A person who doesn't hold the belief that a god - what word should be used?

[talquin]

What word should be used to describe a person who doesn't hold the belief that a god exists?

 

[Davian]

Evidentialist.

 

[GoldenBoy89]

How about you just call him by his name?

Labels divide and human psychology is more complex than what can be covered by a single word or phrase.

 

[Hezekiah Holbrooke]

What word should be used to describe a person who doesn't hold the belief that a god exists?

Well, here's what King David called him:

Psa_14:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.


LOL!! I'm just picking at you. You left yourself wide open for that one.

Peace.

 

[Davian]

Well, here's what King David called him:

Psa_14:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.

The OP was clear that this was not a reference to a ventriloquist act.

They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.


LOL!! I'm just picking at you. You left yourself wide open for that one.

Peace.

There are many gods - they are characters in books.

 

[Archie the Preacher]

Just for the tally books, 'atheist' means 'without a god', or 'without god'. So it is functionally the same as 'non-theist'.

It depends on what the 'non theistic' person believes or asserts.

1. Those who do not hold a belief in any god or gods.

2. Those who deny the existence of any god or gods.

These first two are both deemed 'atheist' under the strict definition of the word. I have heard position one referred to as 'weak atheism', and position two as 'strong atheism'. Note the terms 'weak' and 'strong' signify the intensity of the belief, not any judgment of their belief.

Then,

3. Those who do not 'know' if god or gods exist.

4. Those who do not 'know' if god or gods exist and assert no one else can, either.

The third and fourth positions are usually - in my experience - referred to as 'weak' and 'strong' agnostic. However, these are also 'without god(s)' in the normal sense.

Ah, Golden Boy.

Labels divide and human psychology is more complex than what can be covered by a single word or phrase.

How many times have I heard this dodge? Every time, the person who doesn't want to be 'labelled' turns out to be someone who either doesn't have a clue what they really believe and simply bounce off what they feel to be popular opinion.
OR,
Want to hide what they believe for some reason.

By the way, I'm a Christian. Not a 'religionist'. For that matter, I'm also a researcher, a theologian, an American, a 'strict construction Constitutionalist', a man and a shooter. What else? Taxpayer, home-owner, divorcee, father - Dad, I hope, and driver. Cosmologist, astronomer, philosopher... feel free to label me.

 

[Paradoxum]

Atheist

 

[Hezekiah Holbrooke]

The OP was clear that this was not a reference to a ventriloquist act.

There are many gods - they are characters in books.

Chill off and lighten up. It was a pun and not even addressed to you. Develop a little sense of humor.

 

[talquin]

Well, here's what King David called him:

Psa_14:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.


LOL!! I'm just picking at you. You left yourself wide open for that one.

Peace.

A person who doesn't hold the belief that a god exists doesn't necessarily say there is no god.

 

[Snake75]

An atheist

 

[Hezekiah Holbrooke]

Come let us reason together:

The apostle Paul calls them "scoffers" and anti-christs.

My pastor calls them "The Walking Dead".

 

[Loudmouth]

What word should be used to describe a person who doesn't hold the belief that a god exists?

Atheism

A = without
theism = belief in a deity

A-theism is "without a belief in a deity". Simple as that.

Under the atheist umbrella you have many reasons why someone does not believe. Some do not believe in a deity because they think such a thing is unknowable. Those would be the agnostics (A=without, gnost=knowledge). There are weak and strong atheists, those who are tentative or dogmatic about their disbelief in a deity, respectively.

 

[Loudmouth]

Come let us reason together:

The apostle Paul calls them "scoffers" and anti-christs.

My pastor calls them "The Walking Dead".

I have yet to find a religion that thought non-believers were in the right.

 

[bhsmte]

What word should be used to describe a person who doesn't hold the belief that a god exists?

For any person who is capable of thinking on their own and able to personally digest the available information, I think the term atheist is fine.

 

[Loudmouth]

For any person who is capable of thinking on their own and able to personally digest the available information, I think the term atheist is fine.

Agreed. Atheists should own the term and not allow it to become a term of derision.

In the past, certain secular activitists have tried to invent new terms to call atheists . . . all in the name of PR I guess. Atheism rebranded, or something. Names like " The Brights" just made people look either feckless or condescending.

Atheist. Just Atheist. I really don't see a problem with it.

 

[Hezekiah Holbrooke]

I have yet to find a religion that thought non-believers were in the right.

Not just one religion? Really? I would think most forms of satanic religions would find unbelievers in the right and champion their cause.

 

[talquin]

For any person who is capable of thinking on their own and able to personally digest the available information, I think the term atheist is fine.

I'm not saying the person has to be able to think on their own and digest information. I'm merely asking what word you would use to describe a person who doesn't hold the belief that a god exists.

 

[Ken-1122]

Not just one religion? Really? I would think most forms of satanic religions would find unbelievers in the right and champion their cause.

Why would a Satanic religion find a person who does not believe in Satan; to be right? At least Christians believe in Satan; seems they would have more in common than Atheists; don't cha think?

K

 

[Kylie]

I voted other. Use whatever word they use to define their beliefs about religion.

 

[Roonwit]

Agreed. Atheists should own the term and not allow it to become a term of derision.

In the past, certain secular activitists have tried to invent new terms to call atheists . . . all in the name of PR I guess. Atheism rebranded, or something. Names like " The Brights" just made people look either feckless or condescending.

Atheist. Just Atheist. I really don't see a problem with it.

In fairness, I think the attempt was more to have a name that indicates a positive belief rather than the absence of a belief. No-one would have thought that "non-pagan" was a good label for the followers of Jesus. However, "the Brights" is a label designed to ridicule others, so is not an improvement.

Most modern atheists are humanists. Others are existentialists. A few are nihilists. They could be referred to accordingly. After all, assuming that humanists and existentialists believe the same is like believing that Christians and Hindus believe the same.

When the critical thing in view is belief or non-belief in a god, you could group these people as 'atheistic people', just as we group 'religious people'. (That said, which group should Buddhists be classified in??)

Roonwit