On 7/3/2014 7:53 PM, LizR wrote:
OK, that isn't the definition of atheist I have come across but if you are only using it
in the weak sense of "I don't positively believe in any god or gods" then that's fine.
Here for comparison purposes are the definitions from Wiktionary. I generally assume
that definitions 1 or 3 are the most usual ones, for example I would assume Richard
Dawkins generally subscribes to definition 1. (I'm not sure I even understand definition
2.) I guess you are adding a 5th definition, "Someone who doesn't have a definite belief
that deities do exist" - which can include what I would generally think of as agnostic,
in fact it's half the definition of an agnostic, which is someone who doesn't have a
strong belief either way.
1. (narrowly)A person who believes that nodeities
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/deity>exist(especially,one who has no other
religious
belief). [quotations ▼]
2. (broadly)A person who rejects belief that any deities exist (whether or not
that
person believes that deities do not exist). [quotations ▼]
3. (loosely <http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/loosely#Adverb>)A person who has no
belief
in any deities, such as a person who has no concept of deities. [quotations
▼]
4. (loosely <http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/loosely#Adverb>,uncommon)A person
who does
not believe in a particular deity (or any deity in a particularpantheon
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pantheon>), notwithstanding that they may
believe in
another deity.
I guess there is a sort of truth table involved here.
Believe In God(s) existing = Theist
Believe that no God(s) exist = (Strong) Atheist
Don't believe or disbelieve In God(s) existing = Agnostic
Don't believe in God(s) existing, and don't want to say whether or not they believe that
God(s) don't exist = (Brent) Atheist
This kind of classification is fine as far as distinguishing believing god doesn't exist
from failing to believe that god does exist. But it is still ambiguous because it assumes
that "God(s)" is definite. I don't believe that personal agent type gods exist; but I'm
on the fence about some creative principle or unnamable truths that some people would
like to call "God". I believe that theist (e.g. Abrahamic) gods do not exist.
Brent
I will try to bear that in mind in any future discussions.
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