Letters to the Editor
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That's what an atheist IS!
Steve Paulson asks E.O Wilson,
"To be a deist, you're saying maybe there was some creator, some presence, that set in motion the laws of the universe."
And E.O. Wilson answers,
"Maybe. That has not yet been discounted as a hypothesis. That's why I use the word provisional."
Paulson answers that he thinks that is a fascinating answer, because, " everything you've said up until now suggests that you should be an atheist".
Well, by definition he IS an atheist. He holds no belief in a god. He is open to the possibility of some god or force, but does not actively believe in one. Therefore, he is an atheist.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines atheism as, "Disbelief in, or denial of, the existence of a god".
Mr Wilson fits the first part of the definition, so he is an atheist.
Atheism is NOT a 'bad word"!