I am very comfortable with the word, but I realize for many it represents evil. But if we were to use it daily, it would lose some of its negativity.

I am very comfortable with the word, but I realize for many it represents evil. But if we were to use it daily, it would lose some of its negativity.

I am very comfortable with the word, but I realize for many it represents evil. But if we were to use it daily, it would lose some of its negativity.

I am very comfortable with the word, but I realize for many it represents evil. But if we were to use it daily, it would lose some of its negativity.

I am very comfortable with the word, but I realize for many it represents evil. But if we were to use it daily, it would lose some of its negativity.

I am very comfortable with the word, but I realize for many it represents evil. But if we were to use it daily, it would lose some of its negativity.

I am very comfortable with the word, but I realize for many it represents evil. But if we were to use it daily, it would lose some of its negativity.

I am very comfortable with the word, but I realize for many it represents evil. But if we were to use it daily, it would lose some of its negativity.

I am very comfortable with the word, but I realize for many it represents evil. But if we were to use it daily, it would lose some of its negativity.

I'm not at all comfortable with the term. I'd rather not apply labels to myself at all, because it puts me at risk of being held to account both by others who wear the same label and those who don't, and because it can suggest faithfulness to a particular viewpoint for the sake of maintaining the reputation of that viewpoint and those who claim to hold it rather than merely being convinced of that viewpoint for the time being. In the case of 'atheism' that viewpoint would presumably be that there are no gods—whatever gods are—making it appear to be as much a "faith" as any other.

I'm comfortable with the label Atheist. It is alittle weird that we need a word for non belief though. I guess it shows that there is a long way to go when it comes to the impact of religion on todays society.

I am mostly comfortable with the word, and I use it to describe myself when the occasion calls for it...when someone asks, or the subject of religion comes up.

Santa Claus isn't real?

I have no problem with it, sometimes theists have a problem with it...

I don't mind it, but rational or free-thinker are good words that fit all fantasy beliefs.

Since I have friends who are Atheists, and I worked with a lot of Atheists in music, I feel very comfortable with them. They get just as much respect as my religious friends.

Smart post, a bit too smart to matter on a day to day. Non-religious, Atheist, Agnostic, Normal. Call it what you will, the name is there to make the idea easier to comunnicate, lest you have to give a full monologue every time some one asks you what you believe in.

Awokens. Or Ancient Astronaut Theorists are my comfortability words

I'm very comfortable with the word Atheist because it is shorter way of saying I don't believe that a god exists. But I agree that it's strange that there is the need for a word that decribes nonbelief in something.

Totally. Put the letter 'A' in front of a word and it means 'without'. For example asymmetrical means without symmetry. Afocal means without a focus. Atheist means without a deity. Doesn't mean you don't believe in one, it just means you don't have one. That's how I would describe it. I think most people, including a lot of this group, tend to believe it means you don't believe (and I don't). Again, that's my own description. Your mileage may vary

Wow, a lot of comments here, I'll try to keep it short. I have no problem with the word, even if it is a backwards way of defining it. I think it's useful because in our society it is a "thing" so it's useful to have a word to talk about it.

I am comfortable with the word. Adult is the word I use for people who don't believe in the tooth fairy, or Santa clause, Atheist is the word I just for rational thinkin adult. Religious is the word I used for people who believe in unicorns, talking asses and Noah arc. it means the same thing as delusional.

I don't think there's a label that I'd be LESS uncomfortable with. The labels is far less of a problem than the simple fact that you're taking up an unpopular minority position in a society where, historically, theism has had tremendous hegemony and structural support.

Agnosticism perfectly describes my knowledge position about deities; Atheism perfectly describes my belief position. They influence each other but are not the same thing. That is why I characterize myself as an agnostic atheist.

It's not a PRACTICAL problem in my view though. In Real Life (IRL) the topic VERY seldom comes up and is even MORE seldom discussed. In person, people reflexively avoid discussion of politics and religion and look for common ground. Well okay, maybe not in the Bible Belt, but in more REASONABLE places.

The only time my atheism comes up is in online conversations like this where people come together to specifically ask and answer these questions. And exactly twice, face-to-face, in my quarter-century as an atheist.

Once, one of my brothers was emboldened to ask point-blank if I no longer believe. He did not even care to discuss it beyond my simple "yes, I no longer am a believer" answer. He simply said, "that's too bad" and moved on and never brought it up again.

More recently, I started attending a weekly men's group at the senior citizen's center and when introductions were made, it turned out that one of the four other regulars had already been "outed" as an atheist and he openly wondered if I was one too, and I admitted that I was. Ironically, the theist in the group who is by FAR the most religious, is the one I get on best with, so again -- just not a practical problem.

People forget in our polarized times that civilized people can have very different views on some things and still appreciate and respect each other as humans.

I usually just walk away; it's not worth arguing about.

I am very comfortable with the label of "atheist." My readers (Columbia Missourian) know my "religious status" and do not care that I am a non-believer. I rarely get a note saying that I am attacking the religious-right, because those attacks are usually justified. Here in our central Missouri college town, we are fairly liberal in thought. Outside the city, it is a different story but still few complain about my non-belief and the opinions I state in the paper.