Defining Atheism

[McBell]

We have a well defined meaning of what evidence means. Any evidence must be testable and repeatable, which is the common standard we use in science.

Not really:

Evidence 
noun
1. that which tends to prove or disprove something; ground for belief; proof.

2. something that makes plain or clear; an indication or sign: His flushed look was visible evidence of his fever.

3. Law . data presented to a court or jury in proof of the facts in issue and which may include the testimony of witnesses, records, documents, or objects.
​

Definition one means anything that convinces some one of something is evidence.
So we can see from that definition that the OP is in fact, by definition, evidence.

Which is why I do so many facepalms when people who want/mean objective empirical evidence leave off the 'objective empirical' part.

 

[FlyingTeaPot]

Not really:

Evidence 
noun
1. that which tends to prove or disprove something; ground for belief; proof.

2. something that makes plain or clear; an indication or sign: His flushed look was visible evidence of his fever.

3. Law . data presented to a court or jury in proof of the facts in issue and which may include the testimony of witnesses, records, documents, or objects.
​

Definition one means anything that convinces some one of something is evidence.
So we can see from that definition that the OP is in fact, by definition, evidence.

Which is why I do so many facepalms when people who want/mean objective empirical evidence leave off the 'objective empirical' part.

Your facepalms are well justified. I amend my earlier statement to include the objective empirical part.

 

[Slorri]

I also believe Australia exists. Does that make it a religion?
If so what is it called?

To just believe in the existence of a landmass might not constitute a religion, not even if it deals with Atlantis; But I suppose that one could build some kind of religion around such a belief.

The thing is, once we set foot upon either land we believed in, the belief start to crumble, and metamorph into what we call knowledge.

At this day and age I suppose that the pro-aussian religion could be a bit tricky to promote.

 

[lunakilo]

To just believe in the existence of a landmass might not constitute a religion, not even if it deals with Atlantis; But I suppose that one could build some kind of religion around such a belief.

The thing is, once we set foot upon either land we believed in, the belief start to crumble, and metamorph into what we call knowledge.

At this day and age I suppose that the pro-aussian religion could be a bit tricky to promote.

Well I have never been to Australia, so for me the existence or non-existence of the place ramains pure speculation

How about not believing in Atlantis then?
Or believing that Atlantis does not exist?

Are those religions?
I think you need more than a simple statement that you believe something exists or don't believe something exists to call something a religion.

Like one of those silly americans I sometimes see youtube clips about said "atheism is religion like abstinence is a sex position"

 

[Slorri]

Well I have never been to Australia, so for me the existence or non-existence of the place ramains pure speculation

How about not believing in Atlantis then?
Or believing that Atlantis does not exist?

Are those religions?
I think you need more than a simple statement that you believe something exists or don't believe something exists to call something a religion.

Like one of those silly americans I sometimes see youtube clips about said "atheism is religion like abstinence is a sex position"

I suppose that even the Australians themselves can have a debate about whether it's Australia or not: - At least it's not what it used to be. A land called by this name, for now, but who can prove it?.

The comparison of "not believing in Atlantis" to not believing in a deity is a good one. This non-believer will have an idea of what it is he don't believe in. Maybe he thinks that Atlantis was a continent out in the Atlantic ocean that sunk underneath the surface, and he doesn't believe in that; So it is his own belief that he doesn't believe in.

Atlantis could in reality be something else, as a hypothesis, let's say it's Greenland, that is now underneath the ice. We see then that reality was not affected by this non-believer, and the only things there were was his own ideas and thoughts that he believed in or rejected.

Normally I don't consider atheism to be a religion, just a belief. As you say, it would take more than just a statement.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Well I have never been to Australia, so for me the existence or non-existence of the place ramains pure speculation

How about not believing in Atlantis then?
Or believing that Atlantis does not exist?

Are those religions?
I think you need more than a simple statement that you believe something exists or don't believe something exists to call something a religion.

Like one of those silly americans I sometimes see youtube clips about said "atheism is religion like abstinence is a sex position"

Australia exists for a given value of Australia. And I can prove it exists, since I have a book that discusses it in depth (Lonely Planets guide). We even have a kinda loose ceremonial structure where once a year we gather for dawn services to remember fallen soldiers, then bugger off to the footy to get drunk.

If we expand the dawn services to once a week, can we be a religion? Please?? The we can ex-communicate New Zealand.