Is there an atheistic dogma?

-How would you label yourself in regards to theological belief? note this question is asking about what you believe not what you know

Agnostic Atheist. Yes, yes, I realize it says what I believe, but that first word is important to me.

-Are you a naturalist? naturalism is synonymous with materialism and physicalism which state that physical matter is the only reality. This view denies that anythingsupernatural exists.

The word has several denotations, but under that one, yes.

-Do you believe that evolution by natural selection accounts for the diversity of life on earth?

Yes

-Do you believe that abiogenesis ocurred on earth?

Yes

-How old do you believe the earth is?

Four billion years~

-Do you believe that morality is absolute or relative?

Relative

-Do you believe that the universe is deterministic?

I need to think about it some more. Maybe taking philosophy next semester will help.

-Do you believe that we have free will?

Yes

-How would you label yourself in regards to the abortion debate? This debate is often too complicated for labels so feel free to elaborate on your standpoint.

I'm in between. I'm alright with the morning after pill. My problem is shirking of responsibility that comes along with the option for abortion. Women should know whether or not they can care for a child a week after conception. They shouldn't be given the choice to wait six months as a child develops inside them. I realize **** happens - condoms break and rape is a reality - but that's what the pill is for.

-Democratic or Republican? This one won't apply to many people (including myself) so either put not applicable or give us your political views

I'm a moderate, meaning I switch back in fourth between the two. Lately I've been supporting the Democrats, but ten years down the line I may well be voting for Republicans, provided they can get their act together.

-Do you believe in any conspiracy theories? Biigfoot, aliens at Roswell, 9/11 government conspiracy, faked moon landing etc

Just global warming :P

-What do you think of Richard Dawkins?

I liked his book. I'm not sure if I agree with everything he said, though.

-Cake or Pie? (inb4lies)

I think its about time I do a new post, to invalidate the previous one that is just becoming an eyesore. 17-01-2011: Once again I feel these things do not represent my beliefs and require editing.

27/04/2011 - Hopefully last update.
11/07/2011 - Nope

--

How would you label yourself in regards to theological belief? note this question is asking about what you believe not what you know

I hate labels. They only confuse things. If one were to try and label my "beliefs" they would fall into both the atheist and theist category.

Are you a naturalist? naturalism is synonymous with materialism and physicalism which state that physical matter is the only reality. This view denies that anything supernatural exists.

Yes.

Do you believe that evolution by natural selection accounts for the diversity of life on earth?

Yes.

Do you believe that abiogenesis ocurred on earth?

Yes, until a better, more thorough explanation comes along.

How old do you believe the earth is?

The currently accepted age given by the scientific community and has the most evidence to support it.

Do you believe that morality is absolute or relative?

Morality is completely relative, but there are objective things that do harm to others no matter what some may "believe" to be the case.

Do you believe that the universe is deterministic?

Yes. Not "pre-determined" but definitely and completely interrelated.

Do you believe that we have free will?

No. "Free" implies that we are able to do absolutely whatever we want (like being able to order a Whopper, even though we are at McDonalds). We have the ability to "choose" between different actions (whether positive, negative or neutral) but they are ultimately already determined for us by our previous actions. That is not to say that we cannot alter our paths... it just takes a lot of effort, and a lot of specific choices.

How would you label yourself in regards to the abortion debate? This debate is often too complicated for labels so feel free to elaborate on your standpoint.

For now I support the freedom to choose to have one. However, I feel that we should be actively working towards not having to have them at all.

Democratic or Republican? This one won't apply to many people (including myself) so either put not applicable or give us your political views

I lean far to the left on social freedoms, and lay about centre on fiscal freedom. I'm not a fan of most politicians and how they spend my tax money, but I have little choice in the matter.

Do you believe in any conspiracy theories? Biigfoot, aliens at Roswell, 9/11 government conspiracy, faked moon landing etc

Not any in particular... but I am sure that the government (that is many governments from around the world) is hiding a lot of things from the general public... a lot of things that might cause a lot of people to get upset and possibly instigate violence over, but are truths nonetheless, and truths we should learn about. I'm not naming anything in particular (as I cannot think of anything that they would want to hide) but I'm pretty sure they are.

What do you think of Richard Dawkins?

I dislike the "anti-theism" movement in general. His intentions for the raising awareness about non-belief and defending secular values are good, but his method of outright attacking theism is, to me, unfounded.

Cake or Pie? (inb4lies)

Pie

I might be wrong. But I think Atheism and Agnosticism imply an absence of dogma... Ergo I think there's no such thing as an "atheistic dogma"... It sounds kind of paradoxical to me...

-How would you label yourself in regards to theological belief? 

About what I "Believe": I don't believe nor disbelieve... Since I can't have enough information to make a choice... Is it that hard to accept?
About what I "Know": I consider myself Agnostic... 

-Are you a naturalist? 

No

-Do you believe that evolution by natural selection accounts for the diversity of life on earth?

It's just a theory for me... Hence I don't accept it as an absolute truth...

-Do you believe that abiogenesis ocurred on earth?

I think it is the more logical posibility... This "believe" word... I don't like it ;}

-How old do you believe the earth is?

I know I wasn't born then...

-Do you believe that morality is absolute or relative?

Everything is relative... Especially this kind of matters...

-Do you believe that the universe is deterministic?

No

-Do you believe that we have free will?

This is also too relative from my point of view... I can't answer this...

-How would you label yourself in regards to the abortion debate?

Pro-choice

-Democratic or Republican? 

NA

-Do you believe in any conspiracy theories? Biigfoot, aliens at Roswell, 9/11 government conspiracy, faked moon landing etc

Hell no... 

-What do you think of Richard Dawkins?

Another famous biologist...

-Cake or Pie? (inb4lies)

Both

I might be wrong. But I think Atheism and Agnosticism imply an absence of dogma... Ergo I think there's no such thing as an "atheistic dogma"... It sounds kind of paradoxical to me... 12thArcane

It's paradoxical indeed. In making this thread I intended to discover whether or not atheists generally held a similar set of beliefs. An unofficial dogma if you will. The diversity of responses provides good evidence that atheism does not have a dogma.

-How would you label yourself in regards to theological belief?

About what I "Believe": I don't believe nor disbelieve... Since I can't have enough information to make a choice... Is it that hard to accept?
About what I "Know": I consider myself Agnostic... 12thArcane

I would label you as an agnostic weak atheist then. You don't have a belief in God and you don't claim to know either way.

-Are you a naturalist?

No [?QUOTE]

What non-natural things do you believe exist?

[QUOTE="12thArcane"]-Do you believe that evolution by natural selection accounts for the diversity of life on earth?

It's just a theory for me... Hence I don't accept it as an absolute truth...12thArcane

Beliefs don't really handle absolute truth, we can leave that to our knowledge (what there is to speak of).

When I ask what you believe I just mean to discover what you accept, tentatively even, as likely or accurate. Our beliefs are tenuous and subject to change but we need at least a few of them to function. Maybe there are some things that you have no beliefs either way on (God for one) and there's nothing wrong with this. Given enough information though it becomes easier to form a belief.

So with that in mind what do you believe about the theory of evolution? Is it as robust a model for the diversity of life as germ theory is for the spread of disease? Maybe it's as poor a model as geocentricity was for the rising of the sun? Perhaps you don't have enough information to accept it as more likely than not.

-Do you believe that abiogenesis ocurred on earth?

I think it is the more logical posibility... This "believe" word... I don't like it ;}12thArcane

I'll grant you that the word becomes less and less useful with ideas as remote as abiogenesis.

What non-natural things do you believe exist?domatron23

I said "no" because as when I said I don't believe nor disbelieve regarding my theological point of view, I stand this same position regarding the existence of a spiritual level of things... Hence I'm NOT a naturalist but I don't reject naturalism as a posibility either...

Beliefs don't really handle absolute truth, we can leave that to our knowledge (what there is to speak of).

When I ask what you believe I just mean to discover what you accept, tentatively even, as likely or accurate. Our beliefs are tenuous and subject to change but we need at least a few of them to function. Maybe there are some things that you have no beliefs either way on (God for one) and there's nothing wrong with this. Given enough information though it becomes easier to form a belief.

So with that in mind what do you believe about the theory of evolution? Is it as robust a model for the diversity of life as germ theory is for the spread of disease? Maybe it's as poor a model as geocentricity was for the rising of the sun? Perhaps you don't have enough information to accept it as more likely than not.domatron23

Exactly! Beliefs don't handle absolute truth. They are more related to conviction and faith, they tend to be irrational and subjective... That's why I don't like the word and what it represents... But "beliefs" make us humans indeed...regretfully...

Anyway, I do have beliefs of course, but they are usually related to ethics and values... If you want me to expand on my answer about evolution I concede...

I think the theory of evolution is solid enough to be a common belief... But as its name says, it is just a "theory", and that alone is just not enough for me to form a belief... To summarize: I don't believe in either way but I do know it is solid and a very logical posibility...

As you may have noticed by now, my stance about beliefs is that they are not as important as our own instinct makes us think they are...

I'll grant you that the word becomes less and less useful with ideas as remote as abiogenesis.

Anyway thanks for answering my questions. I hope I get a chance to learn more about your views in other subjects. domatron23

 Thank you for your time and thoughtful answers...  I hope we can debate about other subjects too... Take care...

How would you label yourself in regards to theological belief?
Atheist
Are you a naturalist?
Yes
Do you believe that evolution by natural selection accounts for the diversity of life on earth? 
Yes
Do you believe that abiogenesis ocurred on earth?
Yes 
How old do you believe the earth is?
About 4.5 billion years old 
Do you believe that morality is absolute or relative?
I believe it is relative. Different societies often have different beliefs on what is immoral and moral, not to mention that individuals often believe many different things about morality.
Do you believe that the universe is deterministic?
I'm not entirely sure how to answer this because there are systems in physics that are deterministic. But I suppose when talking about the universe as a whole, without breaking down the different systems that make it work, I will have to say I do not believe the universe is deterministic. 
Do you believe that we have free will?
Yes
How would you label yourself in regards to the abortion debate?
I am pro choice.
Democratic or Republican?
Democrat (to me it's like the choosing the lesser of two evils) 
Do you believe in any conspiracy theories? Bigfoot, aliens at Roswell, 9/11 government conspiracy, faked moon landing etc
No. Conspiracy theories depend almost completely on speculation. 
What do you think of Richard Dawkins?
He is an amazing biologist and a decent spokesperson for atheism. I don't agree with some of his ideas, but overall I respect him.
Cake or Pie?
Pie of course :P 

Figured i'd put down my thoughts as well.

-How would you label yourself in regards to theological belief? 

Sunni Muslim with a strong emphasis on a Panenthiestic view of God. Something like Tawheed.

I never once believed growing up God was an anthropomorphic old white dude in the sky. and i've never had a 'personal' relationship with God either.

-Are you a naturalist? 

Not entirely sure yes or no to be honost. Consider me a skeptic in 99% of cases. Most times i here people say Ghost or Jin, i am hearing BS. but i can't rule out their existence completely either to be honost. So i'm just highly skeptical.

-Do you believe that evolution by natural selection accounts for the diversity of life on earth?

Yes,micro and the macro. Neither of which do i find an issue with regards to my religion.

-Do you believe that abiogenesis ocurred on earth?

Yes, still needs more work and data i think, but from what i've learned it makes some sense.

-How old do you believe the earth is?

4.5 billion years as the record shows.

-Do you believe that morality is absolute or relative?

Lots of shades of grey, with some pure black and pure white. so... something of the two combined perhaps?

-Do you believe that the universe is deterministic?

Not sure, leaning on No. the universe will most likely still yet surprise us.

-Do you believe that we have free will?

Yes and no. I believe one thinks of themselves as having free will but unbenownst to ourselves are more at the mercy of circumstances and chance. It all depends on how each of us deals with the forks we meet in life, it's how react is where our free will shows up. 

-How would you label yourself in regards to the abortion debate?

Personally, as far as i can do as a man, i am Pro-Life. politically however - which seems like a contradiction - i am Pro-Choice. If there is Pro-Choice then people can still choose, but personally i am a strongly Pro-Life person. It is a tragedy and a sad day when one has to extinguish a life. 

-Democratic or Republican? 

Most times Democrat. More specifically, moderate liberal on Social issues (Pro LGBT rights, Pro Freedom of (and from) religion for all, Pro Free Speech, etc) , fiscally conservative (doable taxes, minimal loopholes, live within our means). Yet i'm also (not a huge proponent) for death penalty and responsible gun rights. 

-Do you believe in any conspiracy theories? Biigfoot, aliens at Roswell, 9/11 government conspiracy, faked moon landing etc

None. I used to believe, now i just feel silly and embarressed in hindsight. Most notably the 9/11 conspiracy. I do believe every government has it's secrets, but they're not outlandish, If anything Wikileaks showed us, it's that the things they are hiding are not that big of a surprise for us. 

-What do you think of Richard Dawkins?

As a biologist he is fine, but his Anti-Thiesm i don't care for at all and much too radical. Could not stand his documentary "The Root of Evil".  Basically i cannot stand him when he talks about religion, but when he talks about biology and science i have no problem listening to some of his lectures. 

-Cake or Pie? (inb4lies)

Cake

Hmm, very interesting read SaudiFury. I don't know Islam all that well but you've presented a different take on it that's a step up from the usual monotheistic version of it that I usually hear.

I always end up on the same question when it comes to these sort of beliefs though (pantheistic, panentheistic, new age vaguery etc). What distinguishes your panentheistic universe from my atheistic universe? What special feature is there that we can point to in order to tell the difference between a universe with a God and a universe without one?

To sum up the distinction i guess is.

I take the word "inshallah" - If God Wills It. in a literal and figurative sense. I do feel and believe that everything we see, hear, touch and feel. the physical unvierse around us and the possible metaverse and the possible unknown. Is that of the Will of God. Like every breath we take, and we every move we make, there is an infitesemally small chance that something may go awry.The very molecules, atoms, quarks and whatever else out there. the rules of the universe and throw in the random chance of something odd happening. Then you go into the metaphysical and every day people's lives, it's partially what i meant as well by yes and no answer to "do we have free will". We really are at the mercy of our circumstances and our own unique baggage we carry. In a sense we are already going to go under a set path because of it, there is always free will involved to some degree though i believe. 

In a way you could argue it's nothing more then a name change. 

Then again it's been a doctrine belief in several religious orders. in Islam it's most notable within the Sufi sect. However all three main sects (Sunni, Shia, Sufi) have a version of it, under the term Tawheed (Onnes of God). Ismaili - a very small sect is also big on the panenthiestic concept.

In the Islamic view, nature itself is not seen as something seperate from the divine. Ergo much of what i see and understand as the established laws of Thermodynamics, the law of gravity, evolution, abiogenesis, birth and death of stars, planets and other objects, All that has been established through repeated experiment. Is all part of the divine in a sense. 

Its' kind of like how Foxhound_Fox said, it is reflexively Thiestic and Athiestic. 

Please don't take me as someone who is only looking for quotes in the Quran to justify my beliefs. Or simply with an agenda to make, it's something personal that i keep to myself.

If i were doing ground breaking research and i couldn't figure something out my answer isn't "God did it", it's "I don't know, someone smarter then me will have to figure it out". 

I do love the Sufi saying though "the point of life is to struggle towards perfection, whilst knowing that we will never reach perfection". in essence, in the human experience, as we learn and figure out the world before us, we will never learn or comprehend it all. In another sense it matches with in an evolutionary sense as well. Reminds me of a story of the Prophet once saying that "think of the sea as a body of knoweldge, all of that man will be able to comprehend is that residue of water upon ones man's finger". 

Anyways.. hmm.. hope that answers your question perhaps? 

-How would you label yourself in regards to theological belief?

Christian of the Roman Catholic variety.

-Are you a naturalist?

No.

-Do you believe that evolution by natural selection accounts for the diversity of life on earth?

Yes.

-Do you believe that abiogenesis ocurred on earth?

Yes.

-How old do you believe the earth is?

Billions of years old. Unsure of the exact numbers, but orders of the magnitude greater than six-thousand years.

-Do you believe that morality is absolute or relative?

Absolute.

-Do you believe that the universe is deterministic?

Deterministic. I have yet to see a compelling case to the contrary. Even "random" quantum mechanics is a measurable function of probability.

-Do you believe that we have free will?

I  believe so -- even as directly contradictory this notion seems to the statement above.

-How would you label yourself in regards to the abortion debate?

Pro-life.

-Democratic or Republican? 

I tend to prefer Republicans, but they've really gone off the deep end recently. (see: Tea Party)

-Do you believe in any conspiracy theories? Biigfoot, aliens at Roswell, 9/11 government conspiracy, faked moon landing etc

No.

-What do you think of Richard Dawkins?

Tends to make interesting, well-founded arguments. Also seems to handle himself in a manner which could potentially offend persons who, for whatever reason, are sensitive.

-Cake or Pie? 

Pie, obviously.

Time for a new post in this thread. I've changed quite a bit over time.

-How would you label yourself in regards to theological belief? 

Ignostic nontheist.

 -Are you a naturalist? 

No, but I don't believe in supernatural entities like gods and spirits. 

-Do you believe that evolution by natural selection accounts for the diversity of life on earth?

Yes. I have no reason to deny that.

-Do you believe that abiogenesis ocurred on earth?

It seems to be a plausible theory. I have no objections.

-How old do you believe the earth is?

Whatever age is currently accepted by the scientific community, I guess. All I know for sure is that I am not a young-earth creationist or anyone like that.

-Do you believe that morality is absolute or relative?

Absolute. I adhere to a form of virtue ethics based on ethics of care and Comtean ethical altruism. 

-Do you believe that the universe is deterministic?

Because it is impossible to show that causality exists, I have no reason to believe that the universe is deterministic.

-Do you believe that we have free will?

No, but I assume that it is true for ethical and pragmatic reasons.

-How would you label yourself in regards to the abortion debate? 

Pro-choice. A potential life is not a life. And even if it were a life, its rights would not supercede or conflict with the rights of the woman. I regard abortion as an excerise of reproductive autonomy like contraception. I also see abortion as a woman's choice, not a man's.

-Democratic or Republican? 

Neither. I'm an anarcho-syndicalist.

-Do you believe in any conspiracy theories? Bigfoot, aliens at Roswell, 9/11 government conspiracy, faked moon landing etc

Nope. 

-What do you think of Richard Dawkins?

I don't care about him.

-Cake or Pie? 

Both. 

-How would you label yourself in regards to theological belief?

Panendeist

-Are you a naturalist?

No

-Do you believe that evolution by natural selection accounts for the diversity of life on earth?

Yes

-Do you believe that abiogenesis occurred on earth?

Have not enough knowledge to even form a belief about this but it doesn't seem completely improbable.

-How old do you believe the earth is?

A little over four billion years

-Do you believe that morality is absolute or relative?

Relative

-Do you believe that the universe is deterministic?

Not sure

-Do you believe that we have free will?

Not sure.

-How would you label yourself in regards to the abortion debate?

Not convinced but pro-choice.

-Democratic or Republican?

Not applicable. I would call myself a social liberal per the European definition

-Do you believe in any conspiracy theories? Bigfoot, aliens at Roswell, 9/11 government conspiracy, faked moon landing etc

Nope

-What do you think of Richard Dawkins?

Annoying

-Cake or Pie?

Pie

-How would you label yourself in regards to theological belief? note this question is asking about what you believe not what you know

Atheist

-Are you a naturalist? naturalism is synonymous with materialism and physicalism which state that physical matter is the only reality. This view denies that anythingsupernatural exists.

Yes

-Do you believe that evolution by natural selection accounts for the diversity of life on earth?

Yes

-Do you believe that abiogenesis ocurred on earth?

Yes

-How old do you believe the earth is?

A little over four billion years

-Do you believe that morality is absolute or relative?

Relative

-Do you believe that the universe is deterministic?

Not really

-Do you believe that we have free will?

Yes

-How would you label yourself in regards to the abortion debate? This debate is often too complicated for labels so feel free to elaborate on your standpoint.

Pro-choice

-Democratic or Republican? This one won't apply to many people (including myself) so either put not applicable or give us your political views

None. Politics bore me to death mostly

-Do you believe in any conspiracy theories? Biigfoot, aliens at Roswell, 9/11 government conspiracy, faked moon landing etc

Nada.

-What do you think of Richard Dawkins?

Don't know much about him really

-Cake or Pie? (inb4lies)

Pizza pie

 Ignostic Non-Theist.

-Are you a naturalist?

 Yes.

-Do you believe that evolution by natural selection accounts for the diversity of life on earth?

Yes.

-Do you believe that abiogenesis ocurred on earth?

Yes.

-How old do you believe the earth is?

Approximately 4.54 billion years.

-Do you believe that morality is absolute or relative?

 Relative. Though on a normative level I'm more or less utilitarian.

-Do you believe that the universe is deterministic?

Yes.

-Do you believe that we have free will?

No.

-How would you label yourself in regards to the abortion debate?

 Pro-choice.

-Democratic or Republican?

 Neither. I'm non-partisan.

-Do you believe in any conspiracy theories? Biigfoot, aliens at Roswell, 9/11 government conspiracy, faked moon landing etc

No.

-What do you think of Richard Dawkins?

I haven't read much of his material and he's not really someone I look towards on the subject of counter-apologetics, so I don't really have an opinion on him.

-Cake or Pie? (inb4lies)

Cake.

Finally put this together.

How would you label yourself in regards to theological belief?

Agnostic atheist, gradually leaning towards gnostic atheism.

Are you a naturalist? naturalism is synonymous with materialism and physicalism which state that physical matter is the only reality. This view denies that anything supernatural exists.

Yes, though a small part of me is open to the possibility of there being a transcendence of some kind.

But generally, yes.

Do you believe that evolution by natural selection accounts for the diversity of life on earth?

Yes, and I'm fairly sure, based on heaps of evidence, that it's true.

Hang on, Chuck Missler says that evolution can't happen otherwise we would find new life in jars of peanut butter! Oh noes!

Oh, he mixed up abiogenesis with evolution, a process that requires very specific conditions to occur! NVM.

Do you believe that abiogenesis ocurred on earth?

Yes, I don't think life could not have started any other way.

How old do you believe the earth is?

Around four and a half billion years old.

Do you believe that morality is absolute or relative?

Mostly relative, there's no doubt about that. There aren't necessarily good or bad people, though there are extremes we can agree on.

Do you believe that the universe is deterministic?

The following applies, provided I actually grasped this properly, and I'm not 100% that the statements I make are reliable or true.

If we're not talking about the universe on a macroscopic scale, I do think cause-effect occurs. Not everything is totally random. However, despite strict laws of physics, I generally don't think that the universe is determinstic. The fact that science is constantly changing and that any prior knowledge of the universe is being questioned and nitpicked more than a 5YO girl's hair during a headlice scare, as well as the theory of quantum mechanics, is a testament to the fact that it largely isn't. Or at least, not absolutely (necessitarianism) which seems very unplausable to me.

I also don't have fatalist views, though I had a friend with strong atheist views who are also fatalists and believe future events are pre-determined. My mental capacity was too low at the time to question his view, let alone grasp it!

Do you believe that we have free will?

To a degree, yes we do. In fact, genetic_code seems to hit the nail on the head for me:

"I believe that humans possess free will to select an action out of many possibilities. I believe that our environment can affect this decision but we filter our choices presented by our environment and decide ultimately what we believe is best for us."

How would you label yourself in regards to the abortion debate? This debate is often too complicated for labels so feel free to elaborate on your standpoint.

This debate is so done to death and I often just reply faceciously with "needs more salt". That aside, I fit the pro-choice label.

I also want to reiterate one of ChiliDragon's posts:

"I also believe that the most effective way to reduce abortions is to reduce the need for them, not to make them impossible to get or socially unforgivable."

Democratic or Republican? This one won't apply to many people (including myself) so either put not applicable or give us your political views

Probably N/A. I lean very much towards liberal views, though. I'm too close to the centre and don't pay enough attention to world events and political/econmic systems to really pinpoint mine. I'd like to, but my interest isn't great enough.

Do you believe in any conspiracy theories? Biigfoot, aliens at Roswell, 9/11 government conspiracy, faked moon landing etc

Sweet merciful Jesus, f*ck no. That's not to dismiss all of them, just 99% of them. Don't you just love Occam's razor?

What do you think of Richard Dawkins?

Despite my initial thoughts, and despite myself, I actually respect him for most part and I've even taken an interest in The God Delusion. I also respect his right to an opinion, and freedom of speech on religious issues is a luxury when you consider some parts of the world but his attitude annoys the hell out of me and as Alister McGrath says, he has little knowledge of the intricacies of Christian theology (or that's the jist I get whenever I witness him in religious debate). It might be irrelevant in the grand scheme of things but I'm unable to ignore it and sweep it under the carpet.

However, he doesn't strike me as militant (even though he acts as if he's right sometimes) or a douche, he just pushes things too much.

Cake or Pie? (inb4lies)

Cake. Especially cheese cake. Omnomnomnom.

But I'm also partial to apple pie.

Is there an atheistic dogma?

I see atheism as more of a philosophy (rationalism) than a belief system.

 I'm also not entirely sold on naturalism, though I'm still an agnostic atheist and I don't necessarily believe in any supernatural entity. My gripe with metaphysical naturalism is purely epistemic.

As regards free will, determinism, and causality, you might find David Hume's work very interesting. His views on causality and morality in particular have definitely shaped my philosophical views considerably.

I actually wanted to question you on your views. My initial response was "There are smart and dumb people, and though there are good and bad extremes, smart people tend to know that morality isn't black and white." However, upon seeing your's and other's responses, I'm not entirely sure (and that was a cynical view anyway). I'm curious and interested as to why you believe morality is absolute, and if you could elaborate on your gripe with naturalism?

As I've never dabbled in philosophy but considered it, I'll look into Daved Hume's work.

I actually wanted to question you on your views. My initial response was "There are smart and dumb people, and though there are good and bad extremes, smart people tend to know that morality isn't black and white." However, upon seeing your's and other's responses, I'm not entirely sure (and that was a cynical view anyway). I'm curious and interested as to why you believe morality is absolute, and if you'd like to see you elaborate on your gripe with naturalism?

As I've never dabbled in philosophy but considered it, I'll look into Daved Hume's work.

Spitfirer

In my view, the true fools are those who presume that morality is static and immune to criticism. In other words, people who espouse dogmatic normative ethics. But the arguments for moral relativism, as far as I can tell, are full of flaws. Take, for instance, the argument from consensus: since disagreement on morality is rife, there is no objective standard of morality. This argument is flawed because it is really a fallacious appeal to popularity in disguise; the assumption here is that only what most people agree on is the true standard. And as you know, popularity doesn't necessarily determine truth - otherwise, Christianity would be pretty hard to criticize. This is just one example of an argument for moral relativism that I regard as daft.

As for my position on morality, this is a question that is so profound for me that I have to write an essay to explain my views. When I have the time, I can explain, though; I really don't mind, and putting my thoughts on paper (or text in this case) helps me think about my views in a different light.

Regarding naturalism, my main gripe with it is that it fails to answer the hard problem of consciousness. That is, I don't think that science can really tell us whether the mind is actually one with the body. In other words, I'm a metaphysical dualist in some sense.

In my view, the true fools are those who presume that morality is static and immune to criticism. In other words, people who espouse dogmatic normative ethics. But the arguments for moral relativism, as far as I can tell, are full of flaws. Take, for instance, the argument from consensus: since disagreement on morality is rife, there is no objective standard of morality. This argument is flawed because it is really a fallacious appeal to popularity in disguise; the assumption here is that only what most people agree on is the true standard. And as you know, popularity doesn't necessarily determine truth - otherwise, Christianity would be pretty hard to criticize. This is just one example of an argument for moral relativism that I regard as daft.

As for my position on morality, this is a question that is so profound for me that I have to write an essay to explain my views. When I have the time, I can explain, though; I really don't mind, and putting my thoughts on paper (or text in this case) helps me think about my views in a different light.

Regarding naturalism, my main gripe with it is that it fails to answer the hard problem of consciousness. That is, I don't think that science can really tell us whether the mind is actually one with the body. In other words, I'm a metaphysical dualist in some sense.

ghoklebutter

1st Paragraph: I understand your point now, and how irksome that contradiction is. Personally, I do think individual situations call for different interpretations, but I just realised that I can't always come to conclusions without any kind of moral standard to build up on in the first place, if you get me.

2nd Paragraph: I look forward to a time where you may well get round to explaining your views.

On your final point, this is something I actually overlooked when thinking about the subject of naturalism. Though I very much lean towards it much more, I can't come to any definite conclusions about conciousness and the existence of a soul.

Thank you for that, by the way.

1. I agree that individual situations usually require different interpretation. I believe that the goal of normative ethics is to find a theory that can fit all situations. Without solid ethical theories, we are relegated to wavering between major ethical theories - and that's bad. 

And yeah, I get you. In fact, I'm inclined to believe that, as Hume et al have argued, humanity's moral faculty lies in the natural feeling of sympathy for others. There always seems to be some kind of standard, whether it is implicit or explicit. 

2. Hm, I think I can further delineate my views here, actually.

Basically, I'm a rule utilitarian who has espoused care ethics and virtue ethics. Virtue ethics is an ethical theory based on moral character, and care ethics is a metaethical paradigm that emphasizes caring relations between individuals.

Also, I'm an Comtean ethical altruist; I believe that the purpose of life is to help others, and any ethical theory that is inherently based on self-interest is not a real ethical theory. Lastly, I am an ethical non-naturalist, which means that I don't think that moral propositions can be rationally derived from non-moral, natural sources. I also think that it the question "Why should I be moral?" is a meaningless, misguided question. I'll elaborate on that last view if you don't understand. 

I think that science is incapable of telling us about the nature of consciousness, but I don't believe in the existence of the soul per se. 

It's no problem. Philosophy is always good to discuss. 

I'm now a moral subjectivist and an pessimistic indeterminist, in that there's no such thing as free will nor does the universe act in a purely linear sense. Do I want to believe in moral universalism and free will? Yes, but there's no solid evidence backing up. I wouldn't be surprised if it was wrong, but I have to wonder how that could be proven correct.

I'm now a moral subjectivist and an pessimistic indeterminist, in that there's no such thing as free will nor does the universe act in a purely linear sense. Do I want to believe in moral universalism and free will? Yes, but there's no solid evidence backing up. I wouldn't be surprised if it was wrong, but I have to wonder how that could be proven correct.

Genetic_Code

What kind of evidence would you need to believe that morality is objective?

Also, I don't understand what you mean by "purely linear." I'm pretty sure that the existence of causality itself precludes the possibility of the universe running in a slightly-less-than-linear way. 

By the way, have you read David Hume's essays on epistemology and free will? They might be of interest to you.

-How would you label yourself in regards to theological belief?

Atheist

-Are you a naturalist?

Yes

-Do you believe that evolution by natural selection accounts for the diversity of life on earth?

Yes

-Do you believe that abiogenesis ocurred on earth?

Yes

-How old do you believe the earth is?

4.5 big ones

-Do you believe that morality is absolute or relative?

I guss relative; with a strong shades of utilitarianism from a normative perspective.

-Do you believe that the universe is deterministic?

I'm leaning towards a yes. Coincidentally, I've recently become ambivalent on this issue.

-Do you believe that we have free will?

No

-How would you label yourself in regards to the abortion debate?

Pro-choice. Any moral underpinnings held with the decision should be dealt with the person(s) involved and not in a court of law.

-Democratic or Republican?

lol

-Do you believe in any conspiracy theories? Biigfoot, aliens at Roswell, 9/11 government conspiracy, faked moon landing etc

No, I don't believe in any grand, overarching conspiracies or what have you. I do take a liking of the lizard-related conspiracy theories, though.

-What do you think of Richard Dawkins?

From what I've seen, he comes off as a pretty cool guy, and his "militancy" is very much overstated. He comes off as rather respectful in discussions pertaining religion-- never overstepping his ground. He does get quite frustrated when discussing things with creationists, but who can really blame him? I haven't dug too deep into his academic works, but I've recently been toying with the idea of picking up The Selfish Gene. Would anyone here recommend it?

-Cake or Pie? (inb4lies)

Pie (assuming cheesecake is being classified under pie).

What kind of evidence would you need to believe that morality is objective?

Also, I don't understand what you mean by "purely linear." I'm pretty sure that the existence of causality itself precludes the possibility of the universe running in a slightly-less-than-linear way.

By the way, have you read David Hume's essays on epistemology and free will? They might be of interest to you.

ghoklebutter

Non-Denominational Christian, as I have yet to find a particular sect of Christianity with which I can 100% agree.

-Are you a naturalist? naturalism is synonymous with materialism and physicalism which state that physical matter is the only reality. This view denies that anythingsupernatural exists.

No, although I am a skeptic when it comes to stories of ghosts or "spirits" appearing in the physical world.

-Do you believe that evolution by natural selection accounts for the diversity of life on earth?

Yes. 

-Do you believe that abiogenesis ocurred on earth?

Yes.

-How old do you believe the earth is?

Around 4.5 billion years.

-Do you believe that morality is absolute or relative?

Morality is subjective, though I personally follow and believe in an objective moral code. There is no magical force that compels us to adhere to the Christian (or any other) set of morals.

-Do you believe that the universe is deterministic?

Yes.

-Do you believe that we have free will?

I believe in the illusion of free will, but the reality is most certainly that we do not have free will in the most literal sense.

-How would you label yourself in regards to the abortion debate? This debate is often too complicated for labels so feel free to elaborate on your standpoint.

Personally, I am pro-life. Politically, I am pro-choice.

-Democratic or Republican? This one won't apply to many people (including myself) so either put not applicable or give us your political views

Centrist. No extreme on the political spectrum is appealing to me.

-Do you believe in any conspiracy theories? Biigfoot, aliens at Roswell, 9/11 government conspiracy, faked moon landing etc

No.

-What do you think of Richard Dawkins?

He's an interesting figure, a great scientist, and is entirely entitled to his own opinion of religion. Often I find it disheartening to watch him debate with Christians, because they seem to become hostile when they realize that they can't match him blow for blow in a debate grounded entirely in logic.

-Cake or Pie? (inb4lies)

Cake, but only if chocolate. Otherwise, pie, but only if filled with something other than chocolate.

First of all, most people who claim to be religious are not.  They confuse religion with church.  Most so-called religious folk follow a church, not a religion.  Most religious leaders don't proclaim religion nor do they want religion to prevail.  All they do is spread the word and views of their church in order to retain power over their flock and to be self-sustaining.  Churches have only one goal and that is to survive, whatever means necessary, whatever the cost among their flock.

Secondly, Atheism is not a religion, though some my claim that; usually religious folk, of course.  A-theïsm: against religion.  Should atheism be a religion, the word wouldn't exist.