Are Most Scientists Atheists?

by passwordprotected 57 Replies latest jw friends

  • MissingLink
    MissingLink

    What's your definition of "Atheist"? If Einstein didn't qualify, then I don't know if anyone does.

  • besty
    besty
    So many people (even those with high IQs) don't understand that.

    IQ is a measure of brain efficiency. A small child can have a measurably high IQ but no idea about the difference between spirituality, religion and belief in the supernatural.

  • passwordprotected
    passwordprotected

    What's your definition of "Atheist"? If Einstein didn't qualify, then I don't know if anyone does.

    Why does my definition matter?

    Here's what I found when I typed "define atheism" into Google;

    Definitions of atheism on the Web:

    And here's what Einstein said regarding his beliefs (as taken from his entry on Wikipedia);

    "I have repeatedly said that in my opinion the idea of a personal God is a childlike one. You may call me an agnostic, but I do not share the crusading spirit of the professional atheist whose fervor is mostly due to a painful act of liberation from the fetters of religious indoctrination received in youth." He is reported to have said in a conversation with Hubertus, Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg , "In view of such harmony in the cosmos which I, with my limited human mind, am able to recognize, there are yet people who say there is no God. But what really makes me angry is that they quote me for the support of such views."

    --

    So Einstein said that people may refer to him as an agnostic, meaning he did not believe in a personal God.

    Here's the definition of agnostic, as ascertained by the above Google search;

    Definitions of agnostic on the Web:

    • someone who is doubtful or noncommittal about something
    • of or pertaining to an agnostic or agnosticism
    • a person who claims that they cannot have true knowledge about the existence of God (but does not deny that God might exist)
    • uncertain of all claims to knowledge
      wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

    • Agnosticism (α- a-, without + γν?σις gnosis, knowledge; after Gnosticism) is the philosophical view that the truth value of certain claims — particularly metaphysical claims regarding theology, afterlife or the existence of deities, spiritual-beings, or even ultimate reality — is ...
      en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnostic

    • A person who holds to a form of agnosticism, especially uncertainty of the existence of a deity; Of or relating to agnosticism or its adherents; Doubtful or uncertain about the existence or demonstrability of God or other deity; A software component (or other entity) that is unaware or ...
      en.wiktionary.org/wiki/agnostic

    • agnosticism - a religious orientation of doubt; a denial of ultimate knowledge of the existence of God; "agnosticism holds that you can neither prove nor ...
    • agnosticism - the disbelief in any claims of ultimate knowledge
      wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

    • agnosticism - the view that absolute truth or ultimate certainty is unattainable, especially regarding knowledge not based on experience or perceivable phenomena; the view that the existence of God or of all deities is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable; doubt, uncertainty, or skepticism regarding ...
      en.wiktionary.org/wiki/agnosticism

    • Someone who claims that they do not know or are unable to know whether God exists.
      www.abdn.ac.uk/philosophy/guide/glossary.shtml

    • A word first used by Professor Huxley, to indicate one who believes nothing which cannot be demonstrated by the senses.
      www.theosociety.org/pasadena/key/key-glos.htm

    • agnosticism - [from Greek a not + gnostos known] The mental attitude denying the possibility of the real knowledge of truth and hence of the ultimate or fundamental nature of the universe. ...
      www.theosociety.org/pasadena/etgloss/adi-ag.htm

    • agnosticism - From Greek, a- meaning without and gnosis, meaning knowledge, agnosticism is the contention that we cannot know whether or not there is a God. ...
      www.thezenofsouthpark.com/Glossary_of_Terms.html

    • One who holds the theory that God is unknown or unknowable
      www.innvista.com/culture/religion/diction.htm

    • comes from the Greek agnosia, which means ignorance; the opposite of gnosis, "knowledge". The agnostic is a person who holds the view that any ultimate reality (as GOD) is known and probably unknowable; broadly, it is one who is not committed to believing in either the existence or the ...
      redentormio.exactpages.com/Terminology_A.html

    I don't actually know what my IQ is, and I'm not terrible troubled about finding out as I quite like believing in God and I fear finding out that it may actually be quite high* which would lead to me having to relinquish such an existentialist view, but even I can see that there are one or two differences in the definition of what makes a person an atheist and what makes a person an agnostic.

    But again, no one's saying my take on this is important.

    * Don't worry, I fully acknowledge with cheer and mirth that I'm childlike and irrational.

  • passwordprotected
    passwordprotected

    Paul, you're my friend, so I'm sure you won't mind me asking this;

    A small child can have a measurably high IQ but no idea about the difference between spirituality, religion and belief in the supernatural.

    Do you know the difference between spirituality, religion and belief in the supernatural?

  • besty
    besty

    Yes - to the extent that I'm happy to go ahead and define if you wish.

  • passwordprotected
    passwordprotected

    Will you use Google's 'define' search?

  • besty
    besty

    I'll just go ahead shall I?

    Religion - systemised worship of higher power

    Belief in supernatural - faith based understanding that intelligence exists beyond the confines of planet earth

    Spirituality - deeply held desire to form a connection with entitites larger in scope than fellow humans

    I hope you aren't disappointed in my definitions.

    EDIT - I understand why you are hijacking your own thread - it has run its course

  • besty
    besty

    for some reason this thread seems to have died....

  • passwordprotected
    passwordprotected

    Religion - systemised worship of higher power

    Belief in supernatural - faith based understanding that intelligence exists beyond the confines of planet earth

    Spirituality - deeply held desire to form a connection with entitites larger in scope than fellow humans

    Those seem like both reasonable definitions and reasonable concepts. Shame some folks want them wiped out.

  • besty
    besty

    I can;t answer for some folks. I can only say not for me.

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