I am not an Atheist, I'm

[melv]

nothing at all. The terms "Atheist" and "Theist" seem to have been framed by religion and remind me of the debate of "Pro-Life" vs. "Pro-Abortion." Assumptions reign free.

[Synnical]

1. Whatever

Enjoy your life. You'll get no arugment from me.

:toast:

[arwalden]

2. Religionists Are Trying To Redefine The Word "Atheist" To Mean...

... something along the lines of "rejectionist". Their brains cannot comprehend that an atheist is someone who is (simply) without religion... so they must twist and contort reality. The only thing that will fit into their worldview is that an atheist really does believe in deities... (how can they not, eh? :eyes: ) but that we choose to turn away from the deities and spurn them.

I'm not afraid of the word atheist... I'm not afraid of the word liberal. I'll proudly wear both terms and self-identify using both of them too.

I'm a liberal atheist queer.

I'm not going to surrender the word "atheist" to the religionist Christians. Being atheist is NOT a bad thing.

[Longhorn]

3. You've summed up my views on the subject exactly.

And it's funny -- I can understand why theists *want* to believe but they cannot imagine how we can be perfectly happy not believing.

"But what about when someone you love dies?" Well, I'm very sad but, no, it doesn't make me believe.

"But who do you turn to for strength?" I turn to myself, my family, and my friends.

"But what do you do when you face a crisis? Don't you want to pray?" Well, no, since I don't believe that it accomplishes anything, why would I want or need to pray?

Then they go on and relate to some *proof* that praying worked for them. And I respond that I'm glad they found peace and comfort through prayer but that I wouldn't because I don't believe in it.

And they just look baffled. :shrug:

[onager]

4. I've been using...

George Clooney's line from O Brother, Where Art Thou. Or something close to it, anyway.

"I remain spiritually unaffiliated."

;-)

[Modem Butterfly]

7. Oh how I love that scene!

When George Clooney finds out Robert Johnson has sold his soul to the devil and says, "Well ain't it a small world, spiritually speaking?"

[Az]

17. Hey!

I am used to people using my screen name all the time. But now you go and use my real name and expect me to say nothing!?!?! Doh! Gotta run. Devil Dogs chasing me again!.........

[trotsky]

8. We have a dogma, you know! ;-)

You're right, it stems from an inability to understand how someone could simply view the existence of god on the exact same level as the existence of any other mythical or fictional creature.

By insisting that atheism is a dogma, or a belief system, or a religion, or directly responsible for Soviet communism's executions, they obtain a type of control over it, at least in their minds.

[Deep13]

5. no god vs. who cares?

I tell people I'm an atheist because it is easier than explaining that it is not so much that I am convinced that there is no god, but that I consider the question irrelevant to anything. There is no reason to suppose there is a god and evey reason to suppose He/She/They was made up to explain the unexplainable. Even if there is one, however, it just doesn't matter.

[YankeyMCC]

6. Well said

It took me a while to accept "atheist" too because I felt it was too simplistic to explain how I feel on an important cultural subject (even if as you say it's really irrelevant to we live our lives in the real world). But sometimes you need a simple word or phrase so now I embrace it. :)

[Mr. McD]

9. The term Atheist defines what we are not, not what we are.

But for lack of a better word I still refer to myself as Atheist. :shrug:

[immoderate]

10. If you don't have a god, you're an atheist.

I'll temper my use of the word because of how upset some people get when you say it. They feel like you're attacking their religion. if anything, you're attacking their gullibility.

Sometimes I'll say "free thinker" or some other less loaded euphemism to avoid the debate. I usually don't want to get into it unless it's someone I have a relationship (broad sense) with.

--IMM

[melv]

12. but what about....

the way you define atheism seems to suggest that people are defined by their lack of god or religion. I don't want to be defined by religion. So, I am just me.

[immoderate]

13. Not sure I get your point.

The word itself consists of the prefix "a-" meaning without, and "theism," belief in god. So I am without a belief in god. I hardly think I define myself that way seeing as how I never bring up the subject. If it comes up, I usually leave it at "I'm not religious," unless someone inquires further.

As far as other people, I don't define them by their religion, and when they see me I don't think they say, "Hey, there goes that atheist guy." As far as defining myself, I have good looks and a charming personality for that.

--IMM

[melv]

16. I guess then we arrive at an impass

which is okay by me. You've got the definition right on, it simply doesn't apply to me, because belief in god or lack of belief in god does not define me, for essentially it's all about god. Of which there is none. Hence the word really doesn't fit.

[fshrink]

11. I usually refuse the term.

Because using it sets the debate on the other side's ground, which is not good tactics. When asked "Do you believe in God?", my answer is "No". The next question usually is "Do you believe in anything?" and my answer is "Yes, in language". By that time the questioner typically gives up, precisely because the argument is not set on any familiar ground.
It is true that the use of a single word makes exchanges easier, but I am one of the few who look for, and enjoy, complicated exchanges. In addition, loading a single word with meaning makes it more vulnerable to mis-use and eventually promotes ideology (as separation between theory and practice), thus implicitly, surreptitiously, reinforcing the uncritical camp.

[Taxloss]

14. I have no trouble with the term.

But it seems bizarre it shold be such an issue for so many people. The term relates to such a tiny part of my life; not an absence, simply an unchecked box that, if checked, leads to a lot of small print and junk mail. There's no "absence" involved beyond the absence of that tiny tick - my wife, family, friends, career, and pastimes are as meaningful as ever. What I "miss out" on is entirely negative and weak.

Better atheist than a theist.

Besides, I'm atheist? In that case, you're superstition-based.

[onager]

15. So what do you guys think about...

That "new terminology" for an atheist?

Bright

I don't like it at all. Granted, "atheist" is a loaded word, especially in current 'Murican society where everybody seems to be trying to out-God everyone else.

(This may be changing a little. I work for one of the world's biggest aerospace companies, and around my Cube Farm I've smoked out 4 other non-believers. One is a retired Air Force officer and conservative Republican, which makes for some interesting debate.)

But "Bright" just makes me wince. In some ways, I think it's even worse than "atheist" at providing a handy club for the believers to beat us with.

No matter how often or how reasonably the term is explained, we'll always be hearing that it implies non-atheists must be "Dims." Etc. etc.

[lazarus]

20. I haven't liked "Bright" since it came out

I understand why they did it, but I think we need to just take our own word back.

Words I refuse to be ashamed of, even though they describe me and I'm told they're bad: Atheist. Liberal.

[arwalden]

21. I Was Originally Intrigued By The Term... But Then Decided Against It.

It sounds a bit arrogant and haughty to me. (It's got the same air of self-importance that reminds me of the DUer who thinks that being a Catholic is a "privilege" compared to other religions or atheism.)

[trotsky]

22. Yeah, I don't like it either.

Atheists, in general, aren't any smarter than the rest of the population. Though I do suspect there is a theistic equivalent of the old John Stuart Mill quote - "Although it is not true that all conservatives (theists) are stupid, it is true that most stupid people are conservative (theists)."

It does take a certain amount of brainpower to analyze your religious beliefs sufficiently to cause cognitive dissonance, but I don't think adopting the term "bright" is in itself going to win any "converts" or soften the general public's hatred of atheists.

[Kolesar]

23. I'll pass on "Bright"

I have seen a few jaws drop when I tell people I am an atheist. I usually say I am a skeptic, now. It does not have the pejorative association as atheist.

[Taxloss]

24. I've never heard it before.

I don't like it. What are the others? Darks? Thicks? We shouldn't imply we're cleverer or more enlightened than the theists, it's wrong. It's also bad PR. If someone uses "atheist" to me like it's a bad thing, I'll either say "you say that like it's a bad thing" if I like them (it throws a lot of people off track very quickly without being rude) or say "it's better than being superstition-based" if I don;t like them. If they're obnoxious swine ... I once said "I'm happy you won't have the chance to be disappointed that there's nothing after death" to someone at a party. They didn't like that at all.

But I'm lucky, I live in the UK (17% atheist) and there's little to no prejudice.

[Az]

19. It stems from the logical arguments(and other reasons)

The position that there are no gods or god is a positive statement. To make a positive statements such as this there should be evidence to support the claim. Unfortunately the definitions and claims of god are so variable and flexible that it becomes quickly impossible to establish evidence against all claims for god (particularly some of the more obscure claims).

Another factor in the issue comes from the tendency of strong theists to presume there is a god and therefore anyone that claims not to believe in him must be actively denying his existance. ie Turning their back on god. In their mind god clearly exists. Lack of belief in their view indicates a denial of reality (irony huh).

A further issue in this angle comes from the notion of damnation and original sin. They believe god to be good and compassionate. Damnation comes from rejecting his goodness and teachings. If an atheist is merely expressing their honest lack of belief rather than an active rejection of goodness and god then there is a morality issue that arrises.

So to review. The word taken in its parts literally means without a belief in god or gods. The definition hoisted upon it by the religiously dominated society is a logical oxymoron. It actually serves to try to force atheists into a box. Creating a strawman argument built right into the dictionary.

And these are just some of the reasons some argue about the definitions of this word.

[Az]

18. Single question

Do you believe there is a god or gods?