2006-12-25 21:46:53 · 8 answers · asked by Mo 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
SORRY... i meant non-theism NOT non-a-theism.
2006-12-25 22:00:14 · update #1
Strictly speaking (at least in my opinion), no; they're not the same. Nontheists generally acknowledge the concept of "Godhood" in some way. The nontheist theologian Paul Tillich, argued that "God, " accepted as a "Being" was impossible because it reduced him to an entity among other entities. Even if that entity were the highest one, Tillich argued, it would still reduce God to just another entity. "God" for the nontheist isn't a person, but "Existence Itself."
His views are similar to the nontheistic tendencies of classical Buddhism which also does not acknowledge a deity, but also equates existence with the idea of the "Atman."
So, most nontheists, while not subscribing to what in Hinduism is refered to as "The Supreme Personality of Godhead," still embrace what might be termed a "spiritual metaphysic." True athiests do not subscribe to metaphysics of any kind.
For the athiest, there are only two ways to orient oneself to the universe: Reason and Empiricism, the two legs of the scientific method. By definition everything that cannot be explained through appeal to reason and demonstrated through objective empirical methodology is useless speculation. Thus any attempt to introduce metaphysical argument into any discussion of the human condition is automatically rejected as superstition.
Hope this answer helps. Cheers, mate.
2006-12-25 23:44:16 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The nuance of atheism and non-theism is that atheist do not believe in god or the supernatural, while non-theist do not believe in the big man upstairs, but might also believe in reincarnation, or the existence of a non-physical soul (think of buddists)
2006-12-28 02:40:08 · answer #2 · answered by humorist_4_u 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Atheists generally believe there is no god, or fail to see evidence that one exists. Non-theists are those who aren't even bothering to think about the question in the first place. While it is possible for a human adult to be a non-theist, I think the title is best used with human infants. A baby does not put thought into whether or not a god exists. Their brains just aren't developed enough to tackle the question.
(You could probably also use non-theist to describe other animals, like dogs.)
2006-12-26 06:25:31 · answer #3 · answered by Lunarsight 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I've never heard of non-theism.
You have to keep in mind that atheism is not so much a group. Its misleading to describe something by what it is NOT. Does it help me describe a fish to you if I say its not a cat?
I don't believe in fairies and yet nobody uses a term to pigeonhole me because of that. Its only because there are so many foolish ignorant people out there that I must be distinguished from them by the word 'atheist'.
2006-12-26 09:16:31 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Atheists do not believe in any God while non atheists do believe in a diety
2006-12-26 05:50:54 · answer #5 · answered by mortgagegirl101 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
no - atheists belive there is no evidence of god
non atheists thinks there might be some evidence of god , just dont follow organized religion
2006-12-26 05:48:51 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think the prefix says it all
2006-12-26 05:50:45 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
anytime you see the word "non" before another word it means
NOT, as in (NOT atheist )
2006-12-26 05:58:25 · answer #8 · answered by Lorene 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋