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You are here: Home > Forum > A Place of Safety > General Talk > I have some questions about Atheism
I have some questions about Atheism  [message #76654] Wed, 25 March 2020 17:44 Go to previous message
timmy

Has no life at all
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13739



Sometimes people represent atheism as a religion, a belief system. Sometimes they do not.

http://forum.iomfats.org/?t=getfile&id=5086&private=0

To me this means that the etymology, above, is helpful.

Does an atheist
  • believe that there is no god?
  • have proof that there is no god?
  • have no knowledge of a god, and is thus without god?
  • something else?

There is a converse of atheism. Those questions can, should, be asked about those who 'consider' that there is a god, and conceivably have faith in one

But, if we ask questions based upon faith to an atheist, does that mean that an atheist has faith that there is no god? Does such faith, if it exists, imply a religion of atheism?

If an atheist expresses a belief that there is no god, is that an expression of faith insofar as faith and belief may often be said to be the same thing?

Why am I asking these questions?


In part I blame(!) Bensiamin for his trilogy that progresses from somewhere on the religious spectrum to somewhere else. I haven't yet discovered, nor has anyone yet except his beta readers, where that somewhere else is

In part this comes from inside. I was raised to be a non-attending Church of England protestant. I refused confirmation, because it felt wrong to confirm a faith I did not have. I also felt the then appalling stigma of homosexuality, for I was starting to discover and deny that I was homosexual. The church hated it.  

As a student I was happy to witness a very out and proud young gay man tackle Frank Pakenham, 7th Earl of Longford in public forum for his views on homosexuality. Longford abandoned the stage having not expected to be challenged. His tail was well and truly between his legs. Longford displayed self righteous and pompous religiosity. Very much in denial his views made me cringe

So I am an atheist, confident that there is no deity. I am also a gay man who has flirted with CofE from time to time, and found his atheism confirmed


I have no idea where I'm going with this. I started with no clear plan! Maybe it will create a discussion



Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
 
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