Atheists should be called...

[Taverner]

[TZ]

1. atheists. Although I kind of like freethinker ..

Some people may not realize what freethinker means. Good diplomatic answer in some awkward situations when you don't want to argue religion.
I HATE HATE HATE the term brights though..Its very..arrogant.

[Taverner]

2. Yeah thats my thought too

I like Freethinker because its everything Bright Claims to be, but is not.

Dawkins is right saying we shouldn't define ourselves in opposition to something. That's why I like Freethinker - its not arrogant (like Bright) but it is a positive, rather than a negative (Atheist)

[Rambis]

6. Which god is it you don't believe in?

The protestant or the catholic? Question asked by a woman in Belfast of an English visiting author-

[billyskank]

3. Well you know there's good ones and there's bad ones.

[Fox Mulder]

4. How about calling the atheist by his/her name instead of...

labels based on their non-religion.

:shrug:

[billyskank]

5. Goodness no, we can't do that.

Religious people must be known by their religious delusion and atheists must be known by their godlessness otherwise we wouldn't know who to hate.

[Taverner]

8. Are you against pronouns too?

[billyskank]

9. No I'm just against stupid fucking bullshit like this.

[Taverner]

11. As an Atheist/Freethinker/Bright I like to know how to identify myself

If we eliminated labels altogether, communication would be impossible.

Think about it - if you couldn't label anybody you'd be unable to describe anything. Try describing the firemen who ate hot dogs with the nurses at the police barbeque without labels. It means nothing.


As you can see I have had a problem with this "labels are tyranny" shit since the 90's when it infected college campuses.

[Taverner]

7. Because if I were to list the name of every Freethinker in the world when describing a group

It would take all fucking day.

Thats why you use pronouns and such. You say "the men over there" or "the people over there" or "the freethinkers at Rational Response"

Capice?

[Tommy_Carcetti]

10. Nah, I better not. n/t

[Schema Thing]

12. Other: Often, and by beautiful, bright women

[regularguy]

13. Pesonally, I'm just not religious.

The term Atheist is ok, I guess. I really hate the term "Brights". I know they claim that it wasn't meant to be as obnoxious as it sounds, but humility would prevent me from calling myself a "Bright".

[Orsino]

14. Atheists. The other terms paint with overly broad brushes.

Atheists are as capable of being rigid thinkers as anyone else, I imagine.

[KamaAina]

15. ...on Saturday night, because...

...they don't have anyplace to go in the morning. :evilgrin:

[Aristus]

16. the "a-" in atheist, meaning not or non-, should not be read as having negative

connotations.

Another "positive negative" is the "Non-" in Non-Commissioned Officer. This military designation is one of pride and honor, suffering no negative qualities simply because of the implied abscence in the use of "Non-".

I don't think of atheist as a negative term, and I'm a Christian.

[Anon18]

25. You are right

From the dictionary...

the·ism Pronunciation Key – noun
1. the belief in one God as the creator and ruler of the universe, without rejection of revelation (distinguished from deism).
2. belief in the existence of a god or gods (as opposed to atheism).

So being an Atheist is NOT negative, it's just the opposite of someone who has the belief system of a Theist.

None of us will know for sure who is right till we've passed on! How delightful!

[ScreamingMeemie]

17. Is one really a "free thinker" if they have to label themselves something??

I tend to believe not so much. I am neither atheist nor a believer of any religion. I just am.

[StopTheMorans]

18. Other-"Correct"

[HeresyLives]

19. Rational

:rofl:

[Kitty Herder]

20. Whatever they want to call themselves. Or by no label, if they don't want one. nt

[moggie]

21. Loretta n/t

[kwassa]

22. Many freethinkers are not atheists

so that idea is out. Many rational people are not atheists, either.

[trotsky]

26. So let me get this straight.

You not only personally get to decide who is a Christian™, but now you have the audacity to tell atheists what they can or cannot call themselves?

Bold, kwassa. And oh-so-tolerant.

[TechBear_Seattle]

23. ... Whatever they call themselves

If a man calls himself an atheist, call him an atheist. If he calls himself a Bright, call him a Bright. If he prefers to be called a non-believer, then he is a non-believer.

With regards to myself, call me anything but Late For Dinner. :hi:

Edited for spelling.

[frogmarch]

24. Realists n/t