Thread: Do Atheists believe in a after life?

Originally Posted by Forrest

By the strictest definition, atheism is just lack of belief in a personal God. One can still believe in the afterlife or other spiritual things. Although, nowadays, not believing in anything supernatural, such as an afterlife, tends to go along with it.

No That's highly inaccurate, there is nothing spiritual about Atheism bottom-line.

Originally Posted by Ne-yo

No That's highly inaccurate, there is nothing spiritual about Atheism bottom-line.

Nopes, that is what Atheism deals with. It is only a position on a single question (that of "Do deities exist?"), nothing more.

Sure they believe in an afterlife.

After life, you're dead! Hah! ZINGER!

Originally Posted by Good as Gold

After life, you're dead! Hah! ZINGER!

Word to the wise. Zingers are considerably less zingy after their second appearance in the same thread.

No That's highly inaccurate, there is nothing spiritual about Atheism bottom-line.

How is it that you consistently fail to be correct about anything??

Originally Posted by Xei

How is it that you consistently fail to be correct about anything??

You're an Atheist right? So would you consider yourself spiritual?

No, I wouldn't. But neither would I consider myself to be the sum of every single atheist on the planet along with all of their diverse personal beliefs crammed into a single body.

In other words: in before knocking down straw man.

Originally Posted by Xei

No, I wouldn't. But neither would I consider myself to be the sum of every single atheist on the planet along with all of their diverse personal beliefs crammed into a single body.

In other words: in before knocking down straw man.

Okay well give me an example of a Spirtual Atheist. What would you consider is Spiritual notions in regards to this? What makes them spiritual?

why would an atheist believe in an afterlife?

Originally Posted by nitsuJ

why would an atheist believe in an afterlife?

Because atheism is the opposite of theism which is just having a belief in Gods, thus an afterlife existing independantly of any type of god isn't going against it.

Buddhism for example believes in...something spiritual without having God or god in it. Though some buddhist sections have adopted additional beliefs which include gods and goddesses.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_in_Buddhism

Originally Posted by Sandform

Because atheism is the opposite of theism which is just having a belief in Gods, thus an afterlife existing independantly of any type of god isn't going against it.

So are you making the assertion of 'afterlife' as being an inmaterial part of man that goes somewhere else outside of the physical realm after death?

Originally Posted by Ne-yo

So are you making the assertion of 'afterlife' as being an inmaterial part of man that goes somewhere else outside of the physical realm after death?

I'm not really sure what your asking...I think my response is yes...

I mean...if it wasn't a supernatural place where consciousness continues independently of your body then we wouldn't call it the "afterlife" we would just call it "life." Or maybe "further life." =P

I mean...Mr. Disney coming back to life wouldn't be considered "afterlife" it would be considered further life...

Originally Posted by Sandform

Because atheism is the opposite of theism which is just having a belief in Gods, thus an afterlife existing independantly of any type of god isn't going against it.

Buddhism for example believes in...something spiritual without having God or god in it. Though some buddhist sections have adopted additional beliefs which include gods and goddesses.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_in_Buddhism

why would an atheist call themselves an atheist if they believe in nirvana?

Originally Posted by nitsuJ

why would an atheist call themselves an atheist if they believe in nirvana?

Because atheist means A. Belief in no gods. or B. Lack of belief in Gods.

Atheism has no claims on anything other than deities. If you're seeking wards that are non supernatural go to google. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secular_humanism

Originally Posted by Sandform

Because atheist means A. Belief in no gods. or B. Lack of belief in Gods.

Atheism has no claims on anything other than deities. If you're seeking wards that are non supernatural go to google. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secular_humanism

i have a question for you, atheism believe in no god, yeah, but we can consider a god to be a higher being, correct?

so would you consider these a higher being?:
"merely" human or a transcendental, immortal, god-transcending being

super-human personage of supreme teaching skill and wisdom

projection of an eternal, ultimate principle of Buddhahood, present in all phenomena, immortal and transcendent

i'd consider anyone immortal, super-human, anyone that's a projection of an eternal, ultimate principle of Buddhahood, present in all phenomena, immortal and transcendent to be a higher being, would you?

psst psst I don't know where you're reading from provide a link.

Also Buddhism isn't restricted to being alone. More than likely you're reading from merged buddhism teachings...

Originally Posted by Sandform

psst psst I don't know where you're reading from provide a link.

Also Buddhism isn't restricted to being alone. More than likely you're reading from merged buddhism teachings...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_in_Buddhism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha

i was reading the theravada and mahayana versions of buddha, i know theravada can be an atheistic religion because they don't have to worship a personal god but i believe it's fair in saying atheism can also be the lack of believe or belief in no higher being, and:

Even though an Absolute Creator God is absent in most forms of Buddhism, veneration and worship of Gautama Buddha (and other Buddhas) do play a major role in both Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism.

worshipping gautana buddha and according to probably a majority of theravada and mahayana buddhists, budda is a higher being, those are the major buddhist branches of religion, i don't know how many branches there are but it seems they actually do sometimes worship a higher being

Originally Posted by nitsuJ

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_in_Buddhism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha

i was reading the theravada and mahayana versions of buddha, i know theravada can be an atheistic religion because they don't have to worship a personal god but i believe it's fair in saying atheism can also be the lack of believe or belief in no higher being, and:

Even though an Absolute Creator God is absent in most forms of Buddhism, veneration and worship of Gautama Buddha (and other Buddhas) do play a major role in both Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism.

worshipping gautana buddha and according to probably a majority of theravada and mahayana buddhists, budda is a higher being, those are the major buddhist branches of religion, i don't know how many branches there are but it seems they actually do sometimes worship a higher being

I'm assuming you're christian. Do you think angels are Gods? How about demons?

http://onlyagame.typepad.com/only_a_...t_religio.html

Originally Posted by Sandform

I'm assuming you're christian. Do you think angels are Gods? How about demons?

http://onlyagame.typepad.com/only_a_...t_religio.html

yes i'm a christian,
angels aren't gods and demons aren't gods but they are higher beings and you can worship them.

Originally Posted by nitsuJ

yes i'm a christian,
angels aren't gods and demons aren't gods but they are higher beings and you can worship them.

But they aren't Gods, they aren't creators of the rules of existence, which is what is considered to be a "god." Some sort of diety which had a hand in creating existence, or in the very least has control over existence. For examples an imp is not a God, nor is a fairy.

Atheism is a stance on Gods and gods not supernatural abilities.

Anyways back to Buddha thing, when a person is "higher being" as you're putting it he is not actually a "higher being" he is at one with the universe, which is higher than himself.

Originally Posted by Sandform

But they aren't Gods, they aren't creators of the rules of existence, which is what is considered to be a "god." Some sort of diety which had a hand in creating existence, or in the very least has control over existence. For examples an imp is not a God, nor is a fairy.

Atheism is a stance on Gods and gods not supernatural abilities.

Anyways back to Buddha thing, when a person is "higher being" as you're putting it he is not actually a "higher being" he is at one with the universe, which is higher than himself.

what do you think happens after death? you may have already posted i just haven't read everything in this thread

Originally Posted by nitsuJ

what do you think happens after death? you may have already posted i just haven't read everything in this thread

I believe that for the individual when your life ends, your consciousness ceases to continue.

Originally Posted by Xei

No, I wouldn't. But neither would I consider myself to be the sum of every single atheist on the planet along with all of their diverse personal beliefs crammed into a single body.

In other words: in before knocking down straw man.

I want to see the answer to this one as well.

Originally Posted by Ne-yo

Okay well give me an example of a Spirtual Atheist. What would you consider is Spiritual notions in regards to this? What makes them spiritual?

Pretty weak imagination you've got there. Here you go:

An Atheist who believes in astral planes and the other concepts that usually come along with it.

An Atheist who believes life is one big dream/illusion.

An Atheist who believes in the existence of some sort of inner-soul which one can get better attuned with through mediation.

There's more, obviously. Seeing as spirituality doesn't even imply belief in anything 'supernatural'.