Do you agree with my definition of "atheist"? (please see below)?

Question

I consider that "an atheist is someone who doesn't take an interest in any kind of religious & spiritual beliefs."

Do you agree with this definition? How would you improve it?

Thx :-)
.

Buddhism is a religion that doesn't worship any kind of deity.

An atheist cannot be a buddhist, by definition.

The problem lies in "-theist" root.

Maybe "atheist" is an intrinsicly incoherent concept and that it should be substituted by "non-believer" instead... Or "unbeliever".

"-theist" = relating to beliefs based on one or several deities. Not all religions seem based on deity (buddhism? for instance)

Answer 1

No, how about the real definition?

One who disbelieves or denies the existence of God or gods.

Answer 2

Actually, I don´t quite agree.
You see, I, for instance, am an atheist, yet I do take interest (from a secular point of view) i spiritual beliefs as cultural phenomena and powerful social forces.
Rather, an atheist is a person who does not believe in any kind of deity or religious dogma.
Webster´s Third International Dictionary says atheism is "1) disbelief in existence of God or any other deity; 2) the doctrine that there is neither God nor any other deity".

Answer 3

Disagree.


Spookshow has a good answer:

"No, how about the real definition?

One who disbelieves or denies the existence of God or gods."

And therein lies the problem, in the definition of the word. The word atheist was created by religious people to identify those that were not. The definitio presumes that God does exist so the atheist 'disbelieves or denies' the existence of God (notice that the presumption is even included on the capitalization).


The 'theistic' pyramid goes like this

{ Completely separated from the 'theistic' pyramid of primitive people those that are simply people, they are not theist or atheist they simply are, no more religious than a cow, no more atheist than a horse. }





............ / end of the pyramid \

..........Sixth layer denies the existence of god entirely, but his life is still dominated by religion, he identifies himself as an somebody who denies the existence of God. Atheist fall in this category.

........Fifth layer doubts the existence of a god in any form, but is open to the possibility that he may be wrong. Agnostics fall in this category.

......Fourth layer realizes the previous Gods are not gods after all, they invent a single omnipotent supernatural creature, with no fixed address. Christians and Muslims fall in this category.

....Third layer, recognizes that Gods can not be 'people' so this being move to a ethereal environment, they are more difficult to reach. The gods now are the moon, planets, sun etc. Mythological beliefs of the Maya's the Tahuantinsuyos, the Romans fall in this category.

..Second from the bottom, the many Gods persist but they are no longer natural phenomena, they acquire the form of live animals and/or people. Hinduism "The world's oldest religion" falls on this category.

On the Bottom people that believe natural phenomena is a God. This layer has many gods earth, wind, fire, lightning etc. All prehistoric mythologies fall in this category.

Answer 4

Hmm, very close. However, what about a person who doesn't believe in God, doesn't believe/practice in a religion without a deity (i.e. your Buddhism example, mentioned above), but feels they are a spiritual person by nature?

I think there can be spiritual atheists and spiritual theists.

Answer 5

by that definition- most of the people here who claim to be atheists are not. Atheists take a lot of interest in the spiritual, a hostile interest but an interest all the same. As a matter of fact, I have not met one self proclaimed atheist that 'takes no interest in spiritual matters'
I would say that it is someone who claims disbelief in the divine and has a hostile attitude towards the divine and those that do believe.
The Bible defines atheism a bit differently:
'The fool says in his heart there is no God'

Answer 6

An atheist is someone who's believes in zero gods. There are many belief systems and none of them are wrong or right. It's only right for the person who believes it. Loads of atheists on answers have lots of interest in religious and spiritual beliefs.

Answer 7

Dear Khaeos: Technically speaking, I understand that the Buddhists acknowledge a deity, but the deity is not instrumental in, or part of, their enlightenment. The god is one of ignorance and darkness. That is why we are IN ignorance and darkness -for it supposedly created this world. The only way, therefore, to enlightenment is - through the Buddha.

ABOUT THE QUESTION: To use the word "disbelieves" (which you did not) is technically peculiar. I know the dictionary gives the definition of "disbelieves" as "one who does not believe." So, generally, they mean the same thing; "does not believe" or, "disbelieves." But, strangely, at the same time, the word "disbelieve" has a different meaning to it! To DISbelieve anything, means you have to first admit something is THERE. There has to be something that exists to dis-believe ; doesn't there ? You cannot dis-believe nothing-ness ! Something has to be there to decide against or disbelieve. Look at the PREFIX. It means to cancel. You think something is there -and CHOOSE to dis- (cancel) believe in it. Look UP the prefix "Dis-." The meaning is "to be disrespectful to somebody or something, or to an authority." Or to undo - to choose differently. Also, to disapprove of, or dissever yourself from.

If nothing is there, you simply have NO belief nor focus on the nothingness. If you know something IS there - you choose to dis - believe it. Cancel it out for yourself in disrespectful ways. In this way, Spookshow is saying she has chosen to turn her back upon an authority. She will not give that "something" or that "authority" her belief. But something is there - 'to be against.' It also means to be Disobedient toward. Dis- is always a prefix for "against." It cancels.

I thought this was an interesting "take" on the subject, and the prefix dis- in the dictionary supports this interpretation.

Hope this is helpful.

Answer 8

No. Atheism itself is nothing more than disbelief in God(s). The atheist can be certainly be interested in religious and spiritual matters.

This is the same as a psychiatrist having an interest in mental illness. We don't require that the good doctor be a schizophrenic.

Answer 9

I am not an atheist but I think that definition sounds a little personal. I just think an atheist is a person who doesn't believe in a God. I do believe in God and I honestly don't understand atheists, but I would assume they would have their own spiritual beliefs that are not necessarily religious beliefs. That's just my take on it. I used to think atheists hated God, but I don't think that is the case anymore, I think they just don't believe in a God, period.

Answer 10

They don't believe a God exists. Because of this belief, then they don't acknowledge religion or religious beliefs as valid. Athiests may, though, have spiritual beliefs that have nothing to do with God. They may view nature as spiritual, for example.

Answer 11

An Atheist is someone who does not subscribe to any of the currently popular ultimate truths. They believe that "In as much as I was not around to see how everything came into being (and neither were you),I say, "I don't know ..... YET!" To assume that some god, my less than intellectual ancestors made up, instantaneously farted the universe into being, is absurd"