Apatheism is an attitude of indifference towards the existence or non-existence of god. Apatheists consider that the question as to whether any god exists is of no importance, and that it is therefore not worth thinking about.
Apatheism contrasts with other common positions on the subject:
- Atheism – the belief that there is no god
- Agnosticism – the opinion that the existence of god is unknown or unknowable
- Theism – the belief that god exists (or that gods exist)
The term “apatheist” was coined in 1972 by Canadian sociologist Stuart Johnson, combining the words “apathy” and “theism”.
It is not incoherent to be both an apatheist and a deist. Such people believe that god exists but also believe that god’s existence is irrelevant to their lives. They may therefore consider that:
- It does not matter if a god is interacting with the world we know
- There is no reason to pray to god or worship god
- They have no interest in promoting belief in god
- They can live an ethical life without reference to god
In short, apatheists feel that the existence or non-existence of God is irrelevant in every way that matters. Even if the existence of god were proven, it would still make no difference to them.