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How comfortable are you with the word "Atheist" ?

We don't have a word for non-believers of Santa Claus or non-believers of The Tooth Fairy, yet we live in a world where those who don't believe in God(s) or supernatural religious philosophies are labelled Atheists. I think that the state of non-believing is the normal state of things as it doesn't need to be taught, unlike religions. I am consequently uncomfortable with using the word and I feel that I concede grounds to their insanity when I use it. What are your thoughts?

Chris90045 5 Sep 29
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565 comments (101 - 125)

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Very comfortable

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I don't have a problem with the term. It's just a word, and although many of the labels we ascribe to people can be too narrow and limited, I don't think "atheist" is.
Where it is a problem is when religious people think of it as another belief system.

JimG Level 8 Nov 5, 2017

Hi JimG, I am curious to know why you feel it is a problem if religious people think of atheism as another belief system?

@mrdunn the only thing we have in common is that we don't believe in gods. Theirs no atheist hierarchy or common ideology. Religious sects have a lot more in common and are more unified in their belief systems than we atheists.

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I am comfortable with Atheist, but maybe we should call ourselves "non-delusional" versus the "delusionals".

applauds vigorously

Brilliant!

It will fly with me, and anyone else that gives it wings.

I am going to use it the next chance I get, and I'll tell you what happens. 🙂

That would be a great T-Shirt!

Probably only the non-delusional would agree 🙂.

@josh_is_exciting Not idiots. Delusional. Big difference.

Love it! @AtheistInNC you earned Level 9 in my eyes with this one! I have not heard this one before, it's exquisite! On labeling oneself "non-delusional" it defines and exposes how abnormal their belief system is.

@SACatWalker "Realist": That was my thought, too.

@SACatWalker @Paul628 I have referred to myself as a "Realist" on many occasions as well. The setting and area of discussion determines what I may call myself, be it "non-believer", atheist, Realist, Secularist, Humanist, or "denier of the legend!" LOL

Assuming we are in fact non delusional. There are more ways to delude oneself besides religion. Be aware of my-side bias

@josh_is_exciting A very good point and well taken.

I don't think that many of the religious minded actually enter reasonable discourse ... and if I should find myself in that situation, I certainly wouldn't ruin it by calling them delusional. However, is it an ad hominem attack if it is true? If you accuse someone of having brown eyes - and they do - is that an ad hominem attack if they think of themselves as a blue-eyed Aryan?

Delusional:
a : something that is falsely or delusively believed or propagated: delusions of grandeur
b psychology : a persistent false psychotic belief regarding the self or persons or objects outside the self that is maintained despite indisputable evidence to the contrary; also: the abnormal state marked by such beliefs

Religious folks, by definition, are delusional.

I am fat. Very fat - morbidly obese as the doctor's say. Telling me I'm fat or calling me fat is the same to me as telling me I have brown hair. Meh. Some may consider it an attack, but if it is true - then it isn't an "ad hominem attack", you are just stating the obvious, and doesn't hurt my feelings a bit. If the religious don't like being called delusional, do something about the delusion - prove I'm wrong, or stop believing what isn't true.

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Frankly, I really don't like the term. "A-theist" simply declares 'what you're not'.

It's like someone asking you on the phone, "What color is your hair?",
and you answer with, "I'm not a blonde."

On the other end of the line you hear...
"Ummmm... okay... Well, I wasn't asking what you're 'not'... I was asking what you 'are'.
Okay, you're just too weird. Good bye." (-click-)

I think that not discussing it with religious people is easier. I'm really not into arguing and for the most part I don't care what they believe as long as they don't impose on me.

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I am a devout atheist, and believe atheism makes pecfect, logical sense. Follow along: amoebas who were brainless, virtually shapeless forms of early life, supposedly somehow multiplied and developed into a higher form of life???? What about dinosaurs, again, brainless forms of life who basically scavenged for food when the only food was tree bark and greenery. Did God then say " OOPS, made a mistake, don't quite like this life form", and so instead of vaporizing these poor creatures, he covered the earth with a thick black cloud and suffocated these poor animals to death. Can you even imagine gasping for air where there is no air left to sustain these life.
I have lived in my own personal hell for over half a century, and for 35 of those hellish years prayed to a God that never once answered my prayers. There is no loving, kind merciful God that would create a thing to suffer from birth to death. There are dinosaur bones, proof of both Cro-magnum and Neanderthal man, the skeleton Lucy, but nothing showing a compassionate loving entity watching over His Supposed creations.

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I don't mind the term at all. However, I cannot say with 100% accuracy that I know there is no God. But everything I have seen and believe makes me think with great certainty that there isn't one. However, like science, if someone ever gives me definitive proof, I'll take it. So I'm agnostic.

I used to feel that way, too, but then I realized that most atheists would gladly change their minds if given irrefutable proof of the existence of god(s), so I stopped splitting hairs and started referring to myself as atheist. I mean, there are atheists out there who would refuse to accept proof if it existed, but I think the majority of us are rational human beings who put our faith in science and are willing to change our minds when presented with new information.

That having been said, you won't find me holding my breath.

@Allamanda Hence, my decision to describe myself as atheist. ?

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I am comfortable with the word, but so many people misunderstand what atheism is. I'm agnostic, but people think I'm atheist when I talk about my agnosticism because it does entail components of atheism. Also, theists think that atheists hate god(s) and so take offense, when the truth is that one cannot hate something that one feel does not exist.

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To use it in some circumstances it seems harsh, especially here in the south USA. Sometimes I politely just say I am not a believer, or I might say I have found no compelling proof that it really helps anyone or is true. I have done many things for my community and have heard that people have said they didn't think an atheist would be as giving or helpful. I simply say we are all humans and are in this struggle called life together.

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I am very comfortable with the word "Atheist." However, you have to understand what the word means and how to use it in a sentence.

First of all, the word atheist is derived from the Greek language, the letter "a" meaning "non" or "not" and "theist" meaning someone who believes in theology or the study of religion. A person who is atheist does not conform to theology just like asymmetrical is not symmetrical, atypical is not typical, etc.

When someone asks if you believe in religion or god, your answer would be; "No I am atheist." Notice that I did not use the word "an" in front of atheist. That is because the word "an" would indicate that you are part of an organized group. Unless you belong to the First Atheist Church in Dallas, I would guess that you do not belong to a group that teaches atheism.

I see this as rather simple- and concise. All man-made gods are foolish nonsense. If Nature is 'cognitive'- and not the smartest person on earth, or any person that has ever been on earth, knows this- that would make Nature a god/creator- or whatever you want to call 'it'.
And the lesson in composition: "an" is the article that replaces "a" when the following word starts with a vowel. Ain't difficult.

It is not mandatory to use an article such as "an" in the case of the statement "I am atheist." Just as the article "an" is not necessary for the following statements, "That shape is asymmetrical" or The patient's symptom is atypical.

In fact, when you break down the meaning of the words, placing "an" in front does not make sense. I am an non-theist. The patient's symptom is an non-typical. That shape is an non-symmetrical.

Yes, Mr. Allen, you figured it out- apparently by accident. Yes you do not put "an" in front of a word beginning with a consonant such as "non-typical". I think that must be pre-kindergarten grammar.

@Allamanda I took a teaching course about three decades ago- and I've forgotten most of it. Ah, poor me! LOL, but I am not presenting my thesis in the Agnostic room, anyway.

My cardinal point: I am NOT going to argue with anyone about man-made gods (Nooooo, I did not put a capital on "gods"; that word deserves no capital) I am a "believer"- in reality! Persons that will argue with a theist obviously have too much time on their hands. I am not an atheist.

I am an agnostic. The smartest people in the world can only speculate about how many "Big Bangs" there have been- and a plethora of other, currently-unknowable subjects.

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Meh.

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I don't think we should justify what we do or don't believe atheist have been around a lot longer than any religion.

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I am neither comfortable or uncomfortable with the word "atheist" because it doesn't apply to me. Compared to the history of what we know of the current universe, humans created all their gods- and it was such a short time ago. It just doesn't interest me.

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I don't like the baggage that comes with the word - but then again, it doesn't really apply to me. I am more comfortable with the term "non-theist".

1

I'm unfortunately very uncomfortable with the word atheist even though it is the most common term that would describe me. Though I suppose I'm technically anti-thiest. I'm an introverted person and I don't like conflict so I don't like using a word out loud to someone who doesn't know me. There's such a stigma against atheists that's mostly why I hesitate to use the word in conversation. Luckily it doesn't come up in conversation very often.

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I understand what you are saying and rather agree but I don't mind saying Im an atheist.

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very.

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I am very comfortable with using Atheist as my label. I am actively involved in our local Atheist community, and we try to de-stigmatize the word by using it in our everyday life. I have had some believers who behaved as though I had the plague when they learned of my Atheism, but they usually come back around after they realize I am the same person they knew before .

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Very comfortable.

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i am not an atheist.
i am simply a non-believer.
i also, generally speaking, never have felt like a blanket label of any kind has fit me properly.
to me, to consider myself atheist would be to assert that i know there is not a god or gods -
a certainty.
that would be foolish in my estimation.
i'm not agnostic - because i'm not searching or questioning either.
i neither know nor do i care one way or the other.
i'm not interested.
so, i do not use this term for myself.
i am perfectly comfortable with it for anyone else who chooses it for themselves -
but as a general rule will refer to someone as a non-believer until i know their preferred term/label.

@mbergwell - I love your post. I'm just not interested either, although theists still annoy me. I shall be a "non-believer" from now one. Thankyou.

@mbergwell exactly!

Pretty much how I see it, too. I just don't really care, because to me it's simply mythology; and beyond what we can learn from religion in a historical context, it means nothing more to me. I have no more connection to God or Allah than I do Zeus or Poseidon. So I'd say non-believer works just fine for me also.

Perfect! I don't like any label that assumes a strict tenant of belief. I'm sure my beliefs are not like all others. Just like the label Christian does not detail everyone's individual beliefs. Non believer is ok, I like Freethinker best though.

Saying "god" or "gods" gives an air of superiority to something. The question will always be posed, "where did we come from?" Someone or thing created life but do we have to bow or serve it? Not in my world. Sticks and stones ... the word Atheist shouldn't hurt and it's a powerful label to wear.

I use the word agnostic to mean I don't know; but that does not mean I care. I take agnosticism to be the freedom to believe whatever I want, whenever I want. If I want to worship the sun goddess with my body on a beautiful day; or if I want to see mischievious sprites in a stream or forest; or if I want to be a part of something part of the time; or if I want to believe there is just one main deity for me to talk to, I can do any of those things. They are not incompatible because they are fleeting, and do not hold much import except a way to channel feelings inside my head and heart.

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People always try to label things. Try to put everything in it's own little box. Each person should be allowed to think, wonder, love, and be free as long as they are not hurting someone else or imposing their will on somebody else. How can one have an honest discussion when people are labeled as snowflakes, progressives, libtards, Rebuplicrats, liberals, conservative, anti-Semitic, conspiracy theorist, etc. You get the idea. Republican/Democrat no matter the end result is the same. We the people are under attack, and so often the "official" explanation is contrary to the facts but most choose to believe it anyway.

orion Level 5 Nov 13, 2017
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It depends on the audience. I try to be non-confrontational until confronted. Experience has shown me that there are people that will be confused by the term atheist because of negative connotations. I'm not comfortable starting a fight with every true believer that comes along. I would rather pick my battles.
Remember that there are preconceived notions about that word and you can really stir up a bunch of quotes they've heard or feelings that they've had but if you offer up a description such as "I don't believe in any superstitions, even magic, ghosts or gods" you can put them on the defensive, force them to think about what they are saying. It might even make them think about what they really believe if they aren't otherwise superstitious or don't believe in ghosts. Don't hold your breath though.

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Know what you mean.
I hate the word Brexit. But just try having conversation in the UK without hearing it.

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Have no problem telling people that I don't believe in invisible men.

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It don't bother me

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