The Atheist Thread (Long Time Coming)

as far as definitions go, seems to me an atheist is often just an agnostic who is angry with God ... or maybe just Religion.

regarding Tyson, maybe I was too hard on him. It's possible to be a pious Christian and dislike all the Santa stuff, after all. He may just be having fun with it

Quote: he says he is an agnostic

in [an] interview with 'Big Think', Tyson mentioned that he edited Wikipedia's entry on him to include the fact that he is an agnostic:

I'm constantly claimed by atheists. I find this intriguing. In fact, on my Wiki page – I didn't create the Wiki page. Others did, and I'm flattered that people cared enough about my life to assemble it – and it said, "Neil deGrasse Tyson is an atheist." I said, “Well, that's not really true." I said, "Neil deGrasse Tyson is an agnostic." I went back a week later. It said, "Neil deGrasse Tyson is an atheist" again – within a week! – and I said, "What's up with that?" and I said, “All right, I have to word it a little differently." So I said, “Okay, Neil deGrasse Tyson, widely claimed by atheists, is actually an agnostic." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_deGrasse_Tyson

Quote: odiousgambit

as far as definitions go, seems to me an atheist is often just an agnostic who is angry with God ... or maybe just Religion.

regarding Tyson, maybe I was too hard on him. It's possible to be a pious Christian and dislike all the Santa stuff, after all. He may just be having fun with it

Quote: he says he is an agnostic

in [an] interview with 'Big Think', Tyson mentioned that he edited Wikipedia's entry on him to include the fact that he is an agnostic:

I'm constantly claimed by atheists. I find this intriguing. In fact, on my Wiki page – I didn't create the Wiki page. Others did, and I'm flattered that people cared enough about my life to assemble it – and it said, "Neil deGrasse Tyson is an atheist." I said, “Well, that's not really true." I said, "Neil deGrasse Tyson is an agnostic." I went back a week later. It said, "Neil deGrasse Tyson is an atheist" again – within a week! – and I said, "What's up with that?" and I said, “All right, I have to word it a little differently." So I said, “Okay, Neil deGrasse Tyson, widely claimed by atheists, is actually an agnostic." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_deGrasse_Tyson

The angry with god thing is absurd. Anger with religion (or at least how religion is used) is rational and justified.

Tyson has said several times that he is an agnostic over the years when people try to label him an atheist.

I would argue it's an irrelevant point as my definition of atheist is essentially the same as an agnostic (if you are not sure of something and not actively practicing a religion). I think some public figures just prefer the term agnostic because it's less stigmatized that atheist. Some people will also say they are a deist (especially in early American history where being called an atheist was the ultimate insult), deist is also a pretty meaningless term (that you vaguely think it's more likely than not that some god/gods are out there, but that none of the world religions have it correct, so it's just vaguely believing in the supernatural, but not altering your life in any kind of way).

In the Christian world view Agnostics, Atheists, and Deists are all going to hell (so are all Jews, Muslims, and every other religion), so why Christians seems to prefer agnostics, I really don't know.

I consider myself an atheist
But
Its just not something I think about much
I'm not religious or spiritual in any sense
I believe when you die you cease to exist
Thats all folks
I just dont think about god or afterlife. its all mumbo jumbo to me.

Deist fits me pretty well ... I don't agree that it is all the same thing

Quote: odiousgambit

Deist fits me pretty well ... I don't agree that it is all the same thing

How is being a deist morally superior to being an atheist? You are not changing your life at all.

For example, I believe it's more likely than not that aliens exist (life somewhere out there), but it does not impact my life at all, and if I changed my mind nothing about my life would change.

"O god if there is a god save my soul if I have a soul."

gotta hedge yer bets...

Quote: Gandler

How is being a deist morally superior to being an atheist?

did I say that?

I don't deny that some atheists bother me with some of their antics, as do some theists!

Quote: odiousgambit

did I say that?

I don't deny that some atheists bother me with some of their antics, as do some theists!

I apologize, I got your posts mixed up with somebody above who made a strong condemnation of atheists, and I thought it was odd for a deist to be so against atheists (which is clearly not you).

I've been looking into this stuff. IMHO, anyone debating the existence of God using religious texts and religions is using a strawman argument. It's very common and usually all people want to speak about.

Quote: odiousgambit

ya know, I actually think Tyson is kind of stupid ... or maybe it's just that he thinks we are stupid

https://www.dailywire.com/news/neil-degrasse-tyson-tries-to-ruin-christmas-again

I read it and thought he was just having some fun. Somewhere I've read similar descriptions of the physics of Santa's trip. What he should do is write the same general idea about the Easter Bunny. No easy task hiding all those eggs.

Next up, see if you can upset any people by taking Halloween too seriously.