Basically, there are three ways to view the world, or "life, universe and all the rest" as Douglas Adams so sympathetically phrased it:
- materialism
i.e. the world exists exclusively as we know it by means of science.
No fate, no life before or after death, and as no god can be scientifically detected, there is none unless proved otherwise. - theism:
Well, you guys know a lot more about this than I do. - non-theism:
Represented in different schools of Hinduism, Jainism, Taoism and of course Buddhism, non-theist concepts do not need any concept of a creator god, as principles of karma and rebirth subsitute the role of a creator.
Atheists are usually listed in under point 1, which is not fully correct, as this position can be assumed both from a hardcore-materialist position and from a non-theist persective alike.
Position 2 has a bit of a setback: As a claim needs to be made, convincing others not only requires some proof or at least logic reasoning, but also a definition of the scope of knowledge and the mechanisms at work.
A literal interpretation of theist scriptures thus inevitably attempts to explain the essence of a divine and allmighty being and its actions by means of various translations of scriptures that were passed on orally in at least some decades. 2000 years ago.
From an atheist position, it would seem to me that for a theist believer, would not be reducing the concept of an almighty godbeing to a description literally taken the worst blasphemy?
Do not get me wrong, I deeply respect theist believes.
Yet, I related to them in the tradition of Matth.7, 20 - "Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them."
Humanitarian values as expressed by many Christians traditions and activities, are a wonderful contribution to the world. Meeting such people, I will not share their religious views.
But I will happily greet them as friends.
You're duped by the vanity of existence - "EVERYTHING is vanity and vexation of spirit" - Ecc 1:14
Ecc 1:14? thanks.
Duped? Nope. I can even agree.
Yet if everything is vanity (by the meaning of delusion) and spirit, then still it is perceived by beings on a spectrum between joy and suffering. Hence Matt 7,20.
That is unless you want to use Ecc 1:14 as a general knockout term, which renders all debate futile.
Which is fine with me, as I see no need to prove my own view of the world.
My point is a bit more subtle than that of the atheists: I do not deny the existence of a god as many materialists would. I simply see no logical need or indication to the existence of a creator god from perspective 3.
Which is what you make of it.