Is there such a thing as an atheist worldview?

  • Thread starter Thread starter IanAG
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
BlueKumul said:
Thank you!

In this scheme, most of “atheist worldviews” I’ve listed would be variants of materialism. I’ve thought more of cultural/social/political mindsets which atheists can embrace
Click to expand...
Thanks for that, I tend to agree with you that the majority of atheists in the English speaking world have a materialist/naturalist existential worldview.
 
@Freddy @FiveLinden @BlueKumul @Dan123 @Pattylt

Hi everyone, thanks for all your feedback.

I’m sorry if I came across as self righteous, that was never my intention. As I said my motive was only ever to better understand how non religious people view the world.

I believe that once you understand the framework that others are coming from and why they see things as they do then all their views and opinions make sense within that…I.e. if I had the same framework I’d probably react the same way.

I sort of react to anti theists as much as I do to self righteous Christians. I find it sad and quite painful to watch when people go out of their way to belittle or discredit others because of their different views. I see it as a form of bullying.

None of us have long here, and the vast majority of us are doing the best we can with what we’ve been given. To try to undermine someone’s belief system, whatever that may be, is cruel. It certainly doesn’t follow the golden rule. In fact we need more safe spaces where we can openly share our thoughts in trust and be able to explore our own thinking. That’s a far better way to learn.

The reality is there have always been theists and there have always been atheists. Wouldn’t it be great if we could just hold that reality in our hearts and respect each other in our difference and love each other in spite of them.

Anyway, thanks again and look forward to catching up again in the rooms before the end of December.
 
Last edited:
So you’d find it depressing to discover that someone had thought it was good for the waterfall to exist and then created it because it was worth it?
 
That would depend on our expectations. A human planned garden can absolutely be breathtaking and deserving of awe for the time and energy put into it. But if it’s advertised as a natural occurrence by nature, then it would be a letdown to discover it wasn’t.

Our expectations are for honesty and truth as well as beauty in what we perceive. And the designs of nature are also ugly, inefficient and horrible as well. Liver flukes aren’t my idea of a great design…neither are useless wisdom teeth.
 
Raxus said:
noun
  1. a particular philosophy of life or conception of the world.
“I have broadened my worldview by experiencing a whole new culture”
Click to expand...
Seems a worldview as defined would be constructed be each individual consisting of elements from numerous philosophies and personal life experiences. Would a “Catholic worldview” or “atheistic worldview” even be a definable thing?
 
What exactly would being manufactered take away from the waterfall?
 
  1. In that case, freddy’s idea doesn’t really work on its own since it’s not as if reality is advertised by someone as being not-created.
  2. Something being damagable doesn’t defeat the overall goodness or value of its existence.
 
NormalBeliever said:
What exactly would being manufactered take away from the waterfall?
Click to expand...
It wouldn’t be natural. It would be, you know…manufactured.

It’s like a great film set of a Moroccan marketplace versus the real marketplace. Imagine walking around what you thought was the real one and then discovering it was all plaster and paint put up to keep the tourists happy.
 
Understandable - but in the case of God creating the universe for a purpose this doesn’t apply. Because God creates real natural objects that are intrinsically natural and beautiful, so He doesn’t need to design them like we do. God being the creator of everything can only add to things, not take something away.
 
Last edited:
HerCrazierHalf said:
Seems a worldview as defined would be constructed be each individual consisting of elements from numerous philosophies and personal life experiences. Would a “Catholic worldview” or “atheistic worldview” even be a definable thing?
Click to expand...
We all have many views and opinions on many subjects, but when we talk of a religious worldview we generally relate it to how we answer a small number of existential questions…is there a God, what is the purpose of life, what meaning does life have, what happens to us when we die, how do we know anything etc.

The answers to these questions define your worldview.
 
IanAG said:
but when we talk of a religious worldview we generally relate it to how we answer a small number of existential questions…is there a God, what is the purpose of life, what meaning does life have, what happens to us when we die, how do we know anything etc.

The answers to these questions define your worldview.
Click to expand...
But what if I don’t have a definitive answer to those questions, only a set of potential answers and a corresponding opinion thereof? What’s my worldview then?

Now theists may claim to have a definitive answer to those questions, but most of the rest of us don’t. So how can you possibly expect to place us in a specific box when we ourselves can’t even place us in a specific box?
 
Last edited:
IanAG said:
when we talk of a religious worldview we generally relate it to how we answer a small number of existential questions…is there a God, what is the purpose of life, what meaning does life have, what happens to us when we die, how do we know anything etc.

The answers to these questions define your worldview.
Click to expand...
I promise I’m not trying to be difficult.

I’m inclined to answer your OP with simple “no”.

The difficulty is it almost feels like a category error. Most of the other things a theist typically claim flow from a religious (or non religious) belief just don’t for me. Atheism does not inform these things IMO. Not sure it should be an “-ism” as it’s a label more than a philosophy or religious view.
 
HerCrazierHalf said:
Seems a worldview as defined would be constructed be each individual consisting of elements from numerous philosophies and personal life experiences. Would a “Catholic worldview” or “atheistic worldview” even be a definable thing?
Click to expand...
Sure. All of my life experiences and philosophies (since reaching the age of rational thinking, that is) have been had and studied through the Catholic lens, so I would absolutely call my worldview a Catholic one. I imagine there are atheists out there who feel the same about their worldview.
 
Last edited:
Raxus said:
I would absolutely call my worldview a Catholic one. I imagine there are atheists out there who feel the same about their worldview.
Click to expand...
Is your worldview Catholic though? It’s not hard to find people who believe their worldview is informed by Catholicism but arrive at something rather different than what many on CAF would define as the Catholic worldview and such.

Likewise, the worldviews of those who happen to not believe would run the gamut so much so that it’d make the term “atheist worldview” meaningless.
 
I think atheist worldview would be mainly concerned with how to live the longest life possible-even taking it as far as transhumanism.
 
Or maybe getting enjoyment and fulfillment in life. The finite nature of life is part what makes it valuable.
 
He who says he does not believe, does believe. He believes in something. The simple statement: “I do not believe in God” presupposes another faith. In oneself, perhaps, or in one’s proud mind. But, one always believes. It is like thinking. If you say: “I do not want to think”, or: “I do not believe in God”, by those two simple sentences you prove that you are thinking that you do not want to believe in Him Whom you know to exist, and that you do not want to think.
 
Last edited:
Lunam_Meam said:
He who says he does not believe, does believe. He believes in something. The simple statement: “I do not believe in God” presupposes another faith. In oneself, perhaps, or in one’s proud mind. But, one always believes. It is like thinking. If you say: “I do not want to think”, or: “I do not believe in God”, by those two simple sentences you prove that you are thinking that you do not want to believe in Him Whom you know to exist, and that you do not want to think.
Click to expand...
I’m not going to say that that is the most convoluted illogical statement I’ll read this week. But there’s only two day left, so it’s in with a good chance.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top