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Just curious. Who would not have joined this forum if it was called atheist.com?

Geoffrey51 8 June 9
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1

I would not have cared. Living in a conservative, traditional values type of US state, I do think that calling the site Atheist.com would maybe deter some potential members who live in areas like mine. Here in Iowa the term atheist has such negative connotation and stigma, very similar to what communist still has and what the term homosexual had a few decades ago. The term Agnostic seems somewhat less extreme or harsh compared to Atheist in areas like mine, probably because it is less known than Atheist., so that might make it easier for non-believers to feel comfortable with identifying with the community and the association with other non-believers. Most people in Iowa really are too ignorant to even know what agnostic means, so that way the term has not been as poisoned and loaded with stigma here like Atheist.

A side note, at a meeting of a Meetup.com group for singles called Dating After Divorce, we were discussing online dating profiles and I said that I listed myself as Spritual, But Not Religious, which is one of the categories you can choose from on the profile for yourself, even tho I told the group I was an agnostic. A woman then asked me why I did not list myself as Agnostic. I told her it was for two reasons, one, Agnostic seems more off-putting to most Iowa women who are believers than Spiritual But Not Religious, and I am tired of being rejected for ignorant assumptions on the part of other people. And that my second reason was that most people in Iowa are too ignorant to know that the term Agnostic means. She and about all the other women in there were very offended by that remark on my part. But I answered that maybe sometimes the truth hurts your feelings and that their reaction proved my point, namely that both terms for non-believers are very foreign to their experience and makes them feel threatened by being unknown and different from their experience. BTW, almost all the women in that singles group are also members of Christian Singles Meetup groups in my area, so, big surprise there..........NOT....

9

The name doesn't matter to me. I just wanted a place where I could rant about God bull shit for a while. Mission accomplished a lot of postings ago...... IamOver it. Now a days, I just enjoy the conversation with all it's multiple possibilities, sometimes I learn something. It's a good deal.

6

I do not quibble on this. I call myself an agnostic atheist and I also belong to Atheist Nexus. I dislike discussions trying to separate the so called differences between the 2 terms. Either way you look at it I demand "logic and evidence" to prove things. IF I claim for a 100% fact that there are no gods then I must produce the evidence. A lack of evidence is zero evidence. Do I believe in gods? No.

Agreed! thank you!

6

I’m not here because of the presence or absence of any name. I joined because it’s a well-managed discussion group that attracts thoughtful people. I don’t identify as theist, atheist or agnostic; I just like to discuss ideas, and the ideas surrounding religious practice/non-practice are of special interest currently.

skado Level 9 June 10, 2019
6

It's too bad that you did not make this a poll so we could see a trend. Atheist/agnostic matters not to me. I just wanted to escape rabid believers!

Zster Level 8 June 10, 2019
6

Funny ...I’d actually reconsidered it because of what it is called.. Being surrounded by a bunch of indecisive fence-sitters 😉

Varn Level 8 June 10, 2019

That is why I call myself and ignostic.

Arrogance is not a good trait, but the same can be said about you atheists. You guys are absolutely certain in something you can't even investigate. How unscientific of you guys. Bordering on delusional.

@Piece2YourPuzzle Honesty and confidence are admirable traits, only those lacking one or both would frame them as ‘arrogance.’

Science? ...it’s no more our responsibility to disprove your fears than to accept them from the religious. If you’ve proof, bring it on - we’ve a world of religions in need of it 🙂

@Varn You proved my point lol

@Piece2YourPuzzleLaughing out loud”? ..the arbitrator of arrogance? ..laugh away 😉

@Varn Irony.

5

I'm a fan of Jim Jeffries take on the atheist versus agnostic conversation.

Source:

YouTube

To be clear, I posted a video of a comedian because I thought it was funny. Posting an opposing view from a scientist is equally funny but for an entirely different reason. I couldn't possible care less about how people label themselves. That post was not meant to challenge any core beliefs. I think we all need to have a Coke and smile.

5

Agnostic vs Athiest? Me. At the time I joined I was on the fence. Being on this site has forced me to do more critical thinking....so now I feel a certain comfort in calling myself an Atheist. HOWEVER, with friends and family of strong xtian faith, and with society’s negative feelings toward the word Atheist, I feel more comfortable on a site called Agnostic. (Please don’t give me grief... I am being honest. Perhaps a year from now I will not care either way. By naming this site Agnostic I believe many more people feel freer to explore their lack of belief.

5

I would have joined and tested the water.

Hell, I even joined the Conservative Atheist group.

P.S. They have treated me very well.

5

Oh, I'd be more inclined to join if it was atheist.com. I joined anyway.

5

Personally, I'd prefer if it were called atheist.com.

😀

4

I'm atheist. But agnostic works as well. So many split hairs over the meaning of words. The point is, we are not religious and live in reality.

4

I'd probably join agnosticism quicker than atheism, simply because atheism seems hypercritical of agnosticism, but I don't have the impression agnosticism is all that critical of atheism. I'm more attracted to atheism now that I've met many atheists here, because I don't interpret atheists as judgmental anymore.

4

I'm atheist, humanist,freethinker. Being called atheist would be my preference. But as someone pointed out that's not always a smart move in these small, religious, areas. The couple I rent from would not knowingly rent to a self proclaimed heathen 😟

Ooo! You’re a heathen? Do tell! 😁

4

I would have joined.

4

This whole atheist/agnostic thing is as tiresome as anything I have ever encountered. Who really gives a shit. Americans are overly obsessed with labels and what club, team, or tribe you belong to. Is it really that important?

4

Definitely. I would have preferred that. I'm an atheist not an agnostic.

3

I wouldn't, but that's because I believe the denotation and connotation of words matter. Well I might technically fit the definition of one. What people think about when they picture one is not me. I like to call myself an agnostic apatheist. I feel that we can't now, and I don't care. But I only don't care because I believe that we can't know. If it was possible to check I would totally want to know and then care 🙂

So did a god start it all? who cares... Did the big bang start it all? Again who cares because what made it go bang? and why was that matter there to begin with? How did that matter form? What caused the rules of the universe to exist or play out the way that they do so that matter would go boom?

As far as I'm concerned are origins are going to be a mystery and so is that of the universe for the foreseeable future, unless it's actually your field of study and you're being paid or it's your hobby... I just don't really see a reason to be concerned about it anymore. I believe in the universe because I can see it, I believe in time because I can feel it pass and see things age. I believe in death because I see things go away. I believe in energy because it's what makes up all matter. So yeah I hate labels And the assumptions that come with them and there's not as many assumptions that come with agnostic as opposed to atheist.

3

I would have joined more quickly. Though now that I've been here a minute, I feel like there is actually a certain lack of tolerance for the agnostic. Express doubt that god may exist and you just don't know, and the Atheists will light you up.

3

Not me, because I'm agnostic. If below the headline it said, "Oh, and agnostics, etc...." I would flee, because the atheists would think they run the joint even more than they already do!
And they'd have even more of an upper hand in all these endless "discussions" we have about god, no god, maybe god, who's what, are atheists agnostic, are agnostics atheists, what's the difference, etc., etc.
No thanks.

3

I would of been more inclined to join if it had.

3

I prefer atheist.Com but this is fine too.

3

I still would have.
To be honest though, I think Agnostic.com is a much better choice. It seems more apt to include a wider member base from the hard Atheist, to those who are just starting to question their beliefs.

It is to me, and I'm quite sure for others as well, a sort of "safe haven" for one to ask questions, or voice ones opinion on religion rather than the other social media places where one can get bombarded by the religious ilk.
JMHO.

3

I would still join it.

3

I would have joined either way.

3

Yes certainly if more nudity was allowed.

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