Belief and Knowledge

[Heywood]

It's not quite that simple. Lack of belief can be simply not having thought about the matter sufficiently to form a belief, or determining after thought that there isn't enough evidence to decide the matter. Do you believe that my hair is red or perhaps brown? You have no knowledge whether it is or isn't either of those colors. You don't know. Are you failing to commit to a belief that my hair is red, or are you simply saying, I don't know what color Jenny's hair is. I would say you are without knowledge or belief about my hair color. There's no lack of commitment, just a genuine lack of knowledge.

However, when many atheists, me included, say we lack a belief in god, what we mean is I don't believe there is a god because if there were I would expect there to be some evidence of it, but I acknowledge that a negative position can never be proven.

Jenny's hair is red.
Jenny's hair is brown.
Jenny's hair is some other color.
Jenny has no hair.

I have not committed to any of the above propositions. I have no beliefs concerning your hair. Now consider these next two propositions.

Santa Clause is a real person who owns a sled and team of flying reindeer.
Santa Clause and his sled and team of flying reindeer are artifacts of fiction.

I have committed to one of those propositions. I have a belief about Santa Clause.....that he is an artifact of fiction. Now consider these last two propositions.

God probably exists.
God probably does not exist.

I don't know if God exists. That is me making a statement about my knowledge. Nevertheless, I have committed to one of those propositions. Have you? If you have I don't think you can hide behind, "I simply lack belief in God or gods". Lack of belief is lack of commitment. Taking on the label "atheist" and participating in the atheist community certainly suggests to me some sort of commitment.