Quote:
Originally Posted by bryantm3
well, once again you're examining semantics. it's really hard to not discuss semantics when we're talking about what a term really means.
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Yes, and that was entirely the point of that particular post - to elaborate on (my own particular use of) terms, given that those differences often lie at the heart of much of the disagreement.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bryantm3
i think that most people who describe themselves as agnostics would probably fall under your definition of atheism.
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Yes, though possibly
in addition to agnosticism. See above.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bryantm3
most people who describe themselves as atheists would probably fall under the subset that you describe as making a positive claim— despite what the terms actually mean, society has generally moved towards the idea that an atheist is a person who is making a positive claim that there is no G-d.
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Actually I'm finding quite the opposite - that there seems to be a steady trend towards people declaring their atheism as a statement about what they don't believe, not a statement about what they do. I know a lot of the debate sadly consists of atheists shouting "Hey suckerz your sky fairy don't exist, deal with it, lolz!!" I'll readily admit that I'm not counting that as valid opinion. But of those who put their argument in more measured terms, there seems to be a steady increase in self-described atheists exercising the burden of proof argument and taking the broader 'without theism' defintion of atheism.
All this is obviously anecdotal and subject to my own biases.