[ExI] Atheism

[Ben Zaiboc]

John Clark <johnkclark at gmail.com> wrote:

"I lack a belief there are china teapots in orbit around Uranus and I 
believe there is a lack of China teapots in orbit around Uranus."


This is where the different meanings of the word 'believe' comes in. You 
are using the word to mean "I think". Your belief in this case is 
subject to revision in the face of evidence.

This is not the same as religious Belief, which is resistant to, or at 
least independent of, evidence. Thinking something is true without good 
reason, and persisting in that when shown good reason not to, that's the 
kind of belief that I'm talking about.

The reason I say atheists don't 'believe' in the lack of gods is because 
if they were presented with good evidence for the existence of gods, 
they would change their minds. When presented with reasons why belief in 
gods is not a good idea (e.g. that they are logically impossible, that 
the belief does more harm than good, that it takes away moral agency 
from the individual, and many other reasons), religious people, on the 
whole, do not change their minds. They don't /think/ that gods exist, 
they *Believe* it.

-- 
Ben Zaiboc

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