Posted by rpcman on October 08, 1999 at 10:57:15:
In Reply to: analogy? posted by tom on October 08, 1999 at 09:20:17:
: You can't blame
: the dictionary for the fact that usage has made the term "atheist" mean something
: different from what its etymology might suggest.
Sure I can when the etymology is the usage. I subscribe to a couple of "Atheist" magazines. I go to a church filled with "Atheists". I know how the word is used in current society among those who are atheists.
: Seems to me that if the standard definition of atheist doesn't fit
: your identity you should simply call yourself a non-theist.
We are back to square one. As I say on the page and as I've been saying in this thread, the problem is that theists are using a *dated meaning* to define atheism. Atheism = non-theism now. This hasn't always been the case, but it usually is *now*.