Negative atheism? Definitions (Introduction)

by dhw, Sunday, January 11, 2015, 20:39 (3603 days ago) @ romansh

Dhw: I accept that many of our problems are caused by the inadequacy of language, so we often need definitions, but these are a means to an end.
ROMANSH: I don't think the problem in this case is caused by the inadequacy of language, but more to an attachment to a concept.-What problem?-ROMANSH: My question remains ... is the commonly accepted definition of weak atheism, which also goes by [negative, soft, implicit] atheism ... a lack of belief in god or gods?
If not please provide a reference ... because a quick google search-https://www.google.ca/search?q=weak+atheism+definition&gws_rd=cr&ei=LaixVOGaFcX...-seems to suggest it is.-I'm not querying the definition. I'm querying the usefulness of all these woolly terms and definitions. You have left out the rest of this one, which I quoted in order to explain my objections: “If weak atheism = someone who does not believe in god(s) but does not explicitly assert that there are none, you will need to ask him why he does not explicitly make the assertion”. I went on to give examples, but there's no point in my repeating the whole argument, in view of your next comment. -ROMANSH: I am not ignoring your definitions nor am I discussing them. -Why not? What is your objection to my definitions and to my reasons for preferring them to the long and confusing list of concepts and definitions you seem to favour? Why have you raised this subject in the first place?-ROMANSH: The original title of this thread was Negative Atheism?-You don't seem to read my posts. After telling you that “I'd sooner spend the time discussing why people do/don't believe”, I wrote in brackets: “Incidentally, the heading of this thread refers to the claim that atheism is a negative way of thinking.” The discussion began when David accused atheists of being “totally negative in their approach”; he went on: “Agnostics claim to be trying to figure it out. And I think they can be honestly trying, but I sense there is an underlying negativity in their thought pattern.”
 
ROMANSH: Having said all this, what is your definition of negative atheism?-It's unfortunate that you jumped on the title of the thread without knowing what it was about. The question mark might perhaps have given you a clue. The heading means: Is atheism a negative approach? It's not meant to be a concept. I'm afraid I find such concepts unhelpful and an unproductive distraction from the issue itself, i.e. is there such a thing as a god or gods?