Atheism: Belief or not a belief?

This question was brought up in another thread recently and the topic was set aside so as to not derail the current thread but I thought it sounded like a fun conversation to have so I'm starting a thread for it. (even though I didn't participate in the original discussion in the other thread. That's just the kind of guy I am. :laugh: )

So is Atheism a belief or not?

Personally I'd say yes. It's a belief that there is no supernatural being to believe in. It is what goes in the "Religion" spot on official forms if you "have no religion." That makes it a belief in the same way that "single" is a relationship status. You mark "single" on official forms when not in a relationship.

That's just me though.

I wouldn't say atheism is a belief system, because it is predicated on the fact that it is essentially non-belief in something which others cannot prove.

I don't think that someone saying they believe in a god is the same as someone saying they don't believe in a god.

Belief in a god requires a belief in something existing which cannot be proven. Atheism is simply the non-belief in something which hasn't already been proven.

If that makes any sense.

What about those like me who think god is unlikely, and also don't care about whether there is?

Atheism is a religion like off is a television channel. It's not the belief that there isn't anything, but is a lack of belief. That's why we're called, "non-believers," and I would say that it is therefore not a belief.

Let's start by defining the term as found in a common dictionary.

atheism (noun)
1. the doctrine or BELIEF that there is no God.
2. disBELIEF in the existence of a supreme being or beings.

Wait...

Not really a discussion...

Edan wrote: What about those like me who think god is unlikely, and also don't care about whether there is?

I think that's called Agnostic. I could be wrong though.

Unless we're just gonna make up our own personal definitions that is...

No

In my opinion atheism is not a belief. For the majority of atheists , atheism is not the assumption that there is no God. Atheism is not an article of faith, adhered to regardless of what evidence does or does not support it. Atheism is not a certainty that there is no God. For most atheists I know, it is a provisional conclusion, based on careful reasoning and on the best available evidence they have. Atheism is the conclusion that the God hypothesis is unsupported by any good evidence, and that unless they see better evidence, they assume that God does not exist.

Most likely written by a believer defining things for those who don't believe... as usual. I haven't been convinced that god is true. While I don't actively deny one, I simply have NO BELIEF in one. So there.

Edit: That was in reply to rugadd's post. Should have hit that little quote button.

I did not ask for and do not want this thread, Goken. I don't come to TotJO to tell other people who they are. I didn't show up here to tell this guy how to be a Christian or that guy how to be a Pagan. It doesn't matter what Cable or anyone else says on the matter, they aren't living it and certainly express no real interest in learning about it, they just want to dictate to me who I am. To show up and INSIST that something that they aren't living or experiencing is a certain way is nothing but arrogance. How would they know?

So everybody have fun arguing about something you aren't even interested in learning more about. Have fun making assumptions about other people and dropping generalizations. Have fun being part of the group that trusts rapists more than atheists . What do I care?

I have to deal with this ignorant BS in the real world, I'm not going to stand alone in yet another thread. You all claim to be open-minded. Use your mind. Go google it and study it in actual places where we roll.

I will not be run out of here like you all did to Mahogany.

Hmmmm...