I agree in principle, but still curious about what might be edge cases... Is Buddhism enough of a belief to qualify for the believer team? What about Animism? Wicca? Pantheism? Or do you have to have an explicit "king of the universe" kind of god?
I'm not an atheist - I'll say that to head off any team thinking.
Wicca, like Buddhism, Animism, and Pantheism, clearly reflects a belief in something beyond the material, a spiritual reality, a moral order, and reverence for life and nature. In that sense, yes, it belongs in the broader “believer” category far more than strict materialist atheism does.
From a Christian perspective, I would still see a key difference. Budism and similar paths often draw meaning from nature, energy, and personal intuition, but they don’t appeal to a transcendent Creator who defines truth and goodness outside of us. Christianity teaches that human worth and moral order aren’t just felt or observed, they’re revealed by a personal God who made us in His image.
That doesn’t mean Christians reject or devalue those who follow other paths, far from it. But we do see a difference in the foundation. It’s not just belief in something spiritual, but belief in Someone, a Creator who loves, commands, redeems, and invites. That’s what gives Christianity its distinct view on where meaning, dignity, and moral truth ultimately come from.
