Religion
In reply to the discussion: what is the most important aspect of the interaction between belivers and non believers [View all]LostOne4Ever
(9,329 posts)It is also the ones who say "maybe" and "Whatever, I don't care" and "what do you mean by god(s)?"
Lack of belief is just that. No belief either way. You are redefining atheism in your example to give it a solid belief. It would be like me going up to someone who lived on a deserted island all their life with no exposure to the outside world (and lets just assume I know their language for argument sake) and asking them do you believe that Robin Hood was an actual person?
They would neither believe or disbelieve in Robin Hood as they have never heard of him.
So your basic premise is flawed as just being an atheist does not assure that they will answer in the negative. Explicit or Positive atheists will answer in the the negative, but Implicit or negative atheists would be saying:
or
or
or my favorite
In fact they could reject the proposition altogether. So actually AC is correct in his assertion.
Links on the subject on the meaning of atheism:
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/atheist
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheism
Definition provided by major atheists organizations (who would know better?) confirming this:
http://www.atheists.org/activism/resources/what-is-atheism?
http://ffrf.org/component/k2/item/18391-what-is-a-freethinker
A detailed examination of the issue of the definition of atheism:
http://www.religioustolerance.org/atheist4.htm
http://www.religioustolerance.org/atheist14.htm
Note that I am not defining/labeling any other group/groups just my own. Just an demonstrating the meaning of atheism.
Sorry philosophy is not my suite, but it is my understanding it is impossible to get an "ought" statement out of a "is" statement.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Is%E2%80%93ought_problem
Believing there is or isn't a god is an "is" statement. Saying that one "ought" to reject dogma is an "ought" statement, no? This goes directly against Hume's Guillotine.
If this is so, your entire argument here is mistaken.