# Atheism **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 4, 2013, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288 "2013-02-04T04:58:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/241 "2013-02-05T17:17:25Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > Not for you personally, I just think it’s a factor for some atheists. Someone who believes in a god and believes the god to be sadistic is _by definition_ not an atheist. He/she may be anti-theist, misotheist, but not an atheist. So, thinking God is sadistic is _not_ a factor for an atheist. (I can’t believe I’m posting in this trainwreck of a thread. I did enjoy the quantum physics hijack, though.) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/242 "2013-02-05T17:18:18Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > Okay, I pretty much agree with Human Action. At one time I was a misotheist, but I’ve forgiven God and now I’m a Christian. Ok. I don’t think that’s consistent with your previous comments about your beliefs, but I’ll leave it at that. Do you understand most atheists don’t hold those views? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/243 "2013-02-05T17:18:23Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > I’ll go back to F. Nietzsche, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” I would not go for [Mr. “God is dead”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_is_dead) for support in this case. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/244 "2013-02-05T17:20:07Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > Okay, I pretty much agree with Human Action. At one time I was a misotheist, but I’ve forgiven God and now I’m a Christian. Pretend I’m a Christian and tell me your _real_ definition of “atheist”, please. ---
**Author:** ![Human\_Action](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@Human\_Action](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Human_Action)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/245 "2013-02-05T17:21:07Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > Okay, I pretty much agree with Human Action. At one time I was a misotheist, but I’ve forgiven God and now I’m a Christian. Ok, that’s settled then. People who don’t worship a god they consider evil or unworthy or what-have-you are not atheists, they are misotheists or dystheists. Is it possible to call oneself an atheist while actually being a misotheist? Sure. But for the purposes of debate, you should assume the other parties are being sincere. Otherwise, you aren’t really debating the ideas, so what’s the point? ---
**Author:** ![pchaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/258eb7/32.png) [@pchaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pchaos)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/246 "2013-02-05T17:27:21Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Pretend I’m a Christian and tell me your _real_ definition of “atheist”, please. Your definition is as good as any. Like I informed you my definition of atheist is still a work in progress. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/247 "2013-02-05T17:29:21Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > Like I informed you my definition of atheist is still a work in progress. I don’t understand why it needs so much work. Atheists don’t think any gods exist. That’s it. You can make generalizations about them on other issues, but their views on other issues vary and those issues aren’t a categorical part of being an atheist. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/248 "2013-02-05T17:29:22Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > Your definition is as good as any. Like I informed you my definition of atheist is still a work in progress. Then quit using the word until you figure out what it means. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/249 "2013-02-05T17:29:59Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > Your definition is as good as any. Like I informed you my definition of atheist is still a work in progress. What’s wrong with just accepting that atheists don’t believe in god, and nothing more? ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/250 "2013-02-05T17:30:04Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > Your definition is as good as any. Like I informed you my definition of atheist is still a work in progress. Then stop using the words _atheist_ and _atheism_ since it’s impossible for anyone to know what you’re talking about since you don’t have a definition for them. ETA: Beaten to the punch. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/251 "2013-02-05T17:31:03Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > Your definition is as good as any. Like I informed you my definition of atheist is still a work in progress. For heaven’s sake, it isn’t that difficult. It just means “Someone who doesn’t believe in God.” ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/252 "2013-02-05T17:32:01Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > Your definition is as good as any. Like I informed you my definition of atheist is still a work in progress. Why? I can accept that your understanding of atheism may be a “work in progress,” but the definition is really very simple. ---
**Author:** ![Latro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@Latro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latro)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/253 "2013-02-05T17:40:19Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > but the definition is really very simple. Not for **pchaos** it isn’t. See, first he must ask his pastor, who isn’t available right now, then he must read at least 20 pages of the bible, to get in the right spiritual state and then he must pray intensely for God to give him a definition. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/254 "2013-02-05T17:40:41Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > Your definition is as good as any. Like I informed you my definition of atheist is still a work in progress. Do you have a personal definition for every word, or is “atheist” special? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/255 "2013-02-05T17:42:29Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Do you have a personal definition for every word, or is “atheist” special? No, he’s got his own definitions for “rational”, “logical” and a few others. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/256 "2013-02-05T17:43:29Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > Your definition is as good as any. Like I informed you my definition of atheist is still a work in progress. Is your real name Humpty Dumpty? I don’t believe I’ve ever come across someone else with his own personal dictionary. How do you communicate with others? Heavily paraphrased Steve Martin: When you have a kid, talk wrong. “May I mambo dogface in the banana patch?” ---
**Author:** ![Human\_Action](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@Human\_Action](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Human_Action)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/257 "2013-02-05T17:50:33Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > No, he’s got his own definitions for “rational”, “logical” and a few others. Yep: > [@Was It All An Accident...Or Did An Intelligent](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-it-all-an-accident-or-did-an-intelligent/647721/313): > > I understand that most people think of logical and rational as being somewhat similar. However, for me this is not helpful. > > I modify the terms as follows: > > 1. What the vast majority of people believe is logical. > > 2. What a significant minority of people believe is rational. > > 3. What doesn’t fit into 1) and 2) above is irrational. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/258 "2013-02-05T18:06:49Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > I’m not implying that you are unethical. All I’m saying is that your ethics didn’t stem from empiricism. I took an ethics class in college where God was not mentioned even once, so god is not required for ethics. And I partially agree about empiricism. A position where harm can be empirically shown might become unethical - for instance smoking near a baby or drinking a lot while pregnant. There might be nothing unethical about these at all if we didn’t know the harm they cause. But there are also lots of “ought” questions concerning values which aren’t empirical at all. Even ones which claim to be empirical often aren’t since the measurements are not nearly as accurate as they are claimed to be. ---
**Author:** ![pchaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/258eb7/32.png) [@pchaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pchaos)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/259 "2013-02-05T18:17:45Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > Why? > > I can accept that your understanding of atheism may be a “work in progress,” but the definition is really very simple. I agree, but Czarcasm wants me to accept his and I have because it is as good as any. ---
**Author:** ![koufax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7ea924/32.png) [@koufax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koufax)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/260 "2013-02-05T18:17:59Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > What’s wrong with just accepting that atheists don’t believe in god, and nothing more? OP here again and I apologize for what I started although I have learned two new cool words… Misotheists and Dystheists. So I would like to ask the people on here who consider themselves REAL atheists as defined by someone who does not believe in “god” (or whatever you want to call it), do you believe that physical matter came out of NOTHING with ABSOLUTELY NO FIRST CAUSE? Please answer with a simple “yes” if you believe this happened. If you answer with more than “yes” I doubt if you are a real atheist. (Something tells me, I am going to regret this post) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288.md?page=14)