Quotes by Atheist

Alex O’Conner

“Atheism is not a worldview.”

Atheism is, in the broadest sense, an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities or supernatural beings exist.

(ἄθεος, atheos; “without God”). Includes philosophical systems that deny the existence of god(s).

Worldview - A framework of concepts and values that enable understanding and engagement of the world.

Is not atheism a concept that helps them understand and engage with the world they live in?

“Many atheist believe there is no God, but not all atheist. If you meet a person that does not believe in God they are an atheist, but that’s not what atheism is.”

So if a person does not believe in God that’s not what atheism is according to Alex. But the very definition of atheist is without God or no God.

Alex says it’s a subset of atheism.

Definition of Subset - a part of a larger group of related things.

I don’t think the meaning of atheism (a person that does not believe in God) is a subset of atheism. IT IS ATHEISM!

“I’m what you would call an agnostic-atheist.”

If Alex wants to make this hybrid term a subset he can, but he never defines what the larger group of atheism is.

Also I don’t think you can be an agnostic and an atheist at the same time.

To be agnostic means you are admitting lack of knowledge on a particular subject. In this case lack of knowledge in the existence of God.

But atheism by definition would claim I have knowledge that God does not exist.

“A lot of people think that atheism and agnosticism are sort of on the same spectrum but to me they are absolutely not. Matt Dillahunty is good on this, agnosticism is a claim to knowledge and atheism is a claim to belief.”

Agnosticism is the stance that it is impossible to know for certain if God, divine beings, or the supernatural exists.

Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics (Agnosticism)

Agnosticism comes from two Greek words (a, “no”; gnosis, “knowledge”).

The term agnosticism was coined by T. H. Huxley. It literally means “no-knowledge,” the opposite of a Gnostic (Huxley, vol. 5; see GNOSTICISM).

Agnosticism is a claim to NO knowledge not a claim to knowledge. In this context no knowledge of God or it’s impossible to have knowledge.

But is it a fact that it’s impossible to have knowledge of God? Where is the proof? or is that someone’s belief?

Agnosticism can be a claim to no knowledge about God which can also be a claim of belief.

Also Mike Dillahunty says that claims are not evidence. So If I followed his logic than his terms for agnosticism & atheism are terms I can be skeptical of its validity because terms itself are not evidence for them being true.

“To say your agnostic is to say well I don’t know if there’s a God which I think is the rational position to take.”

So belief in God is irrational? To say that a moral law requires a Moral Law Giver or a world of design requires a Designer does not seem irrational to me.

“I’m saying because I don’t know (agnosticism), I therefore don’t believe that’s atheism.”

Does ignorance of something or someone, justify a lack of belief?

If I say I don’t know how electricity works would I then be justified saying, “therefore I do not believe electricity works.”

“Atheism isn’t something that can necessarily be true or false, anymore than veganism. Is veganism true? It’s not really a case of if it’s true or false.

It’s a case of the tenants on which you are grounding this veganism. Perhaps maybe you think its wrong to eat animals that can be true or false.

To say is veganism true or false that doesn’t make any sense”

Atheism can’t be true or false.

I guess it depends on how the atheist frames atheism:

I do not believe in the existence of God - Statement of personal preference, like I choose to be vegan.

There is no God. - If an atheist makes the statement there is no God (which many atheist do) then in that sense you can test this statement to determine if its a true or false statement.

Let’s define what atheism is once again:

Atheism is, in the broadest sense, an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities or supernatural beings exist.