Difference between revisions of "Definition of atheism"
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The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines atheism as "a disbelief in the existence of deity"[http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atheism] | The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines atheism as "a disbelief in the existence of deity"[http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atheism] | ||
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| + | == Attempts to Dilute the Definition of Atheism == | ||
| + | [[File:Charles Bradlaugh.jpg|thumb|right|195px|[[Charles Bradlaugh]] ]] | ||
| + | ''See also:'' [[Attempts to dilute the definition of atheism]] | ||
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| + | [[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]]. 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" /> | ||
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| + | 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" /> | ||
| + | In short, the attempt to redefine atheism is merely an attempt to make no assertions so no facts need be offered.<ref name="DivCon" /> 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" /><ref name="cw"/><ref name="DivCon" /> | ||
== See also == | == See also == | ||
Revision as of 10:49, July 8, 2011
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines atheism as "a disbelief in the existence of deity"[1]
Attempts to Dilute the Definition of Atheism
See also: Attempts to dilute the definition of atheism
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. Since 1979, many atheists have followed Bradlaugh's thinking further and stated that atheism is merely a lack of belief in any god.[1][2] 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.[1]
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 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."[1] In short, the attempt to redefine atheism is merely an attempt to make no assertions so no facts need be offered.[1] 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.[3][4][1]
See also
Definitions of Atheist and Agnostic
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 http://www.thedivineconspiracy.org/athart3.htm
- ↑ Positive Atheism's Big List of Charles Bradlaugh Quotations
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedSEP - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedcw