What is the Definition of Atheism?

[dingdao]

Please list your vote, why, and a working philosophy for living.

 

[Willamena]

Most all philosophies for living work. If they didn't, well...

 

[A Vestigial Mote]

Please list your vote, why, and a working philosophy for living.

Theists say: "There is a god, and He/She/It is my God."
I say: "I cannot, in good conscience, believe He/She/It exists unless you can prove/produce/demonstrate such, and I will withhold belief until that happens."

So I suppose the 4th option on your very biased list of "definitions" (I'll go along and pretend they are definitions) comes closest to describing my view. I do reject the notions of gods that cannot be proven... which currently happens to be ALL of them.

 

[LuisDantas]

I am surprised by the options offered. I am honestly not sure about what they mean.

In any case, my definition of atheism is quite free-form, mainly because I have concluded that so is the definition of "god".

Atheism is the absence (even if entirely accidental) of reliance and of significant reference to concepts of deities or gods in one's personal beliefs and goals.

Pretty much anything can be called a god (or deity), and pretty much anything can be denied those names as well. It is an entirely arbitrary and personal call, with no constraints due to internal coherence or any other form of logic. God-concepts are not subject to logic.

 

[wandering peacefully]

Please list your vote, why, and a working philosophy for living.

None of the above. Working philosophy is we are all humans and should strive for the fair and humanistic treatment of others and all life. It comes from compassion and wisdom not from the sky.

You can tell me you know for certain there is a God and what it wants. I don't believe you. That's atheism.

 

[Nimos]

Please list your vote, why, and a working philosophy for living.

I don't think any of them is correct

To me atheism is this:
"The lack of evidence to support why a God(s) is needed to explain anything."

But I would go for nr. 2 as that seems to be closest

working philosophy for living.

Since we have little choice in whether we are born or not. And no clue why we are here in the first place. My working philosophy is simply to do things that makes me happy without causing harm to others.

 

[Altfish]

I am surprised by the options offered. I am honestly not sure about what they mean.

In any case, my definition of atheism is quite free-form, mainly because I have concluded that so is the definition of "god".

Atheism is the absence (even if entirely accidental) of reliance and of significant reference to concepts of deities or gods in one's personal beliefs and goals.

Pretty much anything can be called a god (or deity), and pretty much anything can be denied those names as well. It is an entirely arbitrary and personal call, with no constraints due to internal coherence or any other form of logic. God-concepts are not subject to logic.

This basically, the definition of atheism is usually something like...

"disbelief or lack of belief in the existence of God or gods"

Which doesn't really fit into any of your options.

 

[Altfish]

Please list your vote, why, and a working philosophy for living.

Atheism (or more correctly humanism) is a philosophy or life stance that embraces human reason, ethics, and philosophical naturalism while specifically rejecting religious dogma, supernaturalism, pseudoscience, and superstition as the basis of morality and decision making.
Atheism doesn't have a philosophy, it is just a lack of belief in god(s)

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

There's a scientific three-step process to finding the correct definition of a word:

1. Ask me the definition.

2. Based on that answer, think of what the polar opposite might be.

3. You're golden.

 

[columbus]

I picked the second and fourth.
But none of them really mean the same thing as I do by the word atheism. I mean, "I don't believe in any religion". Not all religious world views feature a God image, per se. But they're more consistently about some supernatural and/or afterlife. Might be your ancestors speaking to you, might be reincarnation, it doesn't matter. I don't believe in any of the religious world views I know about. A sort of agnostic, pantheistic, deism is as close as I am able to get.

The only thing my beliefs have in common with religion is the lack of evidence. That's why I don't make truth claims about my personal "beliefs of preference", because I know that they're Faith. So they have almost nothing to do with anyone else. And in all likelihood, they're wrong. Because I am a limited human being, and The Truth about such things is far beyond my abilities.

But, they work for me at this time.
Provisionally.
Tom

 

[Nakosis]

Please list your vote, why, and a working philosophy for living.

To me being an atheist is choosing not to believe in a God based on a lack of evidence. A lack of actual knowledge about a God entity.

My working philosophy is to get through life as best I can while causing as little turmoil to other folks as possible.

 

[PureX]

"Theism" refers to the proposition that (human) existence is God-centered. "Atheism" refers to the proposition that it is not.

 

[ChristineM]

Please list your vote, why, and a working philosophy for living.

I voted - There is no God.

Because it it closest the the accepted definition

Atheism : disbelief or lack of belief in the existence of God or gods.

A working philosophy? Live your life as best you can while abiding by the morality of what is good and what is bad and the moralities of the culture in which you live.

 

[columbus]

Also,
I generally use the term "Non-theist", rather than atheist. Too many people assume the word atheist to mean hard atheist, "I know there is no God". I don't know of many of those. If one is being precise, "I know there is no God" is quite different from "I have no reason to believe in God or religion".

But the words are all vague and people are often imprecise when discussing the concepts.
Tom

 

[dingdao]

Please list your vote, why, and a working philosophy for living.

I chose to cast a vote for Christianity on this one (not for myself).
You're going to Hell if you don't believe the way I do.
NOT a working philosophy.

 

[Quintessence]

I just want to say I really, really love your first poll option.

 

[syo]

Atheism is when you don't know what god is.

 

[columbus]

Atheism is when you don't know what god is.

And theism is when you pretend that you do.
Tom

 

[syo]

And theism is when you pretend that you do.
Tom

nope. it's necessity.

 

[columbus]

nope. it's necessity.

It isn't a necessity for everybody. That's why there are non-theists.
Tom