107
votes
Why do atheist euthanasia proponents consider nothingness preferable to suffering?
I think you have the logic of this backwards. In theism (and some other religious doctrines) life continues after the death of the physical body. They believe euthanasia is a negative act that can ...
92
votes
Asserting that Atheism and Theism are both faith based positions
We must draw a distinction between atheism and agnosticism. Atheism is not believing in the existence of a God (or Gods), regardless of whether conclusive evidence is available, while agnosticism is ...
86
votes
Accepted
Is atheism just another form of dogma?
Nomenclature
You don't explain why you get the impression that atheism is dogmatic, but it appears that you mix terms which are not interchangeable.
If you leave catholicism because of your dislike ...
83
votes
Why do atheist euthanasia proponents consider nothingness preferable to suffering?
I think it's important to note that in cases where this is considered, death is already approaching. It isn't a choice between life and death. It's a choice between dying now or going through a few ...
71
votes
Asserting that Atheism and Theism are both faith based positions
No, atheism is not a faith based position. This has been debunked time and time again and there are numerous resources on the internet that cover this error in logic. If theism claims the existance of ...
65
votes
Are we all ‘atheist’ or 'agnostic in a pandemic'?
I think you have a false premise.
Your premise seems to be "Devout believers/adherents of the religion Islam believe that humans need not make any effort in their survival in the natural world." I ...
35
votes
Asserting that Atheism and Theism are both faith based positions
The only requirement of meeting the definition of "atheist" is that you do not have belief in any god(s). Computers, rocks, and newborn babies are all, by definition, atheists; because they do not ...
32
votes
Why do atheist euthanasia proponents consider nothingness preferable to suffering?
I have personally known two friends who, when faced with incurable cancer, elected to end their own lives at a time and in circumstances of their own choosing.
Both made this choice when it was ...
31
votes
Are we all ‘atheist’ or 'agnostic in a pandemic'?
There's a good joke about this.
The Mississippi floods, but this guy stays put and says "God will save me". A policeman comes past and says "Better be going" but our guy says "God will save me". The ...
28
votes
Asserting that Atheism and Theism are both faith based positions
Both positions, the theist and the atheist made a claim: The theist claimed the existence of god, the atheist claimed the non-existence of god. History shows: Neither of them could prove his claim.
...
24
votes
Is atheism just another form of dogma?
At its core, atheism is not an active position, it is merely a passive position. Two atheists can have nothing in common other than that they do not believe in a god. There cannot be a dogma as there ...
24
votes
Asserting that Atheism and Theism are both faith based positions
Alvin Plantinga, a Christian philosopher, presents a similar question regarding an extreme form of atheism that he calls "naturalism". Rather than asking whether the atheism of naturalism is faith-...
23
votes
Isn't the knowledge of the non-existence of "God", objective?
Atheist conceptions of the idea of God often rest on a straw man fallacy that portrays a theistic view of God as Russell's teapot or as the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Both of these conceptions view God ...
22
votes
Accepted
The "point" to an Atheists existence
This isn't really a philosophy question, but there is no atheism stackexchange and so it seems philosophy is the next best bet (we do address the philosophy of religion/religiosity and the lack ...
19
votes
Are we all ‘atheist’ or 'agnostic in a pandemic'?
There are some religious groups --I'm thinking here of "prosperity" churches --that promote the message that nothing but good things will ever happen to the truly faithful. But these are definitely ...
18
votes
Where in the evolutionary chain did morality start to evolve?
First of all, I'm removing the references to evolution as this has been removed from the OP. The rest of this answer should directly address the relationship between the evolution of the brain, social ...
17
votes
In what way(s) does popular New Atheism fail to be philosophical?
Is it that New Atheism isn't philosophy?
Yes -- it is not a philosophy; wikipedia describes it as "a social and political movement" first associated with Sam Harris, an American writer who holds a B....
17
votes
Isn't the knowledge of the non-existence of "God", objective?
Whether or not God exists is an objective question with an objective answer, however the argument beginning
Is it true that "X" exists in reality only when we are aware of having experienced it, or ...
16
votes
Why do atheist euthanasia proponents consider nothingness preferable to suffering?
Where's the illogic in preferring (1) not to exist to (2) existing and suffering in agony? It's true, from an atheist standpoint, that after euthanasia I will not know that that I have ceased to exist ...
15
votes
Asserting that Atheism and Theism are both faith based positions
The atheist position(s)
The most reasonable atheist position is the following position. They might say
"People say that some supernatural being exists, and they call this 'God.' Until they ...
14
votes
Is atheism just another form of dogma?
No, atheism is not just another form of dogma.
Atheism is defined as a certain answer to a particular question. Namely the answer: No, there is no god. The term „atheism“ does not refer to the manner ...
14
votes
Why do atheist euthanasia proponents consider nothingness preferable to suffering?
Atheists supporting euthanasia might argue the following:
Death is inevitable.
Living simply for the sake of trying to avoid death is illogical.
Death is timeless / infinite.
Dying tomorrow instead ...
13
votes
The "point" to an Atheists existence
I've been an atheist for as long as I can remember (I never quite believed anyone could rise from the dead, walk on water and stuff without documented, repeatable proof) and I've never struggled with ...
12
votes
Understanding Bertrand Russell on agnosticism and atheism as self-descriptions
The quotation is incomplete and Russell's thought is cut off right in the middle. The full quote by Russell continues thus:
"… None of us would seriously consider the possibility that all the ...
12
votes
Is atheism just another form of dogma?
More complex answer:
It depends on the meaning of the word "atheism"
I know two very different definitions of the word - both used by people calling themselves "atheists":
"Atheism" means that ...
12
votes
Isn't the knowledge of the non-existence of "God", objective?
Is it true that "X" exists in reality only when we are aware of having experienced it, or are aware of our potential of experiencing it through our five sense organs, namely - eyes, ears, nose, tongue ...
11
votes
What arguments would support a secular pro-life position?
I think Shane captures the basic structure of the standard secular arguments, but there are a few more that can be offered -- some of which run contrary to the usual political divisions at least in ...
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