Atheism Quote by Michael Martin
““If you look up 'atheism' in the dictionary, you will probably find it defined as the belief that there is no God. Certainly many people understand atheism in this way. Yet many atheists do not, and this is not what the term means if one considers it from the point of view of its Greek roots. In Greek 'a' means 'without' or 'not' and 'theos' means 'god.' From this standpoint an atheist would simply be someone without a belief in God, not necessarily someone who believes that God does not exist. According to its Greek roots, then, atheism is a negative view, characterized by the absence of belief in God.””
About This Quote
Defines atheism based on Greek roots, emphasizing it as a lack of belief rather than belief in non‑existence.
In simple terms: Atheism = lack of belief in God.
Key Takeaway
Distinguish atheism from anti‑theism.
Themes
atheism
definition
language
Mood
neutral
educational
Type
definitional
philosophical
When to use this quote
- education
- dialogue
- public discourse
Key Concepts
philosophy
etymology
Questions to Reflect On
- What misconceptions exist about atheism?
- How does language shape belief?
![“The word ‘sin’ is derived from the Indo-European root ‘es-,’ meaning ‘to be.’ When I discovered this etymology, I intuitively understood that for a [person] trapped in patriarchy, which is the religion of the entire planet, ‘to be’ in the fullest sense is ‘to sin'.” quote by Mary Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/465/mary-daly-12589_etymology_the-word-sin-is-derived-from-the-indo-eu_889160.jpg)
