Is this an Accurate and Easily understood definition of Atheism?

[Tcg]

.
I recently heard this definition of atheism:

"Atheism is the condition of not believing that a God or deity exists."

I think it is clearer than the one I usually espouse which is that atheism is the lack of belief in god/gods. The only issue I have with is its singular nature. Perhaps, Atheism is the condition of not believing that any gods or deities exist, would be better.

Is this a good definition?


Tcg

[TRANSPONDER]

Yes, you are right. We can't help what people think it means. And it wouldn't matter if theist apologists didn't use the wrong meaning to argue that atheism is illogical (or a Faith', or doesn't exist) when use of the correct meaning shows that not believing is a logical response to not knowing and it is theism, believing what they do not know) that is illogical.

Thank you. That helps me understand better what this is all about for some people.

Quite. And of course the next point is what do we know or what do we think we know and how do we know (when we knew it isn't so significant). And this what is debated here. Belief in what is not known is reasonable when they think they can be confident that a Creator is supported by the evidence, or that the Bible is reliable, or any of the Christian apologetics are valid.

The debate is about whether those arguments are really sound. And then we get Belief based on Faith rather than how the evidence looks, and that changes the game - play. When the evidence does not support the god- claim or Bible reliability, the retreat to never being sure is faith -based and irrational, because it is based on the assumption that God and Bible are the default theory and all they have to do is appeal to agnosticism ("No one can really be sure") and they reckon their belief is valid. On logic and evidence, it is not, but on a faith- basis, it is.

[Longfellow]

The old atheist / agnostic / theist scheme is (sensibly) just interested in belief, so categorizes people based on their willingness to affirm the proposition that God exists or the proposition that God does not exist.

Earlier in this thread I saw you saying that three categories are better than two for philosophical purposes. I’m wondering, why not four, or five, or ten? That raises another question in my mind. What purposes does it serve, to divide people’s thoughts and feelings about whatever “God” means to them into those three categories in the first place? How did that happen? I’m thinking that maybe it happened in a western monotheistic context, and was designed to serve monotheistic purposes. Now I would like to see some examples of how and why those categories are used in philosophical discussions.

[Inquirer]

- Some of what I've seen in atheist forums and blogs looks to me like nothing but Christian-bashing, defining "atheist" in a way that makes it okay for people to insult and mock people for believing in God without evidence, while excusing themselves from providing any evidence for their premise that all God beliefs are false.

Again with the "Christian-bashing" accusations and the misunderstanding that atheism suggests that "all God beliefs are false." Totally wrong on both counts. Atheism is the lack of belief that gods exist. That's it. As I've pointed out previously, some atheists are Christain so how could it be a "Christian-bashing" stance? I'll answer as I don't expect to get one. It isn't.

Oh, and once again if you haven't noticed, Christians aren't the only theists around.


Tcg

That's an ambiguous definition though as I've pointed out to you several times.

You could mean either of two things yet you seem reticent to state which of these you mean:

1. Atheism is the lack of belief that gods exist and the lack of belief that gods don't exist.
2. Atheism is the lack of belief that gods exist and the presence of belief that gods don't exist.

As defined an atheist must be either 1. or 2. which are you?

Could it be I've hit a nerve here? is that way no atheist so far wants to answer this question?

[William]

Some things I have observed and opinion re Atheism/Atheists.

1: There are types of atheists and not all agree with each other, even on how to best define atheism.
2: The inability to clearly define the position of Atheism is due to the inability to be able to clearly define "GOD" and "Belief".
3: Some atheists are not content with the neutral position of simply not believing that GODs exist and become atheists who believe that gods do not exist
4: The belief that gods don't exist is expressed in a variety of ways
5: Some atheists are also Secular Materialists but that has nothing to do with atheism
6: Some atheists illogically persist in arguing against faith-based theist beliefs.
7: Atheism - is no more or less useful than Theism.
8: Some atheist demands and claims regarding metaphysical ideas need not be taken any more seriously that theist claims regarding metaphysical ideas.
9: Some atheists use false demands re "burden of proof" which involve theists being challenged to show those atheists a GOD that those atheists cannot properly define, exists.
10: Ex-Christian atheists appear to be a thing definable as a sub-group within atheism-general and have issues they are dealing with which are unique to that group.
11:...



Such atheists do not define atheism and should not be confused with the definition of atheism as Atheism in it's most basic form is simply lacking any conscious belief in GODs.

The rest is atheistic scaled-diatribe, imposing itself within that simply thing...

[Longfellow]

You could mean either of two things yet you seem reticent to state which of these you mean:

1. Atheism is the lack of belief that gods exist and the lack of belief that gods don't exist.
2. Atheism is the lack of belief that gods exist and the presence of belief that gods don't exist.

As defined an atheist must be either 1. or 2. which are you?

Could it be I've hit a nerve here? is that way no atheist so far wants to answer this question?

? Seriously?

An atheist is a person. A person is neither 1 nor 2. A person is not a belief or lack of belief.

In your terms, the definition of atheism that I see being promoted here is:

A AND (B OR C)

Where:

lack = ^presence
A = the lack of belief that gods exist
B = the lack of belief that gods don't exist
C = the presence of belief that gods don't exist

Any view that does not include a belief in any god(s), along with a belief that no gods exist, is an example of atheism. Any view that does not include a belief in any god(s), and does not include a belief that no gods exist, is also an example of atheism.

[William]

[Replying to William in post #384]

[Inquirer]

You could mean either of two things yet you seem reticent to state which of these you mean:

1. Atheism is the lack of belief that gods exist and the lack of belief that gods don't exist.
2. Atheism is the lack of belief that gods exist and the presence of belief that gods don't exist.

As defined an atheist must be either 1. or 2. which are you?

Could it be I've hit a nerve here? is that way no atheist so far wants to answer this question?

? Seriously?

An atheist is a person. A person is neither 1 nor 2. A person is not a belief or lack of belief.

In your terms, the definition of atheism that I see being promoted here is:

A AND (B OR C)

Where:

lack = ^presence
A = the lack of belief that gods exist
B = the lack of belief that gods don't exist
C = the presence of belief that gods don't exist

Any view that does not include a belief in any god(s), along with a belief that no gods exist, is an example of atheism. Any view that does not include a belief in any god(s), and does not include a belief that no gods exist, is also an example of atheism.

Funny that stuff in red isn't something I've seen any atheist here suggest before.

Are you an atheist? if so, which of 1. or 2. do you regard best describes your position?

[TRANSPONDER]

You could mean either of two things yet you seem reticent to state which of these you mean:

1. Atheism is the lack of belief that gods exist and the lack of belief that gods don't exist.
2. Atheism is the lack of belief that gods exist and the presence of belief that gods don't exist.

As defined an atheist must be either 1. or 2. which are you?

Could it be I've hit a nerve here? is that way no atheist so far wants to answer this question?

? Seriously?

An atheist is a person. A person is neither 1 nor 2. A person is not a belief or lack of belief.

In your terms, the definition of atheism that I see being promoted here is:

A AND (B OR C)

Where:

lack = ^presence
A = the lack of belief that gods exist
B = the lack of belief that gods don't exist
C = the presence of belief that gods don't exist

Any view that does not include a belief in any god(s), along with a belief that no gods exist, is an example of atheism. Any view that does not include a belief in any god(s), and does not include a belief that no gods exist, is also an example of atheism.

Funny that stuff in red isn't something I've seen any atheist here suggest before.

Are you an atheist? if so, which of 1. or 2. do you regard best describes your position?

If you start with the definition of atheism as a lack of god belief then you can fit all manner of sub definitions into it, like an atheist is an individual who lacks a god -belief. I don't even mind the possibility that 'lack' implies missing out. I lack piles, a toothache and an ingrowing toenail, but I'm not missing it. It also strikes me that your examples might include an atheistic view but would not in themselves be examples of atheism (let alone a definition) per se. For example, communism is known to have a preference for atheism in questions of religion, but it is an example of political doctrine, rather than an example of atheism.

[Longfellow]

2: The inability to clearly define the position of Atheism is due to the inability to be able to clearly define "GOD" and "Belief".

When atheism is defined as lack of belief, it is not a position.

[Tcg]

2: The inability to clearly define the position of Atheism is due to the inability to be able to clearly define "GOD" and "Belief".

When atheism is defined as lack of belief, it is not a position.

Then what is it?


Tcg