Posted by tom on October 08, 1999 at 09:20:17:
In Reply to: A false analogy posted by rpcman on October 07, 1999 at 14:50:38:
I wasn't making an analogy. I was merely pointing out that
etymology is often times not a reliable guide to word meanings. You can't blame
the dictionary for the fact that usage has made the term "atheist" mean something
different from what its etymology might suggest.
Seems to me that if the standard definition of atheist doesn't fit
your identity you should simply call yourself a non-theist.
: : Dictionaries try to represent usage not etymologies.
: Good dictionaries do include etymology though.
: : The word "eager" which now refers entirely to an
: : affective state, orignally referred to a certain kind of a river--one that was inclined to overflow
: : its banks.
: This would be useful to have in a dictionary since you can see where the word came from. Clearly its current meaning is based in large part on its original usage. However, it is a false analogy to the subject at hand since many, if not most atheists, call themselves a-theists because they are non-theists in direct corrleation with the etymology of the word.