Theists: Is Rejecting God the Same as Not Believing In Him?

ChristineES · #1 03-05-2008, 01:35 PM

That is question that I do not have an answer for, although I think it quite a bit. It is one thing not to believe in God and quite another to believe in God and reject Him. Or at least I think there is.
But is it the same to you? Do you think not believing is the same as believing and rejecting?

Since I don't really have an answer, I wondering if other theists do or not.

Storm · #2 03-05-2008, 01:36 PM

Not a theist, but I would have to say no.

Starfish · #3 03-06-2008, 06:19 PM

I'd say they're not the same. One option there's a belief and in the other option, there's no belief. That's the difference.

Captain Civic · #4 03-06-2008, 06:28 PM

I think rejecting is worse than non-belief. If you're not believing, you're just saying that the god doesn't exist. If you reject it, you're saying that you know that god, but you think it is wrong.

eXiled · #5 03-06-2008, 06:32 PM

As a 'believer' in the existence of God, I have to tell you it's not the same. Although, my opinions come more from anger than truth.

Saint Tigeress · #6 03-06-2008, 08:54 PM

I think they are two completely different things. Believing in the existance of God and rejecting Him is much different than not believing He exists at all.

I think the first one is called maltheism....?

While the other is just athiesm.

I dunno.

Storm · #7 03-06-2008, 08:55 PM

Maltheism is the belief that God is evil.

mball1297 · #8 03-06-2008, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Storm

Maltheism is the belief that God is evil.

Correct. I think that the assumption was that that was implied, as many would say that if one saw God as evil, one would reject Him. Therefore the reason for the rejection being God's evil nature.

I agree that rejecting God would be "worse" than not believing in Him. Many say that children don't fully understand right from wrong, and so we cut them a lot more slack than we do adults. If you know something is right and you choose not to do it, it's completely different than not knowing that it's the right thing in the first place.

Willamena · #9 03-07-2008, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChristineES

That is question that I do not have an answer for, although I think it quite a bit. It is one thing not to believe in God and quite another to believe in God and reject Him. Or at least I think there is.
But is it the same to you? Do you think not believing is the same as believing and rejecting?

Believing in God requires having some idea of what God is. If a person doesn't have such an idea --that is, if 'God' is just a meaningless word, despite all descriptions of it --then there can be no belief. Is that the same as "believing and rejecting"? Not at all.