05 Nov 15
Originally posted by avalanchethecatStats?
I'd like to know where you get your stats from Freaky. How do you know that more people use your definition of the word than use it according to the dictionary definition?
The dictionaries are now using stats?
Huh.
Who wooda thunk it.
Let's play the word game and find out what different stat-keeping dictionaries offer for their definitions of the word atheist, beginning first with the etymology of the term.
We get the origin of the word from the French word athéiste dating back to the 16th century (roughly 1570), which was derived from the earlier Greek atheos meaning:
"without god, denying the gods; abandoned of the gods; godless, ungodly," from a- "without" + theos "a god" (see theo-).
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=atheist&searchmode=none
For giggles, I used four dictionaries ascending in popular order using duckduckgo.com as the search engine.
They are as follows:
dictionary.com
merriam-webster.com
websterdictionary.com
oxforddictionaries.com
Here are the corresponding definitions from each respectively:
"a person who denies or disbelieves the existence of a supreme being or beings."
"a person who believes that God does not exist"
"One who disbelieves or denies the existence of a God, or supreme intelligent Being"
"A person who disbelieves or lacks belief in the existence of God or gods"
That's kinda weird, isn't it?
Of the first four online dictionaries, all four contain something about belief but only one of the four contains a partial reference to lacking a belief as opposed to belief or disbelief.
What can be concluded from this information?
It appears as though most people consider the term atheist to mean someone who claims they do not believe in God--- given this is the overwhelming sentiment in the definitions.
Originally posted by FreakyKBHNow look up the definition of 'disbelief' you goon.
Stats?
The dictionaries are now using stats?
Huh.
Who wooda thunk it.
Let's play the word game and find out what different stat-keeping dictionaries offer for their definitions of the word atheist, beginning first with the etymology of the term.
We get the origin of the word from the French word athéiste dating back to the 16th centu ...[text shortened]... laims they do not believe in God--- given this is the overwhelming sentiment in the definitions.
The construction of the word, etymologically, from 'a-' "without" and 'theos' "a god".
It's all pretty clear. You might be letting your prejudices get the better of you here, but don't stop, it's very amusing.
Originally posted by wolfgang59...extremely arrogant to think you have the correct flavour;
Even if there were a god you are being
extremely arrogant to think you have the correct flavour;
extremely small-minded to think that it matters;
extremely sycophantic to think kneeling is required;
and most of all
extremely stupid to think that your insults matter to anyone besides yourself.
If there is a God (and I believe He exists), there can only be one.
...extremely small-minded to think that it matters;
Agreed.
Belief in the existence of God is a given.
What one does because of that belief is the critical question.
...extremely sycophantic to think kneeling is required;
That's not a word, but I think I know what you're driving at.
EDIT: That actually is a word. My bad.
Agreed.
I am totally seeking my own best good in my aligning myself with the Living God.
In a sense, I am somewhat parasitic as I offer very little in terms of value to Him, save a vessel through which He can be revealed.
However, I am totally not sniveling in my flattery of Him: He rocks by any standard known and by those still not revealed.
...extremely stupid to think that your insults matter to anyone besides yourself.
Now I know you're taking the piss.
You know that I know that you know how ingratiatingly irritating my insults are to and for you.
You live to see what I have stored up to say to you next, and although you are loathe to admit it, you pray to the God you lack a belief in that I will say something just irritating enough to draw blood and get you pumped up to respond back.
You're unusually predictable, really.
Originally posted by FreakyKBHAnyone with a brain!
Stats?
The dictionaries are now using stats?
Huh.
Who wooda thunk it.
How do you think lexicographers decide on what goes in, what goes out and what stays in a dictionary?
Do you think a ten-year old dictionary is still valid?
A one-hundred year old dictionary?
A thousand year-old (if there were such a thing)?
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Originally posted by FreakyKBHAtheism actually shows strength of character. It is not everyone who can stare in to the abyss of mortality without feeling the overwhelming need to invent a supreme being to say "there, there, everything will be okay; you're important, you'll live forever."
Atheism is a character flaw: they refuse to give credit where credit is due.
Don't you worry your sweet little head, though: eventually every knee will bow.
Originally posted by sonshipI'm going to sound like the Duchess but your reading comprehension is awfully poor.
[b] Even if there were a god you are being
extremely arrogant to think you have the correct flavour;
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is foolish. Would you say you are extremely arrogant to assume that your mother or your father loved you ?
Besides, it is a fact that nothing else on this earth ...[text shortened]... the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. He defines God, He explains God, He manifests God.[/b]
Your retorts do not address my points at all.
1. I wrote flavour not favour.
2. Do you understand "small-minded"?
3. wtf
4. You say Freaky can answer for himself then proceed to answer for him.
I can only give you 34% ... which is a FAIL.
05 Nov 15
Originally posted by wolfgang59How do you think lexicographers decide on what goes in, what goes out and what stays in a dictionary?
Anyone with a brain!
How do you think lexicographers decide on what goes in, what goes out and what stays in a dictionary?
Do you think a ten-year old dictionary is still valid?
A one-hundred year old dictionary?
A thousand year-old (if there were such a thing)?
It appears as though you are misunderstanding the wide range of work which fits under the umbrella of lexicography.
The point of the question about stats is relatively elementary.
Dictionaries order their definitions (largely) on the basis of statistical frequency of use, typically with the most commonly used sense of the word first and so forth.
However, to my knowledge, there aren't any publically used dictionaries which provide the stats of each definition.
The sole indication of use is the order in which the word is presented.
If a person were using their brain as intended by the Creator, they would surmise from the incredibly current examples I provided that the term atheist is concerned with belief/disbelief as it relates to God.
Do you think a ten-year old dictionary is still valid?
Without question.
A one-hundred year old dictionary?
Indubitably.
A thousand year-old (if there were such a thing)?
There are such things.
http://curionic.com/the-worlds-oldest-dictionary-dates-back-to-2300-bce/
And yes.
05 Nov 15
Originally posted by Ghost of a DukeYour assumptions are absurd.
Atheism actually shows strength of character. It is not everyone who can stare in to the abyss of mortality without feeling the overwhelming need to invent a supreme being to say "there, there, everything will be okay; you're important, you'll live forever."
Assuming there is no God, it wouldn't require courage or strength to reject Him: it would require an alignment with truth.
That's reasonable and nothing more.
(Of course, the assumption is wrong, but we're playing make-believe so we're allowed to talk such nonsense)
There is nothing within the records man has kept since his beginning which indicates in any way, shape or form that man invented the idea of deity.
The idea of God has literally ALWAYS been in the mind of man.
We can definitely find the origins of what was passed off as deities in man's history, but we cannot ever find a time when man did not have an idea of deity.
Ever.
There is no requirement of man's mortality for the existence of God to be true.
The two are not dependent upon each other.
Unless we hear otherwise, there is nothing to suggest man will live forever simply because God exists.
(Of course, we have heard otherwise, but that's another topic altogether, isn't it...)
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Originally posted by FreakyKBHAppears you didn't comprehend my post. Let me know when you have re-read it.
Your assumptions are absurd.
Assuming there is no God, it wouldn't require courage or strength to reject Him: it would require an alignment with truth.
That's reasonable and nothing more.
(Of course, the assumption is wrong, but we're playing make-believe so we're allowed to talk such nonsense)
There is nothing within the records man has kept since ...[text shortened]... exists.
(Of course, we have heard otherwise, but that's another topic altogether, isn't it...)