Brett Robson wrote:
> necoandjeff wrote:
>
>> Atheism is certainly easier to embrace in Japan because there isn't
>> the horrible stigma like there is in the West. I have little doubt
>> that there are probably (just guessing though) more "atheists" in
>> Japan. But to say most are, or even that a signficantly higher
>> number are than in the U.S. is stretching it. I think the average
>> person on the street would not deny the existence of God, gods,
>> deities, etc.
>>
>
> There are more atheists but not more atheists?

Is that how you understood that? Yes, you have stellar reading comprehension
skills there Brett. Perhaps you should work a little bit more on English
before moving on to a second language like Japanese.

> I've got a suggestion, try thinking out a position before you
> start rambling on.
>
>
>> As explained above, I wouldn't. And I don't think there are many
>> atheists who would. Religous people who want to consider them
>> atheists are probably just giving in to the temptation to slap that
>> evil label on anyone who strays too far from what they consider
>> acceptable. I've used the word apatheism before to denote people who
>> don't really care whether there is a God/gods. A lot of Japanese
>> probably fall into this camp. But I would not consider them an
>> atheist. An atheist to me is some who has actively come to the
>> conclusion that there is no such thing as God/gods/spirits, etc.
>>
>
> There you have finally made a point, which is to define a word
> the way you want it.

And how would you define it, in such a way as to include every non believer
of a particular religion an "atheist" from the point of view of a believer
in that religion? Yes, now that makes a lot of sense doesn't it?