17 Aug 15
Originally posted by KellyJayHow does this square with lemon lime's opinion which is that "an atheist is someone who makes a conscious decision about his disbelief in a god or gods"?
Well growing up God was not part of my life, didn't think about Him, didn't
reject or accept Him. He really wasn't a part of my life, I take that mean I was
an Atheist by those things I have read here.
- Joined
- 31 May 06
- Moves
- 1795
17 Aug 15
Originally posted by KellyJay
Well growing up God was not part of my life, didn't think about Him, didn't
reject or accept Him. He really wasn't a part of my life, I take that mean I was
an Atheist by those things I have read here.
I heard about God, but that was about it. Saw people talking about Him on
TV on Sundays, He came up in on special events, but not part of my life.
S ...[text shortened]... d to be an Atheist since they believe in nothing, and give credit to
nothing for everything. 🙂
I'd thought having nothing was all that was
required to be an Atheist since they believe in nothing, and give credit to
nothing for everything.
You may have been an atheist, but without any understanding.
Atheists believe all kinds of things. [and not all of them sensible or supportable]
We just don't believe in the existence of gods.
That doesn't even preclude a person from being religious as there are Hindu's and Buddhists who
lack a belief in a deity and are thus atheists.
The rest is your perpetual need to equate atheism with science, which we have debunked
many a time.
17 Aug 15
Originally posted by KellyJayIt was the same with me. I didn't have an opinion about God or an afterlife until I was 17 or 18 years old, and that's when I identified myself as an atheist. I actually have no problem with people who say they have been athiests since birth, because they obviously define their own lack or abscence of belief a little differently. A problem I had with most other (not all) atheists though was the incessant hair splitting (sound familiar?) and how they seemed to think only their definitions and their perception of reality are valid... At that time atheists probably did more to drive me away from atheism than most Christians were doing to get my attention.
Well growing up God was not part of my life, didn't think about Him, didn't
reject or accept Him. He really wasn't a part of my life, I take that mean I was
an Atheist by those things I have read here.
I heard about God, but that was about it. Saw people talking about Him on
TV on Sundays, He came up in on special events, but not part of my life.
S ...[text shortened]... d to be an Atheist since they believe in nothing, and give credit to
nothing for everything. 🙂
17 Aug 15
Originally posted by lemon limeI may have missed it, but I don't remember you ever receiving a flood of accusations from posters here of you being a liar because you declared yourself atheist. Which thread did that happen in? What I do remember is you admitting that you lied about being an agnostic in order to help you win arguments with theists.
I don't know Kelly's background, but it could be he never was an atheist. No one is born an atheist, because an atheist is someone who makes a conscious decision about his disbelief in a god or gods. So unless or until someone makes that decision he cannot truly be an atheist. I did at one time make that decision, and so I was at one time an atheist. But ...[text shortened]... ho is now a Christian can I also claim to have some special insight into the mind of an atheist?
17 Aug 15
2 edits
Originally posted by lemon limeOn the previous page you claimed you were the member of a group called "the universal brotherhood of atheists" and used to attend regular meetings unless you were working unusual hours. Was this a real group or club or are you making a joke of some sort?
It was the same with me. I didn't have an opinion about God or an afterlife until I was 17 or 18 years old, and that's when I identified myself as an atheist. I actually have no problem with people who say they have been athiests since birth, because they obviously define their own lack or abscence of belief a little differently. A problem I had with most ...[text shortened]... ably did more to drive me away from atheism than most Christians were doing to get my attention.
Because in this post I'm replying to now, you are saying that some atheists were always "spitting hairs" and disagreeing with you and driving you away from atheism with thier definitions of reality; doesn't sound like you fitted in very well.
17 Aug 15
Originally posted by divegeesterAre you serious? It didn't just happen yesterday, or last week, or last month. And just because I remember something it doesn't mean I can remember exactly when or where (what thead) it happened. Get real... You have enough trouble following along as it is, so I wouldn't expect you to understand what was being said even if I did find it. But if you and fmf want to go on a wild goose chase then be my guest, go for it... and God speed. Lol
I may have missed it, but I don't remember you ever receiving a flood of accusations from posters here of you being a liar because you declared yourself atheist. Which thread did that happen in? What I do remember is you admitting that you lied about being an agnostic in order to help you win arguments with theists.
Originally posted by lemon limeIf you don't know who said "You're lying!" or "You were never an atheist!" to you, and you don't know when it happened, and you don't know which thread it happened on, and you can't back up your claim that anyone said it to you, and you insist that it wasn't "a main point" of the post of yours which said little else aside from that, then perhaps it was a bit unguarded of you to have ever suggested it happened at all.
Are you serious? It didn't just happen yesterday, or last week, or last month. And just because I remember something it doesn't mean I can remember exactly when or where (what thead) it happened. Get real... You have enough trouble following along as it is, so I wouldn't expect you to understand what was being said even if I did find it. But if you and fmf want to go on a wild goose chase then be my guest, go for it... and God speed. Lol
lemon lime, I take you at your word when you say that you were once an atheist. But I think you have been caught fibbing about this supposed "flood of responses" ~ after you told people about it ~ in which you say you were accused of lying about having been an atheist. I think you've simply made it up - as your subsequent behaviour on this thread seems to confirm.
17 Aug 15
Originally posted by FMFI do remember who said, "You were never an atheist". He was one of the first responders, and it's actually difficult for me to forget something that presumptuous and mind numbingly stupid.
If you don't know who said "You're lying!" or "You were never an atheist!" to you, and you don't know when it happened, and you don't know which thread it happened on, and you can't back up your claim that anyone said it to you, and you insist that it wasn't "a main point" of the post of yours which said little else aside from that, then perhaps it was a bit unguarded of you to have ever suggested it happened at all.
Originally posted by lemon limeSo where is it if it's so difficult to forget? It was a "flood of responses", right?
I do remember who said, "You were never an atheist". He was one of the first responders, and it's actually difficult for me to forget something that presumptuous and mind numbingly stupid.
17 Aug 15
Originally posted by lemon limeI for one have no problem with non-standard definitions of words. I do think that for better communication people should state when they are using a word in a non-standard way. I also think that more often than not, people use non-standard definitions with the intention of being misunderstood so that they can imply something untrue but still claim not to have lied when called on it.
A problem I had with most other (not all) atheists though was the incessant hair splitting (sound familiar?) and how they seemed to think only their definitions and their perception of reality are valid.
However, for the purpose of this thread, the definition of the word 'atheist' must remain the one used by atheists. Why? Because at various points in the thread it has been noted that the people under discussion are those who self identify as atheist. So what we are discussing is the meaning they attribute to the word and not the meaning anyone else attributes to the word.
So if you want your own definition, well and good, just don't count me as an atheist by your definition unless you first check that I fit your definition ie your definition will tell you nothing whatsoever about me. If your definition says 'atheists believe there is no god', then you cannot reason: 'twhitehead is an atheist therefore he believes there is no god' because I may not be an atheist under that definition.
17 Aug 15
Why is this even an issue??????
If lemon lime was a previous atheist, and is now a Christian......what is this argument even about???
This is a public forum, and many people are reading. I don't have a clue what the point is between dive and fmf regarding any of this???
Originally posted by chaney3lemon lime claims that there was a "flood" of accusations that he was lying about it but this appears to be untrue. You stating that you don't have a clue what the point is, is probably the weakest contribution to this discussion by anyone thus far. 😉
Why is this even an issue??????
If lemon lime was a previous atheist, and is now a Christian......what is this argument even about???
This is a public forum, and many people are reading. I don't have a clue what the point is between dive and fmf regarding any of this???