RSS
Home
Atheism and Skepticism
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
.jpg)
The Thinker - Image from Wikimedia.org
When you ask someone why they became an atheist, the most common response is that once they investigated the evidence for God they found it lacking to the point where believing in God was no longer plausible. This means of conversion shows a commitment to what is logical, to investigating beliefs and attempting to come to the truth regardless of our preconceptions. This is at the heart of skepticism.
Granted, not all atheists are skeptics. Many people who come to the conclusion that God does not exist may still cling to other “sacred cows”. Humans are good at compartmentalization and may exercise skepticism in one area and not do it as much in another area. Atheists can believe in ghosts, psychics, homeopathy, UFOs, Bigfoot, etc… It’s always important to recognize that atheism is an answer to one question, and doesn’t do a lot to describe someone’s philosophy and way of life.
Skepticism, on the other hand, can tell you a lot more about a person. Skepticism is not the act of doubting for the sake of doubting. Skepticism denotes a commitment to truth and the scientific method. Skeptics are willing to believe anything as long as the evidence meets the rigorous standards of the scientific method. Unlike those who believe without evidence or those who doubt just for the sake of doubting, skeptics can tell you exactly what it would take for them to change their mind. This shows a commitment to an open mind, with an appropriate filter to prevent that mind from being open to any crazy idea.
Skepticism, in its own way, is a field of study. To be a skeptic, one must first have a good grasp of science and the scientific method followed by an understanding of logical fallacies. A good skeptic also understands concepts like Occam’s razor and confirmation bias, as well as the phenomenon of pareidolia. All these tools help to build a good skeptical mind that weeds out what is most likely to be false from what is most likely to be true.
In order to be a true skeptic, you must apply the standards of skepticism to every aspect of life in a reasonable way, and hold on to no sacred cows. Skeptics are often said to be close-minded, but this is far from the truth. This video on open-mindedness explains the skeptical viewpoint perfectly:
Not all atheists are skeptics, and not all skeptics are atheists. However, at the end of the day, it is fair to say that the atheist and skeptical community significantly overlap.
Related Articles:
Podcasts: a wonderful tool for atheist radio shows
Related Articles:
Comments
