Quotations and Literature Forum

My assumption is that atheism is another form of religion such that while atheist do not entirely believe in God, they still possess some sense of spirituality and consequently profess some kind of belief or even faith based on existing facts?

_________________
Life is a lesson. Learn from it.

That is agnosticism old bean, not atheism.

_________________
السلام عليكم

The claim that atheism is a religion is silly. "A religion has two components which must both be present. It is a formalized system of ritual and belief. It is focused on a supernatural being or beings."

The atheist denies the existence of the First Mover. What reason does he have to believe in anything spiritual? Am I incorrect?

(By the way, my faith is based on existing facts, too. )

Also, I am not sure the agnostic would confidently acknowledge the existence of anything supernatural. What makes him agnostic is that he would not confidently deny it either.

Skeptics and unbelievers to the fore! I am speaking out of turn.

True agnosticism is the belief in a greater being, but that being is beyond any explanation.

_________________
السلام عليكم

I really don't want to bore you all with reams of explanations about my particular views, so will try and keep this brief. Once more, the definitions of atheism itself are not cut and dried. Please take a look at the article, which is reasonable and unbiased.

http://atheism.about.com/od/definitiono ... theism.htm

I fit into the "weak" atheists ie do not believe in any gods. Atheists do not believe in supernatural beings or any rituals etc associated and atheism is definitely not a religion in any way.

I do not believe in life after death and do not fear death at all, merely the "how" of it. That I would prefer to be gentle when it becomes inevitable, although I shall certainly also "rage against the dying of the light" if in my opinion it comes too soon ! I am probably the closest of all of us here to this eventuality, as far as the natural order of life, and shall have few regrets but much joy in what I have been able to experience in life and the love I have been given.

My beliefs as such have always been in the basic concept of humanity, the goodness of man to each other, but have to say that as I have got older and wiser this belief has been severely shaken, although not yet extinguished.


GT

_________________
The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.
e e cummings (1894 - 1962)

Great. Thanks, older bean.

_________________
Life is a lesson. Learn from it.

Awesome! Good stuff.

arrow - where do you place yourself on this spectrum?

Honestly, i am not sure. My skepticism may just be the cause of my outrageous optimism.

_________________
Life is a lesson. Learn from it.

How does skepticism make you optimistic?

You mean, something like a Pascal's Wager? Pensees?

I have always been a very positive person until things got sour and bitter and then i realized and discovered my true self-selective skeptic

_________________
Life is a lesson. Learn from it.

I'm sorry, I'm not following.

Until and unless you go through the same path i had, you will never be able to follow me. Ask no further. I am basically a skeptic for a cause. I question traditional religious precepts for lack of biblical and even practical basis.

_________________
Life is a lesson. Learn from it.

Gumtree,

Such a clearly stated and honest expression of how you feel. I concur.

_________________
Collective fear stimulates herd instinct, and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd.
~Bertrand Russell

Right. The Bible, for example, is a collection of stories and philosophical ideas written by men over some period of time long long long ago. Jews believe that the Old Testament, the Torah and other Judaic religious texts are the word of God. Christians believe that the New Testament is the new and improved word of God. Muslims believe that the Quran is an ever newer and yet more improved word of Allah/God. And then there are Mormons with an even newer and more stupendous word of God. There are also even newer and ever more fabulous words of God/Yaweh/Allah to this very day.

Skeptics feel that the old and new testaments and the Quran and Book of Mormon, etc etc, are all ancient philosophical ideas, propoganda and politics written by people long long long ago to be analyzed just as we might analyze Plato or Aristotle or more recent philosophies using rational thought.

_________________
Collective fear stimulates herd instinct, and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd.
~Bertrand Russell

Understood. I will ask no further.