Introduction to Theism
Theism, Atheism, Religion, and Irrationality
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The primary purpose of this site is to provide material and resources necessary to understand atheism and the issues which concern atheists. Atheism is simply the lack of theism - the lack of belief in the existence of any gods. Although atheists certainly have beliefs and philosophies which go far beyond disbelief in the existence of gods, that is all that atheism itself entails.
Understanding atheism requires some understanding of theism. Learning about what types of theism exist, how people define their gods, and why people become theists will enable you to get a better grasp of how and why people can become atheists. There may not be any one path to atheism which all atheists follow, just as there is no one path to theism which all theists follow; nevertheless, there are enough commonalities to justify discussion and study.
-->What is Theism?
To put it simply, theism is a belief in the existence of at least one god - nothing more, nothing less. Theism does not depend upon how many gods one believes in. Theism does not depend upon how the term 'god' is defined. Theism does not depend upon how one arrives at their belief. Theism does not depend upon how one defends their belief.Theism vs. Religion
Are religion and theism effectively the same thing, such that every religion is theistic and every theist is also religious? Because of some common misconceptions, many people are inclined answer that question positively. It isn't uncommon even among atheists to simply assume that religion and theism are equivalent.Theism vs. Atheism: Who has the burden of proof?
The concept of a "burden of proof" is important in debates - whoever has a burden of proof is obligated to "prove" their claims in some fashion. Sometimes atheists and theists argue more over who has the burden of proof than over the existence of God.Is Theism Irrational?
When it comes right down to it, theism itself doesn't inherently mean very much. Fundamentally, theism itself isn't anything more than believing in the existence of at least one god. Why or how one might have such a belief is no more relevant to the definition of theism than why or how one might lack belief in gods is relevant to the definition of atheism.This has important implications for the question of whether theism is rational or irrational.
