Is atheism a belief system in someway?

[rexbeccarox]

Honestly, I tend not to buy what most of my fellow atheists say about atheism in regards to this.

All you need to do to establish atheism is a belief system is to find two beliefs all atheists agree on because they're atheists.

Well okay. All atheists agree that the following is true of themselves:

"I do not believe in the existence of gods."

Checkmate atheists?

He said two beliefs.

[Simon Moon]

It's a subtle difference. The person saying the first sentence holds it to be true that God does not exist. This is a stronger statement than the second one, which merely does not hold it to be true that God does exist.

You beat me to it!

I was going to post the same thing, with almost the same wording.

[Anomalocaris]

Sound like the same thing to me, although I've never heard of an agnostic atheist.

You haven't been here long. Almoat all the atheists here are agnostic atheists.

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The first sentence isn't atheism. Period.

Sure it is. If you believe God doesn't exist, you're an atheist. It's just that people who would say that don't comprise the majority of atheists.

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I don't claim to know if God exist or not. But I believe God does not exist.

I don't claim to known if God exist or not. But I don't believe God exist.

Am I just wording it wrong or are they the same thing? Can someone explain this to me?

It's a subtle difference. The person saying the first sentence holds it to be true that God does not exist. This is a stronger statement than the second one, which merely does not hold it to be true that God does exist.

I am not sure whether the practical difference between "I believe god does not exist" and "I do not believe god exists" more likely reflect the speech habits and state of the digestion of the speaker, or actual intended subtle difference in interpretation and meaning.

[Doggey75]

Hmm alright I understand it now thanks

[Darkstar]

Atheism (that is, a-theism) does not necessitate any beliefs at all, only the lack of a belief in any gods. An atheist can believe that a god does not exist, but even then, I'm not sure if one belief could be considered a 'system'.

[Napoléon]

Sure it is. If you believe God doesn't exist, you're an atheist. It's just that people who would say that don't comprise the majority of atheists.

I believe that there are no fairies.

I do not believe in fairies.


Do these two sentences mean the same thing? I'm confused now, I've always thought atheism was explicitly lack of belief. Applying a belief to this would make calling a-anything impossible. I thought atheism literally meant a(without) theism. I suppose you can believe there are no gods and still be atheist, but I hate that anyone would use that description.

Maybe I'm just hung up on semantics.

[Mister Agenda]

Honestly, I tend not to buy what most of my fellow atheists say about atheism in regards to this.

All you need to do to establish atheism is a belief system is to find two beliefs all atheists agree on because they're atheists.

Well okay. All atheists agree that the following is true of themselves:

"I do not believe in the existence of gods."

Checkmate atheists?

That's one. Maybe. If you count not believing something as a belief. What's the other? You can't have a system with only one component, and I only asked for two beliefs that all atheists hold.

[Chad32]

Atheism is a belief. Just like off is a TV channel, bald is a hairdo, and clear is a color.

[Mister Agenda]

Sure it is. If you believe God doesn't exist, you're an atheist. It's just that people who would say that don't comprise the majority of atheists.

I believe that there are no fairies.

I do not believe in fairies.


Do these two sentences mean the same thing? I'm confused now, I've always thought atheism was explicitly lack of belief. Applying a belief to this would make calling a-anything impossible. I thought atheism literally meant a(without) theism. I suppose you can believe there are no gods and still be atheist, but I hate that anyone would use that description.

Maybe I'm just hung up on semantics.

No worries. Atheism has more than one sense. Lack of belief is the inclusive sense that encompasses all atheists. 'Believing not' is the less inclusive sense that only applies to strong atheists. Someone who 'believes not' doesn't 'believe so' either.

[Whateverist]

Honestly, I tend not to buy what most of my fellow atheists say about atheism in regards to this.

All you need to do to establish atheism is a belief system is to find two beliefs all atheists agree on because they're atheists.

Well okay. All atheists agree that the following is true of themselves:

"I do not believe in the existence of gods."

Checkmate atheists?

It is more like you've defined the set of all the beliefs held in common by atheists. Does the definition of the set belong in the set? Lets say it does. Then the question becomes are there any other beliefs all atheists share in common other than the one which qualifies them as an atheist. Check.