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Originally Posted by ButterflyWoman  Technically, "atheist" literally means "without" or "abscence of" (the Greek prefix a- or an-) and theos means (god) (or it can be theoi, gods). It doesn't necessarily indicate a complete lack of experience of or belief in supernatural or metaphysical things. It just means someone who does not perceive or recognise god/s, deities.
In fact, some forms of Buddhism are technically atheist (in the sense of the word given above, not in the modern sense of the "New Atheist" movement). |
Quite true, this. Whenever I tell the JWs that come a-knocking that I don't believe in an anthropomorphic God, they often say, "oh, you're an atheist" (they have prepared lines and quotes for atheists, see). But, when I emphasize the word,
anthropomorphic, they don't know what to say.
The thing is, for some time, I had a hard time even using the word, "God", though have long been quite spiritual--spirit meaning something present, but intangible. So, as far as I'm concerned, one has to reject all things spiritual and essential for them to really be an atheist.