At 2:38 PM -0400 7/9/11, Marilyn Harris wrote:
>What is a nontheist? Is this latest politically correct term for an atheist?
>
>Marilyn

A theist has a belief that there is a god.

An atheist is has a belief that there is no god.

Both of these are unprovable, hence 'belief'.

A non-theist has no beliefs about the existence of gods.

<personal beliefs start here - feel free to move on to other email :-)>

The rules of many religious systems, when followed, promote a healthier society and thus a non-theist can assert they have some positive value for society by reducing the level of social violence.

Problems often arise when believers pick and choose which rules to follow and which to disregard.  Some times they claim that god told them to.  Other times the rules are inconsistent and people pick whichever interpretation supports their current objectives, fears, etc.

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 [log in to unmask]      Ben Liberman
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