How many atheists are aware that the concepts of "god/deity/supernatural" extend well-beyond christianity?

Question

Amazing how many atheists think that if they knock out the legs of christianity they have banished the concept of a god altogether.

Jehovah is not the only god in the human pantheon.

And even if every recognized claim for a deity were eliminated, it does not eliminate the concept of a deity thus far undescribed.

Why claim certain knowledge that there can be no god when the concept of deity has infinite and incalculable permutations and combinations?

Answer 1

(Psalm 10:4) The wicked one according to his superciliousness makes no search; All his ideas are: “There is no God.”

(Psalm 14:1) The senseless one has said in his heart: “There is no Jehovah.”

(Psalm 53:1) The senseless one has said in his heart: “There is no Jehovah.”


Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/dg/index.htm?article=article_03.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_04.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/index.htm?article=article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/ti/index.htm?article=article_05.htm

Answer 2

lolol I didn't think that anybody, atheist, non-atheist, or whoever, with half an ounce of brain in their head, didn't already know that the concept of some sort of mysterious invisible superbeing goes back to the year Dot.
Back to a distant time when early man was bewildered about why his momma got stomped by a passing dinasaur when she had fifteen cavekids to raise (OK, so not a dinasaur, some other critter... a passing Mammoth!) Or why the early farmer who had worked so hard to plant and tend his crops, had them all wiped out by a drought. Why, why why? The elders of the community were looked up to by the folks because, for the most part they were smarter. They should be they'd lived longer. They were supposed to have answers to all these questions, too, but they didn't. So they had to invent a "sky-god" who DID know everything, but he never really explained why he made stuff happen, and just wanted everyone to trust him that he knew what he was doing and that in the end it would all work out for the best.

Yes, we all know that Christianity is in fact the "johnny-come-lately" among all the many and various denominations of "god-beliefs" that exist, or have ever existed going back through into the misty distance of past time.

Answer 3

Atheistic Existentialism as presented by Sarte is a powerful belief system (I prefer Kierkegaard,perhaps not so powerful). Some argue that Buddhism (the small raft version, most closely resembling the Budhas actual teaching) is atheistic and yet highly moral. The Hindu philosopher Sankara (I prefer Ramanuja) in much of his writings, especially the more esoteric approached atheism. Many religious systems can survive as being agnostic as to the true nature of the devine but grant some certainty to the existence of the devine. I am not really trying to answer your question (being lazy, but apprciative), just saying that there are many ways to attempt to be moral and to be an Atheist. I am no longer an Atheist myself.

Answer 4

Because the existence of God can never be disproven, that's the easiest answer one can give. "You can't prove he's/she's/it's not real!" What science tends to prove is that there is simply no necessity for a Creator altogether (with the exclusion of the obvious gaps in science that can be resolved in the future... perhaps). And if He/She/It is not necessary, why believe in him? And in that sense, more importantly, why as a society follow the rules that He/She/It would have seemed to have set up? That is a relevant question in contemporary society as much as it would be in any practicing religious nation, no matter what religion is in place. Atheists indeed challenge the notion of the existence of ANY God, but do this in a fashion that attacks contemporary Gods. Perhaps not the most useful fashion, but it does have the biggest impact.

Answer 5

I don't know which atheists you are referring to but the word itself means without religion and has nothing to do with christianity. I am just as much without christianity as I am without Islam, Judaism or any other religion. And I claim no certain knowledge that there is no god. I claim to have seen no evidence that there is a god not that god is impossible. I think you might keep in mind that it is only the faithful like yourself that make the claim that indeed there is a god. You make the claim that it is fact so you inherit the burdon of proof. Not me. I make no such claim either way.

Answer 6

You are missing the point of atheism. You could show 100 different ways that a deity could exist.....but that doesn't matter. Atheist see it in a different light.

Religion is a leap of faith. You either believe in it or you don't. Some faith and religions do not ever base their beliefs around a deity. But around the human mind and heart. Some believe in the earth.

Christianity is just one form....and even that one form of belief is still read in many different ways. Some literal some for pure point.

I am not an atheist....however I believe that if you don't feel a sense of a deity....then that is fine....and if you feel one....great. Life is sustained on earth because of religion and beliefs. Without them we would stand still.....

Answer 7

I don't claim certain knowledge. I claim gods are very, very, very unlikely in this natural universe. Call me an agnostic if you want, but I see myself a de facto atheist. I'm 99.something percent sure. If you're going to be snippy, at least be so kind as to not misrepresent my stance.

The sheer fact that nearly every people have their own origin story and pantheon of god(s) is in itself a strong sign that the basis of religion is ignorant men assigning supernatural explanations to what they could not readily explain.

You're asserting that the proposition of gods in and of itself has more value and merits more consideration than the proposition of the easter bunny or santa claus. It does not.

Answer 8

All atheists know that humans have invented and worshiped thousands of different gods. Christians are the only ones trying to convert everyone else. If Christian fundies would mind their own spiritual business, and leave non-Christians alone, they wouldn't have their beliefs questioned or ridiculed.

Answer 9

No.

It has just one permutation. Are their one or more invisible supernatural beings. The rest is detail. Whether you want a personal god, an impersonal one, one of love, one of hate, one or many, many or a host - all details.

The big question is - are there any gods at all.

And I think you will find atheists are more aware of the cultural diversity of god myths than the average Christian, who thinks they are the only game in town.

Answer 10

For some reason atheism seems to require activism which often becomes a religion in itself. Religion poses little threat in societies where it is kept in check and in most cases it doesn’t need to be stamped out. It gives the populace a moral compass that otherwise may not exist.

Answer 11

I agree on the first two things, I do not claim 100% that no God exists, I just say that I don't believe in God, and that's what most Atheists do. We say that we don't (and here's the key word to it) "believe" in a God(s). That's all. Kinda like faith...except twisted or something...