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== Types of atheism ==

== Types of atheism ==

Atheism is often divided into a number of different types.  Jacques Maritain, a theist, distinguished several types in a article he wrote in 1949.  He defined "positive atheism" as "the active struggle against everything that reminds us of God," negative atheism as "the merely negative or destructive process of casting aside the idea of God, which is replaced only with a void."  <ref>Jacques Maritain, ''On the Meaning of Contemporary Atheism'', The Review of Politics, Vol. 11, No. 3, pp. 267-280, July, 1949.</ref>

Atheism is often divided into a number of different types.  Jacques Maritain, a theist, distinguished several types in an article he wrote in 1949.  He defined "positive atheism" as "the active struggle against everything that reminds us of God," negative atheism as "the merely negative or destructive process of casting aside the idea of God, which is replaced only with a void."  <ref>Jacques Maritain, ''On the Meaning of Contemporary Atheism'', The Review of Politics, Vol. 11, No. 3, pp. 267-280, July, 1949.</ref>

In recent years, the terms "strong" and "weak" atheism have come into use to describe the same distinction.  However, the difference is articulated in more [[epistemology|epistemological]] terms than those of Mr. Maritain.  Specifically, [[strong atheism]] is defined as the position that there is positive evidence to prove that God does not exist, while [[weak atheism]] is defined as a position that the theist bears the [[burden of proof]], and that theists have not met their burden.<ref>[http://www.allaboutphilosophy.org/atheism.htm]</ref>

In recent years, the terms "strong" and "weak" atheism have come into use to describe the same distinction.  However, the difference is articulated in more [[epistemology|epistemological]] terms than those of Mr. Maritain.  Specifically, [[strong atheism]] is defined as the position that there is positive evidence to prove that God does not exist, while [[weak atheism]] is defined as a position that the theist bears the [[burden of proof]], and that theists have not met their burden.<ref>[http://www.allaboutphilosophy.org/atheism.htm]</ref>