Why is it that you cant just be a 'Theist' because you're either a Monotheist or Polytheist but you can just be an Atheist?
2007-08-08 00:54:34 · 11 answers · asked by Therapon 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Theism has two meanings; 1. The belief in God or Gods; 2. The belief in an Omniscient, Omnipotent & Omnipresent supreme being.
Obviously with the first definition my question is simply answered. However in considering the second definition it's not so simple. Not all Monotheists believe in the Triple O God (Akhenaten is an example) most Polytheists don't but some do believe in the Triple O God. Yet you can't simply be a Theist (2nd definition)
2007-08-08 01:45:39 · update #1
what do they mean? I'll answer when I know what they mean!!
2007-08-08 00:57:27 · answer #1 · answered by funkygurl123 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In theory you could if you just say I believe gods exist but don't narrow it down to 1 or more then you would just be a theist.
Typically most people who believes gods believe in a certain number and so we get mono = 1 and poly = more than 1 so try and think of the term theist as like book is used. it covers all types of books but the main two are Fiction and non-fiction.
Atheist by contrast means that one does not believe in one or more gods and so it exist with out problems on its own
2007-08-08 01:01:48 · answer #2 · answered by John C 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can be a 'theist', but usually people will ask for more information. They should ask atheists similar questions, since (to give one recent example) a former Jain who has become an atheist may have a very different outlook than a former Christian fundamentalist who becomes an atheist.
Let's not forget to mention panentheism and pantheism too - also important worldviews, neglected in many recent discussions (including Dawkins' recent book).
2007-08-08 01:21:30 · answer #3 · answered by jamesfrankmcgrath 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You're trying to apply English grammar logic to an ancient Greek word. That explains your confusion.
The root word is theist (one who believes in the concept or idea that there is god). The word is then modified to indicate specific types of theists with a prefix. Mono = one, poly = many, a = none.
2007-08-08 01:06:02 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dr John
Atheism is a lack of belief in God, which isn't the same as acknowledging something is there but saying it's wrong, or being 'against' God in any way.
If I said I was an a-unicornist - I don't have a belief in the existance of unicorns. Would you say that's a form of belief in unicorns stating that I disagree with them?
2007-08-08 01:23:42 · answer #5 · answered by Tom :: Athier than Thou 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What is your point? Both mono-theists and poly-theists are theists, one might even be able to reason that therefore that a-theists are in fact theists. In fact yes! because the a- is a privative, and you must believe in something in order to be against it! Your question has hidden depths! take a star!
EDIT Hedgewitch
If I disbelieve your answer, am I refuting your existence or confirming it?
EDIT
Tom
I don't believe in you, therefore you do not exist!.......that's not very logical is it? ......................if you are a-unicornist, then in order to use the term unicorn, you must have some idea of what a unicorn is, even if you just invent it. Therefore the unicorn does exist, even if it's only in your imagination. Has man invented God in order to deny him? Is that your proposition?
2007-08-08 01:01:12 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
So should I be a polyatheist then?
Atheism is the same throughout. No belief in god/gods, so there doesn't need to be the distinction of disbelief in one god or multiple gods, because it's always going to be multiple gods.
For some reason there is the distinction in theism. Probably as a way to group religions.
2007-08-08 00:58:37 · answer #7 · answered by Southpaw 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
monotheism - the belief that there is only one God. This belief is found, for example in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
polytheism - worshipping of or believing in more than one deity, especially several deities
atheist -somebody who does not believe in God or deities
does this help? it means that you can be a believer, but need to differentiate between believing in one god or many.
an atheist believes in none, so there is only one type of atheist by definition.
edit: dr john, i see what you mean, but surely by not believing there are nay gods you are not admitting to believing in them?? you dont need to believe something exists in order to deny that it exists ...
2007-08-08 01:02:31 · answer #8 · answered by hedgewitch 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A monotheist is atheistic to all gods but one. An atheist just goes one god farther.
2007-08-08 01:09:56 · answer #9 · answered by chasm81 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well theism implies that you believe in a god or several gods. Believing in one god is monotheism and believing in more than one is polytheism. Atheism believes in none, which can not be further catagorized.
2007-08-08 01:02:35 · answer #10 · answered by chlaxman17 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋