re: #566 Gus 802

The way I see it, an atheist is generally a bad authority on Christianity as is a Christian a bad authority on atheism — particularly when things get heated. While atheism is not a religion in the traditional sense it’s still a belief system.

I don’t see the point because most of the religious people here at LGF now are rather progressive in their beliefs. Many are deists as well. I don’t see the point in being overtly hostile towards Christianity in this forum given the nature of the members here.

I’m a fantastic authority on stuff, and I’m an Atheist! =)

Also, I disagree with lots of people here on this, sorry: Atheism isn’t a belief system. Sam Harris was right when he said that it’s really a non-term. It’s like saying you’re a non-astrologist, or a non-alchemist.

People make Atheism on both sides far more than it really is. All it is, in reality, it saying you don’t happen to agree that there is a higher power. That’s all. It means you just don’t believe in God/Gods. That isn’t a belief system. =)

I know some people on both sides make it into a belief system and I too sometimes have found myself saying (erroneously btw) that “Atheists should….(fill in the blank)” but they shouldn’t really. That’s a mistake, and one I sometimes make too (to show I really am human and not in actuality a Goddess).

But basically saying that non-belief is a religious position, or a belief system, is kinda silly. It’s like saying that people who remain unconvinced of the “power” of Homeopathy are giving a religious/belief system in their continual state of not being convinced by the “evidence” of Homeopaths.

Hitchens also stated that all it is, really, is (and I’m paraphrasing here) somebody who has been presented the evidence of religious texts, and finds it unconvincing. That really isn’t a belief system or religious system to say that. And again: everyone is an Atheist to some degree. I venture to guess that most here have heard of Hinduism or Buddhism, or Islam, or even Thorism, have read about it, have read the history of it, and have said “You know what? I’m not convinced that this higher power exists”.

Atheists just go one God further. That’s all.

=)