“It’s odd that the word atheist even exists. I don’t play golf. Is there a word for non-golf players? Do non-golf players gather and strategize? Do non-skiers have a word and come together and talk about the fact that they don’t ski?”
This is a pretty sad take from NdT, and it comes across as though he were attempting to dodge a question. Perhaps even to avoid being labeled, which is probably why you like it.
If 99% of the population were golfers, and 1% weren’t, there would almost certainly be a word for the people who didn’t golf. Same applies to theists. Up until very recently it would have been considered quite unusual to not be a theist.
“It’s odd that the word atheist even exists. I don’t play golf. Is there a word for non-golf players? Do non-golf players gather and strategize? Do non-skiers have a word and come together and talk about the fact that they don’t ski?”
This is a pretty sad take from NdT, and it comes across as though he were attempting to dodge a question. Perhaps even to avoid being labeled, which is probably why you like it.
If 99% of the population were golfers, and 1% weren’t, there would almost certainly be a word for the people who didn’t golf. Same applies to theists. Up until very recently it would have been considered quite unusual to not be a theist.
Atheists did not decide on that label. The word is believed to have initially been pejorative.