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Note difference between atheism and anti-theism

Dann Myers

Jan. 2, 2025 11:21 am

Atheism and anti-theism so often occur together within the same individual that the coterie of aggressive Christian zealots fail to realize that they aren't one of the same. Making note of the difference is important, however, because not every atheist is anti-theistic and even those who are, aren't anti-theistic all the time. Atheism is merely the absence of belief in gods; anti-theism is a conscious, deliberate, sometimes activistic opposition to theism. Many atheists are also anti-theists, but not all and not always.

While defined broadly as simply the absence of belief in gods, atheism covers territory that isn't quite compatible with anti-theism. People who identify themselves as atheists do so because they don't believe in the existence of any gods, but at the same time, their indifference prevents them from being anti-theists as well. This posture describes many if not most atheists because there are plenty of alleged gods they simply don't care about and, therefore, they don't care enough to attack others’ belief in such gods.

If we were branch out beyond religious contexts, we could say the same about Santa Claus: there are far more people who reject Santa than who reject gods, but how many nonbelievers of Santa attack the believers of Santa and vice versa? How many a-Santa-ists are also anti-Santa-ists?

Dann Myers

Cedar Rapids

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