What are your unpopular opinions? (Vol. 2)
Discussion
bodhi said:
Curious argument, considering as I posted earlier Dictionary.com defines atheism as the belief that there is no God.
Almost seems as if you're trying to convert me to your religion tbh
It is not unusual for dictionaries to have two definitions of atheism - I think Cambridge and Oxford do for example. Almost seems as if you're trying to convert me to your religion tbh
It is used in different ways, and it is easy in philosophy to get bogged down in technical definitions which lose touch with how words are used. There is also the complication of how religion has influenced society for millennia - you rarely hear people describe themselves as being agnostic about the existence of, I don't know, people having an invisible third eye on their left elbow that has no impact on the world.
That is why I think it is useful to consider how people act and not just how they describe themselves.
There are atheists who wish they had faith, so I am not sure your position makes sense in any case.
e-honda said:
Any form that is capable of making a universe.
The idea that no one created it, it's just here, it came out of nothing, or it was somehow always there, even though there was no there for it to be is as absolutely unbelievable lacking any kind of proof as the idea that it wasn't there but then something made it.
It's less unbelievable than saying something totally undetectable came out of nothing or was always there and then went on to create the universe.The idea that no one created it, it's just here, it came out of nothing, or it was somehow always there, even though there was no there for it to be is as absolutely unbelievable lacking any kind of proof as the idea that it wasn't there but then something made it.
Strangely Brown said:
Dictionaries are descriptive, not prescriptive. i.e. They record how words are or have been used. They do not define what words mean.
The literal meaning of athesim is A-theism. A lack of theism. In the same way that A-symmetry is a lack of symmetry. A-typical is a lack of typicality.
The fact that some people use atheist to be a belief in the absence of god does not change its literal meaning as written.
HTH.
I'd say you're definitely on the right thread if you're going to come out with stuff like "Dictionaries don't define what words mean", considering that's pretty much what they do. The literal meaning of athesim is A-theism. A lack of theism. In the same way that A-symmetry is a lack of symmetry. A-typical is a lack of typicality.
The fact that some people use atheist to be a belief in the absence of god does not change its literal meaning as written.
HTH.
Edited by Strangely Brown on Monday 6th February 16:26
Anyway the literal meaning of agnosticism is A-gnosticsm, and if you have a look Gnostic Atheism is definitely a thing - for eg Ricky Gervais or Prof Dawkins. Agnostic Atheism is also a thing, which is probably the form of atheism most on this thread "follow".
Gnostic Atheists can be just as irritating as other religious folk, agnostics not quite so much.
But then I've been officially ordained as a priest in the religion of Dudeism, so what do I know - other than thanks the US laws I can perform marriages in a number of US States. "We" Dudeists don't really think there's a higher power or anything, just be cool to each other and don't piss on people's rugs.
https://dudeism.com/whatisdudeism/
bodhi said:
I'd say you're definitely on the right thread if you're going to come out with stuff like "Dictionaries don't define what words mean", considering that's pretty much what they do.
Anyway the literal meaning of agnosticism is A-gnosticsm, and if you have a look Gnostic Atheism is definitely a thing - for eg Ricky Gervais or Prof Dawkins. Agnostic Atheism is also a thing, which is probably the form of atheism most on this thread "follow".
Gnostic Atheists can be just as irritating as other religious folk, agnostics not quite so much.
But then I've been officially ordained as a priest in the religion of Dudeism, so what do I know - other than thanks the US laws I can perform marriages in a number of US States. "We" Dudeists don't really think there's a higher power or anything, just be cool to each other and don't piss on people's rugs.
https://dudeism.com/whatisdudeism/
Especially not on ones that really tie the room togetherAnyway the literal meaning of agnosticism is A-gnosticsm, and if you have a look Gnostic Atheism is definitely a thing - for eg Ricky Gervais or Prof Dawkins. Agnostic Atheism is also a thing, which is probably the form of atheism most on this thread "follow".
Gnostic Atheists can be just as irritating as other religious folk, agnostics not quite so much.
But then I've been officially ordained as a priest in the religion of Dudeism, so what do I know - other than thanks the US laws I can perform marriages in a number of US States. "We" Dudeists don't really think there's a higher power or anything, just be cool to each other and don't piss on people's rugs.
https://dudeism.com/whatisdudeism/
bodhi said:
I'd say you're definitely on the right thread if you're going to come out with stuff like "Dictionaries don't define what words mean", considering that's pretty much what they do.
Anyway the literal meaning of agnosticism is A-gnosticsm, and if you have a look Gnostic Atheism is definitely a thing - for eg Ricky Gervais or Prof Dawkins. Agnostic Atheism is also a thing, which is probably the form of atheism most on this thread "follow".
Gnostic Atheists can be just as irritating as other religious folk, agnostics not quite so much.
But then I've been officially ordained as a priest in the religion of Dudeism, so what do I know - other than thanks the US laws I can perform marriages in a number of US States. "We" Dudeists don't really think there's a higher power or anything, just be cool to each other and don't piss on people's rugs.
https://dudeism.com/whatisdudeism/
English dictionaries don’t define words, they track definitions. Which is why, for example, ‘literally’ means ‘exactly’ and ‘figuratively’ because it is used both ways. Some languages have an authority which defines what is correct and not, but no such body exists for English. Anyway the literal meaning of agnosticism is A-gnosticsm, and if you have a look Gnostic Atheism is definitely a thing - for eg Ricky Gervais or Prof Dawkins. Agnostic Atheism is also a thing, which is probably the form of atheism most on this thread "follow".
Gnostic Atheists can be just as irritating as other religious folk, agnostics not quite so much.
But then I've been officially ordained as a priest in the religion of Dudeism, so what do I know - other than thanks the US laws I can perform marriages in a number of US States. "We" Dudeists don't really think there's a higher power or anything, just be cool to each other and don't piss on people's rugs.
https://dudeism.com/whatisdudeism/
TwigtheWonderkid said:
p1doc said:
loafer123 said:
On a lighter note, my unpopular opinion is that I am not interested in Happy Valley and wish the BBC would stop going on about it.
watched last 10mins as thought news was at 10 seemed ok but nothing special lol
gregs656 said:
English dictionaries don’t define words, they track definitions. Which is why, for example, ‘literally’ means ‘exactly’ and ‘figuratively’ because it is used both ways. Some languages have an authority which defines what is correct and not, but no such body exists for English.
Funnily enough the Dictionary disagrees with you.https://www.dictionary.com/browse/dictionary
Ps if anyone's internet goes down I may have broken it by searching for the word Dictionary in the Dictionary. I'll be Googling Google later to finish the job.
bodhi said:
Funnily enough the Dictionary disagrees with you.
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/dictionary
Ps if anyone's internet goes down I may have broken it by searching for the word Dictionary in the Dictionary. I'll be Googling Google later to finish the job.
That link does not disagree with what I said - 'giving information about' is not 'prescribing meaning'https://www.dictionary.com/browse/dictionary
Ps if anyone's internet goes down I may have broken it by searching for the word Dictionary in the Dictionary. I'll be Googling Google later to finish the job.
The OED: https://www.oed.com/public/oed3guide/guide-to-the-...
OED said:
The Oxford English Dictionary is not an arbiter of proper usage, despite its widespread reputation to the contrary. The Dictionary is intended to be descriptive, not prescriptive. In other words, its content should be viewed as an objective reflection of English language usage, not a subjective collection of usage ‘dos’ and ‘don'ts’. However, it does include information on which usages are, or have been, popularly regarded as ‘incorrect’. The Dictionary aims to cover the full spectrum of English language usage, from formal to slang, as it has evolved over time.
edit: I have written about this a number of times in the 'things that annoy you beyond reason thread'. It is shocking to me that adults don't understand the function of a dictionary and get angry about the fact the English language, which has been changing for as long as it has existed, hasn't remained the same as when ever they learnt it.Edited by gregs656 on Monday 6th February 18:24
QJumper said:
Golfgtimk28v said:
The issue is, as other Atheists love to do, is already deciding what others think, coming to a conclusion they think is right, and are not happy to even challenged their own thinking. They end up thinking the same as the ones they think they are different to. A religion that now has no god is still a religion.
Not really. A religion generally has a belief system that people follow, often with rules and rituals that run either as a part of, or parallel to, one's daily life.Pretty much all religions require one to do something in the practise of that religion. An atheist has no belief system, and so just gets on with life without any additional rules and rituals, and doesn't have to do anything additional.
In other words, a lack of belief isn't a religion.
bodhi said:
gregs656 said:
English dictionaries don’t define words, they track definitions. Which is why, for example, ‘literally’ means ‘exactly’ and ‘figuratively’ because it is used both ways. Some languages have an authority which defines what is correct and not, but no such body exists for English.
Funnily enough the Dictionary disagrees with you.https://www.dictionary.com/browse/dictionary
Ps if anyone's internet goes down I may have broken it by searching for the word Dictionary in the Dictionary. I'll be Googling Google later to finish the job.
It won't search for anything else until you restart your phone/app
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