After posting my comment, I figured the baseless part might get some critique, but I decided to leave it. I meant it as ‘not based in realty or not based on facts’, if that helps clarifying.
Also, if you heap in atheism with Christianity and Buddhism, you don’t understand what atheism is.
Christianity and Buddhism are actual systems of belief, while atheism is simply a lack of belief in any god or deity.
Anyone who does not believe in some god/deity/greater power, is an atheist. Whether they like it or not, that’s what it is. A simple definition about a persons lack of belief. It does not come with any other rules or dogma. No rituals or leadership at all, so it can’t be a system.
I wouldn’t say I heap them in together. At times in my life I have rejected a belief in anything ‘higher’, which fits your definition of atheism, although perhaps my mindset was closer to an agnostic atheist stance, which to me is more along the lines of ‘I don’t believe, but I can’t be certain as there’s a limit to my knowledge’, as opposed to being a strong proponent of the belief that there is nothing beyond death.
Fair point. No one can be sure about there being anything after death. For me it’s like the safest and most logical bet that there won’t be anything. All other ‘options’ come across a lot like wishful thinking. No one is going to believe in anything that doesn’t fit their own narrative.
Personally, I would not be able to believe Santa Claus is real, so why would I believe in anything supernatural? I’d rather find answers in science.
Also, the idea of there being eternal life after death would just terrify me. It would be the most boring and useless way to spend time. It is the notion of my time being limited that gives it value. When time is unlimited, everything loses meaning.
After posting my comment, I figured the baseless part might get some critique, but I decided to leave it. I meant it as ‘not based in realty or not based on facts’, if that helps clarifying.
Also, if you heap in atheism with Christianity and Buddhism, you don’t understand what atheism is.
Christianity and Buddhism are actual systems of belief, while atheism is simply a lack of belief in any god or deity.
Anyone who does not believe in some god/deity/greater power, is an atheist. Whether they like it or not, that’s what it is. A simple definition about a persons lack of belief. It does not come with any other rules or dogma. No rituals or leadership at all, so it can’t be a system.
I wouldn’t say I heap them in together. At times in my life I have rejected a belief in anything ‘higher’, which fits your definition of atheism, although perhaps my mindset was closer to an agnostic atheist stance, which to me is more along the lines of ‘I don’t believe, but I can’t be certain as there’s a limit to my knowledge’, as opposed to being a strong proponent of the belief that there is nothing beyond death.
Fair point. No one can be sure about there being anything after death. For me it’s like the safest and most logical bet that there won’t be anything. All other ‘options’ come across a lot like wishful thinking. No one is going to believe in anything that doesn’t fit their own narrative.
Personally, I would not be able to believe Santa Claus is real, so why would I believe in anything supernatural? I’d rather find answers in science.
Also, the idea of there being eternal life after death would just terrify me. It would be the most boring and useless way to spend time. It is the notion of my time being limited that gives it value. When time is unlimited, everything loses meaning.
I hear you. But then does the existence of some sort of higher purpose/unknown science necessarily imply everlasting life?