Are they basically the same thing?
2006-06-20 15:42:55 · 28 answers · asked by campanita19 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
An atheist is someone who doesn't believe in ANY gods. A-theism means the absence of theism. Theism is the belief in a god or gods. The same root forms the words "monotheism" (believe in one god) and "polytheism" (belief in many gods).
A non-believer, from your point of view, might be someone who doesn't believe in the same god or gods as *you*. That doesn't make someone an atheist, though.
Thus, to an evangelical Christian, a Hindu might be a non-believer, but the Hindu is not an atheist.
2006-06-20 15:49:37 · answer #1 · answered by Eric G 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Atheist: Asserts the belief that there is no Creator, God or Higher Power.
Non-believer: a colloquial term not used with the same specificity as Atheist. A non-believer may not be certain about anything. The atheist expresses certainty.
2006-06-20 15:52:07 · answer #2 · answered by kennethmattos 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Atheism is characterized by an absence of belief in the existence of any God (or gods). Non-believer (in God) is just another way of saying the same thing. But in my view, it's more complicated than that.
I like to point out the irony that atheists choose to "believe" that there is no God, just as I choose to "believe" that there IS a God.
So, generally speaking, they are NOT "non-believers". Until they can prove that God does not exist, their view is as much a "belief" as is mine.
A better example of a true "non-believer" might be an agnostic. Agnostics say that the existence or non-existence of God cannot be proved. So I guess they truly have NO belief on the subject.
2006-06-20 15:56:45 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The word "atheist" comes from Latin and means "without deity", it doesn't specify what kind of god. Non-believer implies that someone doesn't believe in other religions. Christians say that Muslims are non-believers, and Muslims the same about Christians. Atheists won't have religious wars, while non-believers had and will have.
2006-06-20 16:01:42 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm an Atheist, and its because there "is no god", not because there is a god and I just choose not to believe in one. Xians call skeptics and other non-xians "non-believers" because they assume there is a god and anyone that doesn't believe in one is wrong. The Atheist makes a positive affirmation that "there is no god" and then behaves according to what ever other philosophy they follow. My particular brand of philosophy is Rationalism and I do not take any stock in anything that cannot be measured or is regarded as super-natural.
2006-06-20 15:50:33 · answer #5 · answered by GKIRK78 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. A non-believer ACCEPTS the existence of God, but has rejected, or at least has not believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is believing in the person and work of Christ on the cross that allows God to save a person's soul.
An atheist is ANTAGONISTIC toward God and elevates himself above God in arrogance. He knows God is, but attempts to deny God.
The only people who truly do not believe in God are some people with severe mental retardation and children who are too young to understand.
2006-06-20 15:56:24 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
An athiest is any person who does not believe in the existance of any diety.
A non-believer can be someone who knows that God exists, yet will not give their heart to Him. An example would be a church goer who has been hurt the people in the church and has given up on God, or the person who "hates" God because of some tragedy that perhaps happened.
2006-06-20 15:50:33 · answer #7 · answered by montanacowgirlwannabee 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An atheist is someone who specifically does not believe in the Christian God. A non-believer is someone who simply does not believe in something. For instance, I do not believe Joseph Smith was a prophet. That makes me a Mormon non-believer.
2006-06-20 15:47:30 · answer #8 · answered by cathcoug 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pretty much the same. It's just that atheists seem to have some sort of statement to make; like, they just got to tell you,"I'm an atheist"
2006-06-20 15:47:54 · answer #9 · answered by runner45 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Atheist are not non-believers because they don't exist. Non-believers are those who haven't heard the good news of Jesus Christ. Atheist are those who were either hurt by man-made religion or just disobedient sinners!
2006-06-20 15:51:31 · answer #10 · answered by Pashur 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋