How do you define atheism?

[malthaussen]

9. Eh, a belief that there is no god-thing is the same as a belief that there is...

... lacking any factual evidence. I know a lot of people whom I think of as "evangelical atheists." It's not enough for them to maintain their own belief, they have to proselytize, apparently getting some kick out of scoring points off the ignorant. Their belief that this god-thing does not exist is as frantic as the belief of an evangelical theist that their god-thing does exist.

So I usually don't bother with the words a-theist or a-gnostic either. The a-gnostic is claiming the answer can't be known, which of course cannot be known. The a-theist is claiming that the god-thing doesn't exist, but despite quibbles to the contrary, I'm still pretty happy with the concept that a negative can't be proven (of course, I can't prove that).

To me it's a non-issue, which is a reflection of my privilege in living in a god-free environment. I have come to understand better in the past few years that others don't benefit from that privilege, and so I have learned to cut a little slack to the people who are on the barricades with this.

I'd really prefer a good word for anti-religious, though. I think religion causes a lot more problems than the belief in the god-thing, which lacking religion is no more harmful than believing in Nessie. OTOH, some people are religious and also very nice people. I rather expect, though, that they would be just as nice sans religion.

-- Mal