Define Atheist, Agnostic, Non-Theist, Anti-Theist

[Benster]

(Sorry if this is a recurring topic)

Atheist: Someone who does not believe in God. (Still open to the possibility, however small, that there might be one.)

Hard Atheist: Someone who is pretty darn sure that there's no God! Believes that the existence of God is impossible.

Agnostic: Someone who can't himself prove (by logic, reason or science) that God exists.

Hard Agnostic: Someone who believes that it is theoretically impossible to prove that God exists.

Non-Theist: Euphemism for "Atheist"? Or someone who doesn't usually go to church, although no one knows what they really believe, since they can't be dragged into theological discussions.

Anti-Theist: Someone opposed to the practicing of religion or spirituality of any kind, for moral, political and/or social reasons.

The reason I've posted this is that I come across people who claim to be agnostic, when they are really atheists, as well as agnostics. They just don't like the word. In the west, we are all agnostics, according to the above definitions. Even the pastor of my church doesn't claim that man can prove that God exists. Not since the enlightenment/age of reason, and all that.

BTW, I'm all of the above, except for the "Hard Atheist".

[EvoUK]

Atheist: Lack of belief in god(s) or supernatural being(s).

- Weak atheist: the definition above actually applies to "weak" atheism best. It's also known as "agnostic atheism" because most people who self-consciously lack belief in gods tend to do so for agnostic reasons (seen on here most- no evidence to show belief in god is a logical conclusion to take).

- Strong atheist: goes one step further and involves denying the existence of at least one god, usually multiple gods, and sometimes the possible existence of any gods at all. The most common veriety of atheist in the west is weak atheist towards the idea of a god, and strong atheist towards defined gods they're aware of.

Agnostic: The theory that man does not have the knowledge to claim that a god does or does not exist.

Non-Theist: means the same thing as an atheist. If you aren't a theist (you can't say 'I believe in a god or gods'), then you are by definition, an atheist.

Anti-Theist: Either an atheist who actively dislikes people who believe in gods (usually kept to the politically active theists), or a theist who dislikes a defined god. The latter is usually on the way to becomming an "emotional atheist", and in turn finally becomming a logical atheist. Though it depends on the person.

[Seasanctuary]

I don't really like either "Atheist" or "Agnostic" precisely because there's so much variation in both terms. Taken one way I'm both...taken another way I'm neither.

[Superbug]

I don't know how to classify myself. Am I an agnostic or an atheist? I don't think that God exists but it might exist and we can't prove it.

[Seasanctuary]

I don't know how to classify myself. Am I an agnostic or an atheist? I don't think that God exists but it might exist and we can't prove it.

Are you saying that it's possible that a God exists whose existence we can't prove...
or are you giving the more blanket statement that we can't prove that God exists at all?

I'm totally with you on the first one...and would ask you how you can be so sure about the second one.

[EvoUK]

It sounds like you are a "weak atheist"- otherwise known as an agnostic atheist. Basically, simply by not being able to say "I believe in a god or gods", you are, by definition an atheist. However, as you are very much open to be possibility of a god existing (you didn't specify if you meant a defined god such as the christian god, or an undefined, deistic god), you are known as a "weak" atheist.

Actually, the "weak atheist is the most common form of atheist- atheists like myself being a close second, i.e. we are strong atheist towards defined gods, and weak atheist towards undefined, deistic ones. Strong atheists are the least common, seeing as they have the positive belief that gods don't exist, rather than simply not believing that they do.

[Superbug]

Are you saying that it's possible that a God exists whose existence we can't prove...
or are you giving the more blanket statement that we can't prove that God exists at all?

All I'm saying is that at the moment we can't prove that God exists.

[Superbug]

However, as you are very much open to be possibility of a god existing (you didn't specify if you meant a defined god such as the christian god, or an undefined, deistic god), you are known as a "weak" atheist.

I'm open to any possibilities but the defined gods are a particularly unlikely possiblity in my opinion. I guess I'm a weak atheist.

[Iconoclastithon]

Atheist: "Classic Atheism" from greek- ATHEOS; "no god", "godless"{Non-theist; Agnostic,Atheist,Deist,etc}. Modern day version/intrpretation of Atheism= "lack of belief in the existence of any sort of creator intelligence".

Hard Atheist: Modern day Atheism with teeth.

Agnostic: Uncertain about the existence of a Deistic Creator. May also be uncertain about exietence of theistic god; but is more commonly used to refer to one uncertain as to the existence of a simple deistic creator; between deist and atheist. But believes it "possible".

Hard Agnostic: Someone who believes that it is theoretically impossible to prove that God exists.
{first posts quote, did'nt feel the need to altar it; good definition}

Non-Theist: What it says, someone wh's NOT a "theist"{no belief in personal deity or deities}; includes Atheists,Agnostics,Deists,Buddhists,Taoists,Modern Satanists, Symbolic Pagans,etc.

Anti-Theist: A rationalist opposed in principle to the concepts of revealed religion, faith, and "theism"{belief in definable personal deities}. Includes Atheists,Agnostics, and Deists{agnostic-deists to be specific, with varrying degrees of agnosticism added to modern deistic views-NOT classic deism/borderline liberal theism}.

Myself, I am an open-minded rationalist; Anti-theistic Agnostic-Deist{ApaDeist} myself.

In Reason:
Icono

[Zeluvia]

Atheist: "Classic Atheism" from greek- ATHEOS; "no god", "godless"{Non-theist; Agnostic,Atheist,Deist,etc}. Modern day version/intrpretation of Atheism= "lack of belief in the existence of any sort of creator intelligence".

Hard Atheist: Modern day Atheism with teeth.

Agnostic: Uncertain about the existence of a Deistic Creator. May also be uncertain about exietence of theistic god; but is more commonly used to refer to one uncertain as to the existence of a simple deistic creator; between deist and atheist. But believes it "possible".

Hard Agnostic: Someone who believes that it is theoretically impossible to prove that God exists.
{first posts quote, did'nt feel the need to altar it; good definition}

Non-Theist: What it says, someone wh's NOT a "theist"{no belief in personal deity or deities}; includes Atheists,Agnostics,Deists,Buddhists,Taoists,Modern Satanists, Symbolic Pagans,etc.

Anti-Theist: A rationalist opposed in principle to the concepts of revealed religion, faith, and "theism"{belief in definable personal deities}. Includes Atheists,Agnostics, and Deists{agnostic-deists to be specific, with varrying degrees of agnosticism added to modern deistic views-NOT classic deism/borderline liberal theism}.

Myself, I am an open-minded rationalist; Anti-theistic Agnostic-Deist{ApaDeist} myself.

In Reason:
Icono

Agree, Non-theist does not = atheist.

[Iconoclastithon]

Agree, Non-theist does not = atheist.

Exactly, same goes for Anti-Theist.

In Reason:
Icono

[hippop47]

Strong atheist - I do not believe there is a god.

Weak atheist - I do not see any evidence that there is a god.

Non-theist - I do not seek god.

Apathetic - I do not care about god.

Theist - I believe in a personal god.

Anti-theist - I do not believe in a personal god.

Deist - I believe in a non-personal god.

Weak Agnostic - I can not prove there is a god.

Strong Agnostic - I do not think it is possible to prove there is a god.

Ignostic - I need a definition of god before I can discuss this.

Pantheist - I believe god is the universe and the universe is god.

Panentheist - I believe the universe is part of god.

I did not intend for this list to be all inclusive and would welcome any criticisms or improvements to it.

[hamandcheese]

I think that Agnostic should also be the neutral. If only for convenience. This is because I don't think a Baby can be an "atheist" or "theist" until he/she is exposed to the idea of god. Before that, not only does he/she not know, but is not even aware of the concept.

[Zeluvia]

Strong atheist - I do not believe there is a god.

Weak atheist - I do not see any evidence that there is a god.

Non-theist - I do not seek god.

Apathetic - I do not care about god.

Theist - I believe in a personal god.

Anti-theist - I do not believe in a personal god.

Deist - I believe in a non-personal god.

Weak Agnostic - I can not prove there is a god.

Strong Agnostic - I do not think it is possible to prove there is a god.

Ignostic - I need a definition of god before I can discuss this.

Pantheist - I believe god is the universe and the universe is god.

Panentheist - I believe the universe is part of god.

I did not intend for this list to be all inclusive and would welcome any criticisms or improvements to it.

You kinda left out the transcendent idea of god. The main issue I have with this list is that you are expressing the belief in relation to the word god, and really the name for the belief or lack of express an IDEA of GOD.

It isn't the name that changes, its the GOD idea that changes.

Also, non-theist does not mean I do not seek for god, but that you don't believe that a PERSONAL relationship with a PERSON god is possible, because there IS no Personal god that is LIKE A PERSON for you to have a relationship with.

Anti-theist is a fairly new category, and I take it to mean I am against PEOPLE that believe in Personal Gods, and like to pretend to speak for their personal gods.

So put me in the ignostic category, but I do think you are mixing things up some, since the IDEA of god changes so much as you go through those categories.

[SlapShot]

Militant Agnostic = I don't know, and you don't either!