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Definitions of Atheist and Agnostic (view source)
Revision as of 12:30, July 27, 2010
, 12:30, July 27, 2010no edit summary
[[File:Charles Bradlaugh.jpg|thumb|right|195px|[[Charles Bradlaugh]] ]]
[[Charles Bradlaugh]], in 1876, proposed that [[atheism]] does not assert "there is no God," and by doing so he diluted the traditional definition of atheism.<ref name="SEP">http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/atheism-agnosticism/</ref><ref name="cw">[http://creation.com/atheism-is-more-rational Is Atheism More Rational] by [[Creation Ministries International]]</ref><ref>http://www.thedivineconspiracy.org/athart3.htm</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="DivCon">http://www.thedivineconspiracy.org/athart3.htm</ref><ref>[http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/quotes/bradlaugh.htm Positive Atheism's Big List of Charles Bradlaugh Quotations]</ref> 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="DivCon" />
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="DivCon">http://www.thedivineconspiracy.org/athart3.htm</ref>
In short, the attempt to redefine atheism is merely an attempt to make no assertions so no facts need be offered.<ref name="DivCon">http://www.thedivineconspiracy.org/athart3.htm</ref> 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="SEP">http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/atheism-agnosticism/</ref><ref name="cw">[http://creation.com/atheism-is-more-rational Is Atheism More Rational] by [[Creation Ministries International]]</ref><ref>http://www.thedivineconspiracy.org/athart3.htm</ref>
== See also ==
*[[Weak atheism]]
*[[Strong atheism]]
*[[Essay: The question atheists fear]]
*[[Essay: Does Richard Dawkins have machismo?]] - satire
*[[Essay: Proof and evidence that atheism is true|Proof and evidence that atheism is true]] - satire
*[[Essay: The overwhelming proof and evidence for evolution]] - satire
== External links ==
*[http://www.leaderu.com/truth/1truth11.html Why the Burden of Proof is on the Atheist] by Professor Ralph McInerny
* [http://home.earthlink.net/~gbl111/resurrection.htm Atheists and the Resurrection - Framing the Argument] by G. Brady Lenardos
* [http://www.examiner.com/x-19682-Atlanta-Church--Culture-Examiner~y2009m8d10-Atheisms-house-of-cards-Part-3 Atheism's House of Cards]
* [http://www.examiner.com/x-19682-Atlanta-Church--Culture-Examiner~y2009m8d13-Arguments-Built-upon-Assumptions Arguments Built by Assumptions]
==Introduction==
==Introduction==