Nature's Laws

[Jenny A]

No, I'm not saying that what only some atheists do is to be considered diagnostic of all those who call themselves atheists.  The word, "atheism" (until fairly recently) used to mean:

a :  a disbelief in the existence of deity

b :  the doctrine that there is no deity

In recent years, it seems that a different definition has appeared:

a lack of belief in deities.

I'm not sure that I understand the meaning of the second definition, but under the "old" definition, "atheism" is clearly a dogmatic belief in stark contrast with skepticism.

Let me try to make it simple for you.  An theist is a person who believes in a god or gods. An atheist does not.  That encompasses two views: 1) there is no god or gods (dogmatic or gnostic); 2) there isn't sufficient evidence of a god or gods to believe in them (agnostic).

It's like this.  I have a quarter on my desk.  It could be heads up or tails up.  If you believe definitively that the coin is either heads or tails your are gnostic in your headism or tailsim.  If you rationally say you don't know, you are agnostic with regard to my coin.  

Now suppose the question is whether I have a three dollar bill on my table.  Many people across the country swear I do.  But there's no evidence of that except cryptic writings by me.  Those who believe in the three dollar bill are threeist.  Those who don't know one way or the other and those who are sure I don't are athreeist.