What came first, the atheist or the theist?

[Scented Nectar]

I disagree. With no belief in a higher power there would be no need for theism, rendering atheism obsolete. Would the terms even exist in our language today if my example above were true?

Theism created Atheism.

The prefix 'a' in front of 'theism' only means 'without'. It does not have to include thoughts of rejection about the concept, so there is no need for the concept to exist. This form of atheism is the type referred to when people say that babies start out as atheist. They have never heard of, or understood about what gods might be, so they are by default without a belief in it.

Some atheists, like myself, are the 'strong' type, since I actively state that gods do not exist. While I am to start with, without a belief in gods (which is all that's in the definition of atheism), I have personally added an active belief statement of 'I know there are definitely no gods' on top of that lack of belief. The strong form is the only type you are currently considering to be atheism, when in fact the other way around is true, the 'weak' form is the only thing that is required and defined under the definition.

Also, the actual word for atheism would not exist without theism there first.