"Do atheists hate the God...?"

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
Originally posted by avalanchethecat
[b]Do christians hate Odin?
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avalanchethecat, your mention of the name "Odin" here reminded me of my own Scandinavian [Swedish] Ancestry. Specifically of tales my brothers and I were told of the ancient hatreds of Norwegians toward the Jewish People in Viking mythology [which had so ...[text shortened]... the points of view of other believers in Christ regarding "Odin"]. Your personal view of Odin? .[/b]

I don't hate anybody, real or imagined. I do see this "atheists hate god" nonsense repeatedly posted in this forum though, so I wondered if it had it's birth in some hidden hatred that christians feel for gods not their own.

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
Specifically of tales my brothers and I were told of the ancient hatreds of Norwegians toward the Jewish People in Viking mythology

I have to point out that the Vikings almost certainly knew nothing whatsoever about the Jews, so these myths you talk of are of much more recent origin.

Originally posted by twhitehead
I have to point out that the Vikings almost certainly knew nothing whatsoever about the Jews, so these myths you talk of are of much more recent origin.

I'm pretty sure that some vikings would have known about Judaism.

Originally posted by avalanchethecat
I'm pretty sure that some vikings would have known about Judaism.

I could be wrong.

Originally posted by twhitehead
I could be wrong.

Then I suppose you ought not to be so emphatic in your claims.

Originally posted by DeepThought
Well there's this really basic flaw in his point, he's made a mistake which is really common amongst American fundamentalists. They can't get their heads around what atheist means. Atheists don't believe in God and it is difficult to hate something that doesn't exist. It's difficult to love non-existent things either, or feel very much about them at all.

"What Is Atheism? No one asks this question enough. The reason no one asks this question a lot is because most people have preconceived ideas and notions about what an Atheist is and is not. Where these preconceived ideas come from varies, but they tend to evolve from theistic influences or other sources.... Atheism is usually defined incorrectly as a belief system. Atheism is not a disbelief in gods or a denial of gods; it is a lack of belief in gods. Older dictionaries define atheism as 'a belief that there is no God'..." https://atheists.org/activism/resources/what-is-atheism
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DeepThought, three questions: 1) Does the paragraph quoted above accurately define "atheism" from your perspective? 2) Who or what is the absolute authority during the life of an "atheist", and specifically your own? 3) A few years ago it had become my impression that you defined yourself as an agnostic on this spirituality forum: has your position changed; and if so why? Thanks for your focused reply.

Originally posted by knightmangler
How can one hate something that has never existed.

Originally posted by knightmangler
"How can one hate something that has never existed."

The author of the quoted text simply raises the question: "Do atheists hate the God they don't believe in?" I for one agree with the obvious answer to your own question: "How can one hate something that has never existed.", the answer to which is obviously "one" can't because there is no focal point or target. If I were an atheist, there would be no defensive posture, anger or hostility. I'd just live my life in a relaxed way and try to enjoy each new day, though the knowledge of my eventual rendezvous with physical death would probably weigh heavily on my mind at times. .

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
If I were an atheist, there would be no defensive posture, anger or hostility. I'd just live my life in a relaxed way and try to enjoy each new day, though the knowledge of my eventual rendezvous with physical death would probably weigh heavily on my mind at times. .

Do you think you could decide ~ or choose ~ to stop believing in Jesus and simply start believing in Odin instead?

Originally posted by twhitehead
I have to point out that the Vikings almost certainly knew nothing whatsoever about the Jews, so these myths you talk of are of much more recent origin.

The Vikings had access to the Black Sea via a system of rivers (mainly the Volga) through
Russia and therefore almost certainly traded with the Byzantines. Surely it's probable they
(Vikings) had some little knowledge of Judaism?

Originally posted by FreakyKBH
Then I suppose you ought not to be so emphatic in your claims.

I wouldnt say stating "I could be wrong" is exactly emphatic!

It's a phrase you should use more often.

Originally posted by wolfgang59
The Vikings had access to the Black Sea via a system of rivers (mainly the Volga) through
Russia and therefore almost certainly traded with the Byzantines. Surely it's probable they
(Vikings) had some little knowledge of Judaism?

It will also depend on what time period you are talking about, the Vikings traded all the
way down to Istanbul [at least] and would have met [certainly at later times] Christians,
and indeed in later years Vikings would have become Christians [sadly] and thus would
certainly have known about Jews.

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
The author of the quoted text simply raises the question: "Do atheists hate the God they don't believe in?"

No you either did not understand the contents of the OP or you are deliberately characterizing them. I suspect the latter because I believe you would have no reason to post it if you did not understand it as you now suggest. The author clearly wishes to strongly imply that atheists behave as if they hate God and must therefore believe in him. The author does not have the guts to actually come out and say it directly because he knows that he does not have a case and would get shot down pretty quickly. I suspect you are in the same situation. You just went a step further and hid behind a quote from someone not directly saying what you really wish to say. Thus you have two levels of deniability should you get shot down.

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
Originally posted by knightmangler
"How can one hate something that has never existed."

The author of the quoted text simply raises the question: "Do atheists hate the God they don't believe in?" I for one agree with the obvious answer to your own question: "How can one hate something that has never existed.", the answer to which is obviously ...[text shortened]... f my eventual rendezvous with physical death would probably weigh heavily on my mind at times. .

Just answer this one simple question.

Do you hate the Tooth Fairy?

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
[b]"Do atheists hate the God they don't believe in?" (by Matt Slick)

"People behave according to what they believe not what they don't believe. When an atheist says that God doesn't exist or denies Him or works hard to disprove His existence, he is behaving in a manner that is consistent with what he believes. Likewise, when an atheist spe ...[text shortened]... the-god-they-dont-believe-in
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Question: What do you believe?[/b]

Question: What do you believe?
That Mr Slick is a bit of a [fl]osser, and so are you!

Hope this helps 🙂

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
"What Is Atheism? No one asks this question enough. The reason no one asks this question a lot is because most people have preconceived ideas and notions about what an Atheist is and is not. Where these preconceived ideas come from varies, but they tend to evolve from theistic influences or other sources.... Atheism is usually defined incorrectly as a b ...[text shortened]... his spirituality forum: has your position changed; and if so why? Thanks for your focused reply.

The definition given'll do. I tend to regard atheist as meaning "one who believes there is no god", rather than "one who does not believe there is a god." which I'd class as agnostic. The former is a stronger statement not implied by the latter. I still regard myself as agnostic and agnostic meaning something different from atheist. The technical definition of agnostic is concerned with proof rather than belief, but I think most people's understanding of agnostic includes the sense I'm using it in. I think it's possible to be both agnostic and atheist.

What do you mean by authority? Someone who gives definitive answers to questions or who tells me what is right and wrong? I'm not sure I'm in need of either of those.