Is Atheism a belief or lack of belief?

Most Atheists say that Atheism is a lack of belief. Most Christians say that Atheism is an active belief. To muddy the waters further I saw a video a year or so ago with an atheist professor (Graham Oppy) saying that atheists BELIEVE that there are no gods[1]. So is Atheism a belief or lack of belief? Do atheists believe that there are no gods, or do they lack a belief in gods?

I'm an agnostic that doesn't believe nor disbelief in God.

[1]

I think it's semantics.

And that people have different opinions on it.

Yep. It's semantics for the sake of contention, because we enjoy contention.

Atheism is no religion, though reasons may vary.... And belief is an indefinite word.

I'm a sceptic who runs with certain ideas but doesn't commit to belief.....Especially one without proof, as it says in the dictionary.

Atheism can be agnostic as in "I don't know if there is a God", because that is a lack of belief.

Atheism can also be a belief, as in "I believe there are no gods or God."

Capital "G" God is The Ultimate Reality. Atheism toward this God is nihilism.

An atheist would say they have no gods, but from at least the orthodox perspective, if you don't accept God, the void has to be filled with some god. The atheist is simply someone who is ignorant concerning what is meant by these things.

The philosophers of the 1800s understood atheism better. In that, when you reject The Ultimate Reality, or absolute Truth, the void is filled. One becomes their own god.

What motivates a person? What makes life worth living for them? What is life for a person? If you examine these things, you will find what god  or gods it is that a person has.

Those who in their pride make themselves out to be their own god do not tend to recognize how their preferences reveal which gods have control over them.

The Ultimate Reality is God. That being the case, whether someone acknowledges this God or not, it is the case that this is God. A rejection of this God is an embracing of arbitrariness, a submission to polytheism.

Atheists and polytheists are the same to us, the only difference being one of acknowledgement. The polytheist recognizes their gods, while the atheist is in denial or ignorance of their gods.

A GOD principle may be the ultimate reality.....  Though you have no clue as to what exactly that might be.....Whether or not such an unknown reality needs praying to, is pure speculation....You really just seem to be edging your bets with the term "ultimate reality".

Most atheists also probably accept the idea of an ultimate reality.....So the contention is not really about an ultimate reality.....It's about the accuracy of the myths and legends that theists weave around their particular version of the hypothesis.

If you believe there is ultimate reality, you believe in the existence of God.

End of story.

No, that doesn't make you a Christian.

I haven't ever had much use for the terminology in conversation with people.

An assertion that God has deserted you or vice versa might at least be based upon some sort of rationalization.

A lack of belief has no philosophical utility, yet you are still begging the question of how you came to assume you are in the absence of God.

I don't believe at all.....The word belief does not comply with my thoughts regarding creation hypotheses.

I accept the basic principles of creation and evolution as being reasonable, that's all.

Along with a vast array of tall tales, GOD is just a name that evolved to represent a possible creative influence. Therefore as I do not wish to confuse you further, I will refer to it as a BOB principle.

You have a devout belief in the unknowable..... End of story.

The Ultimate Reality is God.

It is not necessary to know the essence of God to know that God's existence is an unquestionable fact. To even question the existence of God is insanity.

The ultimate reality is something perhaps.

And your acceptance of a particular hypothesis, as truth without evidence, certainly qualifies as a  belief.

Though  questioning such unproven  hypotheses is only to be expected. 

And the tacky inclusion of the term "insanity" is neither relative to the conversation or a reasonable assertion.

You are talking nonsense.

It is very simple as I said. The only thing that makes it complicated are your aversions to certain words. In particular the word "God".

I am certainly not talking about any "hypothesis" whatsoever. I am talking about the historical meaning of a concept. You reject the historical meaning of the concept because you want so badly to be an atheist, and the reality is YOU AREN'T AN ATHEIST.

AT least, if you believe there is ultimate reality.

If you doubt the existence of ultimate reality, you have truly adopted a mad position, and this is absolutely a valid observation. One worth making because atheism towards The Ultimate Reality is in every way an untenable position. It is in fact, self defeating and stupid.

A. I have no aversion to the word GOD, and use it regularly to describe  a principle of universal purpose or ultimate reality.

B. I do not BELIEVE that there is an ultimate reality.... I merely accept the idea of an ultimate reality. 

C. Atheist just like theist is simply a label, and I do not strive to be labelled as either.....I just question the questionable, rather than put blind faith into the unknowable.

D. I could just as easily and validly observe,  that blind faith in an assumption is  "A mad position".   Though this, just like "insanity" is another cheap throw away jibe that really only highlights your anxiety.

At the end of the day, all that you currently have to offer,  is an assumption, backed up with a lot of cheap bluster and ambiguous reasoning.

So why not attempt to be definitive for once.....Ultimate reality or god?...And what exactly is it?

If you do not believe there is ultimate reality, that is a profession of nihilism.

Everything else for you after that is wrestling with the absurd. Fabricating meaning in a situation of meaninglessness. Placing your faith in vain imaginings.

What can I say?

It is pretentious for a nihilist to make any claims of validity. Your very worldview negates validity.

I would suggest that you have a read of a dictionary and fully absorb the definitions of these words that you casually bandy around.

Nonetheless, do not avoid the questions....Ultimate reality or god?...And what is it?....Unless you can offer substance, then these expressions are nothing more that hollow words.

Your response is entirely consistent with what could be expected of a nihilist.

The Ultimate Reality is God.

What is it?

It Is What It Is

So what is it?

It maybe one thing, but from a human perspective it could be a million things.

Though "It is what it is",  and it is also everything that it isn't.

So what isn't it?

As for what it might be:

I would suggest that it is a finite universal point of collapse and re-initiation which could be regarded as a GOD principle or a BIG BANGO or anything.....Nonetheless not a belief but pure speculation....Though like every GOD principle/ultimate reality, including yours, we have to momentarily and conveniently disregard an absolute beginning.

I speculate on the unknowable, whereas you fixate on a belief in one of thousands of possibilities....So based upon your criteria, if I am a nihilist, then you most certainly are too, because you are clearly also speculating on the unknowable.

We say God's essence is unknowable.

And we are content with that.

Anything else from our perspective is delusional and simply the result of men's imangination and/or creativity.

So you say a GODS essence is unknowable.

Which means, you have know idea what GOD is, yet still believe in it.

Which really is blind faith in a loosely calculated assumption.

Whereas I know the essence of the ultimate reality is unknowable, freely admit it,  so believe no creation hypotheses and therefore make no unsubstantiated claims.

But hey...We are both content.

You don't know what I believe, because you are presumtuous, uncharitable, and haughty.

If you believe there is ultimate reality, you believe God exists. Your aversion to the word God does not change the historical and philosophical understanding of this world. Much as you atheists want to override reality and precedent to make what it is we orthodox believe unintelligible.

Nope you don't get it. 

I do not believe in an ultimate reality....I merely accept the probability thereof.

The same as you, but you name it GOD, create a religion, embellish it with ritual and refer to your brain state as belief....Despite freely admitting that the ultimate reality is unknowable.

If there is reality as it appears to be, there must be reality as it truly is.

Yep, that's truism.

It is sound and clear reasoning. Reasoning that is indisputable to all but the most deluded.

It's indisputably  a truism.....So obviously sound and reasonable.....But neither, proves the existence of a GOD, or identifies the ultimate reality.

You're still reliant on blind faith.

If I were to identify the ultimate reality, that is, present you an image, you would mistake the image for The Ultimate Reality itself. You would confuse the created with The Uncreated.

My faith isn't blind. I can see. You on the other hand are blind, and clearly so. You've tripped and fallen into a black hole! 

Prove to me that there is Truth.

It is an absurd request. If someone doesn't believe in truth, how can you present evidence to them? 

The Truth is God. It has to be accepted that God is a given or else reason itself is irrational. Without God, everything becomes arbitrary. Even the self deification of the nihilist becomes meaningless. The mad posturing of a nothing who has so rebelled against truth that even after denying it can't accept he is nothing. 

It is the most obvious of insanities to deny God.

Nope.

You just process data and come out with stuff, in exactly the same way that most people do.

Nothing that you output,  actually proves the existence of a specific GOD.

An ultimate reality may well be a specific GOD..... But all the eulogising, ritual and paraphernalia associated with your specific religion is just pie in the sky.

You yourself readily acknowledge that the ultimate reality is unknowable.....So why, as you have no idea what it is and what if any it's requirements might be, do you give it a name and worship it in the way that you do.

T. Ultimate reality is logical....A Specific GOD is an assumption....And therefore religious behaviour, although it might make you feel good, is pointless. 

A. Ultimate reality is logical...A Specific GOD is an assumption....And therefore religious behaviour has know meaning and is pointless. But I still feel good....Because I channel my energy into other things.

"If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free"

You want to know the truth before/without becoming a disciple. You have it all wrong.