Why don't some people understand lack of belief?

[Amarok]

Certainty is blessed. Doubt is just a tool to get there.

Nope certainty is only good when it is supported . Doubt is a virtue of never letting yourself get arrogant or dogmatic .

[KevinM1]

For the record, I'm an agnostic atheist, strongly leaning ignostic and utterly apatheistic.  I have yet to encounter a cogent definition of a god.  I suppose some sort of insanely powerful and pervasive entity could exist, but even so, would it be a god?  I don't know.  In any case, I find human built gods to be severely lacking in many ways, so I don't believe in them with a gnostic level of certainty.

Because of all of this, I don't find the god question compelling at all.  I honestly do not care.  Given the blindingly obvious BS that is human built religions, and the lack of clarity on what a god actually is in real terms, I understand that spending time on any of it is meaningless and wasteful.  It's not going to change how I live. I only come here because it's tiring to be surrounded by theists 24/7, and sometimes it's fun to poke at theists.

[Amarok]

So what is your answer to the question? And stating what label you think people should call you by is not the same as stating your answer? Does God exist? Yes, no, maybe?

That's the answer you insist i must provide and thus lie 

God is possible i will not preface certainty he does not exist .  
Agnosticism and negativity 

I just don't accept the claim he exists yet . Because the case made is awful. And i cannot bring myself to accept the claim less i engage in a lie . 
Atheism.

[Mystic]

Certainty is blessed. Doubt is just a tool to get there.

Nope certainty is only good when it is supported . Doubt is a virtue of never letting yourself get arrogant or dogmatic .

Your first statement is correct, but it's contradicted in multiple ways by your second statement.

[rskovride]

...around blissfully ignorant of a fundamental question of human existence, i.e. "Does Santa Claus exist?" It is question that demands an answer and how someone answers determines whether or not he or she is good, bad or naughty. The possible answers are yes, no, and sometimes. That's it. Everything else is just evasive puffery.

There, fixed that for ya.

[Amarok]

Nope certainty is only good when it is supported . Doubt is a virtue of never letting yourself get arrogant or dogmatic .

Your first statement is correct, but it's contradicted in multiple ways by your second statement.

Nope no contradiction . Doubt is the killer or arrogance and the slayer of dogma .

[Mystic]

I can point it out for you, but, you totally negated your 1st statement.

Again I repeat.

Certainty is blessed. Doubt is a tool to get there.

[Mister Agenda]

Because people who agree with the OP want everyone to think atheists are just people who go around blissfully ignorant of a fundamental question of human existence, i.e. "Does God exist?" It is question that demands an answer and how someone answers determines whether or not he or she is an atheist, theist, or agnostic. The possible answers are yes, no, and maybe. That's it. Everything else is just evasive puffery.

Seems like a gross mischaracterization of the OP. I've never met an atheist who is ignorant of the question or an atheist who thinks any significant number of adults are. You're making your bricks out of straw.

---

So what is your answer to the question? And stating what label you think people should call you by is not the same as stating your answer? Man up and clearly state your position. Does God exist? Yes, no, maybe?

Does God exist? Probably not.

[pocaracas]

Does God exist? Yes, no, maybe?

Now there's a proper question that requires unpacking most words within.

What do you mean, when you say god, with a capital g, God?
The god of Aristotle? Which is similar(if not the same) as Aquinas?
The slightly less abstract god of Descartes?
The disembodied fatherly figure that we find in many iconography (Sistine Chapel?)
Allah?
Yahweh?
Jehovah?
El?
Anu?


What does it mean to exist?
As a physical entity? I think none of those gods qualify.
As a concept only present in human minds? All of them qualify.
As a concept outside of human minds? Is there such a thing? I'd wager that no, there isn't.

So... In light of so many unknowns, I can only answer your question with a "very likely no".

[Neo-Scholastic]

"Does God exist?"

No.

Now you can sleep easier at night.

And I can appreciate someone like you who isn't afraid to state their opinion forthrightly.

I don't understand why so may atheists are ashamed to say plainly that they don't believe in God. Instead, like Khem, they have to go into these long-winded explanations making all kinds of subtle distinctions, like gnostic versus agnostic atheists. Who cares? Either you believe in God or you don't. It really isn't more complicated than that. I'm not scared to say I don't believe in fairies, because whether fairies exist or not has no bearing on any fundamental question and there's no serious reason to believe that they do. I don't feel the need to call non-fairy belief some weaselly "lack of belief" default position. I'm not terrified of the question "Why not?"