Is atheism a logically viable position? If not why not?
While I was growing up, the definition of "athiesm" was the belief that God didn't exist. Today, for me, that is referred to as "Strong Atheism". This position is as illogical as theism in that we cannot exactly KNOW that god exists or not. I happen to believe that he does. Atheists happen to believe that he doesn't. But to say, as a matter of fact, that he does or does not exist is equally illogical.
"Weak atheism", or the lack of a belief in gods, is not as illogical as atheism (or theism). But, all I see it as is a lack of quote/un-quote "evidence". The atheist has no reason to believe in gods, so he doesn't.
Now, take the thiest, the one who
does have a reason. I could be either a false or true reason but nobody can know, for sure, what the individual's reason is (unless they tell you, I guess). Maybe they only believe because were raised that way... Maybe god personally spoke to them... Maybe it is something in-between. How can anyone know?
How can an atheist claim that, because they cannot see the evidence themselves, that the evidence
must not exist? Or that the evidense
must be from some source other than god. Is this an Argument from Incredulity? Has "evidence" been defined in a way that preculdes God's evidense from qualifying?
Do atheists necessarily lack a firm sense of the moral and immoral?
No, not
necessariy but I do think that it makes it easier.
I started along this path with a general dissatisfaction with organised religion and some scientific training that fostered in me the attitude that tentative, evidence based research was the only reliable method to evaluate supposed truths about the world.
I've been on that path and once considered myself an atheist.
Still though, I couldn't honestly say that I thought that god did not exist. It really seems to me that a god does exist.
On top of that I realized that Jesus really did know what he was talking about and came to the belief that he really
was the son of God.
After that, I figured that I might as well just call myself "Catholic" again sense that was the way I was raised and Confirmed(TM).
Do atheists and non-atheists have the same view of what exactly atheism is??
Nope. I still, sortof, consider atheism to be the belief that god does not exist and consider the lack of belief in gods as closer to agnosticism. But to appease my athiest friends here, who prefer to call themselves athiests, I have changes my definition of atheism to suit them.
Science fails to recognize the single most potent element of human existence.
Letting the reigns go to the unfolding is faith, faith, faith, faith.
Science has failed our world.
Science has failed our Mother Earth.
-System of a Down, "Science"
He who makes a beast out of himself, gets rid of the pain of being a man.
-Avenged Sevenfold, "Bat Country"
™ Version 4.2
