atheism = unscientific (reject, beliefs, followers, theist, agnostic)

[Jayhawker Soule]

Originally Posted by Halcyon

Note how in definition 1, the words evidence and argument are used as synonyms for proof.

When asked what he had for dinner, he pointed to an empty yogurt container. Note how dinner and yogurt are ...

And note the remarkably sloppy logic: that evidence {A} is offered as proof of {B} in no way implies an equivalency between evidence and proof. So, for example, the whole concept of 'preponderance of evidence' suggests the common case wherein no single item of evidence serves as sufficient proof.

[Jayhawker Soule]

A brief piece of irony ... I seem to recall that the phrase "the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence" was popularized by the well known Carl Sagan.

I first read Sagan decades ago. The book was the very readable Intelligent Life in the Universe. It addressed, among other things, the UFO phenomenon. I recall Sagan noting that a world of astronomers nightly monitor every quadrant of the sky, and yet there remains no credible scientific evidence of ET visitation. This absense of evidence was offered as strong circumstantial evidence (not proof) against such visitations.

Sagan was correct.

[Scuba Pete]

It is unfortunate that some would like to use a "legal" definition of proof. www.Dictionary.com provides this as it's first entry:

proof ( P ) Pronunciation Key (prf)
n.

1. The evidence or argument that compels the mind to accept an assertion as true.

That's good enough for me. The whole issue of evidence is to support or contradict a contention. In this respect, we all have various levels of evidence we require to compel our mind to accept or reject the assertions. Semantical gerrymandering does little to negate the reality that evidence is proof for most of us.

BTW, here is the first few lines of their thesaurus:

Main Entry: proof
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: evidence
Synonyms: affidavit, argument, attestation, authentication, averment, case, certification, cincher, clue, confirmation, corroboration, credentials, criterion, cue*, data, demonstration, deposition, documents, dope, establishment, exhibit, facts, goods*, grabber*, ground, info, lowdown*, nitty-gritty*, paper trail*, picture, reason, reasons, record, scoop*, score*, skinny*, smoking gun*, substantiation, testament, testimony, trace, validation, verification, warrant, wherefore*, why*, whyfor* Source: Roget's New Millennium™ Thesaurus, First Edition (v 1.2.1)
Copyright © 2006 by Lexico Publishing Group, LLC. All rights reserved.
* = informal or slang

I think it most funny that they use evidence as the definition. Roget and out!

[Halcyon]

Originally Posted by Jayhawker Soule

<B>

When asked what he had for dinner, he pointed to an empty yogurt container. Note how dinner and yogurt are ...

...in this case, one and the same thing.
Which proves, sorry, supplies evidence in favour of my point.
If someone asks you to supply proof of identity, you hand over your driving license. If someone asks you to supply evidence of identity, you hand over your drving license.

I think we've established now that in common english, the words proof and evidence are synonyms.
If i were writing a paper, i'd go through it with a fine toothed comb to remove the occasional use of proof instead of "evidence in favour of" (which i am prone to doing, in the much the same way as i am prone to mixing up there, their and they're).

Sure we can keep up the petty childishness of pointing out my common tongue when replying to simple forum messages, or you two can stop trying to lead the subject off on a tangent when confronted with ideas you are uncomfortable with and are having a hard time to counter.
</B>

Originally Posted by Jayhawker Soule

And note the remarkably sloppy logic: that evidence {A} is offered as proof of {B} in no way implies an equivalency between evidence and proof. So, for example, the whole concept of 'preponderance of evidence' suggests the common case wherein no single item of evidence serves as sufficient proof.

Learn to recognise when someone is speaking/typing in a relaxed manner and not too concerned with minor inaccuracies. You know exactly the point i was making.

[anders]

In Sweden, a very non-religious country, I have never heard of shades of atheism. If you find it resonable that there is no God, you're an atheist. The difference between atheism and agnosticism is acknowledged and explained (but summarily) in the Swedish National Encyclopedia, but there is no grading of atheism. The strong/weak thing is something that I first encountered on this site. Translated into Swedish, it is practically non-existent on the Internet. Why is there a need for the distinction in the US?

[gnostic]

I would say evidence is "evidence", whether they be true or not; even false evidence is evidence.

Proof, on the other hand, is something that be proven conclusively with evidences.

Absence of evidence, on the other hand, is neither evidence nor proof.

Originally Posted by anders

In Sweden, a very non-religious country, I have never heard of shades of atheism.

Same with me; I've never heard of this too, until I came here.

[Tiberius]

So then you don't consider the absence of evidence for the elephant on my head to be evidence that there is no elephant on my head?

[michel]

Originally Posted by Tiberius

So then you don't consider the absence of evidence for the elephant on my head to be evidence that there is no elephant on my head?

Which one, the African or Indian ?

[Tiberius]

Originally Posted by Halcyon

I think you're reading too much into it. Its myth, ancient explanations for the unexplainable - its not a treasure map.

I say that the Bible doesn't work if we take it literally and you say I'm reading into it too much? For believers, it's meant to be taken literally! it should be a treasure map.