Posted by:
kolobian
(
)
Date: December 05, 2011 01:34PM
When someone says "I don't believe in god" they are doing a huge disservice to atheists everywhere and this is why:
1. It assumes we know what you mean by "god."
2. It bolsters monotheists' beliefs because they think you're addressing their god specifically, albeit negatively, but you're still making them feel special.
Isn't it better to not give them any ammo to begin with? Why assume we know what they're talking about, and why let them assume you're talking about their god specifically?
Isn't it better to say "I don't believe in any gods?"
This phrase seriously pisses off a lot of monotheists because you marginalize their god as just one of a number of god claims that you don't feel the need to address specifically. That's a great start.
Plus, it places the burden of proof back on the theist because you haven't already accepted their claim that there is only one god in which you can either beleive or not believe.
I think the best way to cut through theistic nonsense is to remove all assumptions and make them start from scratch. Since the burden of proof is on them, make them prove everything. Until they can prove that a god exists they have no business asserting that there is only one. Therefore "I don't believe in god" doesn't make sense.
"I don't believe in any gods" is much better in my humble opinion.
I could be wrong, though.