How do I explain atheism to a fundie?

Question

Okay... I consistently try to explain to this guy that EVERYONE is born atheist in that we have lack of belief in God... and that we don't NEED to know the concept of God to deny it!

What he doesn't realize is that one is either... all their life... atheist or theist. When one is born (s)he isn't NEITHER. You're always one or the either and humans have simply given them names.

Atheism is the default position. Theism is TAUGHT.

Why doesn't he understand that babies are indeed atheists?

By atheist I obviously atheist-agnostic (simply the lack of belief). Atheist-gnostic is believing there is no god (where you HAVE to be conscious of the concept of a god).

Answer 1

Because fundies believe that you go to Heaven or Hell when you die. Which means that when babies die, they have to go to Heaven or Hell as well. So, they've taken to believing that you are born believing in God and then "turn your back" on it at some point in your life. This just makes it so they don't have to think of babies going to hell just because they haven't had a chance to revoke the right to use logic.

Answer 2

Simply say that every single human being is born without any knowledge of the existence of a God, or belief in a God. Even the most die-hard fundies can't deny that simple fact. It's basic. You need to be TAUGHT to believe in a God. WHICH God (out of the THOUSANDS that exist throughout the worlds religions) you believe in depends simply on who you're born to, and who is teaching you. If you were born to Christians, then that's what you believe, if you were born to Muslims, then that's what you believe, if you were born to Scientologists, then you'd be believing in an ALIEN that supposedly populated the earth. If you were never told about God, then you would continue to not have any knowledge or belief in a God. That MAKES atheism the default. Any other position is one you were BROUGHT to by other believers.

Answer 3

Atheism is the explicit rejection of the existence of God. While babies may not understand the concept of God, that does not mean that they are atheists, but rather they are merely ignorant.

That is to say that we are all born anarchists, because we have no innate knowledge of government. Yet in reality anarchists are knowledgeable of government. It is because of their knowledge that they are capable of rejecting government.

In order to reject anything, one must at least understand the concept of that which is being rejected, as Anselm says,

"Even the fool (Atheist) must admit that something "than which nothing greater can be thought" (God) exists at least in his understanding, since he understand this when he hears it, and whatever is understood exists in the understanding"

This is not a matter of fundamentalism, but rather logic. While the fundamentalist may not understand why atheists cannot exist without understanding the concept of God, he can at least affirm his faith in it.

-Kerplunk288

Answer 4

maybe it's the other way around, we're all theist until we're affected by cynicism? now, I don't mean anything silly like we're born believing a particular religion - religion is certainly taught, as it's a human construction to systematize belief systems. I'm just putting forward the hypothesis that perhaps we're born believing in the existence of a deity, and are therefore theist.

whichever it is, you're right that either you are or you aren't - you believe in a deity or you believe there is no deity... closest to a middle ground is agnosticism, but even then you admit the possibility of a deity but deny that said deity has any interest in us mortals...

I'm both amused and frustrated by the proportion of agnostics who proclaim themselves atheist - for the shock value and out of their own ignorance of the meaning of the terms...

Answer 5

Fundementalists will refuse to think about anything that even so little as *might* contradict the bible.

If I remember, the bible says that babies are innocent and that if they die before they reach the age of reason (or something) then they will automatically be going to heaven. That seems to agree with you that babies are not christians, since christians choose to follow christ and babies cannot make that choice.

However, I think agnostic is a better fit than atheist.

Answer 6

They think atheism is a choice and a positive belief. They don't understand about implicit atheism. I usually hear "babies are born AGNOSTICS" when agnosticism is more of a conscious effort and conclusion. Atheism is a simple LACK of belief... all babies are therefore ATHEISTS.

We're both saying the same thing. Absence of belief: atheism.

They just don't want to accept it... it's THEIR choice to be willfully ignorant.

Answer 7

i'm atheist cos god is imaginary. i became atheist while i became seven - long before I knew something approximately plenty. I cherished finding out approximately evolution while i became approximately twelve at school cos it expalined multiple questions I hadn't even truly concept approximately. “All faith has to do is produce a god - ANY god - and atheism ends constantly. i'm quite beneficial it hasn't been executed - what seems to be the challenge? it is not as in case you haven't any longer had particularly time, a?” ~

Answer 8

I don't know how yo will get your point across but it may help if you don't call him a Fundy. It's much easier and productive communication when you refrain from derogatory terms. As far I have witnessed most babies aren't aware of much more than getting their next feeding. I don't think they have deveopled strong logical arguments for or against anything other than eating and getting out of their wet diaper.

Answer 9

You just cant. All organisms(except Humans when taught formally or informally) seems to be atheists by default.

Answer 10

To me, being a baby and being an atheist is the same thing. You do not know anything except how to make noise!