hype, and stereotypical "atheistic intelligence superiority." All of which is personally based on the individual. you may ask yourself " Am I an atheist because of a personal introspection, or am I an atheist because it will make me popular?" Which of all ironically, in the beginning, was to aid in the evolution away from this animalistic popularity seeking behavior; which seems to be similar to a "who is week and who is strong" scenario just of different terms of text and labeling.
Opinion:
To assume atheism is popular is equal to assuming red is blue; it is simply not true. But what is true is the fact that over 90 percent of the world beleives in a god or a higher being. What is also true is that the more highly educated you are, the more likely you are to rationalize "God" out of your life or at least to a state at which "God" has no impact on how you go about your life. Compared to a child who grew up in a household with only "God" related talks, nothing that can and will contradict "God", a child who is exposed (unbiasly) to both sides, and with an education, will be many more times likely (as mentioned before) to be an atheist.
Sam Harris is an author of some very interesting books. He has a philosophy degree from Stanford University and has studied religious traditions of the East and West for over twenty years. He has a PhD in Neuroscience. He is a clear thinking individual regarding religion in the modern world and the commonality between fiercely dominant religious groups in the Middle East and the more seemingly benign organized religions of the West. That commonality is the need to suspend reason and logic by the adoption of religious belief.
He rallies against the intrusion of religion into world politics and the increasing problem of that intrusion in the West, especially America. He teaches that the religious terrorists and more benign religious groups are separated by only a matter of degree since both are based on illogical assumptions and driven by human conjecture, desires and the need for power. He highlights the dangers and absurdities of all organized religion and would support the removal of religion from the planet.
Every thinking person with an open mind who seeks to understand the world and its problems should read his first book, The End of Faith. Then, read the rest.
Books:
The End of Faith
Letter to a Christian Nation
The Moral Landscape
Was actor Eric Fleming an atheist?
According to his website, very little is known of Fleming's personal life so we may never know.
A scientific theory is a structure which explains a set of empirical observations. Some well known theories:
Newton's theories of motion: explained how objects moved in the universe.
Einstein's general theory of relativity: explained how matter behaves in the universe.
Darwin's theory of natural selection: explained why there is a huge number of related species and how new species arose.
What are antichristian people called?
There is no specific term for people opposed to Christianity, except for maybe the word you used, anti-Christian. People who oppose Christianity may have any other characteristic, so it would be difficult to categorize them neatly with a name. This is doubly so because people tend to group together under things they believe in, not under things they don't. People who share the same goals form groups in order to try to make these goals a reality, and these groups must have names. People who oppose something, however, may want any number of things instead, and so generally do not group together.
Do metaphysicians believe in god?
Well, first we must understand, that the term God is relative to ones system of beliefs; however, I assume the real question is do Metaphysicians believe in a Higher Power -- a governing force?
Metaphysicians believe in an Infinite Intelligence which some call; GOD, Buddha, Krishna, Universal Consciousness, Quantum Field, etc.
In Metaphysics, we practice meditation which science corroborates gives us access to deeper levels of consciousness -- The Infinite Mind. In fact, Metaphysics is a science that moves beyond physics to discover (question) the linkage between body and mind, male and female, our true self, and the connection to the Infinite Mind.
Within the field of Metaphysics there is a shared belief that no/thing is separate from this energetic field of consciousness called again by many names; Christ Consciousness, GOD-MIND, HIGHER SELF, TRUE SELF, GOD, etc.
We understand that at a fundamental level everything is vibrating energy -- including you and I.
What science tells us about energy is that it is neither created nor destroyed; it is the cause and effect of itself; it is always present; and that it is constantly changing through form, into form, and out of form.
In fact, many religious philosophers describe the supreme creator or Infinite Mind in the exact same way that science describes energy. Coincidence? I believe not, and Metaphysics teaches us that there is but One Mind and that is the Infinite Mind of the Universe.
Is this Infinite Intelligence on a white fluffy cloud somewhere? Yes, but it is also at the deepest part of the sea, the furthest outreach of the cosmos, within a smile, and the unfoldment of a flower, it is the wind rustling the leaves of a tree, it is in you as much as it is in me.
Now, whether you call it God, or dice it up into Multiple Gods, project a gender upon it, etc. it still remains that everything you see in this world is an expression of that which is everything and nothing -- Infinite Intelligence, God, Krishna, (Insert Your Name Here).
In metaphysics, we have come to realize through meditation that nothing is separate from this source and through meditation (prayer) we can connect with it.
What are some atheist worldviews?
Atheism is not an organised movement, in the way that a religion would be. It is simply the belief that no god exists, or at least that there is no reason to believe that a god exists. Beyond that, different atheists are free to hold such worldviews as they wish. However, there are some secondary beliefs that most atheists would probably subscribe to by not believing in a creator god.
If, as atheists believe, there is no God, then the world and all living things were not divinely created. This does not necessarily lead on to believing in evolution, but evolution is the most rational belief for most atheists. So, although it is not necessary to be an atheist to believe in evolution (many religious people also believe in evolution), most atheists would see evolution as part of their worldview.
Atheists have no reason to believe that a great flood covered the entire world, or even just the entire Middle East, a few thousand years ago. Nor would they see a rainbow as a message from God. Atheists who have studied elementary science would see the rainbow as no more than a sprectum of light, created in the clouds in just the same way as a rainbow can be created by a prism.
Atheists do not believe that the world is destined to end soon. They believe that, barring a nuclear war, the world will continue for millions of years to come.
What is the evidence for the first premise of the cosmological argument?
If you mean the Kalam cosmological argument used by William Lane Craig in which the first premise is "Everything that has a beginning of its existence has a cause of its existence." The answer is that there is no evidence for this claim. In fact there is evidence to the contrary.
In quantum mechanics, things happen that are not caused. Such as radioactive decay or when an atom in an excited energy level it loses a photon. No cause is evident in the decay of a radioactive nucleus. Craig has said that quantum events are still "caused" just in a non-predetermined manner - what he calls "probabilistic causality." Craig is thereby admitting that the "cause" in his first premise could be an accidental one, something spontaneous and not predetermined. he therefore destroys his own case for a predetermined creation. Even if the KCA was sound, why would the cause itself not be natural?
Is Angel related astrologically to Angle?
Angel and Angle are two words, sometimes used in error for the other. An angel is a messenger of God, whereas Angle is a measurement used in mathematical formulas.
When did secular beliefs first start?
Pretty much as long as a belief in a god(s) and before when there was a lack of belief in god(s)
AnswerThe word was coined in 1846, but the thoughts and ideas had existed throughout AnswerSecularism is not associated with beliefs. It is not a system of belief. Secularism is concerned with worldly things and not the spiritual, religious or sacred. Secularism is a philosophy that promotes the separation of government institutions and the people who serve them from the various religious beliefs that circulate in our world. Belief describes the realm of religious holdings that are accepted in the complete absence of any proof. Surely, secularism predates the earliest religious beliefs since humanity needed to acquire a more complex brain in order to formulate religious belief systems. The earliest humans were simply not capable.
