“I contend that we are both atheists...?

Question

I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.” - Stephen F. Roberts

God debate aside, do you believe this quote is true?

Does a religious person disbelieve in all other gods for the same reason atheists disbelieve in all gods?

Lindsey thats what he's saying. 1-1=0.

Answer 1

don't think so -
atheists believe in no gods because of the lack of empirical evidence.
religionists believe in only their own God based on semantics and personal 'revelations'..

reasons are different

Answer 2

No!
Atheists dont believe in any gods because thats the most logical thing to believe. The chances that one religion is right while the other religions are wrong are slimmer than Kate Moss on crack.
On the other hand, a religious person does not believe in other religions because of faith alone. With no logic involved whatsoever! Thats the only way to be that hypocritical.

There is a saying that goes like this (forgotten who said it): "The greatest argument against religion, is other religions. A certain West African tribe folklore states that the World was created from a basin of water and a handful of sand by the Yoruba god, Oduduwa. What makes that version of creation false and the version in the book of genesis right? Just because more people believe one version doesn't make it more right than the other!!!"

Answer 3

C.S. Lewis in God_Without_Dogma?:

"On the contrary, I could not believe Christianity if I were forced to say that there were a thousand religions in the world of which 999 were pure nonsense and the thousandth (fortunately) true. My conversion, very largely, depended on recognizing Christianity as the completion, the actualization, the entelechy, of something that had never been wholly absent from the mind of man."

Lewis was an atheist who came to Christianity by studying mythologies of other civilizations. He came to see patterns in them that lead him to believe that they were all imperfect versions of the same truth.

I believe Christ's message, but I am also certain that my understanding of his message is weak and incomplete. As fallible human beings we are bound to get it a least partially wrong.

"For now we see through a glass darkly."

Answer 4

Lindsey P is right, technically, if you believe in even one God, then you are not an atheist. Simply disbelieving in gods other than your own does not make you atheist. So the statement is not technically correct.

As for what I think he was *trying* to get at, it's partly accurate. I don't believe in ANY gods for the same reason that believers don't believe in gods other than their own. But I also don't believe in gods--not just because of the lack of evidence for any one particular one, but also because I don't personally believe in any magical, supernatural elements.

Answer 5

Speaking as a polytheist, not really.

Most monotheists believe their god is omniscient, omnipresent and a whole lot of other omnis that are impossible....and the reason they believe is often because someone said so.

Most atheists object to the omnis, not the concept of gods.

Introduced to the polytheistic concept of deities, as non-omniwhatits, many atheists adopt a softer stance, prefering to believe that such entities are possible, just not having discussions with humans.

Strangely enough, I think I was enamoured of the idea of the quote when I was an atheist....then I met the gods.

I believe most gods exist. The Abrahamic one cannot exist as defined, however.

That being said, and to simplify...
The monotheist believes what he/she does because someone said so.
The atheist believes as he/she does because he/she has reasoned the nonexistance of god based on what people say god is and what they have experienced.

The polytheist believes because he/she has met their gods.

Answer 6

I have heard it before. However, if you believe in ANY gods, then you are not an atheist. So, someone who believes in the Christian God, but not Zeus, Athena, Odin, or any of the others, is not an atheist.

However, with that set aside, it does give good food for thought for those who can't understand why some people reject the notion that gods exist.

Answer 7

I do agree with this quote in some ways
if we are talking about monotheistic beliefs
but it doesn't cover everyone who believes in God/Gods
personally myself I believe there is one energy perceived differently
different aspects of the same
so I dont dismiss others Gods
I just see their God in a different way

but I have found that most Atheists quotes are aimed at the biblical God and not taking into account others beliefs

Answer 8

Roberts is/was obviously a very observant man.

However I think the whole 'we hate everyone else' attitude from some (I said SOME, before anyone jumps at me. lol) theistic people is a reverse form of penis envy.

It's like the smug guy who sits smiling at everyone when he pulls up at the lights in his brand new Lambo.

Trouble is, he's just pulled up next to a Porche 911 and a Ferrari. Then it's just a matter of taste. They're all smug, they're all flaming the others, but none is particularly right or wrong.

((((hugs))))

May peace go with you throughout your life

Answer 9

Worshipping one god or goddess does not always depend on whether one doesn’t believe the others exist or are real, it could simply mean that one prefers that God/Goddess over the others due to personal and spiritual reasons. So it isn’t always quite the same as an atheist who doesn’t believe any God exists at all.

Answer 10

False. We are not both atheist, contend what you wish but that does not make it so.

This is a stupid statement and only shows an act of desperation.

There is only one God. Whether you believe or not is irrelevant, God still exists there are no other gods.

Answer 11

Actually most gods are one and the same so in a other words Christians are equivalent to religion natzysm not that the don't believe in polytheism