Does it say “Philosophy” at the beginning of that definition? And isn’t that what we’re doing here, philosophy?
If you guys are going to get back into the dictionary game;
TODAY in ENGLISH “Atheist” means:
The indented quotes give allowance for merely a lack of belief, a distinction not found in ancient Greek or Latin.
So about a ratio of 21 : 3 in favor of “Atheism” meaning;
“a [size=150]belief in the lack[/size] of any fundamental theory” (aka “God”).
And it just so happens that infants subconsciously believe in a fundamental theory that we commonly call Causality (or the ancient concept of God called “El”). They have to grow up to gain a conscious understanding which is usually obfuscated into bizarre foolishness by adults arguing with each other over what each wants others to believe.
James, please stop flooding and tell us: are these all the online English dictionaries? and are they all equal?
I was 99% sure you’d try to pull that one on me. Belief that a god exists is a belief in a proposition like you or I believe that there is sand in the Sahara Desert. So we’re not limited to just the definitions which say “Philosophy”.
Yet again, attempting to ignore the facts…
I don’t think “equal” makes any sense in this regard. And as far as being “all”, well they were the list that appeared when I inquired, there are just a few more … not in your favor;
OneLook
Of all those definitions, 10 would allow for a newborn baby to be an atheist and 14 would not allow for a newborn baby to be an atheist.
Sorry, but I see 21 : 3 (outvoted either way).
Which do you see as supporting what you want everyone to believe?
James, you’re such a hypocrite sometimes… you say modern physics is delusional (outvoted), but for some reason when it comes to atheism, all of a sudden you trust the votes. People have been defining atheism as “lack of belief in…” as long as the internet has been live. Live with it.
Then you’re counting something other than what I’m counting. Or you take ‘disbelieve’ to mean something other than to not hold a belief.
Then you’re counting something other than what I’m counting. Or you take ‘disbelieve’ to mean something other than to not hold a belief.
More importantly, of those dictionaries in which the definition of atheist wouldn’t allow for a newborn baby to be an atheist, what word do they say is used to describe “a person who doesn’t hold the belief that a god exists”? I guess we’d have to scour the entire dictionary of each of those 14 to see if there is a word which entails this.
There’s a lot of atheists who aren’t trying to be pigeon-holed as anti-theists, because it makes God real. So it’s really James playing the semantic game here.
Using phrases like “pulling one on me” is pulling one yourself.
According to Dictionary.com, philosophically speaking a person is a self-conscious or rational being. I’m speaking philosophically here. Are you?
That’s hilarious… you think most adults are self conscious or rational =)
It is merely an issue of public definition vs private preference.
The only “right” when it comes to public definition is what the formal dictionaries say. It has nothing to do with logic or physics or even reality. It is merely what the word is to mean. And that is why atheists try to make it mean something special to what they believe to be to their favor.
It is social political rhetoric vs social reality.
…absolutely ZERO philosophical relevance.
Yet again, making ungrounded assertions…
Not in my favour? Why not? I’m willing to stick to any reputable dictionary of your choosing, James.
If they’re not equal, then the ratio of 21:3–or any other ratio, for that matter–tells us nothing. After all, if each of those twenty-one are equal to one another but only count for one-seventh of the other three, then the actual ratio is 1:1.
Great flooding, James. In fact, let’s quote that again.
Wow…
Gyahd, forgive me for thinking that you had a brain.
Are you really enjoying the fruits of the weed as much as your cohorts?
Enjoying your trolling, James?
(21/7):3 = 1:1
Nope, which is why I quit somewhere before 2007. I do drink half a liter of red wine a week now, though. Other than that, the hardest drug I take is typically green tea.
Well serious congrats for that, but you still talk/think like your wasted. What’s up with that?
How do you know what I would talk/think like if I was wasted?
Did it ever occur to you that it might be you as least as much as me?