David,

I would have to agree. The term atheist does not apply to anyone who
believes in a deity/higher power/gaia etc. It is not a term that has any
gray area. That is unless we are talking about another intentional misuse
of a word to try and twist it into something new, as in the case of the
word theory. I am not sure of the point with "atheist" quite yet.

It is certainly sad and a great loss, but to me the central irony about the
intellectual implosion occurring at the Tulsa zoo is that there is no
substantive challenge to science provided by faith. The challenge is
entirely in the minds of the challengers. The problem is that allowing the
"challenge" to take place gives it credence in the eyes of the public,
which to be quite honest is not, as a whole, paying enough attention to
realize the error. But, of course, the challengers know that.

They will make the strongest statement by kindly incorporating Christianity
into its creation myth series. I think one of the reasons it is not
normally included in such programs is because the Christian myth is not
nearly as interesting as some of the others. Native American(s) and Hindu
traditional beliefs are far more colorful, and typically involve a lot less
fear.

Mark Janzen
Registrar/Collections Manager
Edwin A. Ulrich Museum of Art
Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection
Wichita State University
(316)978-5850


                                                                           
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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

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