If we define fundamental atheism as:
The belief that the tenets of atheism are literally true, and that the belief is based on logic and rational thinking after reviewing the applicable evidence.
Then that makes me a fundamental atheist, I suppose, and I would agree with PaulK that this does not mean that I
know God doesn't exist, at least not in the absolute philosophical sense you seem to be driving at. Indeed, because we can't absolutely say for certain that the rules of logic are time invariant, we end up in all sorts of knots, if we follow this route. I go through life having adopted the language that I say I
know something if I have about 95% confidence in it (don't ask how I calculate the 95%) or I might say it for impact. This way, I can say stuff like "I know the Sun will rise tomorrow" with breezy confidence. Under this scheme, whether I
know God doesn't exist or not is a toughie - philosophically, I'd say I didn't know, but politically (for expediency perhaps) I might say I did know.
Are you sure that the fundamental atheists you've been in contact with have been giving you their philosophical as opposed to their political position?
My belief in no Gods derives from 2 aspects:
1) the lack of evidence for a God
in this regard, I would probably agree with agnostics
2) positive evidence that there is no God
and this is where I differ from agnostics. As positive evidence I might cite things like:
- the incoherency of God as a concept
- religion as a social meme and its cultural significance (& psychological impact) up to and including now
- contradictions between various religions about the nature of this God
etc
Each of which probably deserves its own forum.
Now, none of the above in (2) is proof positive that God that does not exist, but it does offer a rational basis for why one might take that position.
I weigh up these facts and decide that on balance, God is a man-made concept. Others may balance these facts deifferently or have access to more information than me so decide differently, but that doesn't mean that I'm being irrational.
A lack of evidence by itself is not, as you say, enough reason to believe that something does not exist. But there may well be rational reasons for believing that that thing does not exist (e.g there's no evidence for Santa Claus, but I'm aSanta-ist as well - I don't see this as a faith position).
PE
This message has been edited by Primordial Egg, 04-08-2005 07:30 AM