Antitheism facts for kids

Antitheism, also spelled anti-theism, is a way of thinking that says theism should be opposed. Theism is the belief in a deity or gods. In simple terms, antitheism means directly being against the idea of believing in any god.

Where the Word Comes From

The word antitheism (or anti-theism) has been used in English since 1788. It comes from two Greek words: anti, meaning "against," and theos, meaning "god."

The Oxford English Dictionary says an antitheist is "One opposed to belief in the existence of a god." This meaning was first written down in 1833. A French thinker named Pierre-Joseph Proudhon likely created the term.

Why Some Oppose Theism

Some people use the word antitheism to describe their view that theism can be dangerous. They might believe it causes harm or encourages bad behavior.

For example, Christopher Hitchens (a writer) said in 2001:

"I'm not even an atheist so much as I am an antitheist; I not only maintain that all religions are versions of the same untruth, but I hold that the influence of churches, and the effect of religious belief, is positively harmful."

This means he felt that religions were not true and that their influence was actually bad.

Opposing the Idea of God Itself

Other definitions of antitheism focus on actively fighting against anything that reminds people of God. The French Catholic philosopher Jacques Maritain (1953) described it as "an active struggle against everything that reminds us of God."

Robert Flint (1877), a professor at the University of Edinburgh, had a similar idea. He used "antitheism" as a broad term for anything that went against his own belief in God. He believed in a single, all-powerful, all-knowing, good God who created everything.

Flint explained:

"It is necessary to have a general term to designate them. Anti-theism appears to be the appropriate word. It is, of course, much more comprehensive in meaning than the term atheism. It applies to all systems which are opposed to theism."

He meant that antitheism is a bigger idea than atheism. Atheism is the belief that there is no god. But antitheism includes any idea that goes against the belief in a single, perfect God.

For example, Flint said that believing in many gods (like polytheism) is not atheism. But it is antitheistic because it denies there is only one God. He also said that pantheism (the belief that God is everything and everywhere) is antitheistic. This is because it denies God is a separate being with wisdom and love.

Flint knew that people usually understood antitheism differently. They often saw it as a part of atheism, meaning that the idea of God had been proven wrong. He did not like the term non-theistic because it was too broad. He felt it could include scientific ideas that were not against theism at all.

Other Similar Terms

Sometimes, people use other words to talk about being against the idea of a god or gods:

• Dystheism means believing in a god who is not kind or good.
• Misotheism means "hatred of God."

Different Meanings of "Antitheism"

Christopher New (1993) suggested a different meaning for antitheism as a thought experiment. He imagined what arguments for an evil god would look like. He wrote that "Antitheists, like theists, would have believed in an omnipotent, omniscient, eternal creator." But unlike theists who believe God is good, antitheists would have believed this supreme being was perfectly evil. This different idea has been used by other thinkers too.

See also

In Spanish: Antiteísmo para niños

Sources

• Browne, Janet (2002). The Power of Place, Volume 2 of the Biography of Charles Darwin. Alfred Knopf
• Hitchens, Christopher (2001). Letters to a Young Contrarian (ISBN: 0-465-03032-7). New York: Basic Books.
• Maritain, Jacques (1953). The Range of Reason. London: Geoffrey Bles. Electronic Text
  • Note: Chapter 8, The Meaning of Contemporary Atheism (p. 103–117, Electronic Text) is reprinted from Review of Politics, Vol. 11 (3) July 1949, p. 267–280 Electronic Text. A version also appears The Listener, Vol. 43 No.1102, 9 March 1950. pp. 427–429,432.

• Witham, Larry (2003). By Design, Encounter Books

• Wright, N.T. (2005). The Last Word, Harper San Francisco