Scale of beliefs
This page is not an attempt to represent a historical linearity, but to schedule the various levels of beliefs. The progression starts from the most complex or "primitive" level, (without a pejorative meaning to this term, animism), toward the more refined level (absence of beliefs in any supernatural divinity).
This approach of the beliefs, if it wanted to show a chronological evolution of humanity towards atheism, could easily be contradicted by the historical facts and be regarded as obsolete. For example, agnosticism appeared in 5th century BC, a long time before the deism of the 18th century. Moreover, nowadays, all the forms of beliefs cohabit and the "returns back" are frequent, even at the individual level. However the atheists feel intuitively that, since "The century of Light" (18th) and with the development of reason and science, it is an inexorable basic movement that will go with humanity becoming adult.
| Stances | Synonym | Man | |
| All the objects and phenomena have a soul. Worship of the ancestors , superstitions, magic | Animism | Fetishism | Animist, fetishist, superstitious |
| Idolater | |||
| Believes in several gods who act on the world | Polytheism | Paganism | Pagan |
| Believes in a single and revealed God, who acts on the world | Monotheism | Theism | Theist, believer with a religion |
| Believes in a creative God, first cause, who does not intervene in human business | Deism | Deist, believer without religion | |
| Positivism | Positivist | ||
| Doesn't reply about the existence of God | Agnosticism | Skepticism | Agnostic, skeptic |
| Refuse any religious dogma | Free thinker | ||
| Doesn't ask himself the question about God | Indifference | ||
| Doesn't believe in God | Atheism | Unbelief | Atheist, unbeliever |
| Affirms his not-belief in God | Militant atheism | Active atheist | |
Dictionary of religions in FrenchPositioning of the main religions
In the table below, a religion covering several forms of beliefs means that it is not incompatible with them. A clearer color corresponds to a secondary positioning, less important.
Prefatory note : such a presentation is inevitably simplifying and reducing,. Its only aim is to fix the ideas.
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2) Catholicism : God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, Mary's worship, worship of the saints
3) Worship of Humanity founded by Auguste Comte
4) Rael sect : an example of sect which proclaims its atheism.
5) Satanism : as a religion without God where Satan is rather regarded as a force of nature.
6) Scientism : when it is regarded as a worship dedicated to Science.
Positioning of some philosophies
and movements of thought
In the table below, a philosophy covering several forms of beliefs means that it is not incompatible with them. A clearer color corresponds to a secondary positioning, less important.
Prefatory note : such a presentation is inevitably simplifying and reducing,. Its only aim is to fix the ideas.
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