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	<title> &#187; atheist</title>
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		<title>defining god, or God</title>
		<link>http://sarahcasm.ca/defining-god-or-god/</link>
		<comments>http://sarahcasm.ca/defining-god-or-god/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 Jul 2008 09:04:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sarah Carmichael</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Musings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[atheist]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[belief]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[God]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[oneness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[philosophy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spirituality]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[The other day, someone accused me of being an atheist. And, I say accused not because I feel that being an Atheist is undesirable, but because the comment felt like an accusation. My curious nature, and reluctance to accept an &#8230; <a href="http://sarahcasm.ca/defining-god-or-god/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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<p>The other day, someone accused me of being an atheist. And, I say accused not because I feel that being an Atheist is undesirable, but because the comment felt like an accusation.</p>
<p>My curious nature, and reluctance to accept an unfitting label (or any label, for that matter), encouraged me to research the word further. After exploring its etymology and definitions, I discovered that the literal meaning of the word <em>atheist</em> is <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/atheist">godless</a>. It seems like a fair assessment.</p>
<p>Still, I am reluctant to accept it without fully exploring the term <em>god</em>.</p>
<p>After reviewing the definitions<a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/god"> </a>of <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/god">god</a>, not only did I lose all faith in my source, I discovered that the overriding themes were <em>an omnipotent supreme being</em>, or <em>one who is worshiped</em>. Undoubtedly, by definition, I am an atheist.</p>
<p>But if I am an atheist, how do I define what I believe? Surely, being godless does not mean I am void of any belief system. I believe in something, but it&#8217;s not a being, and it&#8217;s not omnipotent, and I don&#8217;t worship it; so, can it not be a god?</p>
<p>Despite what dictionary.com says, I believe that there are as many definitions of god as there are people. Maybe god is simply whatever we want it to be.</p>
<p>To me, God is not a supreme being; god is being, supremely.</p>
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