Do atheists not have beliefs?

[historia]

You don't know what I already believe (I don't have beliefs BTW)

This is an assertion that has been made by a few atheists on this forum.

Is it coherent for atheists to claim they don't have beliefs?

[Zzyzx]

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Perhaps we should let believers believe that everyone believes if that comforts them.

However, if I did have a belief in one of the 'gods', I certainly would not equate that to belief in the garbage man.

[Mithrae]

Perhaps we should let believers believe that everyone believes if that comforts them.

Is there a reason for the patronizing tone here? By my rough estimate the majority of people in this thread who've acknowledged the dictionary/common usage of the word 'belief' are non-religious. You're simply being insulting by implying that it's all about "comfort" for religious believers.

[Bust Nak]

Meh, it's just semantics. Define "beliefs" for me then I'll tell you if I have beliefs or not.

From Merriam Webster:

• be-lief | -l"f
  
  1: a state or habit of mind in which trust or confidence is placed in some person or thing.
  
  2: something that is accepted, considered to be true, or held as an opinion : something believed.
  
  3: conviction of the truth of some statement or the reality of some being or phenomenon especially when based on examination of evidence.

I have lots of beliefs, where belief is defined as presented here:

1. I believe in the safety systems in my car, I believe in my family, I believe in humanity.

2. I believe that pineapples are fine pizza toppings, I believe abortion is morally acceptable.

3. I believe evolution and gravity, I believe I have a car and it is red.

[Divine Insight]

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However, if I did have a belief in one of the 'gods', I certainly would not equate that to belief in the garbage man.

Truly. Theists often give the most absurd apologies for their theistic beliefs.

For example, many theists I have debated with have said things like, "Our courts will punish you if you do something wrong, so why would you think that a God wouldn't?"

Well, duh? I hope that a God wouldn't be as stupid as a humans.

I mean, really. Some of the comparisons they make to support their God don't even make sense. Just because humans are so barbaric that they think they need to punish other humans doesn't mean that a supreme being would need to be that ignorant or inept.

They basically demand that their God is as inept and barbaric as they are. I don't see where this helps their cause.

[SallyF]

Meh, it's just semantics. Define "beliefs" for me then I'll tell you if I have beliefs or not.

From Merriam Webster:

• be-lief | -l"f
  
  1: a state or habit of mind in which trust or confidence is placed in some person or thing.
  
  2: something that is accepted, considered to be true, or held as an opinion : something believed.
  
  3: conviction of the truth of some statement or the reality of some being or phenomenon especially when based on examination of evidence.

I have lots of beliefs, where belief is defined as presented here:

1. I believe in the safety systems in my car, I believe in my family, I believe in humanity.

2. I believe that pineapples are fine pizza toppings, I believe abortion is morally acceptable.

3. I believe evolution and gravity, I believe I have a car and it is red.

Which just goes to show that "believe" is FAR too broad a term.

And it allows Christians to lump Jesus floating up to Heaven right alongside gravity.

Or the mud-man and his rib-woman wife right alongside evolution.

[William]

[Replying to post 62 ]

Mithrae: Is there a reason for the patronizing tone here? By my rough estimate the majority of people in this thread who've acknowledged the dictionary/common usage of the word 'belief' are non-religious. You're simply being insulting by implying that it's all about "comfort" for religious believers.

William: My understanding is that Dictionaries store data about how humans use words, rather than beings some type of inerrant document which signifies words have to be used in only a certain way and no other.

A dictionary does not argue for or against how words are used. Intelligent Human Beings can and do work it out for themselves.
When words are allowed to be interchangeable, this is done through common usage and acceptance rather than because they are the words one should use, or that the dictionary says it has to be that way.

This is why I refrain from using faith based words as knowledge-based words. It is my understanding that to believe is simply not the same as to know, therefore those words used as interchangeable options are the cause of Human confusion and errant for that.

When someone tells me they believe when they are attempting to argue that the actually know, then the confusion is theirs, not mine.
Likewise, as an example, when someone tells me that they know YHVH is God, I understand immediately that what they really mean is that they believe YHVH is God.

[Mithrae]

[Replying to post 66 by William]

Some debatable content there, but regardless none of that justifies the patronizing tone of Zzxyz's post. Indeed the fact that some religious believers seem to favour this novel and nonstandard change of the word's meaning, in addition to most respondents who accept common usage being non-religious, simply underscores the prejudice apparent in the post: The insinuation that disagreement with his perspective must be due to "comfort" for "believers" intent on equating theology with facts seems to be nothing more than ad hominem lacking any rational merit.

[Zzyzx]

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Perhaps we should let believers believe that everyone believes if that comforts them.

Is there a reason for the patronizing tone here?

Is it 'patronizing' to say "let people who find comfort in alcohol continue to drink?"

Is it 'patronizing' to say "let people who find comfort in solitude continue to pursue peace and quiet?"

Why should belief be given any special consideration?

[wiploc]

Responding to Divine Insight's post 58:

Expectation is not belief.

Up to this point I was willing to coax you to explain. I was interested in your opinion of the difference in expectation and belief.

But then you became and remained insulting, so I'm done.

[Danmark]

We have a very strong belief the Earth will continue to rotate and the sun will appear to rise tomorrow..

Why call that a belief?

It's simply an expectation. Any number of things could actually cause this event to never happen.

A large asteroid could hit the earth causing it to stop rotating and even possibly fall into the sun.

The sun could hiccup and envelope the earth instantly vaporizing it. Not likely? Sure. Impossible? No.

A black hole could be headed toward our solar system and disrupt the paths and rotations of all the planets and the sun.

Having a "belief" that everything will continue on the way it has been years is both unneeded and uncalled for.

Why not just say that we expect that things will keep on going the way they have been going for years.

No need to have beliefs. We can simply expect that things will continue on normally. Believing it's going to happen is simply not needed. Nor would belief matter if things should happen to diverge from what we expect.

I think we are bandying words about at little purpose. Many words blend into each other. That is the nature of language. I expect something will happen; therefore I believe it will. 'Believe' and 'Belief' are words with many related meanings.

Perhaps you can think of an example of an expectation devoid of belief.

Perhaps you can think of a belief that engenders no expectations.

But on the whole, don't these words often work in tandem despite their nuanced differences?
I don't believe Jesus is God so I don't expect his return.
I do not expect Jesus to return because I don't believe he is God.
or
I do not expect Jesus to return because he already did. [full preterism]