Honestly, I hate titles, but it's impossible to escape them. Even if you don't use them on yourself, other people will pigeon-hole you whether you like it or not. I've always wondered why, since the labels people put on you fit worse than a Christmas sweater. Are all blonde women stupid? Of course not! Liberal? ("You must be one of them tree-huggers!" ) Atheist? ("Oh, you're one of THOSE!" ) Maybe people use titles and labels because they're too lazy to get to know someone before they pass judgement on them...

Do I have to carry a Title?
I'm thinking of getting one of those suitcases with little wheels to carry mine around in.

Religion is never about answers it is only about faith in deluded dogma and preys on peoples fear of death. Death is something to be avoided but ask yourself this question: you were not afraid to come into this world why fear leaving it?

only if you want to

Everyone has great and helpful comments on this and I am very appreciative of them all. I can very much agree with them. Thank you for the warm responses.

Titles and labels are deceiving, I prefer first names.

Welcome! Your thought process, as described, I can relate to. I agree, we don't absolutely need labels, but we seem magnetically drawn to them. They offer us a convenient shorthand for conveying our position on a given subject, but of course that means they can only be approximate, and virtually never perfectly precise. But as long as we have language, I believe we will have labels. And they are not all bad. Just the act of wrestling with them and evaluating the pros and cons, exploring the different details and connotations of each, helps us fine tune and deepen our own understanding and viewpoints. That is a good thing.

just get on with life's ups and downs now you are unburdened as I do and as my dogs do. if they want to lick their nuts they just do.

No, you don't need a label. But it sounds like you're describing humanism... "Humanism is a philosophical and ethical stance that emphasizes the value and agency of human beings, individually and collectively, and generally prefers critical thinking and evidence (rationalism and empiricism) over acceptance of dogma or superstition. The meaning of the term humanism has fluctuated according to the successive intellectual movements which have identified with it... Generally, however, humanism refers to a perspective that affirms some notion of human freedom and progress. In modern times, humanist movements are typically non-religious movements aligned with secularism, and today humanism typically refers to a nontheistic life stance centred on human agency and looking to science rather than revelation from a supernatural source to understand the world."

I think that we (the members of this forum and other agnostics/atheists) need to set an example - only through our actions will we show that we are as loving, caring etc. as "people of faith".

I intend to lead a good life that is full of love and respect - I just don't need any god to tell me what that means through the imposition of random commandments. I love Stephen Fry's comment ... "why isn't 'Though Shalt Not Rape' one of the 10 commandments"? Religions are insufficient if you want to have a meaningful life that is inquisitive and full of wonder, which mine is

You will find an answer. For now, you are a brother on this forum. Welcome to the forum my brother.

One of the hardest things to do in life is not care what others think of you. We are the only us, and we are only the best us we can be. If the title you choose for yourself is You, that is good enough. Though, even that is a title. You cannot get away from one. To be, you are.