“’I am not an atheist. I just don’t believe in God.’
So, what deities do you believe in?”
I’m not a theist.
Hank
Then you ARE an atheist. The definition of theist is the belief in at least one deity. The definition of atheism is the position that there are no deities. Either you completely misunderstand the meaning of atheist, and are an atheist, or are a deist in some sense. Which is it?
I’m not a theist.= I am an atheist.
It’s simply a matter of where the negative in the sentence is put.
If you believe that there is no God, by definition, you are an *a*theist.
http://www.wordinfo.info/words/index/info/view_unit/2838
*a* meaning *non* in the Greek.
a-, an- +
(Greek: a prefix meaning: no, absence of, without, lack of, not)
These prefixes are normally used with elements of Greek origin, a- is used before consonants and an- is used before vowels.
It affects the meanings of hundreds of words.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atheist
Main Entry: athe·ist
Function: noun
Date: 1551
: one who believes that there is no deity