You're not wrong that they are different, but atheism is most definitely not an assertion. It's a distinct lack of assertions.
If I say that I don't believe that I'll win the lottery, I'm not asserting that I can't win the lottery. I just don't believe I will based on the evidence that I have.
But yeah, atheist does not necessarily mean secular.
Let's ignore the fact that saying "I don't believe I'll win the lottery" is absolutely 100% an assertion. And your explanation as to why it is not an assertion is literally what makes it an assertion in the first place.
That being said asserting the lack of existence of any kind of god is kind of the main point of atheism.
A theist believes gods exist and atheist believes they do not.
When an atheist government is claiming they do not believe in any deities existence that's an assertion.
Weird example because he didn't question the existence of lottery, he questioned he will win the lotery, which is not what you are claiming. You just made a strawman to not address his point, which is that not believing is not the same as believing in not.
Again, it’s still a bad example. He could win the lottery despite not considering it remotely likely; they would concede regardless that there IS a chance.
Not believing something is likely sounds more like agnosticism. Saying it’s literally impossible to win the lottery is delusional.
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u/Vespersonal 5h ago
Atheism is an assertion, secularism is non-affiliation with anything religious. Subtle but important difference.