Changes

[[Paul Edwards (philosopher)|Paul Edwards]], who was a prominent atheist and editor of the ''[[Encyclopedia of Philosophy]]'', defined an atheist as "a person who maintains that there is no God." <ref name="CRI">[http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/cri/cri-jrnl/web/crj0131a.html Putting the Atheist on the Defensive] by Kenneth R. Samples, Christian Research Institute Journal, Fall 1991, and Winter 1992, page 7.</ref>

[[Paul Edwards (philosopher)|Paul Edwards]], who was a prominent atheist and editor of the ''[[Encyclopedia of Philosophy]]'', defined an atheist as "a person who maintains that there is no God." <ref name="CRI">[http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/cri/cri-jrnl/web/crj0131a.html Putting the Atheist on the Defensive] by Kenneth R. Samples, Christian Research Institute Journal, Fall 1991, and Winter 1992, page 7.</ref>

Beginning in the latter portion of the 20th century and continuing beyond, many [[agnosticism|agnostics]]/atheists have argued that the '''definition of atheism''' should be defined as a mere lack of belief in God or gods.<ref name="Divine"/><ref name="Definition of atheism">[http://www.reasonablefaith.org/definition-of-atheism Definition of atheism] by [[William Lane Craig]]</ref><ref name="CRI"/><ref>Britain is a less religious country than the United States and the online Oxford Dictionaries offers both the narrow/broad definitions of atheism (As noted in a previous footnote the Merriam-Webster dictionary, which is a traditional American dictionary, offers a more narrow definition of atheism similar to the definition that major encyclopedias of philosophy use). Oxford Dictionaries: Disbelief or lack of belief in the existence of God or gods.[http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/atheism]</ref>   

Beginning in the latter portion of the 20th century and continuing beyond, many [[agnosticism|agnostics]]/atheists have argued that the '''definition of atheism''' should be defined as a mere lack of belief in God or gods.<ref name="Divine"/><ref name="Definition of atheism">[http://www.reasonablefaith.org/definition-of-atheism Definition of atheism] by William Lane Craig</ref><ref name="CRI"/><ref>Britain is a less religious country than the United States and the online Oxford Dictionaries offers both the narrow/broad definitions of atheism (As noted in a previous footnote the Merriam-Webster dictionary, which is a traditional American dictionary, offers a more narrow definition of atheism similar to the definition that major encyclopedias of philosophy use). Oxford Dictionaries: Disbelief or lack of belief in the existence of God or gods.[http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/atheism]</ref>   

== Historic roots of the word atheism ==

== Historic roots of the word atheism ==

== Influential Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy denies atheist request to broaden the definition of atheism ==

== Influential Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy denies atheist request to broaden the definition of atheism ==

Eric Hatfield states at the the website ''Is there a God?'' concerning the ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'':

Eric Hatfield states at the website ''Is there a God?'' concerning the ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'':

{{Cquote|[https://atheistforums.org/thread-9794.html An atheist wrote] to the Stanford Encyclopedia a few years back, requesting the definition be changed to the more modern usage, but the editor declined, pointing out that the older definition was still the one used by philosophers, and saying that [[Antony Flew|Flew]] hadn’t persuaded his peers on this matter. It is worth reading both the letter and the response.<ref>[http://www.is-there-a-god.info/blog/belief/atheists-agnostics-and-theists/ Atheists, agnostics and theists]</ref>}}

{{Cquote|[https://atheistforums.org/thread-9794.html An atheist wrote] to the Stanford Encyclopedia a few years back, requesting the definition be changed to the more modern usage, but the editor declined, pointing out that the older definition was still the one used by philosophers, and saying that [[Antony Flew|Flew]] hadn’t persuaded his peers on this matter. It is worth reading both the letter and the response.<ref>[http://www.is-there-a-god.info/blog/belief/atheists-agnostics-and-theists/ Atheists, agnostics and theists]</ref>}}

Since 1979, many atheists have followed Bradlaugh's thinking further and stated that atheism is merely a lack of belief in any god.<ref name="Divine"/> The motive for such a shift in meaning appears to be to an attempt to shift the burden of proof regarding the existence of God to the [[theism]] side.<ref name="Divine"/>

Since 1979, many atheists have followed Bradlaugh's thinking further and stated that atheism is merely a lack of belief in any god.<ref name="Divine"/> The motive for such a shift in meaning appears to be to an attempt to shift the burden of proof regarding the existence of God to the [[theism]] side.<ref name="Divine"/>

In the article, ''Is Atheism Presumptuous''?, atheist [[Jeffery Jay Lowder]], a founder of [[Internet Infidels]] which owns and operates the Secular Web (the Secular Web is a website focused on promoting atheism, [[agnosticism|agnostics]] and [[Philosophical skepticism|skeptics]] on the internet), states that "I agree (with Copan) that anyone who claims, "God does not exist," must shoulder a burden of proof just as much as anyone who claims, "God exists."<ref name="Divine"/>

In the article, ''Is Atheism Presumptuous''?, atheist [[Jeffery Jay Lowder]], a founder of [[Internet Infidels]] which owns and operates the Secular Web (the Secular Web is a website focused on promoting atheism, agnostics and [[Philosophical skepticism|skeptics]] on the internet), states that "I agree (with Copan) that anyone who claims, "God does not exist," must shoulder a burden of proof just as much as anyone who claims, "God exists."<ref name="Divine"/>

In short, the attempt to redefine atheism is merely an attempt to make no assertions so no facts need be offered. The attempt to redefine atheism, however, is not in accordance with the standard definitions of atheism that encyclopedias of philosophy employ which is that atheism is a denial of the existence of God or gods.<ref name="Divine"/>

In short, the attempt to redefine atheism is merely an attempt to make no assertions so no facts need be offered. The attempt to redefine atheism, however, is not in accordance with the standard definitions of atheism that encyclopedias of philosophy employ which is that atheism is a denial of the existence of God or gods.<ref name="Divine"/>

=== William Lane Craig on attempts to define the word atheism ===

=== William Lane Craig on attempts to define the word atheism ===

[[Image:Billcraig_czvx.jpg‎‎|thumb|150px|[[William Lane Craig]] ]]

[[Image:Billcraig_czvx.jpg‎‎|thumb|150px|[[William Lane Craig]] ]]

[[William Lane Craig]] declared:

William Lane Craig declared:

{{cquote|There’s a history behind this.  Certain atheists in the mid-twentieth century were promoting the so-called “presumption of atheism.” At face value, this would appear to be the claim that in the absence of evidence for the existence of God, we should presume that God does not exist.  Atheism is a sort of default position, and the theist bears a special burden of proof with regard to his belief that God exists....

{{cquote|There’s a history behind this.  Certain atheists in the mid-twentieth century were promoting the so-called “presumption of atheism.” At face value, this would appear to be the claim that in the absence of evidence for the existence of God, we should presume that God does not exist.  Atheism is a sort of default position, and the theist bears a special burden of proof with regard to his belief that God exists....

One would still require justification in order to know either that God exists or that He does not exist, which is the question we’re really interested in.

One would still require justification in order to know either that God exists or that He does not exist, which is the question we’re really interested in.

So why, you might wonder, would atheists be anxious to so trivialize their position?  Here I agree with you that a [[Atheism and deception|deceptive game]] is being played by many atheists.  If atheism is taken to be a view, namely the view that there is no God, then atheists must shoulder their share of the burden of proof to support this view.<ref name="Definition of atheism">[http://www.reasonablefaith.org/definition-of-atheism Definition of atheism] by [[William Lane Craig]]</ref>}}

So why, you might wonder, would atheists be anxious to so trivialize their position?  Here I agree with you that a [[Atheism and deception|deceptive game]] is being played by many atheists.  If atheism is taken to be a view, namely the view that there is no God, then atheists must shoulder their share of the burden of proof to support this view.<ref name="Definition of atheism">[http://www.reasonablefaith.org/definition-of-atheism Definition of atheism] by William Lane Craig</ref>}}

== Weak atheism and strong atheism  ==

== Weak atheism and strong atheism  ==