In a message dated 6/9/2005 1:16:08 AM Eastern Daylight Time, [log in to unmask] writes: << At the Tulsa Zoo it is not the Hindu deity Ganesha with whom the Creationists want equal time, because they, like every other atheist, do not believe in that god's existence. It is, rather, the science of evolution with which they want to compete -- doesn't that seem somewhat ironic? Creationists fear Evolution, which they portray as an atheistic philosophy -- but they do not fear Hinduism, about which the Creationists are, themselves, atheists. >> Sorry, but I don't think this is a useful explanation or perspective. As far as my dictionary and I can see, an atheist is one who believes in no gods whatsoever, not one who denies some gods while believing in another or others. Atheism is absolute, not comparative or relative. When the Romans called Christians atheists because they did not accept the Roman pantheon, they were being sloppy with their terminology. You're searching for a word to describe someone who believes in the "wrong" gods, and I don't know what that word is--although Christians usually call people who believe in the "wrong" gods "pagans," not atheists. Incidentally, educated Hindus often claim that they are monotheists, not polytheists, and that the many gods of the Hindu pantheon are simply mythical manifestations of the one God; many Hindus would agree that their god is essentially the same as the God of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Atheists deny the existence of any god, including, presumably, Mammon. David Haberstich ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).