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About this quote

What does it mean?
Atheism relies on the concept of God to exist; without that concept, the term atheist would be meaningless.
In plain terms
You can't be an atheist without the idea of God.
What can you take from it?
Disbelief depends on the thing it denies.

Where it applies

  • debate about atheism
  • discussing belief systems
  • analyzing definitions

Putting it to work

  • explain paradoxical concepts
  • discuss theology
  • analyze language

Questions to consider

  • What concepts exist only in relation to what they deny?
  • Is it possible to define something purely by negation?

Another view

It oversimplifies the nuanced reasons people give up religious belief.

More from Gilbert Keith Chesterton

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