Can atheism be defined as the belief that "science can explain all?"?

Question: Can atheism be defined as the belief that "science can explain all!?"!?

Atheism is commonly defined as a belief that there is no existence of God, gods, or a higher power!. My philosophical friend prefers to call atheism stupid and a contradiction!. She instead defines atheism as the belief that science can explain everything, an assertation that I believe to be wrong!. Does believing that no higher power exists to attribute our free will to mean that we have no free will!? I guess the real question is whether or not free will and atheism should be questioned together or separately!. Or how about this statement of hers-- atheists cannot truly be happy because since believe science can explain everything and therefore there is no such thing as free will, they will realize that they cannot do anything for themselves and will wallow in misery for eternity!. Come on, is this or is this not narrowly defining atheism for her own convenience!? I think I just need someone to agree with me!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

I think your friend is twisting the idea of atheism so that she can make herself feel more important!. Atheism is very simply not believing in god or gods!. Everything else that your friend is concerned about really doesn't make a difference one way or the other, because she is just wrong!.

Atheism does not automatically equal a belief in science!. It just doesn't work that way, at least not for everyone!.

To say atheists cannot be happy is a misguided notion, at best!. What determines if a person is truly happy!? And also, if a person (regardless if they were atheist or simply human) were to spontaneously realize they had no free will (!!!) why would that make them miserable!? I don't see any connection!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Your friend's an idiot!. How can science (a constant) and free will (open and up for interpretation) intertwine like that!? If anything, your religious friend is the one lacking in free will since she is told what to believe and that her god is the "only" god, as she is kept being told every sunday!. Atheists are the ones with free will since they look at religion from the third person perspective with no bias!. How does believing that their god is the "only" god let them look at other religions without being unbiased!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

The simple truth is that Most of the people who label themselves as atheists are not atheists at all!. They are just reacting to a negative religious upbringing!. Having finally seen the conflicting nonsense that religion told them as a lie, they assume that everything that religion told them must be a lie to!. God included!.

So they sort of throw the baby (God) out with the bath water (religion)

Love and blessings DonWww@QuestionHome@Com

Some atheists don't believe in science!.
Some scientists believe in a god!.

Scientific atheists don't believe in a soul, so there are two branches: one believes we have free will due to the randomness of our molecules, one believes we don't have free will because we are constrained by our bodily functions and chemistry, but we can have knowledge and opinions!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Your friend is wrong!. It's usually Christians who believe everything can be explained,either by the Bible or God
Himself in the afterlife!. As an agnostic who leans toward
atheism,I can say people without blind faith in a higher
power recognize the fact that there are a lot of things we
will never understand!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

atheism is simply the lack of belief in a god!. it is an umbrella term really!. there are many types of atheists!. there are atheists that believe in ghosts and such which is certainly not scientific but none the less they dont believe in god so they are still atheists!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

No it can't, because theism can use science to "prove" it!. Just as Atheism does not mean you need science not to believe in a god!. Sorry, you're description of atheism is not very good, because you seem to be ignorant about a few things!. So I disagree!.!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I am a non-believer, you Xians can quit calling names if you want a real answer from me!.
Actually, there is nothing to answer here anyway, as it is just a bunch of senseless rambling as far as I can tell!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I am sure many atheists believe that, but an atheist could still believe there are unexplained phenomena without attributing these to a higher power!. The two assertions are not the same!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Holy cwap dude!. She doesnt believe in free will!? THEN HOW ON EARTH CAN SHE CONCEIVE OF THAT IDEA!?
SCIENCE!?
Its no wonder your mind is boggled, stand back and examine that for just 5 seconds!.
Good LuckWww@QuestionHome@Com

No!. I agree with the answer above me!.

Your friend sounds very much like a disgrace to the philosophical world!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

No, it is the belief that religion can't explain anythingWww@QuestionHome@Com

NO!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

certainly not!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Atheism cannot be equated to the belief, that Every thing can be explained by Science!. Atheist is a NON BELEVER in GOD!.The very fact that he doe snot believe in the existence of God shows that he recognizes God!. Many educated believe Science can explain all happenings in and around us in the World!. But it is not so!. The very fact that you have a MIND to THINK makes you to understand that there is a POWER above all of us!. You call it anything!. It is a Super Power!. A person well aged wrote in front of his bed GOD IS NO WHERE, and kept reading it each night before going to bed!. But on that fateful day , he read ,the same writhing on the wall as : GOD IS NOW HERE!. It is just a change of one letter/ space!. !.Www@QuestionHome@Com

both the concepts of atheism and god are screwed up!.

if at all!.!.!.agnostics got somewhere close to perceiving life in a more sensible manner!.

There is a mystical dimension to life!.!.!.!. which has to be perceived beyond the rational realm!.

But even when you talk about science!.!.!. a rational exploration of dimension that transcends rationality is also classified as science!

Astrology is classified as science!.!.!.and so is metaphysics!

there are many established sciences that do deal with that dimension!.!.!. like black magic, tantra , paganism etc!.

Nature has immense intelligence, there is a symmetry to how life behaves!.!.!. it reflects an awareness!.!.!.

micro expressions of life like humans are a small fraction of the cosmic expression in myriad ways!.!.!.!.

there is an undeniable mystical dimension to life!.!.!. as acknowledged by many scientists, even Einstein!.!.!.

Science is the key to mysticism!.Www@QuestionHome@Com