Misconceptions about Atheism

[t3knomanser]

Having recently farted around in a FARK flamewar on the topic, I'd like a centralized place where I can document the misconceptions I notice about what people think atheism means, versus what it doesn't.

Atheism requires faith. An agnostic is the rational person.

This is quite possibly one of the most common misconceptions. Few atheists claim

Comments

[wehmuth]

http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=798

[t3knomanser]

I love SMBC.

[kat1031]

I tend to ascribe to the agnosticism is the intellectually honest option theory, myself.

I don't believe in the sky-daddy monotheistic concept of god, but I do believe that gods exist because it seems to me that it would be impossible for any thoughtform with the energy of thousands or millions of people being constantly poured in to it to not have some form of existance. Thoughts?

[t3knomanser]

There's a lot of hanging definitions there. Define "god". Define "exist", or more accurately, describe the context by which you mean "exist"- YHWH exists- but as a real entity handing down morality from above? Extremely doubtful based on the evidence we have.

Other, less monotheistic gods obviously exist, if only as Jungian archetypes- but Thor is no more responsible for thunderstorms than Zeus is.

Further, that's a horrible use of the word "energy"- there isn't any evidence that there's any form of "thought energy" or "energy of belief", and tests to demonstrate it have thus far come up negative. That doesn't mean it doesn't exist, but for the time being we can't really act as if this thought energy is real, any more than we can act like YHWH is real.

Agnosticism (as defined above), as a note, denies the ability of the intellect to plumb the mysteries of the cosmos- I wouldn't consider that "intellectually honest".

[nephilimnexus]

Most Athiests are just mislabeled Humanists - our faith is in mankind. I get the same kind of celebrant awe from the Cirque de Soleil, the efforts of Peace Corps workers, wonderful symphonies and the works of our great philosophers that religious types get from seeing oversized churches.