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Originally Posted by pseudonymus
No, the genuine Atheist [a-theism does not mean materialism] will not go to hell, because the Atheist is closer to Divine Truth than he realizes.
There is a theological school of thought, which I personally use, called "Via Negativa," which basically takes the path of denying or negating God as a way to come to an understanding of what God is. Google: "Apophatic Theology."
A quick quote that aptly describes Via Negativa, from the Wikipedia article regarding Apophatic Theology:
"We do not know what God is. God Himself does not know what He is because He is not anything [i.e., "not any created thing"]. Literally God is not, because He transcends being." -- John Scotus Erigena
The Atheist is just one step behind the natural philosopher and Buddhist. The Atheist will say to themselves: "God does not exist." And the natural philosopher and Buddhist will take that line of thought one step further and ask: "Then what is the quiddity of non-existence?"
The Atheist will say: "I don't believe in God because he is nowhere to be seen or observed." The natural philosopher and Buddhist will take that one step further and ask: "Then what is the quiddity of Nowhere?"
The Atheist will say: "God is not real." The natural philosopher and Buddhist will take that one step further and ask: "Then what is the quiddity of Non-reality?"
The Atheist will say: "God is nothing." The natural philosopher and Buddhist will take that line of thought one step further and ask: "Then what is the quiddity/suchess of No-Thingness [sunyata]?"
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Such an interesting comment.
I can vouch for such questioning.
I spent many years as an atheist and I also spent quite a lot of time exploring these sorts of ideas and feelings.
As a result, when someone asks me what religion I am or what I believe, I now say that I am a 'nothing' - as in I believe in the beingness contained or the possibility of being contained within the nothing.
I currently have no other name for this state other then 'nothing' lol.
So I went from believing in nothing to being a nothing so that I could be a something... Lol...