Philosophy Now Forum

I was having a discussion with Nick_A and it occurred to me that the only difference between the absence of belief of a theist and an atheist is in the number of Gods each doesn't believe in. Theists have a complete absence of belief in all Gods except one.Atheists have an absence of belief in all Gods without exception. So just as one theist can have a complete absence of belief in Vishnu or Brahma or Ahura Mazda,an atheist has a complete absence of belief in Vishnu, Brahma, Ahura Mazda and the God of the concerned theist. So as far as any other religion is concerned, every theist is an atheist too.

Comments?

sthitapragya wrote:I was having a discussion with Nick_A and it occurred to me that the only difference between the absence of belief of a theist and an atheist is in the number of Gods each doesn't believe in. Theists have a complete absence of belief in all Gods except one.Atheists have an absence of belief in all Gods without exception. So just as one theist can have a complete absence of belief in Vishnu or Brahma or Ahura Mazda,an atheist has a complete absence of belief in Vishnu, Brahma, Ahura Mazda and the God of the concerned theist. So as far as any other religion is concerned, every theist is an atheist too.

Comments?

All monotheists ultimately believe in the same God.

attofishpi wrote:

sthitapragya wrote:I was having a discussion with Nick_A and it occurred to me that the only difference between the absence of belief of a theist and an atheist is in the number of Gods each doesn't believe in. Theists have a complete absence of belief in all Gods except one.Atheists have an absence of belief in all Gods without exception. So just as one theist can have a complete absence of belief in Vishnu or Brahma or Ahura Mazda,an atheist has a complete absence of belief in Vishnu, Brahma, Ahura Mazda and the God of the concerned theist. So as far as any other religion is concerned, every theist is an atheist too.

Comments?

All monotheists ultimately believe in the same God.

Maybe, but all Theists are not monotheists.

attofishpi wrote:

sthitapragya wrote:I was having a discussion with Nick_A and it occurred to me that the only difference between the absence of belief of a theist and an atheist is in the number of Gods each doesn't believe in. Theists have a complete absence of belief in all Gods except one.Atheists have an absence of belief in all Gods without exception. So just as one theist can have a complete absence of belief in Vishnu or Brahma or Ahura Mazda,an atheist has a complete absence of belief in Vishnu, Brahma, Ahura Mazda and the God of the concerned theist. So as far as any other religion is concerned, every theist is an atheist too.

Comments?

All monotheists ultimately believe in the same God.

The point Richard Dawkins made is that atheists only believe in one less god than theists. Theists are atheists when it comes to every other god you can think of.

vegetariantaxidermy wrote:

attofishpi wrote:

sthitapragya wrote:I was having a discussion with Nick_A and it occurred to me that the only difference between the absence of belief of a theist and an atheist is in the number of Gods each doesn't believe in. Theists have a complete absence of belief in all Gods except one.Atheists have an absence of belief in all Gods without exception. So just as one theist can have a complete absence of belief in Vishnu or Brahma or Ahura Mazda,an atheist has a complete absence of belief in Vishnu, Brahma, Ahura Mazda and the God of the concerned theist. So as far as any other religion is concerned, every theist is an atheist too.

Comments?

All monotheists ultimately believe in the same God.

The point Richard Dawkins made is that atheists only believe in one less god than theists. Theists are atheists when it comes to every other god you can think of.

that is exactly the point I am making too.

sthit wrote:

I was having a discussion with Nick_A and it occurred to me that the only difference between the absence of belief of a theist and an atheist is in the number of Gods each doesn't believe in. Theists have a complete absence of belief in all Gods except one.Atheists have an absence of belief in all Gods without exception. So just as one theist can have a complete absence of belief in Vishnu or Brahma or Ahura Mazda,an atheist has a complete absence of belief in Vishnu, Brahma, Ahura Mazda and the God of the concerned theist. So as far as any other religion is concerned, every theist is an atheist too.

Well God for me is both Plato's "good" and the source of both meaning and the awareness of the good in Man. So by the way you describe it, an atheist would have no conception of either good or meaning other than what is conditioned by society. Seems more like a poodle than a man.

sthitapragya wrote: that is exactly the point I am making too.

Stupid point, and Dawkins is stupid for making it one. He's been called on it, too, but he's too arrogant to admit such statements make it obvious he's out of his league.

Nick_A wrote:sthit wrote:

I was having a discussion with Nick_A and it occurred to me that the only difference between the absence of belief of a theist and an atheist is in the number of Gods each doesn't believe in. Theists have a complete absence of belief in all Gods except one.Atheists have an absence of belief in all Gods without exception. So just as one theist can have a complete absence of belief in Vishnu or Brahma or Ahura Mazda,an atheist has a complete absence of belief in Vishnu, Brahma, Ahura Mazda and the God of the concerned theist. So as far as any other religion is concerned, every theist is an atheist too.

Well God for me is both Plato's "good" and the source of both meaning and the awareness of the good in Man. So by the way you describe it, an atheist would have no conception of either good or meaning other than what is conditioned by society. Seems more like a poodle than a man.

Okay. But what about your absence of belief in Baal, or Ra, or Allah? Do you think they exist?

Reflex wrote: Stupid point, and Dawkins is stupid for making it one. He's been called on it, too, but he's too arrogant to admit such statements make it obvious he's out of his league.

It's actually quite a good point. I think you may be the one out of their league.

Harbal wrote:

Reflex wrote: Stupid point, and Dawkins is stupid for making it one. He's been called on it, too, but he's too arrogant to admit such statements make it obvious he's out of his league.

It's actually quite a good point. I think you may be the one out of their league.

It's easier to ignore Reflex and imagine a pointless insult or declaration. I bet the ones you imagine will be more creative. That way, Reflex suddenly becomes interesting. Try it.

sthitapragya wrote: It's easier to ignore Reflex and imagine a pointless insult or declaration. I bet the ones you imagine will be more creative. That way, Reflex suddenly becomes interesting. Try it.

Well, actually, I was trying to draw him out, to see if there was more to him than there seems to be.

Harbal wrote:

sthitapragya wrote: It's easier to ignore Reflex and imagine a pointless insult or declaration. I bet the ones you imagine will be more creative. That way, Reflex suddenly becomes interesting. Try it.

Well, actually, I was trying to draw him out, to see if there was more to him than there seems to be.

There can be but only after you put him on ignore.

attofishpi wrote:

sthitapragya wrote:I was having a discussion with Nick_A and it occurred to me that the only difference between the absence of belief of a theist and an atheist is in the number of Gods each doesn't believe in. Theists have a complete absence of belief in all Gods except one.Atheists have an absence of belief in all Gods without exception. So just as one theist can have a complete absence of belief in Vishnu or Brahma or Ahura Mazda,an atheist has a complete absence of belief in Vishnu, Brahma, Ahura Mazda and the God of the concerned theist. So as far as any other religion is concerned, every theist is an atheist too.

Comments?

All monotheists ultimately believe in the same God.

Yeah like the one that ploughed with a truck through 80 people in France last night.

sthit wrote:

Okay. But what about your absence of belief in Baal, or Ra, or Allah? Do you think they exist?

I believe God IS. I don't know if the above mentioned exist. However I do know through exclamations of agreed upon experience from men with expertise in the matter that goddesses exist. I was in the park last week with some friends and this young woman with a perfect body walked by. I said "there goes a real goddess." Everyone agreed. It was so obvious that even Hobbes the champion of blind deniers would have agreed. No faith required.

Nick_A wrote:sthit wrote:

Okay. But what about your absence of belief in Baal, or Ra, or Allah? Do you think they exist?

I believe God IS. I don't know if the above mentioned exist. However I do know through exclamations of agreed upon experience from men with expertise in the matter that goddesses exist. I was in the park last week with some friends and this young woman with a perfect body walked by. I said "there goes a real goddess." Everyone agreed. It was so obvious that even Hobbes the champion of blind deniers would have agreed. No faith required.

I was not asking about how you know your God exists. Let us assume that you are satisfied that your God exists. But you don't know if the above mentioned exist. So as far as you are concerned, Baal is not the God you believe exists. I am pretty sure you don't believe more than one God exists. You know for sure your God is not Baal. You believe in only one God. Therefore Baal does not exist. So you have an absence of belief in Baal. So to a worshipper of Baal, you are an atheist. And a blind denier, by the way.