[
Replying to historia in post #108]
This would be like repurposing the term "Republican" to mean "anyone who is not a Democrat." And then, when people complain that that is confusing, coming up with qualifiers like "soft Republican" and "hard Republican" or "implicit Republican" and "explicit Republican" to distinguish between actual members of the Republican party and Independents who are just being subsumed under this redefined label.
I think the use of labels does confuse things and it would be unfair/unreasonable to state that the confusion comes through a conspiracy involving theists actively attempting to wrongfoot atheism...
If non-theists wish their position to be known by others and if that position they wish to be known by/identified with, is "Atheist" and along with that, they wish others to understand that "Atheism" is "lack of belief in gods" what about that implies others should be interested in the reason WHY they lack this belief?
Such explanations can also cause confusion for other, re
Q: 'What is atheism?'.
____________________________________________
In answer to the OPQ and suggestion;
"Atheism is the condition of not believing that a God or deity exists."
I think the same can be said more simpler;
"Atheism is the philosophical position of not believing that gods exist."
[philosophical - relating or devoted to the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence.]
or the even more succinct;
"Atheism is not believing that gods exist."