It seems some atheists want to paint it as a "theism vs atheism" thing, so they can claim the nontheists. But often times the theists want to claim you too and do the same thing, it's happened at least to me a lot from both sides.
No, I'm not an atheist. Atheism is a SUBSET of nontheism.
Wikipedia: Nontheism - Wikipedia
Wiktionary: nontheism - Wiktionary
It seems I can't find any major dictionaries that use the term, but the term does apply to many religions:
Nontheistic religion - Wikipedia
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Basically, nontheism is "not theism". That doesn't mean "atheist". And even if you use it to mean "atheist" many people who say nontheism just mean "not theism". There are more points of view in the world than atheism or theism.
So not only does it literally mean "not theist" that's how it's commonly used. Not all nontheists are atheists, even though all atheists are nontheists.
If you want to criticize my sources keep in mind these are going to be more indicative of how the normal person uses them, even if you can prove that there are people who use it to mean atheism that doesn't disprove it's also very common usage to mean a non-atheistic, but non-theistic viewpoint on deities. Two different intended meanings can co-exist.
However I would argue that it makes more sense to just say atheism is a subset of nontheism. It's like saying "I had pie" and "I had apple pie". Both are true, but one isn't always apple. It seems to me people want to define only "apple pie" as pie just because it is their favorite, they want to deny that other types of pies might be valid pies too.
No, I'm not an atheist. Atheism is a SUBSET of nontheism.
Wikipedia: Nontheism - Wikipedia
Not to be confused with atheism.
Nontheism or non-theism is a range of both religious[1] and nonreligious[2] attitudes characterized by the absence of espoused belief in a God or gods. Nontheism has generally been used to describe apathy or silence towards the subject of God and differs from an antithetical, explicit atheism. Nontheism does not necessarily describe atheism or disbelief in God; it has been used as an umbrella term for summarizing various distinct and even mutually exclusive positions, such as agnosticism, ignosticism, ietsism, skepticism, pantheism, atheism, strong or positive atheism, implicit atheism, and apatheism. It is in use in the fields of Christian apologetics and general liberal theology.
Wiktionary: nontheism - Wiktionary
The 2nd definition from Urban Dictionary: Urban Dictionary: nontheistNoun
nontheism (uncountable)
Any of a range of concepts regarding spirituality and religion which do not include the idea of a deity in the form of a theistic god or gods.
It seems I can't find any major dictionaries that use the term, but the term does apply to many religions:
Nontheistic religion - Wikipedia
====================
Basically, nontheism is "not theism". That doesn't mean "atheist". And even if you use it to mean "atheist" many people who say nontheism just mean "not theism". There are more points of view in the world than atheism or theism.
So not only does it literally mean "not theist" that's how it's commonly used. Not all nontheists are atheists, even though all atheists are nontheists.
If you want to criticize my sources keep in mind these are going to be more indicative of how the normal person uses them, even if you can prove that there are people who use it to mean atheism that doesn't disprove it's also very common usage to mean a non-atheistic, but non-theistic viewpoint on deities. Two different intended meanings can co-exist.
However I would argue that it makes more sense to just say atheism is a subset of nontheism. It's like saying "I had pie" and "I had apple pie". Both are true, but one isn't always apple. It seems to me people want to define only "apple pie" as pie just because it is their favorite, they want to deny that other types of pies might be valid pies too.
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