Theism

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Theism is the religious belief in at least one god.

[edit] Different Theisms

All of these are rough definitions of the theisms; they are almost always different. We can split all the "-theism"s into different groups:

  • atheism — not believing in any gods or deities
  • deism — that god(s) exist, but that they don't take part in our lives.
  • agnosticism — believing that there may or may not be a god or gods, but that we can't show there is.
  • Some people group atheism and agnosticism together under the group of non-theism — absence of clearly identified belief in any deity.

The main sub-types of theism are:

This taxonomy is based on opinions about the existence of god or gods. Other taxonomies are possible. For example, a different taxonomy is based on opinions about the nature or characteristics (rather than the existence) of God or the gods. Examples include:

  • pantheism — God and the universe are equivalent[1]
  • panentheism — the universe is part of God
  • dystheism or maltheism — that God or the gods are evil.

There is also these types:

  • Animism: believing that everything is alive and that spirits are in all things. Also, that all things have souls.
  • Monolatry: there is (or may be) more than one god, but we should only worship one.
  • Henotheism: there is (or may be) more than one god, but only one is the supreme.
  • Kathenotheism: there is more than one god, but only one at a time should be worshipped. Each is supreme in turn.