Originally Posted by MicShazam

Imagine there's an old guy who's lived alone on a completely desolate island for his entire life. He does not know how he got there and he does not know of any other humans. He doesn't believe in any gods, as no one taught him of gods and he didn't come up with the idea himself even for a moment in all those years. He is therefore not a theist. Non-theist. Atheist.

But has he rejected the idea of theism? Strictly speaking, no. He's never even thought of it in any way shape or form.

So far, so good.

Suddenly, one day, a bunch of theists arrive by ship. They get to know the old man and teach him of their gods, whom they believe to be real.

If the old man buys into their stories; he's now a theist. If he doesn't, he's still an atheist and has rejected the idea of theism.

In either case, he was an atheist who never rejected theism before they arrived.

Agree or disagree?

Originally Posted by Frownland

This is what I'm getting at. Atheism can be used as a descriptive term, but self-identified atheism requires a knowledge of religion and/or god(s).