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Why is there a word for one who doesnt believe?

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I suppose the answer may be obvious to some, but I still found the question itself kind'a fun. That word being atheist.

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One who doesn't believe what?

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Atheist means someone who is without god, just as agnostic is someone without perception (gnossis, to put a Greek word in Roman letters). But these words refer specifically to belief in a deity. The word atheist is usually construed to mean denial of the existence of a deity, which is useful to the propaganda of religionists and militant agnostics. McT's question is valid--doesn't believe in what?

Of course, since the question appears in S & R, the god part is reasonably assumed.

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The etymology section of Wikipedia's entry on "atheism" cites an interesting claim from Karen Armstrong's A History of God: it was not until the late 18th century that atheists voluntarily identified themselves as such; before then, the implication is, "atheist" was a term of disapproval that theists applied to ideas and people. If Armstrong is correct, the word "atheism" used to be similar to the word "sin" in that (to paraphrase Richard Dawkins) it was first used by people who were against it.

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McTag wrote:

One who doesn't believe what?

An anthropomorphic provincial Judeo-Christian god and related mythologies or any vague equivalence in whatever religious idealization that might suit your fancy such as polytheism, monotheism, any sort of supernatural creator, the list goes on......

To all,
The question being (in part al least) is that there are no directly equivalent words that carry the same presumptions for not believing in ghosts or gnomes or UFO's.

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Would it be because the Roman Catholic Church, during the heady days of its theological monopoly in Europe, found it convenient to distinguish among the various types of heretics? People get bored with the same thing over and over:

"Hear ye, hear ye! John Smith stands convicted of heresy and shall burn at the stake on the 6th of May in the year of our lord 1407."

"Aaahhh, not another heretic!"
"Always heretics!"
"We just saw a heretic burn last week!"

"Er, did I say 'heresy'? I meant...I meant...atheism; that's right, atheism! John Smith stands convicted of atheism and shall burn at the stake on the 6th of May in the year of our lord 1407."

"Ah, an atheist...I've not seen an atheist burn before."
"Watching an atheist burn shall be a refreshing change."
"Let's hear it for burning atheists: hip-hip-huzzah! Hip-hip-huzzah!"

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Re: Why is there a word for one who doesn't believe?

Chumly wrote:

I suppose the answer may be obvious to some, but I still found the question itself kind'a fun. That word being atheist.

Merriam Webster has just one simple and complete definition of the word
http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/atheist

Quote:

atheist
One entry found for atheist.

Main Entry: athe·ist
Pronunciation: 'A-thE-ist
Function: noun
: one who believes that there is no deity
- athe·is·tic /"A-thE-'is-tik/ or athe·is·ti·cal /"A-thE-'is-ti-k&l/ adjective
- athe·is·ti·cal·ly /-ti-k(&-)lE/ adverb

Now there are some who insist that their 'special' definition of the word is actually the correct one, but this type of 'special' usage is completely a personal preference.

Kinda like when my (then) toddler daughter used to refer to a pocket as a 'gopp ay'.

If you hung around her long enough, you'd figure out what she meant, but for normal adult conversation , the use of the term would have been considered ridiculous.

Why is the term needed? Why not?

Does being identified as 'one who believes that there is no deity' make you uncomfortable?

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Re: Why is there a word for one who doesn't believe?
Only in as much as 'one who believes that there is no tooth fairy' makes me uncomfortable.

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I would think the term atheist would cover all deities, including the tooth fairy

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Do you classify the tooth fairy as a deity?
How about ghosts & gnomes?
Deities also?

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Eric Clapton.

And he's not even imaginary.

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cute

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Chumly wrote:

Do you classify the tooth fairy as a deity?
How about ghosts & gnomes?
Deities also?

Many do

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neologist wrote:

Chumly wrote:
Do you classify the tooth fairy as a deity?
How about ghosts & gnomes?
Deities also?
Many do

This is getting sillier. Deity means god. How can a tooth fairy be a god?

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Re: Why is there a word for one who doesn't believe?

real life wrote:

Now there are some who insist that their 'special' definition of the word is actually the correct one, but this type of 'special' usage is completely a personal preference.

Kinda like when my (then) toddler daughter used to refer to a pocket as a 'gopp ay'.

Now, Answers-dot-com, using the American Heritage Dictionary as its reference, gives the following definition:

a·the·ism n.

1. Disbelief in[/u] or denial of the existence of God or gods.
2. The doctrine that there is no God or gods.

I have added emphasis to the beginning of the first definition. It appears that the member "real life" has his own "gopp ay " definition which he trots out when he wants to sneer at those who don't buy his horseshit story about an omniscient and all-powerful imaginary friend.

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Re: Why is there a word for one who doesn't believe?

Setanta wrote:

real life wrote:
Now there are some who insist that their 'special' definition of the word is actually the correct one, but this type of 'special' usage is completely a personal preference.

Kinda like when my (then) toddler daughter used to refer to a pocket as a 'gopp ay'.

Now, Answers-dot-com, using the American Heritage Dictionary as its reference, gives the following definition:

a·the·ism n.

1. Disbelief in[/u] or denial of the existence of God or gods.
2. The doctrine that there is no God or gods.

I have added emphasis to the beginning of the first definition. It appears that the member "real life" has his own "gopp ay " definition which he trots out when he wants to sneer at those who don't buy his horseshit story about an omniscient and all-powerful imaginary friend.

Hi Setanta,

The AH definition is not a problem. Adding limited emphasis cannot negate the thrust of the entire definition, which is consistent with the MW definition.

Also, disbelief is defined as:

Quote:

disbelief
One entry found for disbelief.

Main Entry: dis·be·lief
Pronunciation: "dis-b&-'lEf
Function: noun
: the act of disbelieving : mental rejection of something as untrue

Hope you're having a great day.

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I always have a great day when you start peddling your bullshit, as i've told you many times.

Yes, indeed, i reject your imaginary friend. At such time as you provide a plausible basis for believing your otherwise horseshit story, then i will cease to reject it as untrue. Until such time, i don't believe.

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Setanta wrote:

i..... reject it as untrue. ......i don't believe.

Then you fit the classic definition of an atheist. No 'special' definition or emphasis is needed.

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That is absolutely correct. An antheist is not by definition someone who denies that any deity exists, simply someone who does not submit to the nonsense.

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Setanta wrote:

An atheist is not by definition someone who denies that any deity exists

You might want to check the AH defintion as well as the MW definition again.

The standard definition of 'atheist', the definition recognized and used (almost) universally is one who denies the existence of God , or a god.

You may continue to use a 'special' definition if you wish.

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