Accepting/Rejecting "Atheism" as a label.

[pocaracas]

Hmm, interesting linguistic issue. Doesn't one directly imply the other, if not being an explicit agreement exactly?

I don't like any pizza.
I like no pizza.

They are differently phrased, but aren't they nevertheless identical expressions?

Ah, no!
One is asserting that there is no god. That person then has the trouble of proving that assertion.
Much like the people who claim there is a god have to prove it.
But the guy/girl who claims there is no god, has one heck of a problem in front of him/her... it's not particularly easy to prove that something doesn't exist.... some may claim it's impossible. (e.g. prove that invisible pink unicorns don't exist; prove that the FSM doesn't exist; prove that I didn't steal an apple this morning)

The other definition, simply takes the position of refusing to believe that there is a god. You're simply telling the theists: I don't accept your claim that there is a god. Just that a nothing more.