Can an atheist believe in God?

Great Debates
41

[hijack]
No, it’s more literal than that: A character “Maleldil” created at least the solar system and dispatches spirit beings called “Oyarsa” to each populated planet. Earth is called Thulcandra which means “the silent planet” when our Oyarsa “fell” and no longer communicates with the rest of the field of Arbol (the solar system). Perelandra (Venus) has its Oyarsa replaced by its version of Adam and Eve because they didn’t succumb to that planet’s version of temptation-in-the-garden scenario - but they are still subjects of Maleldil. Although never saying the words “God” or “Christ” or “Satan” there is no doubt these are the names they are known by on Earth.
Way more explicit than the oblique reference in the Narnia series that Lucy needs to discover Aslan’s name in our world (Christ?).

IIRC, there is even a distinct paragraph where the narrative as much as says that man needs a God to govern him. Lewis, the Christian apologist that he was, would certainly agree.
[/hijack]

42

[QUOTE=Nature’s Call]
Okay, you’ve talked me out of it. I’ve cancelled the printing of my last newsletter :smiley:

Frankly, I’m surprised at the results of this discussion. I really thought the a- in atheism was a rejection at both the existence of God as well the implications for human behaviour that flow from the existence of God. Without the latter part, “theism” is a very simplistic word - capturing no thought deeper than “God exists.”

[/QUOTE]

Two thoughts: One, none of the “implications for human behavior that flow from the existence of God” are predicated on the existence of God. You can arrive at the exact same ideas of “good” and “evil” or appropriate behavior without gods. Atheists are not amoral (or not necessarily amoral, I should say. I suppose some of them are, just like some theists are.)

Thought the second: the “implications for human behavior that flow from the existence of God” are much better described by religion or religious denomination than the word “theist”. “Christian” is a term used to describe the ideas and behaviors that flow from believing in the existence, divinity and worship-worthiness of the god called Christ. You are most familiar, it seems, with the god of Abraham, but He’s not the only god ever posited to exist. My actions (when I shift to belief) do not flow from the existence of that god. My behavior isn’t altered because of ideas of sin, redemption, grace, faith, et al., because I don’t think they apply to me; my belief is not in that god (or more accurately, I believe that god is one of many gods, and not any more applicable to me than is a Hawaiian volcano god.) None of those specific ideas or behavior is inherent to a belief in **A **god, but it might flow from the belief in A PARTICULAR god.

Atheist and theist describe a belief in a divine god of some sort, but are silent as to which one and what impact that has on your life. That’s it. Belief. Not adherence or worship or anything else, just simple belief in the existence.

thefreedictionary.com:
a·the·ist (th-st)
n.
One who disbelieves or denies the existence of God or gods.

the·ism (thzm)
n.
Belief in the existence of a god or gods, especially belief in a personal God as creator and ruler of the world. theist n.