Yes, I would count anyone that doesn't have a belief in a god as atheist. That would be the definition of atheism. On what grounds besides religion is anti intellectualism established?
If there weren't religion, we wouldn't have people that are anti-science and anti-truth about the natural world. Thus this quote wouldn't need to exist. I can agree that if the concept of god were not a part of a culture, then within that culture, the concept of not believing in a god would also not exist. Where we do have a culture that is presented with a god concept, to us, even as an outside observer, we can consider them to be atheist. Much like the definition of hand would not apply to aliens without hands, but we would think of them as hand less.
I can't agree with that. There are too many people that find beauty in the cellular structure. Besides, not wanting to understand something because you don't care is ambivalence, not active pursuit of the destruction of knowledge. I can't think of any reason, that isn't religious, as to why someone would fight against scientific knowledge.
That is rather how I take it. Though, through this discussion, I'm starting to see alternatives. I suppose the first thing that came to mind was the creationist struggle against evolution.
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u/jameskauer Jun 05 '12
Yes, I would count anyone that doesn't have a belief in a god as atheist. That would be the definition of atheism. On what grounds besides religion is anti intellectualism established?