Religion

Mariana

(15,174 posts)

5. About what, exactly?

Thu Mar 21, 2019, 08:52 AM

Mar 2019

The professor says, “You may not believe in God, but to affirm its nonexistence with certainty is not scientifically consistent.”

For starters, he mentions only one particular god, but lots of people who don't believe in that particular god believe in other ones, and therefore are not atheists, by definition. There have been thousands of gods proposed, and atheists don't think any of them are real. Furthermore, there isn't any certainty about it for most of us. We don't believe there's such things as gods, but we don't pretend to know for sure. If anyone ever comes up with some compelling evidence for the existence of this or that god, most atheists would then accept the existence of that god.

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Dartmouth physicist, known for doubting skeptics, wins 2019 Templeton Prize [View all] guillaumeb Mar 2019 OP

Pandering shit gets pandering shit prize. enki23 Mar 2019 #1

I agree with the professor!❤ Karadeniz Mar 2019 #2

About what, exactly? Mariana Mar 2019 #5

I think the professor's point is that one can't be certain of deitys nonexitence, so atheism Karadeniz Mar 2019 #20

Atheism does not require certainty. Mariana Mar 2019 #21

How many theists do you know allow for the possibility that god does not exist? Major Nikon Mar 2019 #23

I can't be CERTAIN that Zeus, Posiden, Thor, etc. DON'T exist? Really? bitterross Mar 2019 #29

Whether they understand physics.. I dunno, uriel1972 Mar 2019 #3

He sees atheism incorrectly. Perhaps some new glasses? MineralMan Mar 2019 #4

Who defines what atheists are? guillaumeb Mar 2019 #8

Certainly not you. Act_of_Reparation Mar 2019 #10

Each atheist defines it for him or herself. MineralMan Mar 2019 #11

So that shows his claim that atheists in general "believe in non-belief" is wrong muriel_volestrangler Mar 2019 #24

He is a physicist. And.... guillaumeb Mar 2019 #25

I thought the "Professor of Natural Philosophy" title refered to philosophy muriel_volestrangler Mar 2019 #28

You mean the same Templeton Foundation thas has ties to the Cato Instutute... Act_of_Reparation Mar 2019 #6

He said: guillaumeb Mar 2019 #7

Yes, he said something stupid. Act_of_Reparation Mar 2019 #9

Well, he's full of crap, then, if he said that. MineralMan Mar 2019 #12

Nice company the Templeton Foundation keeps, eh? MineralMan Mar 2019 #13

The Templeton Prize is not only bullshit edhopper Mar 2019 #14

It's telling. Act_of_Reparation Mar 2019 #15

Any port in a storm. MineralMan Mar 2019 #16

A short interview of Marcelo Gleiser by Scientific American. Jim__ Mar 2019 #17

Thank you for the link. I wil lread it later. eom guillaumeb Mar 2019 #19

... Major Nikon Mar 2019 #18

That gif is a workhorse Lordquinton Mar 2019 #22

He writes on this blog.. full text mitch96 Mar 2019 #26

I read the first page. guillaumeb Mar 2019 #27

Finally someone said it. Atheism is not compatible with science: DetlefK Mar 2019 #30

One can be a scientist, guillaumeb Mar 2019 #32

Not provable/disprovable for science, but who says it's the only way? DetlefK Mar 2019 #34

Claims about a deity can be disproven Lordquinton Mar 2019 #35

Meh Templeton Loki Liesmith Mar 2019 #31

Understood. eom guillaumeb Mar 2019 #33