it's time we dropped the label - the problem with atheism

[Medicine*Woman]

That's great, but I thought we were trying to ditch the ATHEIST label?

*************
M*W: Oh, my bad. In my being a creative genius, I wasn't paying attention!

 

[snake river rufus]

Honest thought is "The Way" to Him Who is Life and Truth.

Nooo, honest thought rejects the supernatural. Irrational thoughts allow one to accept an absurd thought and call it honest.

 

[geeser]

an Atheist is not something that you so much are. Rather, it's something you are from a Theistic perspective. Ultimately the word only says what you're not.

 

[snake river rufus]

I started the speech but gave up with disgust. Why such a long diatribe just to try to get us to change a name? What is important is what we do and say, not what we and they call us. What we say and do is what needs improvement. There is nothing intrinsicely wrong with the atheism label. I much prefer it to "Brights." To try to change is a subterfuge and a sign of weakness. It is like labeling a race of cripples as a "special olympic." I don't feel desperate myself, do you?

charles, http://humanpurpose.simplenet.com

Well said:bravo::bravo:

And further, why bother changing what we call ourselves. The uncritical majority will continue to use atheist.

 

[lightgigantic]

Theism dosen't deserve a label. It's just a word atheists use to refer to morons.

kind of predictable that you open up with some sort of philosophical rhetoric and wind down to ankle biting in a few moments ....

 

[Enmos]

Theism dosen't deserve a label. It's just a word atheists use to refer to morons.

The word atheism requires the concept of theism to exist. Do you think it does an 'atheist' justice to be the mirror image of a theist ?

 

[Enmos]

The current label is perfectly adequate unless you intend to make not believing in something your main preoccupation.

Isn't that precisely what the label suggests, to make not believing in something your main preoccupation ?

 

[superluminal]

kind of predictable that you open up with some sort of philosophical rhetoric and wind down to ankle biting in a few moments ....

Kind of predictable that you missed the fact that I was responding to a direct insult.

 

[superluminal]

The word atheism requires the concept of theism to exist. Do you think it does an 'atheist' justice to be the mirror image of a theist ?

I suppose I get it now. I retract my earlier statement.

 

[snake river rufus]

Isn't that precisely what the label suggests, to make not believing in something your main preoccupation ?

I do not know of any atheist that makes not believing their main preoccupation. Or even a major preoccupation. I don't think about it at all until a theist pushes themself on me. An example: I have a placard on my front door of 2 young people, holding a bible, witl
h the big red international 'NO over it. Yet nearly weekly some theist will knock and then appear surprised that I really meant "NO". " Surely, you didn't mean it" or "Don't you want to hear about haysoos".
Atheist do not go out of our way to bother you theists. Why won't you give us the same respect? :shrug:

 

[superluminal]

"haysoos".

Heh. Funny.

 

[snake river rufus]

I suppose I've been on the atheist boards too much

 

[Exhumed]

redarmy11 said it best.

 

[Reiku]

I suppose I've been on the atheist boards too much

That might even have an ounce of truth.

 

[snake river rufus]

That might even have an ounce of truth.

Certainly not as long as you have sat in church being indoctrinated 'with scripture"

 

[Enmos]

I do not know of any atheist that makes not believing their main preoccupation. Or even a major preoccupation. I don't think about it at all until a theist pushes themself on me. An example: I have a placard on my front door of 2 young people, holding a bible, witl
h the big red international 'NO over it. Yet nearly weekly some theist will knock and then appear surprised that I really meant "NO". " Surely, you didn't mean it" or "Don't you want to hear about haysoos".
Atheist do not go out of our way to bother you theists. Why won't you give us the same respect? :shrug:

This was precisely my point though. I do not think about being an atheist, I don't need such a label. But fact is that the label (the word atheist) seems to indicate, to those who don't know what atheism is, that our main occupation is to not believe. Since this is not so it would be better to get rid of the term altogether.
I realize this is not realistic, they would just invent an other name for it. Hopefully a better one though

 

[snake river rufus]

enmos, I think you're right, I'd go back to calling myself "skeptic", but I don't want to go to the meetings

 

[Enmos]

enmos, I think you're right, I'd go back to calling myself "skeptic", but I don't want to go to the meetings

I rather don't call myself anything

 

[snake river rufus]

I rather don't call myself anything

What do you say when asked? I say "no" and try to drop it but you know theists. Sooner or later you are going to have to explain your rationality. The the "A" word comes up.

 

[Enmos]

What do you say when asked? I say "no" and try to drop it but you know theists. Sooner or later you are going to have to explain you rationality. The the "A" word comes up.

Yeah, I know what you mean. There are situations you better say it, or else you are stuck for hours lol