(October 29, 2010 at 9:28 pm)Strongappleby Wrote: How do we define atheism? Is it a belief that there is no god? A lack of belief in a god?
Atheism is defined as the "godless" fundamental starting point (presupposition) at bottom of one's worldview, upon which his metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and so forth is built. It is "godless" by virtue of the very term itself (Gk. atheos, which means "without deity" in the same way that asymmetrical means "without symmetry"), and it is presuppositional because nothing justifies it (for the very criteria by which he justifies anything already presupposes No Deity Required; if deity is required at any point, atheism is precluded).
(October 30, 2010 at 2:54 pm)The Omnissiunt One Wrote: So agnosticism, as it's commonly defined (a position of uncertainty), is an atheistic position.
It is also a theistic position (e.g., fideism, "I don't know that God exists but I believe he does").
(October 30, 2010 at 3:23 pm)Existentialist Wrote: I thought we were moving to the convention that meanings are found in dictionaries
I hope not, because that is simply false. Meanings are found in usage; the latter is what dictionaries provide.
(October 30, 2010 at 3:20 pm)Paul the Human Wrote: His lack of belief is what makes him [an atheist]. His denial is a secondary component to his state of atheism.
I think you are closely aligned here to my presuppositional point above.
(November 1, 2010 at 7:17 am)Ervin Wrote: I understand Atheism to be a belief that there is no creator or any other supernatural forces/beings that we can see measure or experience.
Not so. An atheist can believe in supernatural entities or forces without contradicting atheism, for the only object of atheism is 'theos'.
(November 1, 2010 at 1:46 pm)Tiberius Wrote: 1) If a person believes in the existence of a God (any God), what would you label them?
Theist.
(November 1, 2010 at 1:46 pm)Tiberius Wrote: 2) If a person believes that no Gods exist, what would you label them?
Atheist.
(November 1, 2010 at 1:46 pm)Tiberius Wrote: 3) If a person has no belief one way or the other concerning the existence of Gods, what would you call them?
Non-existent—for as you said yourself, "The rest of the philosophical community have long come to the conclusion that there are two positions on belief in God: theism and atheism. It fits with the classical laws of logic [...] There is no middle ground; only variations of the beliefs themselves, and how strongly one believes them."
Man is a rational animal who always loses his temper when
called upon to act in accordance with the dictates of reason.
(Oscar Wilde)
called upon to act in accordance with the dictates of reason.
(Oscar Wilde)