No, thank you for being clear. I was working it out as I went along, and phrasing in an amusing way. It's not a core or necessary atheist belief, but I think it's *an* aspect that applies to some people in some ways, namely:
* Some atheists say, "Even if God does exist as described [either monotheistic or polytheistic Gods], I don't agree with that, I don't think that makes him good or gives him moral authority, I'm not following". (FWIW, I wouldn't go that far, but many aspects of God and gods as described do give me problems, it's not as simple as, I don't think God doesn't exist, if he did, it would all be ok.)
* Some atheists say much the same thing, but rather than arguing about theoretical moral absolutes say "People are starving, my grandparents died, if there's any sort of God at all, he sucks." (That's not a whole argument, there's lots of reason there *can* be God, but still suffering.)
* Almost no-one says "There *is* a God, but I don't like him," though that's what Lord Asrael says. Which isn't atheist, literally, although many religious people get the ideas confused.
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Date: 2008-02-05 12:39 pm (UTC)* Some atheists say, "Even if God does exist as described [either monotheistic or polytheistic Gods], I don't agree with that, I don't think that makes him good or gives him moral authority, I'm not following". (FWIW, I wouldn't go that far, but many aspects of God and gods as described do give me problems, it's not as simple as, I don't think God doesn't exist, if he did, it would all be ok.)
* Some atheists say much the same thing, but rather than arguing about theoretical moral absolutes say "People are starving, my grandparents died, if there's any sort of God at all, he sucks." (That's not a whole argument, there's lots of reason there *can* be God, but still suffering.)
* Almost no-one says "There *is* a God, but I don't like him," though that's what Lord Asrael says. Which isn't atheist, literally, although many religious people get the ideas confused.