As an atheist since age 20, let me tell you the number of times I committed a crime because without God there was nothing stopping me!

@SW-User Nobody is born believing anything, really. One has to be taught, either way.

@SW-User When I was young, God was a bit easier to accept. Then logic kicked in.

@SW-User No, everyone knows babies are Platonic...wait, no... 😉🤣

@SW-User If no one told the baby about gods would they believe in gods anyway? And would they believe in your particular god? So in what sense are babies theists?

@SW-User By definition, a baby isn’t anything believer or unbeliever. Many people take their children to a house of faith, and order that they can be converted, to that belief

@SatyrService The word atheist simply means not-theist. Atheists have no creed; neither do babies.

@ninalanyon To mix the metaphor here, amen to that you’re preaching to the choir.

That said, you were absolutely right many people think atheism, is some kind of social political system instead of it being exactly what you described a lack of belief

@ninalanyon @SatyrService Amen!

@Bumbles Do you know what an atheist holy book is?
An encyclopedia

[@ https://bijouxbroussard]
Thank you so much

@SatyrService Except that we don't regard it as inerrant. All knowledge is provisional, subject to revision in the light of new discoveries.

I know you meant it humorously but those of a religious bent might read it in the light of their own way of believing and assume you meant it in the same sense as the biblical literalists believe in the bible.

It's late and I'm taking things too seriously. Good night all, sweet dreams.

@ninalanyon Your point is very well taken, thank you for the clarity

@ninalanyon This is a poor argument because once non-belief instead of disbelief is said to define the atheist this lets in dogs and fire hydrants. Only a choice made is unproblematic.

@SW-User I don’t understand your analogy. What does religious belief or disbelief have to do with "dogs and fire hydrants" ?

@bijouxbroussard Non-belief could be extended to beasts and non-sentient things, so this isn't the way to go when defining atheism. It has to be about a conscious choice (disbelief).

@SW-User Disbelief is a conscious choice, in a way. Many people I know who our unbelievers say that they didn’t so much choose as just stopped believing the stories they have been told. Mini suggest a similarity to Santa Claus or the Easter bunny, at what time in our lives to be stop believing that. Is it a choice to stop believing in Santa Claus? Or do you just realize one day that it’s not so. Really enjoying this post and threads
People even seem to be polite

@SW-User Ah, I see what you’re saying.

@SW-User Dogs and fire hydrants also don't believe in the supernatural.

@SW-User I'm pretty confident that fire hydrants are not theists, not so sure about dogs. The point is that atheism is not really a thing in its own right it is simply what you have left when you remove theism.

@ninalanyon Atheism isn't the best thing we might gravitate to. It's like anti-cheese.

@SW-User The a in atheism is not anti it is absence.

@ninalanyon True, but this needs fixing.

@SW-User I am very interested in this. Would you please elaborate a little?

@SatyrService No thanks.