To all atheists

That old argument has been considered invalid various times before. Simply saying there absence of evidence from both sides doesn't cancel anything out, its actually quite wrong. Science has disprove many religious beliefs; that why in some places science is a complete insult to their God. If you insist on using that argument, I'd suggest looking into it more

"If atheism is a religion, then bald is a hair color."

Atheism is the absence of belief last time I checked smart one. I'm sorry but when people say atheism is a belief or religion; it offends. On the contrary fro what you said, Atheism uses facts to disprove religions while religions have theirs beliefs and faith.

 

It is not possible to disprove religion. The best that can be done is the convince people that the natural world holds better answers to the problems that religion uses as proof of its self.

I know Jimmy has a massive speech about atheism, but its essentially the lack of belief in a god or higher power.

 

I think I didn't state what I meant clearly. I meant science has disproved parts in religions, not religion entirely but enough to lead religious members to double think their beliefs or even stop believing all at once.

It is possible to disprove religion or at least it will be disproved entirely some time soon. If you check back how religion was before to what it is now; you'll see how the practices and strong believers have changed. Before it was basically widely accepted that God was the reason and creator of many things since the beginning of time. Science has constantly but slowly shown how things really work and are made; essentially slowly disproving their beliefs. Of course religion has now adapted their stories and beliefs to fit science and all it has shown against their beliefs in it, still claiming God did such things for us/made them available.

The only way I can't see religions ever disproved is if you're considering religions more of ideas or thoughts that obviously cant be proven wrong since its differs from person to person; ex. beliefs, stories, gods, meaning they mold it in their imagination. Basically its just all in their heads. Not sure if you see what I mean.

 

Hardly the case.

If there's no evidence besides belief in a god then there is the argument for there not to be one. The is hard evidence to support this by simply there being no form of substantial reasoning that can prove there is a god. Allowing atheist's to justify there is no god.

While religion has the problem of proving a god with only faith to support it.

 

Atheism is the lack of belief in the existence of gods, which is quite different than the belief that no such beings exist. Russel's celestial teapot illustrates why an argument from ignorance regarding the existence of god(s) simply does not work. Given a proposition, the default position is to reject it until evidence confirms it as true.

 

Can you disprove a specific religion? Yes. That is, if its truth hinges on the truth of an affirmative.

Can you disprove the concept of spirituality? Absolutely not. You cannot logically prove the non-existence of something as long as it is non-contradictory.

However, believing in something because it cannot be disproved is irrational and ridiculous. Please see the above post.

 

No one can approve of any religion out there, they all have their different beliefs and views which is why i started to question and really doubt the existence of a higher being. A little part of me believes but a big part of me doesn't but i find its only because of the people who are so brainwashed and so attached to the community of the church. My experience of the Mormon church when i was younger was nice because they taught you alot of good things morally but its really just isolating you and brainwashing you it think this is where i belong because they teach good morals. I would still be attending the church if they weren't so controlling.

 

I'm all for the notion that Hitler wasn't atheist. However, it's entirely debatable that he killed the Jews for killing Christ. Many Historians believe that it's because his father was possibly an illegitimate Jew, and was EXTREMELY abusive to Hitler (one time Hitler tried to run away and when his father found him, he beat him unconscious). In fact, Hitler bombed the town in which his father was born to destroy ANY evidence stating that his father might have been an illegitimate Jew.

 

Something that lacks evidence and therefore can't be proven=fiction. If it can be proven=fact. It's that simple, you can't make something exist no matter how much you "believe" in it. Look at it this way, if someone is a suspect for a murder, and he is trialed, but there is insufficient proof that he did murder that person, then he is innocent. No matter how much anyone believes he is innocent doesn't make it so, I don't know if that was a good example or not but all you religious people get the point just choose to ignore it.

 

Hitler not being an athiest is NOT a 'notion' thank you, simply because there should NOT be any debate nor should there be any discussion or controversy in this area. Fact is fact. There is evidence for it. Why bother?
Also, Hitler HIMSELF claimed that his actions were of divine authority. I will try to look up his personal quote for this.
Furthermore, your final argument is fallacious at best. JUST BECAUSE Hitler attempted to remove any evidence of his familial connection with the Jewish community - DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN that it was DUE TO his familial issues - get it? You cant take that jump and make such an assumed connection.

 

Well, I think that no matter what religion, all of them should be respected. If you are an atheist, you WOULD be angry if someone tried to get you into a religion; its the same way with others. I would personally be mad at someone who tried to convince that my religion is fake, or not true. Even if you are pretty religious, you should respect the others for that they think. Trying to get someone to believe in something they don't its pretty disrespectful in my opinion.

 

A bit of history will show you why religions do not deserve any special treatment; or as you like to call it, respect.

 

EVERYONE should be respected for that they belive, even if they dont belive in anything.

 

Why do all beliefs, no matter how ridiculous, deserve respect? Should we respect flat-Earthers, creationists, and germ theory deniers? What about holocaust deniers, should their position be a respectable one to hold? Beliefs deserve respect based on their supporting evidence, not the level of conviction of those who hold them. Why do you think somebody who lacks a belief in god should be angry when somebody attempts to change their mind? If you claimed that babies come from the stork, and I said you were incorrect and attempted to explain biological reproduction to you, you would consider such an action to be disrespectful?

 

I agree with you Jimmy, but its what they believe in. If you were a flat-earth believer, I don't think you would like someone to tell you you are an idiot and that its fake, would you?
Even if you think its the dumbest thing you ever heard, I think it should be respected anyway.

 

hmm, long time since I've been on this thread. Sorry for my *slightly* ignorant post on the first page.
I'm a Christian and I try real hard not to impose my views on anyone, I went through a stage of Agnosticism in the past and I know what it's like to have people imposing their beliefs on you, though It's equally annoying when people say things like "God isn't real" to me.
I believe that many scientific theories are true that many of my friends who are Christians disregard. And I try and give people unbias advice when they ask for it, I.E I'll tell them to do what they feel is best then what I would do.
The only problem I have with this friend is the massive generalisations going on,
all religions are not the same, they have similarities admittedly.
Also not all Christians are illogically thinking people who believe blindly, I do A-Level Religious at college and I'm one of the only Christians in my class and I am constantly being tested by others over my faith, so don't think I haven't thought it through first.
To group all thiests as 'stupid' or 'pushy' is as reasonable as labelling all Atheists as 'immoral' and 'evil', untrue.
And I believe you should respect what people believe above all else. without belief nothing is certain, that stands true for science, religion, love and reality. We can be sure of nothing, we can only believe.

 

It's different when the person is presented with evidence of it's falsehood, then that belief has just become ignorance.

 

Respect and disrespect should never be a problem as long as you are respectful as a person. People may find certain actions disrespectful while others do not, but that does not matter. As long as your intention is not malicious, not disrespectful in your own mind, and you do not believe that the person will find it disrespectful then go right ahead. Why even try to change certain people's beliefs? Is it because you feel that your belief is more likely to be correct and everyone should know the truth? If so, that is your own personal belief, backed up with not much reasoning, most likely. The simple fact is that many people are ignorant. Most people are, to be quite honest. It is not your place to try to convince them of something unless you genuinely feel that it will help that particular person's life. Note the stress on particular and not on everyone.

 

One word: love.