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Looking for a word to describe someone who is not a theist. Ideas?
November 27, 2013 at 9:56 am
We all know that atheists are people who hold the active belief that God Almighty does not exist. Of course some of us suspect that those who deny God On High are really just angry with Him. But what of those poor souls who are raised by wolves or, worse, by angry God-deniers who keep all knowledge of God away from them.
There should be a way of referring to those who simply do not believe in the exulted one because they've been denied the opportunity to make His acquaintance. My suggestion would have been to call them "pre-theists". But it turns out that not every 'pretheist' is receptive to receiving the Good News.
It is as surprising as it is confounding and yet it is true. Many pretheists will respond exactly the way God deniers do, with puzzlement and requests for evidence. Some will even look upon those eager to let the light of His love into their hearts askance, as if it were we who were the odd ones.
For that reason I've decided to rescind my proposal that we seek a word to differentiate between those who do not know of God and those who actively reject Him. We might just as well refer to the lot of them as atheists. But what do you think?
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RE: Looking for a word to describe someone who is not a theist. Ideas?
November 27, 2013 at 10:02 am
I think this should have been put in the 'humor' section
'The more I learn about people the more I like my dog'- Mark Twain
'You can have all the faith you want in spirits, and the afterlife, and heaven and hell, but when it comes to this world, don't be an idiot. Cause you can tell me you put your faith in God to put you through the day, but when it comes time to cross the road, I know you look both ways.' - Dr House
“Young earth creationism is essentially the position that all of modern science, 90% of living scientists and 98% of living biologists, all major university biology departments, every major science journal, the American Academy of Sciences, and every major science organization in the world, are all wrong regarding the origins and development of life….but one particular tribe of uneducated, bronze aged, goat herders got it exactly right.” - Chuck Easttom
"If my good friend Doctor Gasparri speaks badly of my mother, he can expect to get punched.....You cannot provoke. You cannot insult the faith of others. You cannot make fun of the faith of others. There is a limit." - Pope Francis on freedom of speech
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RE: Looking for a word to describe someone who is not a theist. Ideas?
November 27, 2013 at 10:15 am
"It is as surprising as it is confounding and yet it is true. Many pretheists will respond exactly the way God deniers do, with puzzlement and requests for evidence. Some will even look upon those eager to let the light of His love into their hearts askance, as if it were we who were the odd ones."
Why would anyone NOT request evidence? I don't believe anything simply because someone says it is so. That doesn't only apply to religion. I approach everything in life the same way. You can't just say something is true and expect me to believe it for no reason.
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RE: Looking for a word to describe someone who is not a theist. Ideas?
November 27, 2013 at 10:38 am
(This post was last modified: November 27, 2013 at 10:40 am by Whateverist.)
(November 27, 2013 at 10:15 am)mostlysilent Wrote: "It is as surprising as it is confounding and yet it is true. Many pretheists will respond exactly the way God deniers do, with puzzlement and requests for evidence. Some will even look upon those eager to let the light of His love into their hearts askance, as if it were we who were the odd ones."
Why would anyone NOT request evidence? I don't believe anything simply because someone says it is so. That doesn't only apply to religion. I approach everything in life the same way. You can't just say something is true and expect me to believe it for no reason.
You make a good point.
(November 27, 2013 at 10:02 am)Bad Wolf Wrote: I think this should have been put in the 'humor' section
What a rational thing to say. (Hope the comment about being raised by wolves didn't offend.)
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RE: Looking for a word to describe someone who is not a theist. Ideas?
November 27, 2013 at 11:13 am
Don't know about pretheists. I could make a case for the term Anti-theists...
"Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken."
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RE: Looking for a word to describe someone who is not a theist. Ideas?
November 27, 2013 at 11:17 am
Primatheism...primatheist? (Prim- prefix denoting 'first'). It also looks like 'primate', which would be a nod towards science and a veiled rebuke of YEC.
I also like 'Unindoctrinated lucky fuckers', but that would be too long, I reckon..
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RE: Looking for a word to describe someone who is not a theist. Ideas?
November 27, 2013 at 11:25 am
(This post was last modified: November 27, 2013 at 11:28 am by Whateverist.)
(November 27, 2013 at 11:13 am)Jacob(smooth) Wrote: Don't know about pretheists. I could make a case for the term Anti-theists...
Do you prefer anti- to non- ?
We do get some pretty naive-theists through here though who strike me as surprised when we don't greet them as liberators.
(November 27, 2013 at 11:17 am)Captain Colostomy Wrote: I also like 'Unindoctrinated lucky fuckers', but that would be too long, I reckon..
Proselytizing Red Meat would be another option along those lines. But I do kind of count myself a lucky fucker theistically speaking.
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RE: Looking for a word to describe someone who is not a theist. Ideas?
November 27, 2013 at 12:06 pm
(November 27, 2013 at 11:25 am)whateverist Wrote: (November 27, 2013 at 11:13 am)Jacob(smooth) Wrote: Don't know about pretheists. I could make a case for the term Anti-theists...
Do you prefer anti- to non- ?
We do get some pretty naive-theists through here though who strike me as surprised when we don't greet them as liberators.
I think anti is different to non. There are some shopping seem to view theists with a kind of polite bafflement, much as I regard people who believe in ghosts. There are others who seem active hostile to religion and religious people, much as I regard people who are anti vaccination.
"Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken."
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RE: Looking for a word to describe someone who is not a theist. Ideas?
November 27, 2013 at 2:26 pm
non would work. Antitheist means you have the good sense to realize that all religion is fucking poison! Anit = against, non=a simple not. 
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― Christopher Hitchens
"That fear first created the gods is perhaps as true as anything so brief could be on so great a subject". - George Santayana
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RE: Looking for a word to describe someone who is not a theist. Ideas?
November 27, 2013 at 2:35 pm
(November 27, 2013 at 9:56 am)whateverist Wrote: We all know that atheists are people who hold the active belief that God Almighty does not exist. Of course some of us suspect that those who deny God On High are really just angry with Him. But what of those poor souls who are raised by wolves or, worse, by angry God-deniers who keep all knowledge of God away from them.
There should be a way of referring to those who simply do not believe in the exulted one because they've been denied the opportunity to make His acquaintance. My suggestion would have been to call them "pre-theists". But it turns out that not every 'pretheist' is receptive to receiving the Good News.
It is as surprising as it is confounding and yet it is true. Many pretheists will respond exactly the way God deniers do, with puzzlement and requests for evidence. Some will even look upon those eager to let the light of His love into their hearts askance, as if it were we who were the odd ones.
For that reason I've decided to rescind my proposal that we seek a word to differentiate between those who do not know of God and those who actively reject Him. We might just as well refer to the lot of them as atheists. But what do you think?
How about 'antetheists'? That wouldn't be confusing. 
Skepticism is not a position; it is an approach to claims.
Science is not a subject, but a method.
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