'Atheism is a denial of a god.'
58 comments
Please turn off your sarcasm detectors for the duration of this post...
So a x-tian who is constantly worried about atheists, mormons, buddists, muslims, etc going to hell means that they believe in them as well, otherwise they wouldn't think about them. If you believe that atheism is a form of belief then you are an atheist. If you deny it then you are admitting that you believe it.
Argument Ad Pratchett quote isn't a logical fallacy per se, but taking the word of a fictional character in a fictional world where theology is a research science hardly has any bearing on reality, now does it?
I'm constantly thinking of the Gods because I'm an atheist?
Yes, often when I fail to reject the null hypothesis, I obsess over it. I remember one time, a decade or so ago, I had calculated a p-value of... *trailing off as I reminisce*
To MKB: Atheism is a LACK of belief, not a form of one. It is the null hypothesis, to use statistical parlance. If religious people never talked about their 'wonderful' gawd I would never so much as think of a nonexistent sky dude. Can the lack of even the inkling of a thought about something at all be considered a belief? Don't start believing this anti-atheist drivel that atheism is a belief please.
Argueing by a quote from a universe where the gods are scientifically testable, active, and the libraries need to have copper roofs to deal with the thunderbolts hardly applies to a world in which God is neither scientifically testable, nor very active in their interactions with humans.
Atheism is, in a way, a religious position. It is an assertion that God and/or gods do not exist. Therefore, in a secular free tolerant society, atheism should not be taught or promoted with public funds, in the same way that the various forms of theism should not be taught or promoted with public funds. It is just as wrong to teach in public schools that there is no god than it is to teach that there is a god.
You all have missed the point.
Greg, my problem is not with the first sentence. My problem with this quote is that atheism is not, as the poster says, a form of belief. There are many things I could deny, like the existence of Russell's teapot in space, but does that make it belief? Such a definition makes belief meaningless. But you are right in that atheism is a position on religion, but it is hardly a belief.
Most atheists I know don't go around screaming, "I'M AN ATHEIST, GUYS! I DON'T BELIEVE IN YOUR GOD! I DENY HIM TIMES A MILLION! REALLY!" They usually only say something about being an atheist when the conversation is relevant, or they're asked directly what their religion/belief is. What would you have them do, just shrug?
Complete context - this is Dorfl the ceramic golem/atheist, after being pelted by a lightning bolt (but no thunder, you have to contract out for the thundering). He is trying to get away from a bunch of high priests wanting to smash him because golems shouldn't talk, and back to the work of policing the city.
Amusingly enough, Niali, that's another thing that applies in the world of Discworld.
Perhaps it's worth adding a note that the capitalisation is a result of it being a Pratchett quote, and not some weird fundie "look at my post!" tactic.
"'xtianity is a denial of a sex for enjoyment.'
I counter with another Pratchett quote, this one from Eric :
It's been said, but it's a quote from famous British satirist and ATHEIST Terry Pratchett.Funny, not fundie.
Besides, Dorfl just said it so he could swear his oath of office by 'a self-created ethical and moral system in the absence of any provable deity'.
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
To post a comment, you'll need to Sign in or Register . Making an account also allows you to claim credit for submitting quotes, and to vote on quotes and comments. You don't even need to give us your email address.
