"Atheism" is a meaningless term.

[Monk Of Reason]

Or, they may simply address the concept they are confronted with. Even as an atheist I would never presume to speak for all of them, I'll leave that to know-it-all theists, but the ones I know don't really have a god concept. My goodness, believers can't agree on whether they worship the same god, why would atheists try to define their god for them?

This is true. For the most part atheists, during debates at least, mold their definition of god to the definition portrayed by the one arguing for the existence of god. I don't know of any atheists that actually have an exact definition of what god is and why they don't believe in it. More along the lines that they don't have any belief in any kind of god.

 

[Monk Of Reason]

But don't agnostics who feel that God is ill defined "lack a belief in the existence of God?

The terms overlap. Ignostics specifically refer to individuals that don't claim to even begin to look at the concept prior to it being defined. I personally see them as atheists as well because they fall under the "lack a belief" category. But atheists don't necessarily fall into this category.

 

[leibowde84]

The terms overlap. Ignostics specifically refer to individuals that don't claim to even begin to look at the concept prior to it being defined. I personally see them as atheists as well because they fall under the "lack a belief" category. But atheists don't necessarily fall into this category.

Very true. I agree completely. I am just getting tired of some on this forum that try to change the meaning of the term "atheism" in an attempt to erroneously classify "atheism" as making an active claim.

 

[Willamena]

Why? Surely, we have weighed up the options and thought, "This doesn't make sense"

The "sense" that it makes or fails to make is because of meaning. If it "made sense," it would be because it was meaningful. Making no sense would imply meaningless.

 

[Gambit]

Yes. Ignostics.

Okay, that does seem to fit.

Theological noncognitivism is the argument that religious language – specifically, words such as "God" – are not cognitively meaningful. It is sometimes considered as synonymous with ignosticism. (source: Wikipedia: Theological noncognitivism)

 

[ArtieE]

Atheism is actually a neutral position, neither a theist nor an anti-theist.
But most of the Atheists we encounter nowadays are against religions, so technically they're anti-theists.

If they are against religions they are irreligious. If they are specifically against the belief in gods they are anti-theists on top of being atheists.

 

[Theweirdtophat]

Those who believe in a god are meaningless also, there is no god, they cannot prove there is and never have proved there is, so how meaningless is that ?, I myself feel that what most call god is all there is, its the whole cosmos, or Consciousness, but I know I cannot prove that, and therefore I don't try to show my ignorance at doing so, I only share and talk about such things with like minded people, not forcing my belief onto others and egoistically thinking their wrong.

What about the ones who do believe in a god, but don't try to prove it like you? Are they meaningless, too? Or just one that have an opinion different than yours?

 

[Altfish]

The "sense" that it makes or fails to make is because of meaning. If it "made sense," it would be because it was meaningful. Making no sense would imply meaningless.

Not sure that is correct

 

[Willamena]

Not sure that is correct

Well, at least imply improper meaning. If others are using a term to some effect, to describe the true world as they see it, and you're not seeing it, it wouldn't be unreasonable to file it away under "need to re-examine terms."

 

[leibowde84]

Well, at least imply improper meaning. If others are using a term to some effect, to describe the true world as they see it, and you're not seeing it, it wouldn't be unreasonable to file it away under "need to re-examine terms."

Sometimes people do use terms incorrectly, though.

 

[Pudding]

Atheism is typically defined as the disbelief in the existence of God.

True.

However, many (if not most) atheists are inclined to argue that "God" is a meaningless term.

Can you elaborate your understand of why they think that "God" is a meaningless term?
What aspect of "meaningless" do you mean?

Is that mean that the term "God" have no characteristics apply to it in that atheist's opinion therefor it's meaningless?

Or that atheist think that the term "God" is meaningless to him because he disbelieve in the existence of that "God", it's meaningless because the "God" can't control his life decisions and didn't give any meaning to his life?

If you are an atheist who has made such an argument, then I would argue that your "atheism" is meaningless because you apparently do not understand what exactly you are disbelieving.

A type of religion's believer:
My religion's God exist, you(non-believer/atheist) should follow my God's moral/law, here is my reason why i believe my God exist, (reason present and explain).

A specific type of atheist:
I don't believe in your or any other religion's God's existence because your or any other religion's reason/evidence is unconvincing to me.
The term "God" may consider to be a meaningless term for me as i don't believe in any God's existence, this any "God" plays no role and does not control my life decision and it give no meaning to my life therefor it's meaningless to me but i understand that it may be meaningful to some believer who believe in this any "God", i've no problem for their choice to follow their religion's God, but if when they imposes their religion's God's moral/law unto me, i reserved that i've my rights to disagree with them when and if i found their action's reason to be unreasonable to me.
My atheism is meaningless?
No, i simply lack the belief in any deities, there is nothing meaningless about my lack of belief in any deities.
I apparently do not understand what exacly i'm disbelieving?
No, i did understand what i'm disbelieving. What i'm disbelieving is the existence of many different "Gods" from many different religions. Those believer may have many characteristics to apply to their God's personality, i may disagree with their claims according to my reason if i find their reason to support their claims unconvincing to me.

 

[Bunyip]

Gambit, 'God' becomes a meaningful term when the person identifies and describes their God.

 

[Awkward Fingers]

Gambit.. as an atheist, I have to ask.. WHY would god be a meaningless term?

 

[leibowde84]

Gambit.. as an atheist, I have to ask.. WHY would god be a meaningless term?

It would be a meaningless term if it was not adequately defined by the person expressing their belief in God's existence. I would argue that, unless the theist can provide a specific and limited definition of God, it would be unreasonable for the theist to expect anyone to try to counter that belief.

 

[Willamena]

Sometimes people do use terms incorrectly, though.

That wasn't the scenario.

 

[outhouse]

Atheism is typically defined as the disbelief in the existence of God. However, many (if not most) atheists are inclined to argue that "God" is a meaningless term. If you are an atheist who has made such an argument, then I would argue that your "atheism" is meaningless because you apparently do not understand what exactly you are disbelieving.

Why is it most atheist know more about religion then many theist?

 

[outhouse]

However, many (if not most) atheists are inclined to argue that "God" is a meaningless term.

Unsubstantiated.

I rarely see any atheist claiming the term is meaningless.

In over 26000 post I have yet to see it used. Your claim of "most" need substantiated

your "atheism" is meaningless because you apparently do not understand what exactly you are disbelieving

Mythology

 

[LuisDantas]

Gambit.. as an atheist, I have to ask.. WHY would god be a meaningless term?

If it is not meaningless, it sure does approach that situation in certain (common) circunstances.

One reason is because it is used to liberally.

There are those who insist that such heterogeneous concepts such as the Kami of Shinto, the supposed elevated spirits of Kardecism, the Alaya-Vijnana consciousness of Buddhism and even the mutually exclusive conceptions of deity that one finds even in specific Abrahamic denominations are in some sense all properly called "gods". Yet the one thing all of those have in common is that it is basically fine to doubt their very existence. They don't always have agency, they are usually inaccessible and mysterious, and their wills often clash - particularly, oddly enough, when one seeks among the beliefs of monotheistic religions.

When one says that he believes in the existence of a deity, that says basically nothing about his or her religious views. Whether the person sees that belief as important is a far more informative piece of data.

 

[dust1n]

In a nutshell, those who claim to be theological noncognitivists claim:

1. "God" does not refer to anything that exists.
2. "God" does not refer to anything that does not exist.
3. "God" does not refer to anything that may or may not exist.
4. "God" has no literal significance, just as "Fod" has no literal significance.

Theological noncognitivism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Oh sweet. Never heard of this before, but it's great!

 

[Gambit]

Is that mean that the term "God" have no characteristics apply to it in that atheist's opinion therefor it's meaningless?

That the term "God" is so ill-defined as to be meaningless.