Implicit atheism is defined as the absence of theism or the absence of belief in gods without the conscious rejection of it. The term implicit atheism was coined by George H. Smith who described it as "the absence of theistic belief without a conscious rejection of it." Implicit atheism is thus a type of atheism based on the reason why a person doesn't believe in any gods.
As to the reason why an implicit atheist lacks belief in the existence of gods, George H. Smith writes:
Implicit atheism does not require familiarity with the idea of a god. ...
As defined in this chapter, the man who is unacquainted with theism is an atheist because he does not believe in a god. This category would also include the child with the conceptual capacity to grasp the issues involved, but who is still unaware of those issues. The fact that this child does not believe in god qualifies him as an atheist. Since these instances of nonbelief are not the result of conscious rejection, they are best designated as implicit atheism. ...
The category of implicit atheism also applies to the person who is familiar with theistic beliefs and does not assent to them, but who has not explicitly rejected belief in a god. By refusing to commit himself, this person may be undecided or indifferent, but the fact remains that he does not believe in a god. Therefore, he is also an implicit atheist. ...
Atheism is not necessarily the end product of a chain of reasoning. The term "atheist" tells us that one does not believe in a god, but it does not specify why. Regardless of the cause of one's nonbelief, if one does not believe in a god, one is atheistic.
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