A Believer's Thoughts on Faith

[TheJefe817]

For most of history, atheism has been defined as the belief that God doesn't exist. An atheist is a person who says "God isn't real." 

Recently, especially on the Internet, some people have started using a different definition. They say that atheism is simply the lack of belief in God. To them, atheists are people who say "I don't believe in God."

Philosophers of religion have been known to refer to the latter, new definition as "Lacktheism." 

*Shrug*  Semantics.  Exactly why I said I tend to use "skeptic" instead.  Starting with "atheist" instead, at least where I live, brings out the naysayers who want to help you define the terminology of what you are instead of talking about anything of substance.

For what it's worth, though, I'm pretty new to the "atheist" world, so perhaps I can provide my perspective.  I have sponged in as many books, articles, videos (youtube, film, television, whatever) and other sources that I have bandwidth for over recent months.  I do not recall more than the odd outlier asserting there is no god - it's almost universal that modern usage, in my anecdotal search, is lack of belief.  I'm not a giant Dawkins defender, but it's sort of his 1-7 scale, and almost no one says 7 - not even Dawkins.  As I also said elsewhere, that definition varies for each person, most likely, but I think the popular usage has entirely flipped if history records it as you assert - I'm not claiming it doesn't assert that, I just find it irrelevant to me.

[Belacqua]

For most of history, atheism has been defined as the belief that God doesn't exist. An atheist is a person who says "God isn't real." 

Recently, especially on the Internet, some people have started using a different definition. They say that atheism is simply the lack of belief in God. To them, atheists are people who say "I don't believe in God."

Philosophers of religion have been known to refer to the latter, new definition as "Lacktheism." 

*Shrug*  Semantics.  Exactly why I said I tend to use "skeptic" instead.  Starting with "atheist" instead, at least where I live, brings out the naysayers who want to help you define the terminology of what you are instead of talking about anything of substance.

For what it's worth, though, I'm pretty new to the "atheist" world, so perhaps I can provide my perspective.  I have sponged in as many books, articles, videos (youtube, film, television, whatever) and other sources that I have bandwidth for over recent months.  I do not recall more than the odd outlier asserting there is no god - it's almost universal that modern usage, in my anecdotal search, is lack of belief.  I'm not a giant Dawkins defender, but it's sort of his 1-7 scale, and almost no one says 7 - not even Dawkins.  As I also said elsewhere, that definition varies for each person, most likely, but I think the popular usage has entirely flipped if history records it as you assert - I'm not claiming it doesn't assert that, I just find it irrelevant to me.

The previous poster asked for a definition, so I typed out the two prominent ones.

It seems likely to me that he was thinking of the traditional definition, and noticed that people here use the word differently -- hence the request for clarification.

[Angrboda]

I believe the request was for a definition of faith, IIRC, not atheism.

[Mister Agenda]

 i'm starting to wonder if i know exactly what atheism is, so a definition (in one's own words) would also be helpful.

For most of history, atheism has been defined as the belief that God doesn't exist. An atheist is a person who says "God isn't real." 

Recently, especially on the Internet, some people have started using a different definition. They say that atheism is simply the lack of belief in God. To them, atheists are people who say "I don't believe in God."

For most of history, Christians wrote English dictionaries and defined atheism. Your mileage may vary from mine on what 'recent' means.

The Atheist does not say “There is no God,” but he says, “I know not what you mean by God; I am without idea of God; the word ‘God’ is to me a sound conveying no clear or distinct affirmation. I do not deny God, because I cannot deny that of which I have no conception, and the conception of which, by its affirmer, is so imperfect that he is unable to define it to me.”

-Charles Bradlaugh, a well-known British atheist in the nineteenth century. In his pamphlet, A Plea for Atheism (1864)

[Belacqua]

that of which I have no conception

It would be nice if people would hold to this consistently. 

Generally when people here say that God is an unbelievable concept, it turns out that they have an extremely clear idea of the God they don't believe in. It's difficult to get across the fact that many influential Christians (not to mention people from other religions) conceive of God very differently from the thing they're arguing against.

In addition, I think that Mr. Bradlaugh was unaware of apophatic theology, which has argued for centuries that God cannot be clearly conceived of. As with the Way, 道, for Taoists, the God that can be defined is not the true God.

[Mister Agenda]

that of which I have no conception

It would be nice if people would hold to this consistently. 

Generally when people here say that God is an unbelievable concept, it turns out that they have an extremely clear idea of the God they don't believe in. It's difficult to get across the fact that many influential Christians (not to mention people from other religions) conceive of God very differently from the thing they're arguing against.

In addition, I think that Mr. Bradlaugh was unaware of apophatic theology, which has argued for centuries that God cannot be clearly conceived of. As with the Way, 道, for Taoists, the God that can be defined is not the true God.

I haven't been convinced that any proposed version of God is really real. I'm well aware that there are many ideas of God, as every atheist I know personally is. Some ideas of God have more of an impact on freedom of conscience than others. The 'ground of being' isn't the version of God that has people frothing over someone getting an abortion. Taoists didn't try to get a caveat on our 'State Fossil' that said it was created on the Sixth Day. The God I don't believe in is any god. The God I have to address is the monotheist one that supposedly writes books.

[Belacqua]

It would be nice if people would hold to this consistently. 

Generally when people here say that God is an unbelievable concept, it turns out that they have an extremely clear idea of the God they don't believe in. It's difficult to get across the fact that many influential Christians (not to mention people from other religions) conceive of God very differently from the thing they're arguing against.

In addition, I think that Mr. Bradlaugh was unaware of apophatic theology, which has argued for centuries that God cannot be clearly conceived of. As with the Way, 道, for Taoists, the God that can be defined is not the true God.

I haven't been convinced that any proposed version of God is really real. I'm well aware that there are many ideas of God, as every atheist I know personally is. Some ideas of God have more of an impact on freedom of conscience than others. The 'ground of being' isn't the version of God that has people frothing over someone getting an abortion. Taoists didn't try to get a caveat on our 'State Fossil' that said it was created on the Sixth Day. The God I don't believe in is any god. The God I have to address is the monotheist one that supposedly writes books.

Ah, well, if your purpose is political activism, against particular religious views, then it makes sense to focus your ire on that particular segment. 

Posting on this forum, of course, has no affect on politics.

[The Grand Nudger]

Theological noncognitivists are often atheists, but not every atheist is a theological noncognitivist. That's probably why atheism isn't defined as theological noncognitivism..shot in the dark.

[Deesse23]

For most of history, atheism has been defined as the belief that God doesn't exist. An atheist is a person who says "God isn't real." 

You dont get to force how others self identify.
Your hybris got the better of you again.

[Jehanne]

For most of history, atheism has been defined as the belief that God doesn't exist. An atheist is a person who says "God isn't real." 

You dont get to force how others self identify.
Your hybris got the better of you again.

Prior to the end of the Late Middle Ages/Early Modern Period, there were few, if any, public atheists. The World has changed over the last 500 years.