Are there two kinds of "atheists"?

Question

I heard Dennis Prager mention this on the radio today, and I think he's right. He said there are atheists, and then there are those who are anti-religion.

What do you think?

Answer 1

I agree with you. Most of the so called 'atheists' on this board are more anti-religious. How else can you explain there countless blatherings about something that they don't believe in. A true atheist doesn't believe in a higher power and is OK with that. They seldom try to dissuade believers. These pseudo-atheist always have a bone to pick with something religious, and then go on and on about how silly it is to believe in something they say does not exist. I would wonder if there was a site about unicorns, that they would spend as much time trying to persuade the believers there.

Answer 2

Hey, I agree! Never heard that before - but It seems like its true. There are the 'angry' atheists who love proving to religious people that they are believing in a fantasy - and then there are nice atheists who are honest > they basically think: "this is what I believe, I know there is a chance I could be wrong, and I respect what other people believe." [Religious people should also think like that].

Atheism doesn't = anti-religion, really. It is a personal belief that there is no God. It is not an angry-I-hate-all-religion-and-I'm-going-to-make-sure-everyone-knows belief system (unless someone chooses to use it that way!) - the same goes for all other religions, eg. Christianity - it is not anti-other-religions unless individual believers choose to take their belief that way.

Answer 3

That's right. It has been said by more than one person on here that a real atheist would not spend on minute dinking around on R&S. They are just going about their life . But on here we have atheists that are anti-christ more than anything else and then anti religion. All you have to do is look at the questions. It becomes very apparent.

Answer 4

I think you are looking at two different things and trying to call them by the same name. You are quite wrong in doing so.... stupid, in fact.

Atheist means just one thing: no god(s). Anti-religion means something entirely different, against religion, but it may in fact be part of an atheist's political views just as easily as it may be a part of any other persons political view - anti-religion actually says nothing at all about the anti-religious person's belief. One may be a believer in 'god' and be opposed to religion, the systems that formalize and define a particular belief. (e.g., a god-believing individual could be opposed to "church-going dogma.")

I don't agree that there are two different atheists... not at all.

[][][] r u randy? [][][]
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POST SCRIPT: There are some very very mistaken definitions being tossed around here. I suggest that you all take a few moments to use a dictionary. ...and what's up with this goofy "weak and strong" BS? Can't you all accept defined terms for what they mean without adding water or sugar? Good Gosh...! Are you interested in clarity of communication or are you here just to make sounds?
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Answer 5

All atheists are religious. Period. Religion is a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith. Therefore, they are not anti-religious, but rather anti-God. The atheist who claims to be 'anti-religious', but yet, makes debate with those who are also religious, actually tells the story that he wishes to make justification in his own mind about his own religious principle. If the atheist was 100% convinced that there is no God, why in the he** does he bother to argue with the one that says there is? Why? Religious debate has been going on for years, and it only continues amongst atheists and theists. If science 100% proved that there is no God, why on earth does the atheist so much as argue with the theist? Why? For that matter, why on earth does the theist argue? Each of their principles is based on sinking ground. The Bible itself only tells the story of God. It's not God Himself, and the theist will never be able to pick the Bible apart to prove anything to an atheist, and science will never be able to prove that God didn't exist before the big bang happened. Was I sleeping when President George W. Bush said, "Well, America, there is no God. Science has proved this. We will now pledge allegiance to science." The fact is that it is not proven and there is no amount of science that can prove there was not an Almighty being that existed out there before the big bang happened. Even if Adam and Eve were dinosaurs or apes or whatever, so what! Maybe our ancestors were apes! Who cares! Does that mean there wasn't a God who created it all? Whatever science proves...it makes no difference. God doesn't fit into the religious science box, nor does he fit in the theoretical Christian one. Therefore, religious debate amongst religious atheists and religious theists will forever remain an argument, and I will forever sit back and shake my head in disbelief. God resides outside of any religious box...He owns the boxes, but He doesn't live in them. He is out there...He's big...and He awaits us all.

Answer 6

OOPS, You should have covered your earholes, now Zombie Jesus has sucked your brains out via radio!

There are only two kinds of people in the world. Those who say there are only two kinds of people in the world and those who don't!

There are as many kinds of atheists as there are atheists. They are a very diverse bunch.

Unfortunately most of the religious types are not capable of seeing anything except as a dichotomy.

Besides, with a classification system like that, where do you fit the believers or agnostics who are anti religion.

Answer 7

No. Not 2 kinds but MANY different kinds of atheists (some may be better described as agnostic)
Just like there are more than 2 kinds of religous believers (or maybe some would be better described as practitioners of religion.)

Answer 8

Well, there are weak atheists and strong atheists.

Weak atheists: "I do not believe god/s exist."
Strong atheists: "I believe NO god/s exist."

I don't know if that's what Prager meant or not. There are people who I would consider "anti-theists," who believe that theism is an inherently negative thing.

Answer 9

Yes But are some anti God who are anti religion. IF they believe in God then they are not really atheist. How about anti false truth. I am a strict follower of Krishna Consciousness but I don't accept any false teachings of any religion and I accept any true teachings of all religions. Krishna, Allah, Jehovah, Vishnu, etc. Different names for the same one true God. Your God is my God- World peace.

Answer 10

I would have a tendency to agree. If that is the case, I would probably be considered somewhat of an atheist myself...as I am anti-religions...but certainly not anti-God. I love him with all my heart.