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Author | Topic: An Atheist By Any Other Name . . . | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Taq Member Posts: 10293 Joined: Member Rating: 7.4 |
It has been suggested that the title "Atheist" has a negative connotation, so much so that we need to come up with a new name to describe those that do not have a positive belief in any gods.
So, what should it be, or is Atheist just fine? Some suggest using the term Heathen. IMHO, this has even more baggage than Atheist, although the term has fallen out of common usage. Another possibility is Brights. Although this isn't strictly Atheism, it does come very close. The Brights Movement is defined as
quote: There is more than just a lack of belief tied to the Brights, but it comes very close. We could also come up with our own term and see if it increases in usage. I, for one, would lean towards "Normals". It's a bit snarky, but then aren't we atheists all a bit snarky? What about Neo-Atheist? What do you guys think?
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Admin Director Posts: 13106 From: EvC Forum Joined:
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Thread moved here from the Proposed New Topics forum.
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Percy Member Posts: 22929 From: New Hampshire Joined: Member Rating: 7.2 |
Suggestions:
Is "bright" really any better than "we're better than you"? --Percy
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Heathen Member (Idle past 1532 days) Posts: 1067 From: Brizzle Joined: |
"Godless"?
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Stile Member (Idle past 292 days) Posts: 4295 From: Ontario, Canada Joined:
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I think Atheist works just fine.
From the other thread, this was one of the reasons for switching to "Heathen":
quote: ...which doesn't really jive with the other reason which was "because the term 'Atheist' comes with negative connotations." So, they want to change the name because it comes with some negatives to another name which used to come with some negatives so that they can "reclaim" a word and turn a negative into a positive? Sounds like they have all they require to do that exact same thing with the original "Atheist" term.To me, the whole thing just sounds like that guy at work that makes stuff up so that it looks like he's busy and important.
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nwr Member Posts: 6484 From: Geneva, Illinois Joined: Member Rating: 9.1
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I never did like "brights". It comes across as arrogant.
I tend to describe myself as non-religious; "irreligious" seems a bit too strong.Jesus was a liberal hippie
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Straggler Member (Idle past 314 days) Posts: 10333 From: London England Joined: |
"Brights" just seems arrogant. But I quite like "heathen" as a term to describe subset of atheists who are actually challenging religious doctrines and promoting evidence based inquiry rather than just passively not believing in gods.
I'd be happy to be called a "heathen" in that sense.
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Heathen Member (Idle past 1532 days) Posts: 1067 From: Brizzle Joined: |
Sounds like they have all they require to do that exact same thing with the original "Atheist" term. I guess the notion that "heathen" has been out of common use for a while, allows for easier re-definition. i.e. any connotations it may have/have had are not so fresh in the psyche. Because atheist is still very much in use and has the supposed connotations freshly in tow, any use of it carries those connotations.
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Heathen Member (Idle past 1532 days) Posts: 1067 From: Brizzle Joined: |
"Brights" just seems arrogant it does have kind of a "we know best" feel to it like whoever is saying it is looking down their nose as they say it. Reminds me of the south park episode where all the Prius drivers love the smell of their own farts...
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1.61803 Member (Idle past 1752 days) Posts: 2928 From: Lone Star State USA Joined:
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Straggler Member (Idle past 314 days) Posts: 10333 From: London England Joined: |
I do know best. I am looking down my nose. I do like the smell of my own farts.
But I still quite like the term "heathen".
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Jazzns Member (Idle past 4160 days) Posts: 2657 From: A Better America Joined:
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This is one of my favorite videos of Sam Harris.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KG5s_-Khvg&feature=related The second half is about Harris' particular weirdness but the FIRST part is a really good argument IMO about the "atheism" label. He starts at 4 mins and the relevant argument ends at about 24 mins. Here is a good quote at 21:45 "Why should we stand obediently in the space provided? Why should we stand in the space carved out by the conceptual scheme of theistic religion. Its as though our opponents, before any debate, have drawn a chalk outline of a dead man on the side walk and we just walk up an lie down in it. Instead of doing this, think about what would happen if we simply use works like reason and evidence. What is the argument against reason?" I am increasingly accepting the term atheist for myself because I think Harris' argument is not practical. But it is worth talking about. Its a good video, well worth watching the whole thing. ABE: Sorry 1.61803 meant to reply to post 1. Edited by Jazzns, : No reason given.BUT if objects for gratitude and admiration are our desire, do they not present themselves every hour to our eyes? Do we not see a fair creation prepared to receive us the instant we are born --a world furnished to our hands, that cost us nothing? Is it we that light up the sun; that pour down the rain; and fill the earth with abundance? Whether we sleep or wake, the vast machinery of the universe still goes on. Are these things, and the blessings they indicate in future, nothing to, us? Can our gross feelings be excited by no other subjects than tragedy and suicide? Or is the gloomy pride of man become so intolerable, that nothing can flatter it but a sacrifice of the Creator? --Thomas Paine
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subbie Member (Idle past 1503 days) Posts: 3509 Joined:
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Rebranding is a pointless exercise. The problem isn't the term. The problem is that so many people have a bad opinion of the people the label refers to. And changing the label won't change that.
Faggot. Queer. Homo. It doesn't matter if we change the name. As long as the hatred is there, the new name will just take on the bad connotation. Rebranding is such a gay idea.Ridicule is the only weapon which can be used against unintelligible propositions. -- Thomas Jefferson We see monsters where science shows us windmills. -- Phat It has always struck me as odd that fundies devote so much time and effort into trying to find a naturalistic explanation for their mythical flood, while looking for magical explanations for things that actually happened. -- Dr. Adequate Howling about evidence is a conversation stopper, and it never stops to think if the claim could possibly be true -- foreveryoung
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New Cat's Eye Inactive Member |
I think Atheist works just fine. Carl Sagan would disagree:
quote:Pulled from the wiki page on him "By some definitions..." Sometimes, you'll see people trying to narrow the definition of atheism. Like Rahvin did in Message 27:
quote: But if you look at the wiki page on atheism, you'll find that it can mean a lot more than just that.
quote: So, as you noticed:
they want to change the name because it comes with some negatives to another name which used to come with some negatives so that they can "reclaim" a word and turn a negative into a positive? Sounds like they have all they require to do that exact same thing with the original "Atheist" term. You're right. Today's non-believers are already reclaiming the word(s) atheist/atheism. One of the negatives of the strong atheism position, is the irrationality of comming to a gnostic position that god does not exist (as Carl pointed out). So its not just negative connotations with the word, its also negative aspects of the position that need to be "de-claimed". I think the man-in-the-street associates the word atheist with the more gnostic position. I've been talking with people in person and had a guy chime in with "Oh, well I'm an atheist"... to which the others reply with disbelief: "How could you know that god doesn't exist", and then he goes: "Oh... No, I don't know that he doesn't, I just lack the belief that he does" *trollface* Its a "gotcha" moment, but the others just roll their eyes. I think that adds to some of the appeal of using the word atheist in particular; being a smart-ass and playing gotcha with people (in the off-line community) On the other hand, in the online community, its becomming much more popular these days to don the atheist label and just be plain old mean to religious people. Just take a look at some christian videos on youtube for some quality examples. I find the agnostic atheists to be a much better group of people. I think the other groups of atheists are gonna smear your reputation a bit, so it might be a good idea to find another word. Be it via reclaim or whatever. The word "heathen" isn't doing it for me, it implies more than just not believing in gods. I think the simple "non-believer" works well.
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New Cat's Eye Inactive Member |
The problem is that so many people have a bad opinion of the people the label refers to. And part of that problem is that there are plenty of jerks running around waving the atheist label and making the more palatable of the bunch look bad.
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