To call ourselves Atheists rather than Adeists? Since a Deist rejects revelation and believes in a God based on reason, wouldn't it make more sense to be called an adeist? Because if we don't believe in God, then "divine revelation" is completely out of the picture, isn't it?
2007-11-05 17:29:15 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Wow, I'm getting a lot of non-answers.
A) I never suggested there was a God, whomever just said "There is no God at all..." It has absolutely nothing to do with my question, and I'm pretty sure posting something irrelevent is probably against the terms of service.
We do need a label, because only angsty teens would, when asked of their religion, say "I don't have any labels--labels are for tools." We'd be civil and say whatever we believe--likely, Atheist in this case.
2007-11-05 17:38:45 · update #1
Jim, you're an idiot. Nobody's playing any word games with you.
2007-11-05 17:40:18 · update #2
Deists are not Theists. Check the dictionary definition. It says very clearly that a Deist doesn't accept revelation, and a theist accepts revelation.
2007-11-05 17:41:13 · update #3
GDC, Cite your examples. You expect me to take you on faith?
I'll give you links to my points. You are supposed to actually attempt to answer the question, though--you know that, right?
the·ism /ˈθiɪzəm/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[thee-iz-uhm] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun 1. the belief in one God as the creator and ruler of the universe, without rejection of revelation (distinguished from deism).
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
de·ism /ˈdiɪzəm/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[dee-iz-uhm] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun 1. belief in the existence of a God on the evidence of reason and nature only, with rejection of supernatural revelation (distinguished from theism).
www.dictionary.com
It is obvious that the key differing point between Theism and Deism is belief or lack of belief in divine revelation. Ad hominem attacks do you little good.
2007-11-05 17:48:40 · update #4
Deism has been identified with a particular philosophical stance regarding a non-personal, non-interested God who basically wound the universe's clock, then left it to run according to its own laws. On its own, Deism is a rejection of MOST of religious doctrine, but allows for a supernatural creator.
Atheism, however, denies belief in all the concepts of God. If we were to say we were "Adeists," we could be seen as simply Christians, who also consider themselves rejectors of the Deistic philosophy. "Atheist" is most clear because the ambiguity about which God is dealt with by denying belief in all of them.
^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^
2007-11-05 17:37:16 · answer #1 · answered by NHBaritone 7 · 7⤊ 1⤋
It seems to me that most atheists have a much lesser disagreement with a Deist than with the majority of believers in deities. It doesn't seem helpful to make up a new word that, on the face of it, means much the same thing, on the basis of a secondary aspect of the definition.
2007-11-06 02:00:25 · answer #2 · answered by Voyager 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Whatever, I just don't believe. Atheist is what people call us so it's what I go by. When people try to play word games to say I really believe in God because atheist means blah blah blah, I just tell them I don't beleive in the supernatural in any form. I don't believe in ghosts but I don't go around calling myself aghostic.
2007-11-06 01:38:00 · answer #3 · answered by Jim 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It doesn't work. Deist is Latin, Theist is Greek. It was common in Greek to have an a prefix to create a negative, but not in Latin. Deists are theists though.
2007-11-06 01:40:05 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
that's not redundant. that's choosing one word over another. redundant would be like calling someone a stupid idiot, where the adjective is descriptive of what the noun already conveys. we know idiots are stupid, so why call one a stupid idiot? an appropriate redundant term for atheists would be realistic atheists.
2007-11-06 01:38:10 · answer #5 · answered by just curious (A.A.A.A.) 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
No. "Redundant" means that multiple words meaning the same thing have been used unnecessarily. "Atheist" is only one word.
The Greek word for god is theos. Atheists are without gods: a + theos. There's nothing redundant about that.
2007-11-06 01:37:20 · answer #6 · answered by gelfling 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
don't confuse yourself or anyone else. You are an atheist period. Move on. ........Unless you are really an agnostic since you question yourself???? Maybe just maybe???
2007-11-06 01:52:16 · answer #7 · answered by twelfntwelf3 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The fact is you are an IDIOT. You haven't a clue to what you are writing about. You been doing a lot of drugs?
2007-11-06 01:42:03 · answer #8 · answered by gdc 3 · 0⤊ 4⤋
I don't believe in the supernatural AT ALL. I am an atheist-agnostic.
2007-11-06 01:36:09 · answer #9 · answered by Beletje_vos AM + VT 7 · 1⤊ 3⤋
We shouldn't need a label at all.
Personally, I guess I'm a non-subscriber to deity lore.
2007-11-06 01:33:00 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 3⤋