Ultimate Atheist

If you believe in a god or gods you're a theist. If you don't you're an atheist. There is no percentage of atheism. You are or you're not. If you're anywhere in the middle then you're agnostic. I myself have seen no reason to believe in any gods I've heard of yet. I'm an atheist. If you don't believe in any gods you're an atheist. It sounds to me like you feel the word is bad. You've been told by theists that its bad. You've been taught that its bad. All it means is that you have no belief in any deity. If that describes you're beliefs then you are an atheist. Keep telling yourself that and eventually the word will lose its naughtiness.

SLD

Actually Seeker, it's a great idea for a thread. It's not just about what we call ourselves. Hardcore Atheists are rare. Most of us aren't willing to go that far, but we know more about what we don't believe than what we do.

We don't accept the Judeo-Christian God or any other form of organized religion.

We're not touchy feelie new age types trying to get in touch with our past lives to understand ourselves.

We don't think we came here by aliens (well maybe a few exceptions to that one).

But what do we believe?

To be honest, I don't know and I don't give a rat's ass anymore.

I'm not a hardcore atheist, I honestly fluctuate between a deist/pantheist view of the world to agnosticism to a soft form of atheism - depending on my mood, and often to whom I am talking.

But I don't see myself as a hardcore atheist. Some of those that I've met are as fundamentalist about their religious beliefs as the fundies I put up with around here (and interestingly enough, come from the same background).

So it's a great topic, and nice to know that others feel similar to me.

For all those reasons though, I just prefer the term freethinker. I'm free to think whatever I damn well please, thank you very much. And if you don't like it, tough.

Of course an open mind is an empty mind. Oh well.


SLD

Ultimate Atheist

Well you don't have to pick a label and stick with it. Atheist just means you don't believe in a deity. That's all. It doesn't imply anything else. Literally speaking if you don't believe in a god then you're an atheist. If you find evidence later or just doubt the conclusion that there isn't a god then you're agnostic. I think a lot people just have the idea stuck in their mind that the word atheist is bad. It just means you don't believe in god. So ask yourself if you believe in god. If the answer is no, you're an atheist. If the answer is maybe or I'm not sure then you're agnostic or some other label such as skeptic or freethinker.

Daleth

Doesn't strike me as a stupid post. When I registered here a few days ago, I had absolutely no idea what word or words to put into the "Basic Beliefs" required field. I'm not wild about labels either, but they have a purpose as long as we remember a person is more than that. Every label we hang on ourselves doesn't add up to who we are. (I am now treading the edge of the drippiest post ever.) Call yourself whatever makes you comfortable. Doesn't change who you are.

Anyway, lots of "things" are immaterial, IMO. Freedom. I can't see it, but I'd know when I'm losing it.

Dal
(And hello to all. I've been lurking here addicted for a few weeks.)

lunachick

No, you're not.
I'd noticed you lurking. hello bak'atcha - and welcome to the boards!


Labels can be one of those things we have a love/hate relationship with. They tend to feel inadequate somehow, and can make us feel like we are being pigeon-holed; yet without them how do we describe ourselves without going into tedious and lengthy description? Sometimes labels can be very helpful. I call myself either an atheist or a humanist - depends how I'm feeling. And like everyone, I'm both much more and much less, besides!

Daleth

lunachick,

You're right, I've read drippier.

Oooh, I hate that! (Meaning boards that display who's online.) It makes me look terribly neurotic. Not that I'm not, but you know, I don't like it to show so much. I'll get over it.

Thanks much for the welcome.

Dal

lunachick

Sorry!

You can make yourself invisible from your user options in the control panel. I'd just noticed the new name and noticed you reading. I wasn't spying, honest.

Claudia

Daleth, if you compare my post count with the date I registered, I am a lurking specialist, too. Post when you feel that way, no more is needed.

Daleth

lunachick, Thanks for the tip. I looked for such an option, but didn't see somehow. No worries about spying. That's what lurkers like me do, right? There's something about showing who's online that makes me feel like I'm wearing my panties overtop of my jeans.

Claudia, Thanks.

Dal

(Sorry any thread derailment. As you were.)

azidhak

Use what you're comfortable with. Freethinker is just fine, it means you don't take any dogma for granted and isn't that why we're here? Because we feel somewhat alienated from a more dogmathic/fundamentalist trend in the world. As for labels: I call myself an atheistic moral hedonist, (mostly because most people wrongly believe that there can't be such a thing as a moral hedonist). Epicurean would probably sound better. Anyway as far as I know II has lots of agnosthics too, so take any label you want or even none!
Haakon