The word atheist means 'not theist'. Do you consider yourself a theist?

JB, I just noticed a place in these threads where the word 'atheist' was used next to your name - I'm guessing this might be what you are talking about:



I'm pretty sure that JR was making a joke about your supposed lack of belief in your own existence. I don't think he was calling you an atheist at all. If I say that neither unicorns nor apples exist, you might get creative with words and call me a unicorn atheist or an apple atheist.

This does touch on another point though - some view theism/atheist as diety specific. Just about everybody today is a 'strong atheist' with respect to Thor and Zeus - even those who believe in the Christian God.

Unlike MrLonelyInSpokane, I have a strong sense of a "higher Power" that is unknown and connected to me. I do not consider this higher power to be a deity apart from myself, but perhaps a bigger part of myself. This strong sense and faith in it could be just in my imagination but it is there. I have faith in the laws that keep this universe working in proper order. I do not feel alone.

As I realize myself as "God" I see "God" is all others. I don't go around thinking I am 'better than others' or more 'Godly than others. I see all others as divine creatures of all that exists.

Because I strive to be responsible for myself on this level and all other levels that may exist, I am my highest authority and I have faith in the higher authority that is also me, my higher self. I forgive all others who would judge me as unfit for their 'heaven.'

So technically, I don't know how to respond to people when they ask me if I am an atheist, because I am not sure what they mean by that.

My statement that I don't exist was a joke. I was pretending I had some kind of control over whether I exist or not. At some level perhaps I do, but I prefer to exist.

To be or not to be, that is the choice.

hey bean try calling yourself an agnostic and half the world will try to tell you it just ain't so.

yes, bean said she didn't exist but she believes thor and zues exist. so she's a bean god atheist and a thor and zues god theist. being agnostic i simply can't know until i experience them myself. doing anything friday night bean? can't seem to find the numbers of thor or zues.

I don't know where you ever got the idea I am a thor and zeus theist. I do know that I exist. I was simply exploring the possibility of non-existence when I said I did not exist.

I was told by someone that I could not prove that I exist, so I was simply agreeing with that concept according to his point of view.

In a linguistic terms " God " is the creator .
If you do not believe in a creator then you are an Atheist .
Unless we respect the linguist terms we just create a chaotic language whereas Gos is you for yourself, is a bird for your neighbour, is Obama for his over zealous supporters, is a donkey for someone in a forgotten mountain......etc.

I would have to consider what a person means by the words "create" and "creator."

Also, if God is the Creator, the question becomes, "who created God?" Is there another creator still?

My own understanding is "That which exists simply manifests." This solves the question of who created the creator.

That which exists has always existed and it manifests into all manner of things and beings. We are all part of what exists.

Being an artist, I have often claimed to "create" something but what I have really done is manifest something out of something else. I don't "create" art. I manifest things and people sometimes call it "art."

The stigma attached to "atheist" is varied I suppose, and even I have a prejudice understanding of that term as a person who has no spirituality at all; and who believes in no after life; and that he has no soul and he or she assumes that the idea of "spirit" is "faulty logic."

I believe in "God" as I define "God." God is "That Which Is" and That which manifests."

I look at 'you' and at myself and I see God.

The problem here is that there is no easy way to describe some viewpoints. For example, what about someone who believes that everyone creates their own reality. In such a belief system there is no single "creator" but each and every person is creator. The only "linguistically correct" way to state such a belief is "we are all gods". And within the context of such a belief "You are a god and I am a god" is a perfectly valid statement.

But does someone who holds those beliefs qualify as an "atheist". I personally don't think so.

Probably because the people in question have a very narrow definition of "God". I think your definition is perfectly reasonable.

I find if you do not find the least common denominator then you cannot fully understand words like atheist. Start at the bottom and work your way up, I happen to prefer the most reduced form myself.

Theist: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theist




I have bolded the parts I think are most important to come away with in this definition.


So we have . . .

Belief
His/her
Personal
Active
Governance

If you do not believe that the word god represents a singular, personal, active governing stand alone entity with desires and wants then you are not a theist.

Now you could be a deist, or pantheists which is what most in this thread sound like, the god is everything types, or god started it but does not really interfere types, or god as nature.

Me I am an unambiguous, no spirit needed, no personal god, no ghosts, skeptic, screen shot or it didnt happen type.

Discussing this topic..
Somehow..
It always makes me hungry for pancakes...

Ask the hat.




(In Toronto the Humanists' organization calls itself the Humanist Association of Toronto (HAT for short.) Obviously it's not a tall HAT.)

Are we not the creators of our own experiences? Wouldn't that make us creators in our own rights? I don't know about you ..I create my every day, all day long and into the nighttime hours via astral travel where the sky is the limit..so to speak.

But you create the things that can possibly be changed or altered by the presence of another, whereas, the things 'God' has created are not possibly altered in their entirity by (wo)man.

Just becuz you jump in doesn't mean you can change the ocean in its entirity. You can throw a football in the air, but the sky will remain blue...

There are different concepts of 'creating'.

An artist draws, a writer writes, a photographer takes pictures..

But these can be removed.
Can be changed.

But can you create something eternal that will never fade to the hands of time? Like your oceans, mountains, etc?

That is the power of 'God's' creations, not our own.

IMO:
An Athiest is just a soul or individual who has the power of free-belief and uses it. Christians, believers, etc, tend to believe in something that was already pre-ordained or written..

The power to not-believe, is the same as chosing to believe.
Athiests can be more open, while believers are more restricted.
I haven't met an Athiest who said, 'Believe in what I do or you will suffer the wrath of the purple anime lesbian fairy'...
(I'd laugh if they did)

Athiests will let a person believe what they will...
..why can't believers?

Always feeling this need to 'save' everyone..
I just don't get it..

(Not sure if I made any sense, if not, I blame it onthe nyquil.)

Made sense..but didn't. You have No idea what I can do, what I am capable of, what limits I do or do not have for myself. Fair enough..how could you.
You speak in reference to yourself..not to me.
I am not a Christian..I am not a religious person...I am one of the most allowing people I know...you'll not get a judgment from me.
Believe away..whatever you want..goes for all.
I am a goddess!

So, you can part the sea?
Levitate?
You can make me fall in love with you without using words?
You can make me believe in you w/o ever seeing you once face-to-face?
You can make entire masses simply fear you?
Walk on water? Perform grand scale miracles?
Fly? Backflip off the tallest building and survive??
You can make mountain from a single rock?
Fill the ocean with only one bucket?
Make it rain?
Make it storm? ..and do the reverse of both?

That's awesome!
Hook me up w/some lessons??

Hun, seriously though, I didn't mean for you to take offense..
I was just stating my opinion..
I know what I can and cannot do.

Goddess you are, I agree..
But aren't there any limits to your powers?
..or are we speaking in terms of imagination and spirituality?

im a clown bean. i've no idea what you think of thor and zeus. i needed the line for my stand up routine. a can't know whether or not you exist. i know cyberspace exists because people keep writing on my screen. i think of it as a tablet given to me on a burning hillside in malibu a few weeks ago. several burning bushes you see so my confirmation trumps the ancient dude in the long beard. now it's gonna rain so i have to build me a forty cubit boat.

uh. anybody know what a cubit is?

Absolutely no clue.
Cubit? Nah.. Not in my dialect.

I don't get offended.... and these sorts of things are learned from a power beyond me..I can not teach you. You can teach yourself..if you believe.
I have a son your age...please don't call me hun.