What is the nature of belief?

[killerchinchilla]

Ok, if we imagine you live in an isolated community which has no concept of a god, what does that make them? Are they atheist? If religion of any kind is then introduced to them, those that then make them atheist?

I've been running this through my tiny tired brain for some time and just want to know other peoples thoughts on it. Is atheism a belief in itself because there is a concept of god, if not what is it?

Let me offer an example, if someone says there is a monster in your local lake you have the choice of believing it, or not. Before this was brought up it was just nothing, it wasn't a belief there wasn't a monster because there was no concept of a monster. However now the concept has been introduced you are now in a situation of either believing in the monster or not. There needs to be no evidence for the claim, just a statement that there is a monster and its in your local lake.

I know that this is a concept in itself, that being an atheist is a form of belief, but what do other people think?

Hope I've put my point across, if its confusing I do apologise, I'm not always able to put my thoughts across very well.

[Chaigidel]

I would say that yes God is necessary for an Atheist hence the a- part of theist.

and the lack of any concept of a god would not be a belief -- until the monster in the lake was offered so to speak.

but I think it would be very very hard for a community to develop isolated without any belief in a supreme spirit or being.

:O

[enoch]

a common defination of religious belief is the suspension of reason in favor of faith in something greater than the confines of rational thought

not so bad when you think of it that way