Given theists and deists, it would seem an a-theist would be anyone who doesn't believe in theism. ( though since that would include deists I guess it doesn't work)

Just shows how imprecise labels can be.

But since the concept of theism is pretty much an 18th century one - as deism was making it's big push - I would imagine that was first use for atheism.


>I think the definition has narrowed over time and the new definition is not really accurate. Back in the 70s, an atheist also included those who lacked any belief in God (as also in unknowing or not knowing one way or the other without empirical evidence - babies fall into that category), not just one who denied its existence. However, nowadays many consider that to be agnostics - not just believing it is impossible to know God or of God or if God exists but also uncommitted and unknowing.
>
>I don't know how it changed, but somehow it has.
>
>>>>I suppose I should of put that in the title. In theory there is no such thing as an atheist because you'd have to have extensive knowledge of every religion to be one.
>>>
>>>Why is that?
>>>
>>>Atheist: Noun: a person who denies or disbelieves the existence of a supreme being or beings.
>>
>>Atheist: refers to persons not inclined toward religious belief or a particular form of religious belief. An atheist is one who denies the existence of a deity or of divine beings.
>>
>>Agnostic: is one who believes it impossible to know anything about God or about the creation of the universe and refrains from commitment to any religious doctrine.
>>
>>I think the difference is supposed to be that an Atheist denies the existence of divine beings, and Agnostic says it's impossible to know...however to deny the existence of a divine being, you'd have to know that someone thinks it does exist - therefor unless you know all the religions it wouldn't be possible to actually be an Atheist.
>>
>>>
>>>Why would somebody need to know anything at all about any religion in order not to believe in a supreme being (not counting Diana Ross).
>>>
>>>>
>>>>>Funny how you left Agnostics off your title... :o)
>>>>>
>>>>>>http://pewforum.org/Other-Beliefs-and-Practices/U-S-Religious-Knowledge-Survey.aspx
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Atheists and agnostics at the top - Catholics at the bottom.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Highlights of the survey include:
>>>>>>— More than four-in-10 Catholics do not know that their church teaches that the bread and wine used in Communion actually become the body and blood of Christ.
>>>>>>- About half of Protestants cannot correctly identify Martin Luther as the person who sparked the Protestant Reformation.
>>>>>>- Less than half identified Buddhism as the Dalai Lama's religion, 51 percent knew that Joseph Smith was Mormon and 54 percent correctly said the Koran is the Islamic holy book. More than 80 percent knew that Mother Teresa was Catholic.
>>>>>>- Nine-in-10 Americans know U.S. Supreme Court rulings do not allow teachers to lead public school classes in prayer. But two-thirds incorrectly said Supreme Court rulings prevent them from using the Bible as an example of literature.