Poll: How do you as an Atheist Define Atheism?

[beam me up scottie]

39. That's what I like to call it as well.

We all start out in the default position, some are taught that gods exist and go on to believe, others are taught that gods exist and never quite fall for it, and a few of us are never indoctrinated at all. I'm one of the latter - which is why I bristle when my lack of belief in deities is referred to as a 'belief'.

If a tribe of natives lives deep in the rain forest and none of them have ever heard of the Christian God - is their lack of belief a belief?

If someone asked me if I believed in a polka dotted snerffletrillogidgetvelociraptor that's 20 feet tall, lives in my closet and preys on small children I would say 'of course not. I've seen no evidence of such a creature'. Is that a belief? If not why should lack of belief in gods be treated any differently?