Atheism is...

[ZombieHorde]

Poll question: Atheism is...

[laconicsax]

1. This poll could be better worded.

How can you believe in what you deny existence? The way this poll is worded, the choices seem to be:

1)Lack of belief in god(s) that may exist.
2)Denial that the god(s) you believe in exist.
3)Lack of belief in god(s) that you deny the existence of.
4)It's like...totally just something that pisses off my parents...I don't like actually know what it means...I'm like totally against organized religion...

I think option 4 is how some people who were recently polled define atheism.

If you take out the 'both' option, it reads more as:

1)Lack of belief in god(s) that may exist. (Agnosticism).
2)Denial that any god(s) exist (Atheism).
3)Other.

[Warpy]

4. Where's "Lack of belief that any gods exist?"

That's atheism.

[cosmik debris]

2. Atheism is

whatever S4P says it is.

[TechBear_Seattle]

3. Both

The lack of belief in gods = "weak" atheism
The denial that gods are real = "strong" atheism

Both are valid definitions of atheism.

[ihavenobias]

5. What do you call

someone who does not believe that Gods exist at all, i.e. 100% certain.

But this person acknowledges that they can't disprove God anymore than they can disprove an invisible, stock stealing goblin?

[TechBear_Seattle]

6. That would be "strong" atheism

Essentially, the difference between "weak" and "strong" atheism is that "strong" atheism amounts to a belief or faith in the non-existence of deities.

[ihavenobias]

7. But

Isn't there a different term for someone who has 0% belief but acknowledges that they can't disprove God (again, anymore than being able to disprove an invisible goblin) vs someone who has 0% belief and says that you CAN disprove God's existence?

[beam me up scottie]

8. One's honest about it and the other isn't?

Belief in ability to prove or disprove the existence of deities really has nothing to do with absolute belief that they do or don't exist.

[ihavenobias]

10. Well

I'm just injecting some more nuance into the discussion.

I happen to be a non-theist who sees no evidence of God(s). In fact I find much of the religious mythology laughable if not disturbing.

With that said I acknowledge that I can't technically disprove an invisible man in the clouds. Should the burden of proof fall on me? No, I don't think so, but that's probably another discussion.

[beam me up scottie]

11. Two other terms that are used are "implicit" and "explicit" atheism.

A chart showing the relationship between the definitions of weak/strong and implicit/explicit atheism. An implicit atheist has given little or no consideration regarding the existence of deities; such an individual would be described as implicitly without a belief in gods. Explicit atheists are composed of two groups: the strong/positive variety (who explicitly deny the existence of deities), and the weak/negative (who explicitly eschew belief in gods, but do not necessarily deny the possibility of their existence).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Implicit_and_explicit_atheism">more on Wikipedia


Does that help?

[ihavenobias]

12. Honestly, I just go with atheist, agnostic or non-theist depending on the situation

But I appreciate the new jargon. :)

[beam me up scottie]

13. Yeah, it really sucks that we have to define ourselves at all using believers' terms.

Agnostic atheist is a good hybrid that I use on DU because it's simple. :)

[TechBear_Seattle]

9. My apologies. That position is "weak" atheism, not "strong"

Lack of belief = "weak" atheism, ie "I do not believe in God(s)." "Strong" atheism is where a lack of belief is projected as a verifiable realitiy, ie "there is(are) no God(s)."