It is time for us athiests to stand up for ourselves.

[lixluke]

i was trying to figure out how to label myself, previous i used agnostic but apparently that means you consider knowledge of god to be unknowable. dictionary.com has "a person who denies or disbelieves the existence of a supreme being or beings" for atheist.

clueless disbelieves rather than denies, but he's still an atheist (as am i apparently.)

If you believe there is no diety, you're an atheist.
If you believe there is a diety, you're a theist.
If you believe cannot know whether or not there is a deity, you're agnostic.
If you believe man cannot know anything, your a skeptic.

There is never a label for people who don't take a position. All 'isms' including atheism imply a position/belief.

 

[lixluke]

I have started to do so just lately, the last year or so. I was always to some degree been ashamed of myself for going along with those friends and relatives who took it for granted I had some belief in god to get along and such with them. I do not go around proclaiming my non-belief in utter non-sense, but, if it comes up I SOMETIMES ONLY tell them I do not believe in any god. It can be very difficult and at times I try and change the subject and such. I have no desire to alienate my relatives. And I do understand that it is sometimes the only thing keeping them going and some discretion is necessary.

The topic of the thread is actually a totally different story. When in Rome, do as the Romans. Strategically, it is in your best intereest to pretend you are whatever belief of the people around you. Not only that, pretend you're really fanatical about it. They will lift you up, promote you, and give you all the accolades.

For example, I don't believe in Buddhism in the slightest. But when I visit the Buddhist temple for performing group, I'm all into it. I act like them, and everything. At first I didn't go along with them, and they treated me like I was trash. As soon as I started going along with their Buddhist garbage, I started being seen as the greatest human being on the face of the earth. I give Buddhist speeches there, I give Buddhist experiences, I uphold their beliefs as if I was one of them, etc. Then I talk about what a bunch of psychos they are to all of my friends.

Conclusion: When in whatever social group, don't just go along with them, totally get all into it. They will be like "Wow! Fellowtraveler has found Jesus!" Then to your friends or on the forums, you can express how you really feel.

But I feel a growing need in me to be honest about it with people who are not that important to me and am willing to do so.

Foolish move. You might as well go to your next job interviews with a resume explaining how much you hate the company you are trying to get a job at.

 

[Dywyddyr]

All 'isms' including atheism imply a position/belief.

Quite right.
The belief the world is composed of multi-coloured dots: pointillism.
The belief people have their eyes on the side of their heads: cubism.
The belief that buildings are ugly: post-modernism.

 

[-ND-]

It used to be a crime punishable by death.

When and where???

 

[James R]

Theism is the conclusion that there is diety unless proven otherwise. Atheism is the conclusion that there is no diety unless proven otherwise. Nontheism has come to no conclusion either way.

What you are calling "nontheism", most people call "agnosticism". Right?

 

[spidergoat]

When and where???

England, 17th century.

 

[lixluke]

What you are calling "nontheism", most people call "agnosticism". Right?

Right. Agnosticism is often used to described people who are neither theist or atheist. However, the proper usage of agnosticism is to describe those who consider the matter unknowable.

 

[-ND-]

England, 17th century.

Are you sure it was for atheism and not for another religion or witchcraft??

 

[codanblad]

Strategically, it is in your best intereest to pretend you are whatever belief of the people around you. Not only that, pretend you're really fanatical about it. They will lift you up, promote you, and give you all the accolades.

For example, I don't believe in Buddhism in the slightest. But when I visit the Buddhist temple for performing group, I'm all into it. I act like them, and everything. At first I didn't go along with them, and they treated me like I was trash. As soon as I started going along with their Buddhist garbage, I started being seen as the greatest human being on the face of the earth. I give Buddhist speeches there, I give Buddhist experiences, I uphold their beliefs as if I was one of them, etc. Then I talk about what a bunch of psychos they are to all of my friends.

Conclusion: When in whatever social group, don't just go along with them, totally get all into it. They will be like "Wow! Fellowtraveler has found Jesus!" Then to your friends or on the forums, you can express how you really feel.

what happens when they find out you're full of shit? another point, there was a quote in my old english classroom to the tune of 'men are unhappy because they lie'. my freudian interpretation of that is - you have to distort reality by bullshitting because the reality in which people would reject you is undesirable. your subconscious will get the shits with you for this. better to man up n represent while u find some like-minded companions, imo.

 

[cluelusshusbund]

If you believe there is no diety, you're an atheist.
If you believe there is a diety, you're a theist.
If you believe cannot know whether or not there is a deity, you're agnostic.
If you believe man cannot know anything, your a skeptic.

There is never a label for people who don't take a position. All 'isms' including atheism imply a position/belief.

Well sinse im a-theist... i thank that alone qualifies me as bein "atheist".!!!

 

[lixluke]

what happens when they find out you're full of shit? another point, there was a quote in my old english classroom to the tune of 'men are unhappy because they lie'. my freudian interpretation of that is - you have to distort reality by bullshitting because the reality in which people would reject you is undesirable. your subconscious will get the shits with you for this. better to man up n represent while u find some like-minded companions, imo.

They can't. If you tell somebody you're a certain religion, there is no way they can argue with you. "Hey, I believe in the toothfairy". "No you don't". There is no way they will find out that you're full of shit.

The validity in the psychology you mentioned regards those who lie for self-esteem reasons. Not for strategic reasons. Are you lying to prevent people from rejecting you because you don't want to 'feel' inferior? Or are you lying to prevent people from rejecting you so you can get ahead. You have to know where you're at strategically when you're lying. It is a very foolish strategy to tell the truth in the case of the OP. It's wise to cover up his real beliefs, and blend in with the natives so he doesn't get crucified. Blending in will get you everywhere. Especially if he starts participating in their conversations as if he was one of them.

Well sinse im a-theist... i thank that alone qualifies me as bein "atheist".!!!

Then why would you derive the term in a way it wasn't meant to be derived? athe-ism is a derivation of "without theos"-ism. As such: 'without-diety' belief.

 

[spidergoat]

Are you sure it was for atheism and not for another religion or witchcraft??

Yes. Atheism was considered blasphemy.

 

[Dywyddyr]

Then why would you derive the term in a way it wasn't meant to be derived? athe-ism is a derivation of "without theos"-ism. As such: 'without-diety' belief.

Wrong.
Theism - "belief in a deity".
Atheism - without theism: without "belief in a deity".

And I must admit to being intrigued about this

diety

you keep mentioning.
Is this the Atkinsy diety?
Or a carbohydratey freey diety?

How credible is someone's argument about the etymology of words when they consistently have trouble spelling?

 

[lixluke]

Atheism - without theism: without "belief in a deity".

WTF? Where the hell are you getting this garbage? Everybody knows that is not the correct derivation for atheism. It's completely ridiculous. Athe is without diety.

There is never a term in which an 'a' is used to negate an 'ism'. It's simply pointless to do so. An 'ism' is meant to describe a position. If one does not abide in a particular 'ism', he simply doesn't get labeled. If you abide by capitalism, you are a capitalist. If not, then there is no reason to give you a label with respect to capitalism. You're simply not a capitalist.

If you abide by theism, you are a theist. If not, then there is no reason to give you a label with respect to theism. You're simply not a theist. If you abide by athe-ism, you are an athe-ist. If not, then you are not labeled.

There is no such terminology anywhere that uses an a-Xism in order to signify those who don't abide by the Xism. Those who do not abide by an ism simply aren't labeled. If one believes in Xism, he will be labeled Xist. If one joins the Republican party, he becomes a Republican. Just as there is no specific terminology for somebody who isn't a memner of an organization, there is no terminology for somebody who doesn't abide by a particular 'ism'.

The idea that the 'a' in atheism signifies 'without-theism' is complete blatant absurdity.

 

[Dywyddyr]

WTF? Where the hell are you getting this garbage? Everybody knows that is not the correct derivation for atheism.

Oops, wrong.
A theism is without theism.

There is never a term in which an 'a' is used to negate an 'ism'. It's simply pointless to do so.

The prefix "a" negates whatever it's added to.

An 'ism' is meant to describe a position.

Hmm, not long back you declared "ism" was a belief...

If you abide by theism, you are a theist. If not, then there is no reason to give you a label with respect to theism.

Wrong again, since theism was a major (one might even say predominant) aspect of most (Western at least) cultures.

You're simply not a theist. If you abide by athe-ism, you are an athe-ist. If not, then you are not labeled.

Also incorrect, as Spidergoat has pointed out.

There is no such terminology anywhere that uses an a-Xism in order to signify those who don't abide by the Xism.

Areligionism.
Abaptism.
Ageotropism
Probably others...
You're also aware (or maybe not) that that the "a" prefix is also "an" when the next letter is a vowel - many words use that.

Those who do not abide by an ism simply aren't labeled. If one believes in Xism, he will be labeled Xist. If one joins the Republican party, he becomes a Republican. Just as there is no specific terminology for somebody who isn't a memner of an organization, there is no terminology for somebody who doesn't abide by a particular 'ism'.

This is, as usual, your own particular view of things.

The idea that the 'a' in atheism signifies 'without-theism' is complete blatant absurdity.

Wrong, and stupidly so.

 

[lixluke]

Oops, wrong.
A theism is without theism.


The prefix "a" negates whatever it's added to.


Hmm, not long back you declared "ism" was a belief...


Wrong again, since theism was a major (one might even say predominant) aspect of most (Western at least) cultures.


Also incorrect, as Spidergoat has pointed out.


Areligionism.
Abaptism.
Ageotropism
Probably others...
You're also aware (or maybe not) that that the "a" prefix is also "an" when the next letter is a vowel - many words use that.


This is, as usual, your own particular view of things.


Wrong, and stupidly so.

Everything you have claimed in this post was proven incorrect by the previous post. Not to mention all the words you made up with the 'a' in front of them only goes to show how your claims have no credibility.

1. You have no basis for claiming that the 'a' in atheism is meant to negate theism. Meanwhile all history points to atheism as athe-ism.
2. None of your examples of an Xism being negated by an 'a' are terms that have any validty in standard usage.

 

[Dywyddyr]

Everything you have claimed in this post was proven incorrect by the previous post.

Proven incorrect? Not so.
Claimed by you. Certainly.
Which is not the same thing.

Not to mention all the words you made up with the 'a' in front of them only goes to show how your claims have no credibility.

Ah I see. You declare those words to be "made up" and thereby betray your own ignorance and utter lack of integrity, since if you'd bothered actually checking you could have easily found out that they are all valid (and not "made up") words.
Yet, despite your sad deficiency in the English language, you presume to lecture the rest of us on what words do and do not mean.

1. You have no basis for claiming that the 'a' in atheism is meant to negate theism. Meanwhile all history points to atheism as athe-ism.

Wrong and wrong.

2. None of your examples of an Xism being negated by an 'a' are terms that have any validty in standard usage.

Also wrong.

You have finally proven yourself to be far too ignorant to be worth contending with any more.
Congratulations, maybe one day you'll leave your arrogance behind and get an genuine education.
Goodbye.

 

[Enmos]

If one does not abide in a particular 'ism', he simply doesn't get labeled. If you abide by capitalism, you are a capitalist. If not, then there is no reason to give you a label with respect to capitalism. You're simply not a capitalist.

Someone ought to tell the theists that

 

[lixluke]

Ah I see. You declare those words to be "made up" and thereby betray your own ignorance and utter lack of integrity, since if you'd bothered actually checking you could have easily found out that they are all valid (and not "made up") words.

Not valid in any legitimate setting outside of kindergarten.

 

[-ND-]

Yes. Atheism was considered blasphemy.

Atheism still is blasphemy.