Reason, logic and evidence?This... lack of belief... "non-stamp collector" trope is just a lazy bait and switch by atheists who want to talk a big game acting like they know best. And then retreat to the neutral corner whenever it suits them. #schmatheism
Your signature says;
"Strong atheism: the belief that no gods exist."
Therefore really really strong atheism is the really really strong belief that no gods exist.
And moderately strong atheism is the moderately strong belief that no gods exist.
And mild atheism is the mild belief that no gods exist.
Are you seeing the pattern here?
Look. Let me break it down for you.
If you think there's no God(s) that's either ;
- a matter of pure faith/belief. (In which case, you're doing what you accuse Christians of doing.)
OR
- a rationally held, evidence-based, tentative proposition. (In which case, you should be able to justify your position with reason, logic and evidence.)
Is God transcendent? I would submit that the term "God" is synonymous with transcendence, therefore, God cannot exist. If transcendence does not transcend everything, and more importantly the one common denominator of everything that exists, i.e. existence itself, then it isn't transcendent at all.
Whatever gods cannot transcend everything that exists are limited, and limited well defined gods are no gods at all. They are the feeble ideas of unimaginative people.
Paul comes up with a fairly good observation in 1 Corinthains 8:6 where he distinguishes between God and Christ. He points out that God is the origin of everything (including Christ) and Christ who is the means by which everything comes into existence. The title essentially denotes existence itself which is logically speaking, eternal. Lo and Behold, the bible explicitly points out that he is the beginning and the end, and that he is eternal. What a co-ink-e-dink.
Therefore, the origin of existence cannot logically exist without creating an infinite regression. Again, there can be no beginning or end to existence. Existence is eternal. To claim otherwise is to violate the law of non-contradiction (e.g. Existence doesn't exist. Nothing exists.).
There can only be a beginning or end to things that exist. If your god is a thing, then it is created. Again, created gods are not really gods.
Paul says something else that is quite interesting in his letter to the Galatians. He points out that "we know god or rather are known of him...etc." He corrects himself because God cannot be known. Why? Because the term refers to omniscience, and omniscience cannot be known, nor can one assume a knower as it is exclusively referring to the faculty itself.
Again, it is no coincidence that Luke records Paul referring to the Unknown god which is the only god one can refer to when referring to omniscience. Of course, it naturally follows that the term can have no referent as one cannot refer to what one can't know. There is only the concept, and it is essentially synonymous with nothing. By definition, nothing doesn't exist.