Infidel (literally "one without faith") is a term used by people of some faiths to refer to those who reject the beliefs of that faith. The term infidel has often been applied to atheists, whose disbelief is viewed negatively in both Christianity and Islam.[1][2][3]
Christian apologists have argued for increased usage of the term, stating that it does not come from a disrespectful perspective, but is similar to using the term orthodox for devout believers.[4]
References
- ↑ The Works of Thomas Jackson, Volume IV. Oxford University Press. Retrieved on 2011–04-08. “Atheism and irreligion are diseases so much more dangerous than infidelity or idolatry, as infidelity than heresy. Every heretic is in part an infidel, but every infidel is not in whole or part an heretic; every atheist is an infidel, so is not every infidel an atheist.”
- ↑ The Bengal Annual. Samuel Smith and Co.. Retrieved on 2011–04-08. “Kafir means an infidel, but more properly an atheist.”
- ↑ Catechism of the Catholic Church. Burns & Oates. Retrieved on 2011–04-08. “2123 'Many... of our contemporaries either do not at all perceive, or explicitly reject, this intimate and vital bond of man to God. Atheism must therefore be regarded as one of the most serious problems of our time.' 2125 Since it rejects or denies the existence of God, atheism is a sin against the virtue of religion.”
- ↑ Infidel Testimony. J.E. Dixon. Retrieved on 2007-03-25. “When we use the word infidel, we intend nothing disrespectful, any more than we do when we use the word orthodox.”