Thanks guys - not trying to prove any points or stir up an arguement - just seeking opinions as I was having an interesting debate about this with a friend last night
2007-04-19 20:15:53 · 24 answers · asked by LadyRebecca 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Laurie - I disagree, I think it is very healthy to debate one's beliefs on all kinds of subjects....you never know what you're going to learn - it's not all about opinion or belief swaying
2007-04-19 20:24:22 · update #1
Ed-M and nativear - interesting answers - is this more of a pantheist ideal?
2007-04-19 20:35:42 · update #2
I don't know about contradictory, but it is stupid.
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2007-04-19 20:19:01 · answer #1 · answered by Weird Darryl 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. Could be Panthiest like, but comes from Ancient Great Basin Native spirituality. Many Atheists are on the verge of realizing they are part of the Universe. As is mainstream culture in general. I have witnessed lights coming into a ceremony where there was no other scientific explanation possible. Science has shown that there are at least 13 dimensions, some of these dimensions are right beside us. Science has shown there is a Universal hum. One could be an Atheist and still know they are part of ALL, a unified, interconnected universe and not believe in the conception of God via a Judeo-Christian or Muslim sort of Higher Power. I find this all the time in personal observations of friends......
2007-04-19 20:33:14 · answer #2 · answered by nativearchdoc 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. An atheist by definition is someone who believes that there isn't a God. Unless we are to conceive ghosts as 'God', this does not go against the definition of atheism.
Belief in ghosts (where ghosts are taken as supernatural - say, beyond the laws of nature) contradicts a pure naturalism - where only the physical (non-spiritual, non-supernatural) realm exists.
But that then depends on what we mean by natural, or spiritual...
Philosophy is a nearly endless spiral. To say anything at all is a hard to accomplish.
In Love
2007-04-19 20:40:18 · answer #3 · answered by soulinverse 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I do, yet i'm in the minority. truthfully, definite it would sound contradictory using the standard definition of afterlife and ghosts. yet i don't see the relationship between the two. i'm going to not be waiting to describe it precisely, yet this is basically what i think of. additionally, Atheism is a theory in no gods, it does not specify ideals in an afterlife, so technically an atheist could desire to have self belief in heaven, they do basically not think of a god is there.
2016-10-13 00:31:51 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No there are certain things we cant explain, neuith science nor intelligent thinking anyway, so to have belief about ghosts is both rational and justified.
Also I believe although I doubt the existance of mythical beliefs...
I have just seen and experienced too many thinks for it to be a coincidence now....
2007-04-22 11:23:02 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No it wouldn't be contridictory. Atheism is not synonymous with aspiritual.
Likewise, the ideas of gods and whatever ghosts are don't go hand in hand - in fact the Bible says that ghosts are not the souls of people but demons so there would be a conflict there.
But yeah, I'm an atheist and I've experienced ghostly activity. In the whole "I need proof before I'll believe it" thing, I've been there and done it.
2007-04-19 21:03:15 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well, atheist is a rather broadly and poorly defined term.
The general use around my area is "someone who doesn't believe in a god/goddess/gods/goddesses/higher power kind of thing," so I'll apply that here.
Many people I know who don't believe in God believe in ghosts. Something to do with energy left behind, I don't know. Not my thing.
Whether or not it's contradictory depends on how you define the word 'atheist.'
Language sucks sometimes, dunnit?
2007-04-19 20:21:29 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Contradictory - yes.
Certainly anyone who does this is not a 'good' atheist - in the sense that their view of reality is not evidence-based. Any atheist with such a weak grasp of the real world is in dire danger of falling back into religion the moment a convincing one comes along.
CD
2007-04-19 20:26:35 · answer #8 · answered by Super Atheist 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well to my understanding an atheist does not believe in anything without proof hence why they do not believe in God, gods etc. so yes, it would be contradictory because there is no proof of ghosts existing.
2007-04-22 17:42:12 · answer #9 · answered by Isabella's Mommy Expecting #2 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. Even before Star Wars I felt there could be life after death in a form of energy. Our thought are chemical / electrical and are energy. Energy cannot be created or destroyed. I feel this energy leaves our body when we die, like a soul and might manifest itself in different ways. Atheist don't believe in god and in this scenario you don't need a god. I don't believe in god in the biblical way. I just wonder where all our body energy goes when we die.
2007-04-19 20:29:00 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Not contradictory. A bit weird, though, since 'no gods' and 'no ghosts' follow a lot of the same logic.
2007-04-19 20:21:18 · answer #11 · answered by Doc Occam 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋