After that, the conversation has branched out into a contrast of atheism vs. nihilism, down to the last few replies. Now, although I'd rather not take the focus of the last post, which like I said, is my main concern and issue, in respect of the discussion already started, I will try to address these last posts.
Here's one of my first posts...
Thief wrote:atheism is not the same as nihilism.
Mountain Man, on the other hand, says that...
Mountain Man wrote:nihilism is the only conclusion logically consistent within an atheistic worldview (and I've explained why in previous posts). That is to say that if all atheists were logically consistent then all atheists would be nihilists;
However, in the same post, you say...
Mountain Man wrote:I readily concede that many (most?) atheists are not nihilists which says to me that many atheists are not logically consistent.
And that is why I said that, in a way, you are agreeing with my initial point. You are actually conceding that many atheists are not nihilists, which is my belief as well. They are two different doctrines, or whatever you want to call them, hence why we both agree that both groups don't overlap completely. Now, you see it as logically inconsistent, but I disagree. Let's establish that...
atheism = a disbelief in the existence of deity.
nihilism = the belief that traditional morals, ideas, beliefs, etc., have no worth or value.
That's from Merriam-Webster, but I doubt you'll find very different meanings anywhere else. And if you don't see the difference in those two ways of thinking, well, then I don't know what to say. Sure, many atheists are also nihilists because their disbelief in a deity also leads them to think that life, then, has no meaning, worth, or value. But that is not the case with all atheists. Atheists can adhere to many moralistic/ethical doctrines and ways of thinking, as long as it doesn't involve the belief in a deity. They can go from moral universalism, to Platonism, to humanism, and whatnot. The bottom line is that there is no inconsistency whatsoever in being an atheist, but not a nihilist.