(April 16, 2015 at 5:04 am)Stimbo Wrote: Even if it might be said that not believing a claim is a belief that the evidence is unconvincing, it's still not a claim to belief. It's sort of the difference between failing to pay your taxes and actively refusing to make a payment. Or not being hungry as opposed to going on hunger strike.
No, atheism is not a claim to belief, but it takes beliefs to defend it. So, calling it a belief isn't exactly correct, but I guess I just feel like calling it a lack of belief isn't truly sufficient, either, given that you have to rely on beliefs to defend it.
Even if the open windows of science at first make us shiver after the cozy indoor warmth of traditional humanizing myths, in the end the fresh air brings vigor, and the great spaces have a splendor of their own - Bertrand Russell
