At 6:56 AM -0400 7/11/11, Marilyn Harris wrote:
>>Atheism is not a lack of belief in god but is a specific belief that god does not exist.
>>
>>PS - The definitions at the link that you provided, and at http://www.google.com/dictionary?q=atheist, are inaccurate.
>
>Hi Ben:
>
>That was the Oxford dictionary (http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/atheist?region=us) which defined it as:
>
>"Atheist
>
>a person who does not believe in the existence of God or gods:"
>
>Which is what you have stated above?

Please correct me if I am misunderstanding your question...

(sorry for the capitalization, it's just an easy way to mark out the text)

There is an significant difference between
	"a person who DOES NOT BELIEVE in the existence of God or gods"
and
	"a person who BELIEVES that god does not exist"

Everyone who is a member of the group of people
	who BELIEVES that god does not exist
will also be a member of the larger group of people
	who DO NOT BELIEVE in the existence of God or gods

BUT

Everyone who is a member of the group of people
	who DO NOT BELIEVE in the existence of God or gods
will not necessarily be a member of the group of people
	who BELIEVES that god does not exist

-- 
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 [log in to unmask]      Ben Liberman
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