News:

if there were no need for 'engineers from the quantum plenum' then we should not have any unanswered scientific questions.

Main Menu

Ello ello.

Started by Hitsumei, March 10, 2009, 05:14:42 PM

Previous topic - Next topic
Print
Go Down Pages1 2
User actions

Hitsumei

March 10, 2009, 05:14:42 PM
Hello, I go by "Hitsumei", which means "pseudonym" in Japanese.

I am a sort of christian. I've been hearing a lot about atheism and that on account of Darwin's On the Origin of Species publication anniversary, so I figured that I would see what all the hubbub was about. Mostly I hear about angry, militant, and fundamentalist atheists, so I was pleased to see some "happy atheists". I figured I would start here, and then work my way up to the scarier sounding adjectives.

I am interested to see what you'all talk about, and what sort of positions you hold on various subjects. I've read a couple books, but nothing beats personal interaction, and the internet makes it so easy.

I checked the rules before joining, and it said that you didn't have to be an atheist to join.

 :)
"Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition." ~Timothy Leary
"Marriage is for women the commonest mode of livelihood, and the total amount of undesired sex endured by women is probably greater in marriage than in prostitution." ~Bertrand Russell
"[Feminism is] a socialist, anti-family, political movement that encourages women to leave their

SteveS

#1
March 10, 2009, 05:32:27 PM
Hello Hitsumei, welcome to the board.  You're right, you don't have to be an atheist to join, but we'd like you better if you were!  ;)

I hope you enjoy your stay here.

Will

#2
March 10, 2009, 05:51:17 PM
I think a "fundamentalist" atheist would be what we call "strong atheist", or someone that believes absolutely that god does not exist regardless of any new evidence that might be provided. Most here fall into a category that I call agnostic atheist. We believe that there's no evidence demonstrating the existence of god, so we disbelieve his/her/its existence. It's not a belief that god absolutely doesn't exist, just that there's no evidence.

Welcome, Hitsumei. I don't think we have any strong atheists here, but if we did they'd be welcome to their opinions so long as they posted in a respectful manner.
I want bad people to look forward to and celebrate the day I die, because if they don't, I'm not living up to my potential.

Hitsumei

#3
March 10, 2009, 05:58:51 PM
Quote from: "SteveS"Hello Hitsumei, welcome to the board.  You're right, you don't have to be an atheist to join, but we'd like you better if you were!  ;)

I hope you enjoy your stay here.

I'm sure everyone will like me! I'm a likable person if I don't say so myself, and I do say so myself, and just did.  ;)

Pretty sure that "fundamentalist atheist" is used, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, towards atheists that read the bible completely literally just like a fundamentalist does, and then criticizes Christians that don't. So, fundamentalist for basically the same reason.

You're making a joke with the "reality is real, existence exists" followed by "and logic works", right? Because "reality" is a descriptive term meant to denote what is real. It makes no logical sense to say that "reality is real" or that "existence exists" anymore than it does to say that "death is dead". In all cases you're applying a descriptive term for the state of affairs of a thing, to the description itself, which are not themselves things capable of occupying such a state of affairs. This is a logical fallacy known as a category mistake.

Nice to meet you, Steve, and thank you for the welcome.
"Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition." ~Timothy Leary
"Marriage is for women the commonest mode of livelihood, and the total amount of undesired sex endured by women is probably greater in marriage than in prostitution." ~Bertrand Russell
"[Feminism is] a socialist, anti-family, political movement that encourages women to leave their

Ihateyoumike

#4
March 10, 2009, 06:23:47 PM
Quote from: "Hitsumei"Mostly I hear about angry, militant, and fundamentalist atheists,

Sounds like someone watches Fox news.  ;)

Welcome to the forum, Hitsumei.
Prayers that need no answer now, cause I'm tired of who I am
You were my greatest mistake, I fell in love with your sin
Your littlest sin.

Hitsumei

#5
March 10, 2009, 06:33:45 PM
Quote from: "Ihateyoumike"Sounds like someone watches Fox news.  :D
"Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition." ~Timothy Leary
"Marriage is for women the commonest mode of livelihood, and the total amount of undesired sex endured by women is probably greater in marriage than in prostitution." ~Bertrand Russell
"[Feminism is] a socialist, anti-family, political movement that encourages women to leave their

Ihateyoumike

#6
March 10, 2009, 06:34:56 PM
Quote from: "Hitsumei"fifteen minutes of beaver coverage,

Sounds hot. ;)
Prayers that need no answer now, cause I'm tired of who I am
You were my greatest mistake, I fell in love with your sin
Your littlest sin.

Hitsumei

#7
March 10, 2009, 06:36:50 PM
Quote from: "Ihateyoumike"Sounds hot. ;)
"Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition." ~Timothy Leary
"Marriage is for women the commonest mode of livelihood, and the total amount of undesired sex endured by women is probably greater in marriage than in prostitution." ~Bertrand Russell
"[Feminism is] a socialist, anti-family, political movement that encourages women to leave their

McQ

#8
March 10, 2009, 07:49:54 PM
Oh, for Pete's sake! Who left the gate open, and let the damn Canadians in?!!!

Fundies we can take, but Canadians? There goes the neighborhood.  ;)

Welcome to the forum. I've been enjoying your posts. Glad you posted an intro so we can get to know you better. As you've seen, we have a wide range of spiritual/non-spiritual beliefs in the forum. Have a ball!
Elvis didn't do no drugs!
--Penn Jillette

Hitsumei

#9
March 10, 2009, 08:13:29 PM
Yeah, we Canadians are a wild bunch. The world both fears and respects Canada!

Thanks for the welcome.
"Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition." ~Timothy Leary
"Marriage is for women the commonest mode of livelihood, and the total amount of undesired sex endured by women is probably greater in marriage than in prostitution." ~Bertrand Russell
"[Feminism is] a socialist, anti-family, political movement that encourages women to leave their

rlrose328

#10
March 10, 2009, 10:17:13 PM
Okay, this welcome thread is a fun read.  :-)
**Kerri**
The Rogue Atheist Scrapbooker
Come visit me on Facebook!

Whitney

#11
March 10, 2009, 10:54:50 PM
Hi Hitsumei, welcome to the forum.

SteveS

#12
March 10, 2009, 11:05:08 PM
Quote from: "hitsumei"You're making a joke with the "reality is real, existence exists" followed by "and logic works", right? Because "reality" is a descriptive term meant to denote what is real. It makes no logical sense to say that "reality is real" or that "existence exists" anymore than it does to say that "death is dead". In all cases you're applying a descriptive term for the state of affairs of a thing, to the description itself, which are not themselves things capable of occupying such a state of affairs. This is a logical fallacy known as a category mistake.

It was just meant as a light-hearted way to state that I believe some things are real (some things exist).

The word "reality" as I'm using it (and it's not that weird of a use, is it?) can be thought of as "that which is real".  For example, the phrase "Reality is stranger than fiction" means "that which is real is stranger than fiction".  So, I meant my phrase to mean "that which is real is real".

Same for existence.  Existence, in this case, means "that which exists".  The phrase "look at the diversity of existence" means "look at the diversity of that which exists".  Similar to above, I intended "existence exists" to convey "that which exists exists".  

These phrases are not fallacies, but they are simple tautologies.  So, it is a sort of joke in that it is meant to be a light hearted way of trying to express that I accept that some things are real by stating that if something is real then it is real - we can't pretend it is not.

Sorry it was confusing.  Let me try again promising to be more technically careful:

When you say "reality" is a descriptive term meant to denote what is real, I'm simply saying that "reality" is a valid description for some things.  Some things are "real".  Some things do "exist".  I'm certainly not a professional philosopher or anything, but perhaps another way to say this is the set of things that are real is not empty.  The set of things that have the property of existing is not empty.  I certainly believe this.  And, I can honestly say that I've never really been convinced that someone else has disagreed.  People might differ as to what they believe is real, or what the qualities of real things are, but everybody certainly seems to accept that at least some things are real.

Quote from: "hitsumei"Pretty sure that "fundamentalist atheist" is used, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, towards atheists that read the bible completely literally just like a fundamentalist does, and then criticizes Christians that don't.
Okay - I get it.  I guess I've never really heard of that, but I understand the idea.  I'm certainly not one of those (I hardly ever read the bible at all  ;)  ).

VanReal

#13
March 11, 2009, 12:46:07 AM
Welcome!  Funny you said Canada is respected and feared, hehe....

That's an interesting description of the fundamentalist atheist, I guess I can see how that could be as there are a lof of atheists (and several on this board) that know the bible, and other texts, more than the average theist.  I think being an atheist it's impossible to view it as anything but literal, it's the nature of the beast, and hence a reason for not believing in it.

All of that of course is lost on me, I pretty much never think about relgion or god unless someone brings it up or talks about it in my presence, then I just sit there and whole-heartedly do not believe any of it.  It really has nothing to do with a lack of evidence for me, although that helps, it just simply doesn't make sense to me and I've never been able to believe.  As I get older and older I am finding it harder and harder to understand how someone could believe - it's almost mind-boggling.  :crazy:

There is no really common thought pattern or belief system among atheists as we aren't subscribing to any set of rules, teachings, group ideas, etc...I guess other than the fact that we don't believe in a higher power/presence/diety, etc.

Welcome again!
In spite of the cost of living, it's still popular. (Kathy Norris)
They say I have ADHD but I think they are full of...oh, look a kitty!! (unknown)

Hitsumei

#14
March 11, 2009, 05:22:39 AM
Thanks for the welcomes everyone.
"Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition." ~Timothy Leary
"Marriage is for women the commonest mode of livelihood, and the total amount of undesired sex endured by women is probably greater in marriage than in prostitution." ~Bertrand Russell
"[Feminism is] a socialist, anti-family, political movement that encourages women to leave their
Print
Go Up Pages1 2
User actions