Mormon apologists are necessarily cranks

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_Buffalo
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Re: Mormon apologists are necessarily cranks

Post by _Buffalo »

Simon Belmont wrote:
Tarski wrote:Believe in atheism? That has a funny ring to it.
Is not collecting stamps a hobby?


This is used quite often, but usually in the form of "not playing football is not a sport."

But the truth is, atheism is a system, and it can be quite dogmatic.


As is the case in many other areas of discussion, Simon doesn't know what atheism is.

Atheism begins and ends with "no belief in gods." That's it. Anything else is external to it.
Parley P. Pratt wrote:We must lie to support brother Joseph, it is our duty to do so.

B.R. McConkie, © Intellectual Reserve wrote:There are those who say that revealed religion and organic evolution can be harmonized. This is both false and devilish.
_stemelbow
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Re: Mormon apologists are necessarily cranks

Post by _stemelbow »

Buffalo wrote:As is the case in many other areas of discussion, Simon doesn't know what atheism is.

Atheism begins and ends with "no belief in gods." That's it. Anything else is external to it.


I'd say Simon is right about atheists being dogmatic. I see it quite often.
Love ya tons,
Stem


I ain't nuttin'. don't get all worked up on account of me.
_mikwut
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Re: Mormon apologists are necessarily cranks

Post by _mikwut »

Hello Tarski,

I think if you watch the video that Schmoe linked in another thread the scholars are not making distinctions of "without belief". They are actively not believing in God or Gods of any kind, they have active reasons for not doing so (i.e. problem of evil, etc...). Atheism is an active cognitive belief.

I don't think how I present it as a live option and possibility intellectually does it a disservice.

my regards, mikwut
All communication relies, to a noticeable extent on evoking knowledge that we cannot tell, all our knowledge of mental processes, like feelings or conscious intellectual activities, is based on a knowledge which we cannot tell.
-Michael Polanyi

"Why are you afraid, have you still no faith?" Mark 4:40
_Buffalo
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Re: Mormon apologists are necessarily cranks

Post by _Buffalo »

stemelbow wrote:
Buffalo wrote:As is the case in many other areas of discussion, Simon doesn't know what atheism is.

Atheism begins and ends with "no belief in gods." That's it. Anything else is external to it.


I'd say Simon is right about atheists being dogmatic. I see it quite often.


Most atheists are former believers. No surprise that we're dogmatic.

But atheism itself is very simple and not dogmatic at all.
Parley P. Pratt wrote:We must lie to support brother Joseph, it is our duty to do so.

B.R. McConkie, © Intellectual Reserve wrote:There are those who say that revealed religion and organic evolution can be harmonized. This is both false and devilish.
_stemelbow
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Re: Mormon apologists are necessarily cranks

Post by _stemelbow »

Buffalo wrote:Most atheists are former believers. No surprise that we're dogmatic.

But atheism itself is very simple and not dogmatic at all.


in a way, the whole premise of atheism is dogmatic if ya think about it. What defines atheism? Believing God does not exist. It seems to be atheist you have to say, "There is no God, so there." In that sense it seems atheism is far and away the most dogmatic of all.
Love ya tons,
Stem


I ain't nuttin'. don't get all worked up on account of me.
_jon
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Re: Mormon apologists are necessarily cranks

Post by _jon »

stemelbow wrote:in a way, the whole premise of theism is dogmatic if ya think about it. What defines theism? Believing God does exist. It seems to be theist you have to say, "There is a God, so there." In that sense it seems theism is far and away the most dogmatic of all.


I've removed three a's a 'no' and a 'not'

I think every position cn be perceived as dogmatic or treated in a dogmatic fashion...
'Church pictures are not always accurate' (The Nehor May 4th 2011)

Morality is doing what is right, regardless of what you are told.
Religion is doing what you are told, regardless of what is right.
_Buffalo
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Re: Mormon apologists are necessarily cranks

Post by _Buffalo »

stemelbow wrote:
Buffalo wrote:Most atheists are former believers. No surprise that we're dogmatic.

But atheism itself is very simple and not dogmatic at all.


in a way, the whole premise of atheism is dogmatic if ya think about it. What defines atheism? Believing God does not exist. It seems to be atheist you have to say, "There is no God, so there." In that sense it seems atheism is far and away the most dogmatic of all.


Again, you're going beyond what atheism actually is. Atheism is just about not believing. Period.
Parley P. Pratt wrote:We must lie to support brother Joseph, it is our duty to do so.

B.R. McConkie, © Intellectual Reserve wrote:There are those who say that revealed religion and organic evolution can be harmonized. This is both false and devilish.
_Themis
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Re: Mormon apologists are necessarily cranks

Post by _Themis »

stemelbow wrote:
in a way, the whole premise of atheism is dogmatic if ya think about it.


If you really think about it, it is definitively not dogmatic. Atheism is just without religion, or beliefs about God/s/Gia/etc. Now some atheists may be dogmatic if they are saying with certainty that there is no God, just as religious people do when they say with certainty there is A god/s/etc. I see many atheists who will limit what they say to they don't know, but since there is no good evidence for your God/s there is no reasonable reason for them to adopt a belief in them.

What defines atheism?


See above.

Believing God does not exist.


Which God? Does an atheist have a belief in non-existence of some God they don't even know about. In the end it is just a lack of belief. You also lack belief in all the other Gods of all the other religions.

It seems to be atheist you have to say, "There is no God, so there." In that sense it seems atheism is far and away the most dogmatic of all.


See above to see how you are incorrect. Since many if not most atheists do not say their is not God, you would be incorrect that it is a necessity to be an atheist. In fact you views on the subject seem a little dogmatic. :)
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_stemelbow
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Re: Mormon apologists are necessarily cranks

Post by _stemelbow »

jon wrote:I've removed three a's a 'no' and a 'not'

I think every position cn be perceived as dogmatic or treated in a dogmatic fashion...


Fair enough. you're surely right. I went overboard.
Love ya tons,
Stem


I ain't nuttin'. don't get all worked up on account of me.
_stemelbow
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Re: Mormon apologists are necessarily cranks

Post by _stemelbow »

Buffalo wrote: Atheism is just about not believing. Period.


Ironically, and interestingly, what a dogmatic way of putting it, Buffalo. To be clear, atheism, at least as the word ws created, is meant to suggest "no god" and says nothing about not believing period.
Love ya tons,
Stem


I ain't nuttin'. don't get all worked up on account of me.
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