3 ms·

> Anti-theism is the assertion there is no god. The prefix "a" can mean "not" or "without." "anti" means "against", "opposite of." Anti-theism, read literally,

> Anti-theism is the assertion there is no god. The prefix "a" can mean "not" or "without." "anti" means "against", "opposite of." Anti-theism, read literally, seems more like the position that god(s) exist and should be opposed. It's not a common belief system, but one can put together a plausible storyline where God is just a supremely powerful entity with neutral or negative disposition toward humanity but with a good Public Relations system. Given the claims of omniscience and omnipotence, how could one distinguish perfect propaganda from truth? One work of fiction I recall described a belief system which was a mirror image of Christianity holding that Satan actually rebelled against a negligent or malicious God for humanity's sake, fighting on our side but losing in the end—but as they say, history is written by the victors. It's an interesting thought exercise, anyway.

torstenvl 5y ago
Gnosticism, for example, might be considered anti-theist by some.
psyc 5y ago
> Satan actually rebelled against a negligent or malicious God for humanity's sake I doubt it's the one you're thinking of, but this was also the gist of Memnoch the Devil, the 5th Vampire Chronicles book.
- nybble41 5y ago
  Not the same one, no. I was referring to a passage from chapter 4 of March to the Stars by David Weber and John Ringo[0] where the character Kosutic attempts to explain how a version of Satanism became the majority religion of his home planet, which had originally been settled by mostly Roman Catholics, following a religious schism. If you're interested, you can find a free copy of March to the Stars in the Baen CD which accompanied Storm from the Shadows, available here[1]. (These CDs were issued along with certain printed books, with a license from the publisher to redistribute them, as a means of advertisement.) Unfortunately there is no longer a direct link to the book available on this site; you have to download the full CD. [0] https://www.baen.com/march-to-the-stars.html https://www.baen.com/march-to-the-stars.html [1] https://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/ https://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/

torstenvl 5y ago

Gnosticism, for example, might be considered anti-theist by some.

psyc 5y ago

> Satan actually rebelled against a negligent or malicious God for humanity's sake I doubt it's the one you're thinking of, but this was also the gist of Memnoch the Devil, the 5th Vampire Chronicles book.

nybble41 5y ago
Not the same one, no. I was referring to a passage from chapter 4 of March to the Stars by David Weber and John Ringo[0] where the character Kosutic attempts to explain how a version of Satanism became the majority religion of his home planet, which had originally been settled by mostly Roman Catholics, following a religious schism. If you're interested, you can find a free copy of March to the Stars in the Baen CD which accompanied Storm from the Shadows, available here[1]. (These CDs were issued along with certain printed books, with a license from the publisher to redistribute them, as a means of advertisement.) Unfortunately there is no longer a direct link to the book available on this site; you have to download the full CD. [0] https://www.baen.com/march-to-the-stars.html https://www.baen.com/march-to-the-stars.html [1] https://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/ https://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/