RE: Is atheism a belief?
January 23, 2019 at 4:49 pm
(This post was last modified: January 23, 2019 at 4:52 pm by T0 Th3 M4X.)
(January 23, 2019 at 4:12 pm)Simon Moon Wrote:(January 23, 2019 at 3:41 pm)T0 Th3 M4X Wrote: We get a new definition of "atheism" all the time, so it just depends who you ask and what definition they're using.
You do understand that words do not have some sort of absolute definitions, right? Words change as usage changes. Fag means cigarette in England, and a derogatory term for homosexuals in the US. Boot means a cars trunk on England, and footwear that comes up high on the leg in the US.
Dictionaries do not have absolute definitions, they define word usage.
If you picked up a Webster's dictionary from the early 20th century, atheism was defined as "godlessness". It did not even define atheism in way that is agreeable to you.
I define atheism as, "not being convinced that a god or gods exist". Do you have any problems with that definition?
It covers the following: people that claim to know gods don't exist, people that believe no gods exist, people that disbelieve gods exist, people that claim not to know if gods exist or not, lack of belief, disbelief. All those examples have one thing in common, they are not convinced that gods exist.
Yep, I know definitions change or are added. That why I said it depends what definition.
It was originally a term used to describe people who didn't believe in the Judeo-Christian God. Later it also became a loosely used derogatory term that could be applied to anyone, including theists. Nobody wanted to be labeled as an "atheist" because it was like labeling someone a fool. But it wasn't necessarily related to belief/disbelief in God. It could've been being upset with someone who opposed you for political reasons. Today it's a mix of a bunch of different things. Often times lumped in with "agnostic" that used to be used independently. Now it's religion/non-religious, agnostic/non-agnostic, soft/hard, militant, mystics, and lots more.
(January 23, 2019 at 4:28 pm)Bucky Ball Wrote:(January 23, 2019 at 3:24 pm)Acrobat Wrote: Both.
An Atheist can be:
1-Some one who knows God does not exist.
2-Some one who believes God does not exist.
3-An atheist can also be someone, who doesn't believe or know one way or the other. His lack of belief one way or the other, would still classify him as an atheist, since he doesn't posses a belief in God, like the other two examples.
Some people might know I'm not single.
Some people might believe I'm not single.
And some people might not believe or know one way or the other.
What they all have in common, is that they a lack a belief in that I'm married.
Atheism is label that can incapsulate all three under one umbrella.
It's very funny that non-atheists think they can tell atheists how they think.
There are those who have or take no position at all with respect to the subject.
They are not a-theists, as for them, theism is meaningless.
A-theism is a specific position with respect to another specific position. No theism.
A-theism is not a general position.
Are the Piraha https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirah%C3%A3
atheists ? They have no conception of a god.
If someone does not recognize the specific position (theism) as coherent, there is no position to lack, (for them).
Therefore igthesim is a far more accurate label, for them.
Welp, new label for me. Guess I'm a "Igbuckiest" and practice "igbuckiesm."
