What is atheism?

[MorningGlory]

Matrix

So you have nothing. And how is that a lie? I'm asking you to prove that the other person on the message boards you're referring to is me. Since you're making outstanding claims and have absolutely no proof to back it up, I'm going to say you're just doing it for attention and you have no idea what you're talking about (because you never do). So yeah, good luck being a sneaky detective. You suck at it.

No what you are doing is asking me to drag messages from one board to this board all the while knowing you can simply deny and say as you have in the past, "Oh well that's not me, that's another cvor."

Is that what you want?

Now why do you suppose that request of yours for proof does NOT surprise me either CVOR?

It would seem that this is a private fight between you and whoever 'cvor' may be. The rest of us don't really need to have it pushed into our faces or dragging this tread off topic. Why don't you take it up on whatever other forum you two belong to?

[MorningGlory]

Isn't that pretty much what I posted? The prefix 'a', in Latin based words, always indicates the absence of something (acephalic, without a brain; amoral, without morals, etc.)

What a clever insult. I beg to differ, especially after reading all the debates here.

Insult??? Those are true examples using the 'a' prefix. Do you have better examples of how it's used? Only those with a troubled psyche read insults into everything.

And those examples are without a brain or without morals (like atheism is without God/god). You couldn't find any other "examples"? You're attributing them to atheism. Come on, that wasn't very subtle at all.

Those are the only two words I can think of that are prefixed by 'a'. What others come to mind? I assure you I was not being insulting nor was I targeting anyone. I'm not that subtle, Matrix, I would use a sledgehammer if that was my intent.

[Fez]

Hey! I can think of one that starts with an A, but hey this is a christian website!

[MorningGlory]

Hey! I can think of one that starts with an A, but hey this is a christian website!

[Fez]

Boys, boys, play nice now! How have you honored Jesus in any way with your handbag slinging?

[Guest]

Be Blessed Beloved

Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD.

Psalms 28:4

Love, Joe

[MorningGlory]

Isn't that pretty much what I posted? The prefix 'a', in Latin based words, always indicates the absence of something (acephalic, without a brain; amoral, without morals, etc.)

What a clever insult. I beg to differ, especially after reading all the debates here.

Insult??? Those are true examples using the 'a' prefix. Do you have better examples of how it's used? Only those with a troubled psyche read insults into everything.

And those examples are without a brain or without morals (like atheism is without God/god). You couldn't find any other "examples"? You're attributing them to atheism. Come on, that wasn't very subtle at all.

Those are the only two words I can think of that are prefixed by 'a'. What others come to mind? I assure you I was not being insulting nor was I targeting anyone. I'm not that subtle, Matrix, I would use a sledgehammer if that was my intent.

I thought it was quite creative, now I learn that it was accidental....

I'm glad it wasn't intended as an insult but it did give me a chuckle when I first read it.

And on reflection Matrix, I think I can vouch for MG on this one, I'm pretty sure it wasn't meant as an insult. From my interactions with her in the past I don't think she'd resort to subtle innuendos if she wanted to say you were an idiot.

I'm glad you see the obvious, NC. Those truly WERE the only two words that came to mind and I STILL haven't thought of more.....

[MorningGlory]

Atheism means a- against

theism- God.

Atheism actually means ......

'a' - absence of

'theism' - belief in God

According to the Oxford Dictionary: from Greek atheos, from a - 'without' + theos 'god'.

Thus, atheist means 'without God' or in my case without belief in God. Does this work for you?

Isn't that pretty much what I posted? The prefix 'a', in Latin based words, always indicates the absence of something (acephalic, without a brain; amoral, without morals, etc.)

I love dictionaries, and I love to argue, don't you? The Oxford Dictionary says, "absence the state of being away from a place or person...." I suppose my objection to this sense of the word is that atheists don't see themselves as being away from God. They see God as not existing. There's a difference. You, however, might perceive atheists as being away from God, but the definition of atheism does not mean this. What it means is something more definitive. It is the belief that God does not exist. The notion that atheists are away from, or absent from, God is more of a theistic belief.

However, having said that, I think -- for your entertainment -- I will now shoot myself in the foot. You specifically said, " 'a' - absence of". According to my dictionary "(absence of)" means "the non-existence or lack of" something. So absence of can mean the non-existence of God. I am happy with this take on the definition. Though a still means without.

I was referencing one simple fact....'a', as a prefix, implies the absence of something. You, as an atheist, are without God. The 'a' in 'atheist' in no way shows the nonexistence of God. Does the 'a' in 'acephalic' imply the nonexistence of brains? Give me a break.

[MorningGlory]

I love dictionaries,

As do I.

and I love to argue, don't you?

Yes.

[MorningGlory]

I was referencing one simple fact....'a', as a prefix, implies the absence of something. You, as an atheist, are without God. The 'a' in 'atheist' in no way shows the nonexistence of God. Does the 'a' in 'acephalic' imply the nonexistence of brains? Give me a break.

I was stating the simple fact that the 'a' in atheism actually means 'without' so why you want to persist in substituting another word I can only guess. As I said earlier, substituting the words "absence of" slightly changes the connotation of the definition of a-theism, at least in my mind -- doesn't it? If 'a' means 'without' in the original Greek then why, for heavens sake, substitute "absence of" in place of 'without'. There is no reason to do this unless you don't like 'without' in the definition of atheism. Do you prefer atheism to mean 'without God' or 'absence of God'? Do they both imply the same thing in your mind or do you agree with me that the use of different words for the prefix impart slightly different connotations?

As to your rebuttal that "The 'a' in 'atheist' in no way shows the nonexistence of God", what I was referencing was your use of the prefix "absence of" in front of 'theism'. At the risk of being repetitive I will say again that,

According to my dictionary "(absence of)" means "the non-existence or lack of" something.

If that is the case then 'absence of' implies 'non-existence of', according to the Oxford Dictionary at least. So, since you are partial to word substitutions in definitions I shall follow in your tradition and substitute your "absence of" with 'non-existence of', thus atheism means non-existence of God, which is pretty much what atheists think anyways. This then is a good definition of what atheists believe. Atheism is a straight forward acknowledgment that God does not exist. That is what atheism means, and that is what atheists believe. Why substitute other words?

Have a good day.

Okay, I'll agree that the 'a' prefix means 'without'. Now stop being redundant or people will think you're getting dotty. Oh, btw, if you are without something....it's absent from you.