"Atheism" is a meaningless term.

[Willamena]

Atheists have to have a reasonable understanding of what believers call 'god

But nothing resembling it. If they did, they'd believe in god too.

 

[Gambit]

That's an argument I've tried to make in the past. It was defeated by people convincing me that they knew precise what it was that they were disbelieving.

My argument applies only to those atheists who would argue that the term "God" is so ill-defined as to render it meaningless.

 

[Skwim]

But nothing resembling it. If they did, they'd believe in god too.

Here's how it works.

Deist/theist: "God is a being who has . . . .

Characteristic A
Characteristic B
Characteristic C
Characteristic D
Characteristic E
.
.
.
.
.
.
Characteristic YY"
​

Atheist: "I don't believe a being with

Characteristic A
Characteristic B
Characteristic C
Characteristic D
Characteristic E
.
.
.
.
.
.
Characteristic YY"
​

exists.

 

[Gambit]

Know a lot of us, then, do you?

Yes, I do. This isn't my first trip to the rodeo.

 

[Acintya_Ash]

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.

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.
Indeed their atheism is meaningless

 

[Willamena]

My argument applies only to those atheists who would argue that the term "God" is so ill-defined as to render it meaningless.

Yes. Ignostics.

 

[Willamena]

exists.

...with nothing resembling what the theist believes.

The theist is the one who actually believes.

 

[Skwim]

...with nothing resembling what the theist believes.

The theist is the one who actually believes.

???????????????????????????????

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Some atheist dont know what they believing because they feel God is a meaningless word?

Why and how would an atheist not know what they believe if they believe the word God is meaningless?

I know exactly what I believe in and I believe the word God in and of itself is meaningless only to which beliefs if describes. Why would you say athiest dont know what they believe based on their view of the word god?

How do the two comments relate?

 

[Curious George]

Would you believe or disbelieve in something that was meaningless. If such person can prove that the term is meaningless, they can believe the in the non existence of that something.

For instance assume the number b (b is not a variable here) is meaningless. I can certainly believe the number b does not exist. The tricky part is showing that the number b as you are using it is meaningless. I am not sure that one can prove a term as someone uses it is meaningless. For instance you could discard any number and replace it with the number b and it would be meaningful. Though I might get away with proving a term is meaningless to me, this would not mean that the idea the term represents to someone else does not exist.

So I disagree that something meaningless cannot be thought not to exist. But it changes nothing because the term could hold meaning to someone and discussion about existence deals with the concept behind the term, not the term.

It might help if you could link to an example of this argument or put forward an example yourself. I am guessing someone tried to describe God as indefinite, and someone else twisted this to meaningless. This is not true. Infinity for instance is indefinite but the term is not meaningless.

 

[Altfish]

I have. It's a common atheistic argument.

Can you point me to an example? Thanks

 

[ImmortalFlame]

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.

I don't think I've ever heard any atheist say that the word "God" is meaningless, only certain applications of the word God. Most atheists I know have a solid working definition of God that they adjust depending on the God claim they are presented with. The only time I've seen them argue that the word is meaningless is when the word "God" is applied as a label to such things as the Universe, energy, etc., in which case it becomes void of almost any real definition or content.

 

[Altfish]

But nothing resembling it. If they did, they'd believe in god too.

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

 

[morphesium]

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.

God is supposed to be some kind of thing (organic/ inorganic/physical/metaphysical/????) that is supposed to be the creator of the whole world (universe), knows everything, most powerful etc. Most of these supposed to be God(s) comes from religion or (religious) stories. Stories that you believe to be true because it happened a 1000 or more years before, but if someone claims such things happened in ones personal life, you (your rational mind) would question it and it would be very hard for you to believe it to be true (usually).
I am an atheist because i don't believe in such things. I have asked myself about the validity of the origins of these religions, these gods claim to be the creator of the whole world but their foothold is just "endemic", contradicting scientific principles, etc.

For me it is the "religion/ various religious concept" that is meaningless because you believers do not understand/know exactly what you are believing.

“Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?” ― Epicurus
​

"My concern with religion is that it allows us by the millions to believe what only lunatics or idiots could believe on their own.
That's not to say that all religious people are lunatics or idiots. It's anything but that." - Sam Harris

 

[Marisa]

Yes, I do. This isn't my first trip to the rodeo.

Well good. Have you told each of them what they think as well?

 

[leibowde84]

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.

"Disbelief" is merely a "lack of faith in something". Thus, there is no necessity for understanding what God is to every person in order to hold "disbelief". You are making the false assumption that "disbelief" requires a strong belief that something cannot exist, but that is not accurate. Anyone who "lacks a belief in the existence of God" can accurately be classified as an atheist, so it isn't a meaningless term, it is merely an extremely general term encompassing everyone who is not a Theist (the "a" prefix means "without", so "atheism" is simply "being without theism").

 

[leibowde84]

My argument applies only to those atheists who would argue that the term "God" is so ill-defined as to render it meaningless.

Do you think that God is a well-defined term/concept? If so, how do you define God? I ask because it seems to be reasonable to lack belief in something that one feels is ill-defined. And, since God is an extremely vague concept, almost encompassing everything in existence to some, it seems a very meaningful and reasonable position to lack belief in that thing until more information is attained. Anyone who lacks this belief is an "atheist", so I fail to see why it is meaningless.

 

[Monk Of Reason]

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.

Ignostics argue that god is a meaningless term because it is either ill defined or lacks a real definition at all. Atheists may have a very specific god concept in mind. Or they may have a vague one in mind that they simply reject.

 

[Marisa]

Ignostics argue that god is a meaningless term because it is either ill defined or lacks a real definition at all. Atheists may have a very specific god concept in mind. Or they may have a vague one in mind that they simply reject.

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?

 

[leibowde84]

Ignostics argue that god is a meaningless term because it is either ill defined or lacks a real definition at all. Atheists may have a very specific god concept in mind. Or they may have a vague one in mind that they simply reject.

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