2007-09-27 06:43:58 · 20 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
athe•ist \ˈā-thē-ist\ noun
(1571)
: one who denies the existence of God
— athe•is•tic \ˌā-thē-ˈis-tik\ or athe•is•ti•cal \ˌā-thē-ˈis-ti-kəl\ adjective
— athe•is•ti•cal•ly \-ti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb
Merriam-Webster, Inc: Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. 10th ed. Springfield, Mass., U.S.A. : Merriam-Webster, 1996, c1993
How did I do?
2007-09-27 06:46:38 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 2⤋
I'll tell you mine. When I was a child at school,many years ago now,I learnt about the baby Jesus and his birth in a stable.About his father the Lord God.Christmas,Easter all the christian festivals.(which I now know replaced old pagan ones.)I was taught the christian ethos to turn the other cheek,stuff like that.Now I'm MUCH older.I don't have a religion,I envy those who do,because their FAITH in things brings them comfort when times are hard.But,I find I've been trying to live my life by those early teachings going into a formative mind.I'm not religious so I must be an atheist. But what I've ultimately got from it all is :
Life's too short. Why can't we just be nice to one another. Simplistic maybe. But it works for me.
2007-09-27 14:10:52 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
atheist - 1571, from Fr. athéiste (16c.), from Gk. atheos “to deny the gods, godless,” from a- “without” + theos “a god” (see Thea). A slightly earlier form is represented by atheonism (c.1534) which is perhaps from It. atheo “atheist.” - Etymology
Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition
Here is how the OED defines atheism:
atheism Disbelief in, or denial of, the existence of a god.
disbelieve 1. trans. Not to believe or credit; to refuse credence to: a. a statement or (alleged) fact: To reject the truth or reality of.
deny
1. To contradict or gainsay (anything stated or alleged); to declare to be untrue or untenable, or not what it is stated to be.
2. Logic. The opposite of affirm; to assert the contradictory of (a proposition).
3. To refuse to admit the truth of (a doctrine or tenet); to reject as untrue or unfounded; the opposite of assert or maintain.
4. To refuse to recognize or acknowledge (a person or thing) as having a certain character or certain claims; to disown, disavow, repudiate, renounce.
Note that the OED definition covers the whole spectrum of atheist belief, from weak atheism (those who do not believe in or credit the existence of one or more gods) to strong atheism (those who assert the contrary position, that a god does not exist).
Webster's 3rd New International Dictionary Unabridged
Here is Webster's definition of atheism:
atheism n 1 a: disbelief in the existence of God or any other deity b: the doctrine that there is neither god nor any other deity--compare AGNOSTICISM 2: godlessness esp. in conduct
disbelief n: the act of disbelieving : mental refusal to accept (as a statement or proposition) as true
disbelieve vb vt : to hold not to be true or real : reject or withold belief in vi : to withold or reject belief
Note that again, both strong (1b) and weak (1a) atheism are included in the definition
2007-09-27 13:52:56 · answer #3 · answered by Furqaan 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An atheist is one who does not pretend there is a god, or many gods, that have an influence on life.
Not to be confused with an agnostic, who believes that a god is unknowable and can't be known.
2007-09-27 14:03:59 · answer #4 · answered by Flatpaw 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
One who does not believe in the existence of God. Like I said earlier some who claim to be atheist don't even know what one really is and yet claim they are so intelligent and we are not.
2007-09-27 13:48:40 · answer #5 · answered by Connie D 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm not confused. An atheist is a person who believes that there is no God. Period. End of story.
2007-09-27 13:47:47 · answer #6 · answered by sdb deacon 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yep, some Christians firmly assert that atheism is a religion in which deep down you really do believe in god.
Amazing.
2007-09-27 13:54:49 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am an atheist & can speak for myself.I refuse to be brain washed if they want to believe in religion then thats up to them.
2007-09-27 13:55:51 · answer #8 · answered by Ollie 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A/thei/(ist)
"a-"-latin prefix indicating opposing or negating the root. ie-asexual reproduction-reproduction without sex or gender
"thei"- Latin root indicating God or religion
"-ist"- latin suffix for a noun, specifically a person.
So I guess atheist means someone with an anti- religious philosophy or attitude.
2007-09-27 13:53:09 · answer #9 · answered by alwaysa(ducky)bridesmaid 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
According to a Cambridge dictionary, its someone who does not believe God exists.
2007-09-28 05:37:05 · answer #10 · answered by good tree 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
istvan c is partially right, some atheists do believe in an afterlife...look up Buddhism.
2007-09-27 13:53:42 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋