What came first, the atheist or the theist?

[Scented Nectar]

Spencer, I'm not sure you are understanding this at all.

A-THEISM =
WITHOUT-THEISM =
NOT-THEISM

The prefix A, simply means without or not. It doesn't require the person to know that they are without the thing. It just means they are without it.

You are an afgthujhujfjist. You have never heard of fgthujhujfjism but that's because the belief in fgthujhujfjs won't be thought of for another 1000 years. Since you are without any belief in fgthujhujfjis, and you are not a believer in fgthujhujfjis, you are an afgthujhujfjist, even though no one has even thought it up yet.

from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a-
Main Entry: 2a-
Pronunciation: \(ˈ)ā also (ˈ)a or (ˈ)ä\
Variant(s): or an- \(ˈ)an\
Function: prefix
Etymology: Latin & Greek; Latin, from Greek — more at un-
: not : without <asexual> —a- before consonants other than h and sometimes even before h, an- before vowels and usually before h <achromatic> <ahistorical> <anastigmatic> <anhydrous>

from http://oxforddictionaries.com/search?q=a
a- (often an- before a vowel) 1
…not; without…