If not, then why does "God exists but I don't believe it" sound contradictory?
2007-11-09 03:27:36 · 11 answers · asked by I'm an Atheist 3 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
If you believe in a reality outside of your own existence, then they are not logically equivalent.
"God exists but I don't believe it" sounds contradictory only because someone who doesn't believe in God would not utter "God exists"....but your belief does not define reality...unless...see first line.
2007-11-09 03:35:20 · answer #1 · answered by runningman022003 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
They are not logically equivalent. The same with "Oranges exist" versus "I believe oranges exist." Not the same. "God (or an orange) exists but I don't believe it" is contradictory because the word "exist" implies a knowledge of the thing's reality. It's like saying "I believe oranges are real, but they're not really real." This isn't to say that there are many people who use illogic and/or logical inequivalencies all the time.
2016-04-03 03:51:01 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Anyone who claims to be an athiest is saying exactly what you said: "god exists but I don't believe it." In order to dismiss something, one has to first acknowledge its existence. So it may sound funny, but it's absolutely true in terms of athiests. To say "God exists" is to say unequivocally that this entity is somewhere--but it all depends on how it's said, who says it, and so on--it's context specific. I can say "God exists" while watching a sunset, and say "God exists?" while watching a war rage on. To say "I believe God exists" is more accurate because something that can't be proven is always just belief.
2007-11-09 09:16:50 · answer #3 · answered by teeleecee 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Of course they are not equivalent. What you believe does not change who God is. The reason that that statement sounds contradictory is because nobody would ever say that.
2007-11-09 03:36:27 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
One is a statement and the other a confession.
To say that you are an Atheist is to say that you are in conflict with and opposed to the idea of God. The fact that 'the idea of God' is even in the term of your belief system 'Atheist' means that you believe that the idea of something called theos/God is valid. By giving validity to the idea you are only revealing that it is not the idea of God you are opposed to but the 'believers'.
You don't like the people called 'believers' but prefer to say that you are Atheist.
2007-11-09 04:03:43 · answer #5 · answered by @@@@@@@@ 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Not a single Book out there says God exist.
They almost always say: God is.
Lets ponder on the wisdom of that for a moment.
And realize that existence at the physical level is really not necessary for God.
2007-11-09 03:57:37 · answer #6 · answered by Antares 6 · 2⤊ 2⤋
I don't think so. If you say "God exists," you are stating it as fact, as if it's been proven. If you say "I believe God exists," you are acknowledging that other people may not believe that God exists (in which case it probably has not been proven).
My take on it.
2007-11-09 03:35:11 · answer #7 · answered by jules1ua 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
No.
One admits belief, the other presents it as an infallible fact. There's a huge difference.
2007-11-09 03:46:47 · answer #8 · answered by gregtron 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
No contradiction if you get away from binary thinking.
Delusional statements are part of everyones pattern.
2007-11-09 04:08:59 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
To say "I Believe", is to say "I do not know"!
2007-11-09 04:18:17 · answer #10 · answered by Premaholic 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋