To say there is no God needs faith. Your believe is just empty.
2006-10-17 03:59:27 · 31 answers · asked by Smart_Guy 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Wow, another condescending Christian...what else is new? (by the way, it's "belief", not "believe")
To me faith means gullibility. I've studied religion and everything everyone says about the existence of God and I came to the conclusion that it's all bullshit. Faith is really to trust, and I don't trust schizophrenic people who think God is talking to them.
PS: It's pretty pathetic that you're basing your argument on wordplay.
2006-10-17 04:10:35 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 2⤋
That's bit of a semantic question, more worthy of linguistics than philosophy or Religion. Zero belief is a lack of faith. Is lack of faith a belief? You might say so, but then you could also say I believe in nothing (affirmative "I have faith in nothing"). I don't believe in anything. (negative "I have no faith in anything") etc. (Think pro-life vis-a-vis anti-abortion - it's somehow perceived to be better to stand for something than against something)
I can kind of guess where you're coming from. I suspect (but don't mean to presume) something like:
A typical atheist doesn't believe in God because he believes in scientific evidence. Scientific evidence doesn't explain much in the way of God. So therefore it kind of requires a kind of faith to not believe in God.
The empty lost me though. Is that because they essentially say they believe in nothing? Therefore they have faith in "nothing" as opposed to a Christian's faith in "God"? Thus comparing nothing and God as 2 belief systems based on faith, drawing the conclusion that atheism is an empty faith?
Sounds good. But if you really think about it, it's all about the labels and (quantitive) values we attach to certain words. If I believe that God is a pink flamingo and run it through the above methodology, it's not an "empty" faith. But it's ludicrous.
I'm Christian though.
2006-10-17 11:24:55 · answer #2 · answered by Paul E 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A disbelief requires no faith, you assume that all atheists are strong atheists. Strong atheists deny the existence god(s), weak atheists simply don't believe in god(s).
I suppose you could say that strong atheists have "faith" because they deny god's existence, but this faith has a very different meaning compared to the faith of a believer in god. A strong atheist has "faith" that there is no god just like you have "faith" that the sun will rise tomorrow morning. When you look at it like that though, faith basically loses it's meaning.
2006-10-17 11:07:46 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I would say I was Agnostic and agree with JP, but I do have a kind of faith, I have faith that my wife, kids, and parents love me and I have faith in the fact that I will always do my best, I don't feel empty in any way, I have no need to believe in an Invisible friend for grown ups. I certainly don't need to be brow beaten by the likes of you. You could preach at me all day long but you wouldn't change my mind, just as I would not be able to change yours.
2006-10-17 11:12:40 · answer #4 · answered by Thornsey 4 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Atheism is a lack of faith. Faith is believing things for no reason, and having no real proof. I don't believe in god, because there is no proof for him. Thar requires no faith. It is logical to not believe in god because there is no proof to suggest he exists. If there was proof that he existed, then not believing would require faith. But then if there was proof we would all believe in him for the reason we don't now believe. Not believing in Zeus, Allah, the tooth fairy, Jesus, and Santa does not require faith. So you see, you are wrong, and your point is not valid. The statement you made is because you feel stupid for believing things that are ridiculous. Wishing everyone ignored common sense, and believed ridiculous things like you do, does not mean we do.
2006-10-17 15:17:15 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have faith that when I hit the switch I'll get lights, provided there is no powercut. Faith is believing something will happen when you act. Believing in an imaginary god who can do nothing for you is an act of mindless irrationality not faith.
2006-10-17 11:28:24 · answer #6 · answered by ? 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
First learn how to spell properly. Second, learn what t he meaning of faith is. Faith is present when evidence isn't. Faith is something that is required when their is little reason, proof, or logic for a particular idea. So yes, we atheist don't have nor need faith because we have reason on our side, unlike you.
Faith is distinct from hope in that faith is typically general, rather than specific to an aspect, and in contrast to a "false hope" in a fantasy, the object of faith typically transcends what can be proven scientifically and sometimes exceeds what can be objectively defined. Faith can mean believing unconditionally. It can be acceptance of something that one has been told by one who is considered trustworthy. Faith, by its very nature, requires belief outside of known fact.
2006-10-17 11:07:52 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 1⤋
Don't be daft. I don't know where you read that, but it doesn't hold up to scrutiny. Saying there is no God is not a positive assertion, so does not require faith. Furthermore, Atheists do not actually say this, we say that we do not believe there is a god, in the absence of any evidence at all for that hypothesis. I do not claim to have no faith, I faith in lots of things, just not in your imaginary friend!
'Your believe is just empty' (Sic) is nonsensical. Think before you post, if you are capable of such action!
2006-10-17 11:08:38 · answer #8 · answered by Avondrow 7 · 4⤊ 2⤋
Mostly, atheism is a position reached by due consideration of evidence and argument. It's not a faith position.
Of course, should acceptable evidence FOR a deity come along (I don't mean a dusty old book), I may well change my mind. That is precisely why atheism doesn't require "faith".
2006-10-17 12:57:23 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
An atheist will not believe in any gods or deities, that does not mean they have no faith, the faith they have is not the same as people who believe in gods, they believe in different philosophies, some will not believe in the supernatural.
for someone who believes in God to have faith is believing in the religions doctrines, faith is can be placed in a person, inanimate object, state of affairs, proposition or body of propositions such as a religious credo.
so you see atheist will have faith in other philosophies different as an religious person.
2006-10-17 11:16:31 · answer #10 · answered by vanilla_d_i_v_a 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
it's like credit and banking
at some point you need credit until you can repay, we give collateral or our earnest money
we "believe" the bank will front us the money and we repay
we have faith in the bank and put our trust in the dollar
with religion or life we havn't lived it all, and until we can have the proof or the title, we give what we have, for many it's "faith"
but at some point you don't need that anymore unless you plan on staying indebted to another, which of course many religions teach is wrong
I have faith in myself and then know about myself thanks to my experiences
I do not need faith anymore, at one time I did...but I grew up.
Hope is great and motivates, faith is with the absence of proof, when proof and facts come, faith is no more
faith is not a substance, it is a tool out of many tools for life, not the mainstay
I believe in myself daily, and it's not empty and no prayers and I am making it just fine, thank you
2006-10-17 11:10:48 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋