There is more atheists than...

People who believe the same and worship the same god within any religion.

Therefore it is clearly the correct group.

Majority rules.

Originally posted by Trev33
People who believe the same and worship the same god within any religion.

Therefore it is clearly the correct group.

Majority rules.

I don't think that's right. Even if it was, it's not a justification for atheism. The majority often gets things wrong.

Originally posted by SwissGambit
I don't think that's right. Even if it was, it's not a justification for atheism. The majority often gets things wrong.

It is one demonstration of the fact that there is no evidence for the existence of any particular god and is entirely consistent with there being no god at all, combined with our nature as pattern-seeking animals.

However, it is not an argument to be relied on. Generally speaking, the popularity of an idea has no intrinsic bearing on its truth value.

--- Penguin

Is it just me that finds "There is more [atheists]" scrapes across the soul like fingers on a blackboard?


Yeah, there are good reasons to be an atheist, and bad reasons to be an atheist...


This is a bad one.

What are the bad reasons to be an atheist?

Edit: And ignore the original post... while i think it is true that there's a lot more atheists than people think and because every religion seems to have divided sub-religions the number of atheists on a list of religions is very high but impossible to say if it's #1.

Originally posted by Trev33
What are the bad reasons to be an atheist?

The same ones as being a theist. Since no one can possibly know one way or the other, to be an atheist is just as much a leap of "faith" as being a theist. Even Richard Dawkins does not call himself an out and out atheist.

Originally posted by Pianoman1
The same ones as being a theist. Since no one can possibly know one way or the other, to be an atheist is just as much a leap of "faith" as being a theist. Even Richard Dawkins does not call himself an out and out atheist.

Faith or lack of faith?

Originally posted by Pianoman1
The same ones as being a theist. Since no one can possibly know one way or the other, to be an atheist is just as much a leap of "faith" as being a theist. Even Richard Dawkins does not call himself an out and out atheist.

Wrong.

And actually Richard Dawkins very emphatically calls himself an atheist.
In fact he's famously an atheist... So don't know what your thinking here.


I don't think it is actually true that you can't know one way or another.
However even if I were to accept that...

If you don't have evidence for the existence of something then the correct
and default position is to not believe it exists until you have evidence for it.

Not to believe it doesn't exist, and Not to believe it does exist, but to lack
a belief either way.

That is the default, and correct position for belief on the existence of an entity
for which there is no evidence.


An atheist is most simply a person who lacks a belief in the existence of gods.

As there is no evidence for the existence of gods, then this is the correct and
default position. And it requires no faith to hold it whatsoever.

As you should well know.

Originally posted by Trev33
What are the bad reasons to be an atheist?

Edit: And ignore the original post... while i think it is true that there's a lot more atheists than people think and because every religion seems to have divided sub-religions the number of atheists on a list of religions is very high but impossible to say if it's #1.

Well quite a few of the reasons theists give for why they think people are
atheists for starters.

Like being mad at god. Which would be a perfectly good reason not to
worship that god but is a lousy and irrational one for not believing in one.

Basically the good reasons are that you should only believe things that you
have evidence and reason sufficient to justify believing.

As there is no evidence for the existence of any god concept, and plenty against
many god concepts, then you can't justify believing in gods.


That is why a person should be an atheist.

Although given how ridiculous and implausible gods and religions are I am prepared to
accept those who have simply dismissed gods as being silly (like the Easter Bunny)
without really thinking about it or researching it as having a reasonable justification.

Originally posted by googlefudge
Well quite a few of the reasons theists give for why they think people are
atheists for starters.

Like being mad at god. Which would be a perfectly good reason not to
worship that god but is a lousy and irrational one for not believing in one.

Basically the good reasons are that you should only believe things that you
have evidence and reason ...[text shortened]... unny)
without really thinking about it or researching it as having a reasonable justification.

Again i'm looking for the bad reasons to become an atheist. You never answered that.

Originally posted by Trev33
Again i'm looking for the bad reasons to become an atheist. You never answered that.

I gave one. "being mad at god"

... being mad at god. Which would be a perfectly good reason not to
worship that god but is a lousy and irrational one for not believing in one.

Originally posted by googlefudge
I gave one. "being mad at god"

... being mad at god. Which would be a perfectly good reason not to
worship that god but is a lousy and irrational one for not believing in one.

An atheist does not believe therefore can not be 'mad at god'.

How can you be mad at something that in your eyes doesn't exist?

Originally posted by Trev33
An atheist does not believe therefore can not be 'mad at god'.

How can you be mad at something that in your eyes doesn't exist?

I don't think your grasping the concept of a bad reason...

See the thing about bad reasons is that they are bad...
They don't stand up to logical scrutiny...
Kinda by definition.

Originally posted by googlefudge
Is it just me that finds "There is more [atheists]" scrapes across the soul like fingers on a blackboard?


Yeah, there are good reasons to be an atheist, and bad reasons to be an atheist...


This is a bad one.

......which might help explain why he is an athiest. 😛

Originally posted by googlefudge
I don't think your grasping the concept of a bad reason...

See the thing about bad reasons is that they are bad...
They don't stand up to logical scrutiny...
Kinda by definition.

How many times are you going to misspell "you're" in this thread when it's all said and done?