# 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:** 17
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/321 "2013-02-05T21:02:04Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > An atheist is not ethically neutral. **Aethism** is ethically neutral. I’m unaware of any human being anywhere ever that has been “ethically neutral”. (bolding mine) It took me a good minute to figure out that that wasn’t a misspelling of “atheism”, they’re anagrams with only one letter moved around ferchrissake! Maybe pchaos is onto something 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/322 "2013-02-05T21:08:34Z")
> [@koufax](#): > > What then are the people in foxholes called if they don’t believe in god, since…you know the rest. Well, one of them was called Pat Tillman. ---
**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, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/323 "2013-02-05T21:12:49Z")
Ok, a question for the theists. If god can do anything, can he make a boulder so big…no not that one. If god can do anything, can he be 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, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/324 "2013-02-05T21:15:26Z")
> [@koufax](#): > > Ok, a question for the theists. If god can do anything, can he make a boulder so big…no not that one. > > If god can do anything, can he be an atheist? I take it you’re done with the OP you started? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/325 "2013-02-05T21:23:58Z")
> [@Latro](#): > > That’s right. There are no atheists in foxholes. > > They are busy outflanking the enemy. > It’s the religious that cower in their foxhole praying to their god for help while the atheists go out and do something. Or to quote my signature: “There are no atheists in foxholes because all the atheists were smart enough to get into tactical command and the airforce.” > [@koufax](#): > > If god can do anything, can he be an atheist? Certainly. There’s no reason why a god couldn’t be insane and not believe in itself. ---
**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, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/326 "2013-02-05T21:51:31Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > (assuming one statement was supposed to be “assume he did murder” instead of “did not”) Oops. Yeah, I screwed that up. ---
**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, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/327 "2013-02-05T21:55:59Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I take it you’re done with the OP you started? yes, I realize now that atheists don’t REALLY exist. (just like god) ---
**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, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/328 "2013-02-05T21:56:43Z")
> [@koufax](#): > > yes, I realize now that atheists don’t REALLY exist. (just like god) Yep, he’s done. ---
**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, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/329 "2013-02-05T21:57:21Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > Oops. Yeah, I screwed that up. And I would have gotten away with it, if it weren’t for those meddlin’ kids. ---
**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, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/330 "2013-02-05T21:57:34Z")
> [@koufax](#): > > yes, I realize now that atheists don’t REALLY exist. (just like god) Are you going to enlighten us and tell us how you came to that realization? ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/331 "2013-02-05T22:01:14Z")
> [@koufax](#): > > yes, I realize now that atheists don’t REALLY exist. (just like god) Oh, you’ve become a solipsist? How wonderful! ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/332 "2013-02-05T22:01:29Z")
> [@FinnAgain](#): > > I’ve answered this for you multiple times, with elaboration. > What game is it that you’re playing? So? ---
**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, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/333 "2013-02-05T22:02:48Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > Oh, you’ve become a solipsist? How wonderful! How many solipsists does it take to screw in a lightbulb? ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/334 "2013-02-05T22:04:21Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > How many solipsists does it take to screw in a lightbulb? Irrelevant. The lightbulb is just a figment of my overactive imagination. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/335 "2013-02-05T22:05:15Z")
Silence, figment! ---
**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, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/336 "2013-02-05T22:05:19Z")
> [@koufax](#): > > yes, I realize now that atheists don’t REALLY exist. (just like god) And you came to this misconclusion _because_… seriously, you can explain why you think what you think. You don’t have to post a couple of sentence fragments at a time. ---
**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, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/337 "2013-02-05T22:06:07Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > How many solipsists does it take to screw in a lightbulb? Don’t bother. i don’t believe the dark exists, either. ---
**Author:** ![FrankJBN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@FrankJBN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrankJBN)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/338 "2013-02-05T22:11:00Z")
“Some atheists go beyond a mere absence of belief in gods: they actively believe that particular gods, or all gods, do not exist.” Isn’t this nonsense? I have no belief in fire breathing bunnies. That means I actively believe there are no fire breathing bunnies. The second statement is somehow “beyond” or stronger then the first? And what’s this distinction between not believing in particular gods oe all gods. Since I disbelieve in the existence of god(s) that includes any particular god you choose and every other god imagined. There is no or involved. ---
**Author:** ![FrankJBN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@FrankJBN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrankJBN)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/339 "2013-02-05T22:19:58Z")
And what’s this about “my definition of atheists”? You nor any other individual gets to pick a personal definition of a word held in common by speakers of a language. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheism/649288/340 "2013-02-05T22:22:39Z")
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