Do Atheists have a god too? Technically, I find it impossible for someone not to have a god. One definition of god according to Marriam-Webster is "a person or thing of supreme value." (If you want proof go to http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/god.) If a person does not worship a religious god, then he will worship another. If he does not exalt a religious god, then he will exalt something else.
Food, Pleasure, Entertainment, Self, etc, can all be gods too.
Tell me what you think... is there a way to serve nothing?
2007-05-03 08:01:03 · 20 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
In answer to qwid_pro_quo's post, is addiction always bad?
You could say I'm addicted to breathing air, because I can't stop, but that's not a bad thing!
Being addicted to Christianity and God is the same. I'm glad I am, because it's a good thing!
2007-05-03 08:42:30 · update #1
Wow. I wish Christians were as enthusiastic about defending their faith as Atheists are!
2007-05-03 08:44:09 · update #2
The true answer is that everyone has an idol. A god. For Christians like me, an idol is anything that is more important to us than God. We are not slaves to Him, however, it's simply our decision to "take up our cross" and follow the Lord. For non-christians, whatever is most important to you is an idol. For the average American, that's money, family or friends. Whatever you fill your lives and soul with is what you worship, whether you realize it or not.
It's impossible not to idolize SOMETHING.
2007-05-03 08:15:24 · answer #1 · answered by spiritdragon92 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
You cannot apply a poorly worded dictionary definition of one word (god) to define another (atheist). There is no such thing as a non-religious god. Even though I can enjoy food, pleasure, entertainment etc. they are not gods. They do not have any powers, they do not require worship, there is no value in praying to them, etc.
As an atheist I do not "exalt" anything. I do not "serve" anything. My life is lived without reference to external mystical powers.
2007-05-03 15:09:47 · answer #2 · answered by Sandy G 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
By your definition, I suppose my God must be Humanity itself. To me, Humanity is "of supreme value". It defines who I am and my day-to-day behaviour, both personal and towards others. But I do not "exalt" or "worship" Humanity in the same way that a religious person worships their chosen deity. I do not beseech favours of it, nor do I praise it.
I serve Humanity, but I do not worship it. I have (and need) no God.
2007-05-03 15:12:11 · answer #3 · answered by Simon B 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just because you personally find it hard to understand how somebody could live without the god concept, doesn't mean that they don't. You're using your own limited framework and trying to make sense of other people by using it - obviously that's an erroneous way to go about it.
Simply realize that you can't always understand other people and your own ideas or mental notions aren't corroborative.
2007-05-03 15:10:30 · answer #4 · answered by Mike K 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They don't have god, As a philosophical view, atheism is the
belief in the nonexistence of gods or the rejection of theism
(Theism is the belief in the existence of one or more gods or
deities).The term atheism originated as a pejorative epithet
applied to any person or belief in conflict with established religion. With the spread of freethought, scientific skepticism, and criticism of religion, the term began to gather a more specific meaning and was sometimes used to describe oneself.
2007-05-03 15:16:36 · answer #5 · answered by beebee 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That was the third definition on the list. The fourth was "powerful ruler." When atheism says there is no god, it's not saying there is no such thing as a "powerful ruler."
You shouldn't exploit language to twist it into a theory you want to prove.
2007-05-03 15:13:34 · answer #6 · answered by Elf 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
How ignorant can these questions get? I bet you don't know the definition of "atheist", here:
a·the·ist /Ëeɪθiɪst/
–noun
a person who denies or disbelieves the existence of a supreme being or beings.
got it?
I AM NOT A SLAVE, LIKE YOU
I worship myself, because I'm REAL
2007-05-03 15:09:05 · answer #7 · answered by ? 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Technically, I find it impossible for someone not to have a god."
Then you're wrong.
"Food, Pleasure, Entertainment, Self, etc, can all be gods too."
Then the word "god" is meaningless.
Try again.
2007-05-03 15:10:29 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I guess if I had to point to something, I exalt my family. My children and my husband are the most important things in the world to me. My whole life is for and about them.
2007-05-03 15:30:39 · answer #9 · answered by Jess H 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why would a person have to exalt anything? A true atheist accepts the world as it is.
2007-05-03 15:07:15 · answer #10 · answered by October 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋