Yeah, Deist has a more specific meaning, so when people use it to mean something general, my pedantometer twitches.

Sort of depends on your definition of "worship," though -- deists on the whole don't (I think) think that God wants worshipping, but they may well pray and, er, respect.

There are some forms of Satanism which require belief in God but emphatically don't worship Him. Does that count?

*For me*, atheism is less about "there is no god" and more about "I do not believe in god." And maybe that distinction is part of the divide between the more evangelically-oriented atheists and the not-interested atheists. I have no need or desire to convince anyone of anything; I know what I do and do not believe, and I know that I didn't come to (or come to articulate) those beliefs lightly. That's

I think, think that is the distinction between a 'hard athiest' and a 'soft athiest'.

Non-practicing seems the closest so far, but it seems weird to put the label of Christian, say, anywhere near someone who doesn't view the whole thing with any reverence.

I feel like in this country there are a lot of - I don't know what you'd call it, default Christians? People who have their kids baptized, because it's what you do, and they may go to church on Christmas and Easter, because it's what you do, and they may never have even thought about it beyond that.

For that matter, there are also a fair number of people I know who are and who identify as Jewish, but do not observe the sabbath or dietary laws, etc.

There's a much bigger element of tradition in it than faith, sometimes.

From ita's wiki link:

in creating the world, God became the world [eta: or Universe] and does not exist as a separate entity from it

To the extent that I hold a concept of God, this would come closest to it. The rest of that description of deism implies too much other belief or philosophy associated with that, or I would call myself a deist. Though at one point, I did consider myself a deist.

I think, think that is the distinction between a 'hard athiest' and a 'soft athiest'.

And which is which? If it's what I think it is, I find that irksome. (Not you, the terms. Obviously.)

there are also a fair number of people I know who are and who identify as Jewish, but do not observe the sabbath or dietary laws, etc.

Well, that gets complex because of the culture vs. the religion. I have an Israeli friend who doesn't consider himself Jewish (he has not adopted another religion), despite having come from a Jewish family, and on the flip side a ton of Jewish friends who don't believe in any god at all.

In the natter discussion, some people said "If God were like that, I wouldn't worship him." So there's a concept of belief, but no obeisance, etc.

And I'm reminded of some branches of Buddhism that really don't care about who created the world--that's not what they're about.

there are also a fair number of people I know who are and who identify as Jewish, but do not observe the sabbath or dietary laws, etc.

Well, Reform Jews don't observe the sabbath (other than attending services) or dietary laws -- but they're actively religious.

but I too know lots of people who identify as a religion but don't actively practice it

What is Terry Pratchett said about witches/wizards and gods? That the witches & wizards acknowledge the existence of gods, but don't believe in them, because it would be like believing in a tree or a rock - they're just there (and it's no good to start paying them attention anyway, they might get a big head about it, troublesome creatures that they are)?

Yep. Which also pretty much describes part of how I view the universe. There are Powers and Presences that I may not always see, but I know they're around.

I too know lots of people who identify as a religion but don't actively practice it

Do they passively practice it? For whatever you define as non-actively, that is.

It's weird how the English for "believe in" and "faith" can encompass the message as well the entity. I believe in Golden Retrievers, but I don't believe in Golden Retrievers. It's messed up the language for me.

So I wonder what someone who believes that the Bible is true but decides "Oh, he's not worth my bother!" or "What a prick. As if." gets to be called. There's belief and there's Belief.