What is atheism? Contrary to what you may hear in pop culture or see on YouTube, atheism is not merely the absence of belief. Or as the popular atheist, Christopher Hitchens put it, “Our belief is not a belief. Our principles are not a faith.” But even with a delightful British accent—saying it’s so, doesn't make it so.

Just as Theism is the positive claim or belief that there is a God. Atheism is the positive claim or belief that there is no god.

Here’s the big idea to grasp: The claim that “no gods exist” is ....