Scot Dutchy wrote:Sorry it has nothing to do with belief or non-belief. I dont have a lack of belief in deities. I just dont see the evidence to prove their existence.

Do you know what lack of belief means Scot?

Do you know what atheism means? Without deities. Nothing to do with belief. You are falling into the theist trap.

No, not without deities, without theism, theism being the BELIEF in the existence of gods.

What has belief got to do with anything? It is purely a religious term. It is the same a faith. Two very subjective words that have no purpose.

Belief has got to do with the word atheism. This has already been explained.

Scot Dutchy wrote:What has belief got to do with anything? It is purely a religious term.

No, that would be faith.
Belief is a generic term for anything you think/accept as true.
For example, you believe the sun will rise tomorrow, or believe that your family loves you.

Scot Dutchy wrote: It is the same a faith. Two very subjective words that have no purpose.

It's not the same, faith is believing in things without evidence.
Faith is always a belief, but a belief isn't necessarily based on faith.

Thomas Eshuis wrote:

Scot Dutchy wrote:What has belief got to do with anything? It is purely a religious term.

No, that would be faith.
Belief is a generic terms for anything you think/accept as true.
For example, you believe the sun will rise tomorrow, or believe that your family loves you.

...

Absolutely. Perhaps SD needs a better English dictionary!

a-theos means "without God"
a-theism means "without belief in God"

DavidMcC wrote:

Thomas Eshuis wrote:

Scot Dutchy wrote:What has belief got to do with anything? It is purely a religious term.

No, that would be faith.
Belief is a generic terms for anything you think/accept as true.
For example, you believe the sun will rise tomorrow, or believe that your family loves you.

...

Absolutely. Perhaps SD needs a better English dictionary!

I dont like being called SD for well known reasons. Please dont.

Thomas Eshuis wrote:

Scot Dutchy wrote:What has belief got to do with anything? It is purely a religious term.

No, that would be faith.
Belief is a generic term for anything you think/accept as true.
For example, you believe the sun will rise tomorrow, or believe that your family loves you.

Scot Dutchy wrote: It is the same a faith. Two very subjective words that have no purpose.

It's not the same, faith is believing in things without evidence.
Faith is always a belief, but a belief isn't necessarily based on faith.

I find both very offensive. I dont have faith or belief in anything.

Scot Dutchy wrote:

Thomas Eshuis wrote:

Scot Dutchy wrote:What has belief got to do with anything? It is purely a religious term.

No, that would be faith.
Belief is a generic term for anything you think/accept as true.
For example, you believe the sun will rise tomorrow, or believe that your family loves you.

Scot Dutchy wrote: It is the same a faith. Two very subjective words that have no purpose.

It's not the same, faith is believing in things without evidence.
Faith is always a belief, but a belief isn't necessarily based on faith.

I find both very offensive. I dont have faith or belief in anything.

Regardless on your views on belief being offensive, the fact that you don't have a belief in theism, means you lack that belief and are therefore an atheist.

I don't know about Dutch, but in terms of English, Thomas is right. Perhaps they don't quite mean the same in Dutch as in English.

EDIT: Oh, except for the minor point that the belief concerned is supposed to be in "god", not in theism.

In both languages they have religious overtones. I never use them.

Scot Dutchy wrote:In both languages they have religious overtones. I never use them.

So you never answer a question with 'Ik geloof het wel.' Or use the phrase 'Ik geloof je/het niet.' ?

Thomas Eshuis wrote:

Scot Dutchy wrote:In both languages they have religious overtones. I never use them.

So you never answer a question with 'Ik geloof het wel.' Or use the phrase 'Ik geloof je/het niet.' ?

Nee Thomas echt niet. Ik let goed op.

Scot Dutchy wrote:

Thomas Eshuis wrote:

Scot Dutchy wrote:In both languages they have religious overtones. I never use them.

So you never answer a question with 'Ik geloof het wel.' Or use the phrase 'Ik geloof je/het niet.' ?

Nee Thomas echt niet. Ik let goed op.

Je kunt jezelf een hoop moeite besparen door deze idiosyncratische definitie los te laten.

Het kost geen moeite. Ik heb het altijd gedaan.

Great now they are speaking in Tongues.

willhud9 wrote:Great now they are speaking in Tongues.

I was asking whether Scot never said things like 'I don't believe you/it' or 'I believe so'.
He answered negative while saying he takes care to avoid such phrasings.
To which I pointed out he could save himself the trouble by abandoning his idiosyncratic definition.

Scot Dutchy wrote:
I dont have a lack of belief in deities.

Of course you don't, you also don't have a lack of Snickers bars. You do, however, lack belief in deities, and you lack Snickers bars. Lacking is the opposite of having, your phrasing is nonsense.