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Atheism

Ephesians 2,12 - Greek atheos

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Nontheists, or non-theists, are people who do not believe in deities.[1] They are defined in contradistinction with theists.[2]

The term atheist, in its broadest sense, is synonymous with nontheist.[3][4] However, atheism has a variety of definitions and typologies; nontheism may be used as a more encompassing term, or to avoid connoting antireligion and other views.[4][5][6]

Nontheism encompasses people with a variety of different philosophies and world-views, from some Buddhists to humanists. Persons listed here have either been specifically identified as nontheists or atheists by a reliable source, or have expressed unbelief in deities. People who identify themselves as agnostics, humanists, naturalists, secularists, etc. are not automatically included, as not all who go by these labels are nontheists. Likewise, those who adhere to a movement or philosophy typically associated with atheism, such as the Brights movement, Communism or Objectivism, are not listed unless their unbelief in deities has been confirmed by a reliable source.

Lists of nontheists by profession[]

Lists of nontheists by surname[]

See also[]

Footnotes and citations[]

  1. Oxford English Dictionary definition for non-theist: "A person who is not a theist."
  2. Shorter Oxford English Dictionary definition for theist: "...a person who believes in God or gods... a person who believes in one God who created and intervenes in the universe."
  3. Flew, Antony (1984). God, Freedom, and Immortality: A Critical Analysis. Buffalo, NY: Prometheus. ISBN 0-87975-127-4. 
  4. 4.0 4.1 religioustolerance.org's short article on Definitions of the term "Atheism" suggests that there is no consensus on the definition of the term. Simon Blackburn summarizes the situation in The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy: "Atheism. Either the lack of belief in a god, or the belief that there is none." Most dictionaries and encyclopedias (see the OneLook query for "atheism") first list one of the more narrow definitions.
  5. "The Reasoner", New Series, No. VIII. 115
  6. Eller, David (2004). Natural Atheism. pp. 12. 
Wikipedia
This page uses content from the English Wikipedia. The original article was at List of nontheists. The list of authors can be seen in the page history.
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