For instance, a Christian monotheist who lacks belief in all the other thousands of god characters.
2007-08-30 12:10:22 · 32 answers · asked by ZER0 C00L ••AM••VT•• 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
"I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours."
2007-08-30 12:14:46 · update #1
Has EVERYONE forgotten that "atheism" is also defined as "disbelief in the existence of a god or gods"? >>A<< god or gods, meaning lacking belief in one god or many gods. I didn't expect this many "no's".
2007-08-30 12:20:32 · update #2
Quailman, no. Vegetarianism IS defined narrowly enough to exclude the consumption of ANY meat. Atheism is defined as lacking belief in A god or MANY gods. It's right in the definition ("without theism", or rather "without belief in a god or gods"). That's why I'm so surprised that so many people have either forgotten that fact or never knew.
2007-08-30 12:23:31 · update #3
*sigh* Quailman, as I keep trying to point out, "theism" is "belief in A GOD (just one) or GODS (meaning more than one, many)". Therefore, atheism can mean either "lacking belief in A god or MANY gods". Hence... a monotheist, or someone who only believes in the existence of ONE god and therefore lacks belief in MANY other god concepts, is also an atheist in that respect. Of course an atheist is also one who lacks belief in all god concepts. I realize that.
2007-08-30 14:02:51 · update #4
Last Ent, obviously I'm using a definition that some disagree with as evidenced by the DISAGREEMENT in their answers.
2007-08-30 22:06:34 · update #5
I guess it would be fair to say I'm 99.99% atheistic in that I only believe in one God. But I wouldn't identify myself as an atheist, because that would just confuse people.
2007-08-30 12:24:54 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
it all depends on the person and how they belive in God.
you might be interested in the concept of Henotheism.
but more the point, it highly depends on how you define God and what you belive the nature of it is.
for example I follow a singular all encompassing God. I am strictly Monotheistic.
but at the same time, I do not belive that other pantheons were entirely fabricated from nothing. I belive that in large those pantheons were based on following entitys that are/were distinctively below what I follow as God, but decidedly above(more powerful than) regular humans.
a question for you, if someone whos "atheist" towards a certain deity... finds out that the deity in question, actually existed, but was an alien. as in, you find out that there was an alien that used the name and people came to follow that alien as a "God" ... has that person's view been proven or disproven?
from one side its:
"See! that god wasn't real! it was an alien! and that alien isn't a god!"
but the other is:
"See! It was real all along! it wasn't what we think of as "a god" now, but it was a real entity!
2007-08-30 12:44:04 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
No monotheist is defined as the doctrine or belief that there is only one God. An atheist is defined as a person who denies or disbelieves the existence of a supreme being or beings.
Therefore not the same, although I do think catholisism and protestants are full of it ;)
2007-08-30 12:16:23 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I disagree. Atheists lack the belief of a higher being. Monotheists still believe there is a higher being, they just believe differently from Polytheists.
2007-08-30 12:14:46 · answer #4 · answered by word 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Disagree. A lack of belief in A god doesn't imply belief in others. If I said I didn't own a car, it wouldn't imply I didn't own a particular car, but owned a different car. It would imply that I owned no car at all.
Atheism would be a useless word if it could be applied to anyone who didn't believe in every single god (i.e. everyone in human existence)
2007-08-30 20:25:37 · answer #5 · answered by Tom :: Athier than Thou 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT ATHEIST MEANS?
Theist = believer in a God or gods...
When you put a infront of it without a space that means without. An atheists is a person without a belief in a God or gods...in no way are the same...
2007-08-30 12:16:04 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Atheist definitions:
-a person who denies or disbelieves the existence of a supreme being or beings
-One who disbelieves or denies the existence of God or gods
Atheism definitions:
-the doctrine or belief that there is no God.
-disbelief in the existence of a supreme being or beings
(dictionary.com)
-denial of the existence of God or gods and of any supernatural existence
(wikipedia)
2007-08-30 14:47:06 · answer #7 · answered by eV 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Disagree. The definition of atheist is very specific: belief in NO gods.
2007-08-30 12:15:22 · answer #8 · answered by Nightwind 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
a monotheist believes in 1 god. An atheist, by definition, believes in no gods. You cannot be both.
2007-08-30 12:14:51 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Disagree. And I think you're using a definition of Atheism that some Atheists would disagree with.
2007-08-30 21:48:21 · answer #10 · answered by Last Ent Wife (RCIA) 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋