Posted: May 15, 2018 4:40 pm
Cito di Pense wrote:Thomas Eshuis wrote:romansh wrote:Hermit wrote:
Why not use the definition by Thomas Eshuis that you just quoted? People who lack a belief in the existence of a god.
I do
I also use the explicit version, depending on the version that the person I am talking to uses.
But the claim "Atheists don't make claims" should be amended to "Some atheists don't make claims" when using the impicit version collectively.
Again, I disagree. If you're talking about atheists who make claims based on atheism, it is indeed correct, as atheism itself is not a claim or position to base anything on.
That some atheists make claims, based on their gnosticism for example, is part of that gnosticism or whatever other idea they hold, not atheism.
Thomas, the term atheism carries the suffix -ism, which identifies a system of thought. Use of this suffix carries over into your first-language group as well.
The word isn't athe-ism though, it's a-theism. The -ism is part of theism, which an atheist is without. Hence the a-.
Cito di Pense wrote: You're contending that this system of thought merely expresses the absence of a particular system of thought. Given how much thought you've put into it, atheism is indeed a system of thought.
Nope, discussing word usage in no way demonstrates that the word refers to a belief system.