Philosophical Vegan Forum

I recently joined the Atheist Experience Facebook page after I learned about a shockingly stupid discussion they had about veganism. By the time they had accepted my request that discussion had already ended. However, today I joined another discussion where I wrote that I consider myself a 97% atheist as I am 97% sure there is no god. I got criticised harshly for that comment and an admin wrote that I was a theist rather than an atheist as 3% of me believes there is a god. Hmmm.

Do you believe in a god? If yes, you're a theist. If not, you're an atheist. I think it's really that simple. Remember: atheism is not the belief that a god doesn't exist but the lack of the belief that a god does exist.

Jebus wrote: ↑Mon May 08, 2017 3:57 pm I recently joined the Atheist Experience Facebook page after I learned about a shockingly stupid discussion they had about veganism. By the time they had accepted my request that discussion had already ended. However, today I joined another discussion where I wrote that I consider myself a 97% atheist as I am 97% sure there is no god. I got criticised harshly for that comment and an admin wrote that I was a theist rather than an atheist as 3% of me believes there is a god. Hmmm.

I'd say you are. I also try to think of things in terms of probability. The probability of god existing varies based on your definition of god, and I think it could definitely be > 0 for some definitions. Calling someone who is 97% sure there is no god a theist seems like bull----

These people are apparently shockingly stupid in more than one way.

You are only decidedly a theist is you believe in and worship a god.

A positive, strong, or "gnostic" atheist is one who is 100% certain there is no god.
The rest are weak atheists (also implicit), or agnostic atheists.

Dawkins has made it clear that he's an agnostic atheist, with 99%something certainty.

We don't really have an uncontentious word for somebody who believes a being that other people call "god" exists but doesn't worship it; I call them atheists too. Most Christians seem to beleive this is what atheists are, and it has historical credibility.

I'd say you are. I also try to think of things in terms of probability. The probability of god existing varies based on your definition of god, and I think it could definitely be > 0 for some definitions. Calling someone who is 97% sure there is no god a theist seems like bull----

I never understood asterisks in swearwords, everyone reads the word in their head anyways how is it different aha.

Anyways I agree, I like how Anthony approaches it in street epistemology where 0 is all questions, no confidence, and 100 is no questions, all confidence. I think Atheist is a useful term for the lack of substance in any mainstream human account of the supernatural so far, but agree that even Dawkins calls himself agnostic atheist to philosophical matters, that 1-3% is useful in showing people we're not some infantile dogmatic rebellion.

NonZeroSum wrote: ↑Mon May 08, 2017 5:20 pmeven Dawkins calls himself agnostic atheist

I thought he uses the term de facto atheist.

Jebus wrote: ↑Mon May 08, 2017 9:55 pm

NonZeroSum wrote: ↑Mon May 08, 2017 5:20 pmeven Dawkins calls himself agnostic atheist to philosophical matters

I thought he uses the term de facto atheist.

He also uses the term militant atheist to describe his activism, which is a lack of belief in much of the material claims of the worlds religions, it depends on the context, when establishing a scale of belief to non-descriptive, non-definitively provable theology he uses agnostic atheist, de facto atheist falls under agnostic atheism.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7KKVbNwSu4

Dawkins formulation:

Theist:

1. Strong theist. 100 per cent probability of God. In the words of C.G. Jung: "I do not believe, I know."

Agnostic Theist:

2. De facto theist. Very high probability but short of 100 per cent. "I don't know for certain, but I strongly believe in God and live my life on the assumption that he is there."
3. Leaning towards theism. Higher than 50 per cent but not very high. "I am very uncertain, but I am inclined to believe in God."

Agnostic:

4. Completely impartial. Exactly 50 per cent. "God's existence and non-existence are exactly equiprobable."

Agnostic Atheist:

5. Leaning towards atheism. Lower than 50 per cent but not very low. "I do not know whether God exists but I'm inclined to be skeptical."
6. De facto atheist. Very low probability, but short of zero. "I don't know for certain but I think God is very improbable, and I live my life on the assumption that he is not there."

Atheist:

7. Strong atheist. "I know there is no God, with the same conviction as Jung knows there is one."

Jebus wrote: ↑Mon May 08, 2017 3:57 pm I recently joined the Atheist Experience Facebook page after I learned about a shockingly stupid discussion they had about veganism. By the time they had accepted my request that discussion had already ended. However, today I joined another discussion where I wrote that I consider myself a 97% atheist as I am 97% sure there is no god. I got criticised harshly for that comment and an admin wrote that I was a theist rather than an atheist as 3% of me believes there is a god. Hmmm.

LOL

That's... wow. So, because you don't claim to know that god doesn't exist, you are a theist? So to be an atheist you have to be so closed minded that you deny it's possible for god to exist?

...

I don't even understand why it matters if you are an atheist/agnostic/non-denominational/spiritual. We have the same goals.

I finally got banned. I used the word dumbass which they consider an ableist term.

EquALLity wrote: ↑Wed May 10, 2017 4:17 pm I don't even understand why it matters if you are an atheist/agnostic/non-denominational/spiritual. We have the same goals.

Atheist Experience are basically operating a cult. Absolutist adherence to the cult dogma is essential.
I'd say the rampant banning for civil disagreement is evidence enough.