Atheist is a Bad Word

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Tyler Holmstrom on November 10, 2012 at 3:53am

Well the more conservative they are the more I tend to think they behave poorly in my interactions with them.

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Permalink Reply by booklover on November 7, 2012 at 8:28am

Tyler, this quote fits exactly what you're saying.

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Permalink Reply by Tyler Holmstrom on November 10, 2012 at 3:54am

This is a great quote. I've seen it before but it has been a while thanks :)

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Permalink Reply by Shyanne Gold Orr on November 12, 2012 at 5:39pm

I think that its mostly religious people that think the word atheist is a bad word because atheist do not believe in a god, which is a big part of a lot of religious peoples lives and they feel we atheists are  devaluing a big part of there lives even though we are not (at least not all of us).

I think another big part is people don't actually understand what an atheist is. I remember a girl in my high school asking if an atheist worshiped the devil. I don't think we should go by another name but rather show people we are not horrible and we don't eat babies.

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Permalink Reply by Rudy on November 13, 2012 at 4:45pm

Agreed. Especially your 2nd point. Human nature at it's finest, disdain towards that which we are ignorant.

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Permalink Reply by Richard Lawrence on November 12, 2012 at 5:53pm

Naturalist seems to work well for me.

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Permalink Reply by Mr Peterdactyl on November 12, 2012 at 11:17pm

I keep toying with "non-theist," but it has the ring of "you are trying to fake me out, when you are really an atheist."

I really want to be called the Anti-Christ, but that doesn't work very well either.

I am old enough now that I may try "Reprobate," that has a certain ring to it.

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Permalink Reply by Sentient Biped on November 13, 2012 at 8:52am

"Reprobate" rocks!  Maybe I'll use that too!

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Permalink Reply by Roswatheist on November 12, 2012 at 11:41pm

Atheist is not a bad word! I am completely an anti-theist atheist. I don't understand the tendency to want to use a "softer" word, or a euphemism like the Brights. The more of us who "come out", the less stigmatized the word "atheist" will be.

That could NOT happen soon enough for me!

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Permalink Reply by booklover on November 13, 2012 at 6:05am

It can't come soon enough for me either Doris!~ Melinda

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Permalink Reply by James Kz on November 13, 2012 at 5:03am

Another issue is the fact that True Christians (tm) are often -not- familiar with the entire Bible, only the warm fuzzy parts.

They thus think that the atheist stands against all that is warm and fuzzy about their particular god. Atheists, as we know, generally like warm and fuzzy, especially kittens, and rarely eat them for breakfast.

But rather than try to hammer home some of the more delectable bloody parts of the Bible, there are two ways to go about it:

a) the way my wife and I go about showing atheists are not evil destructors of all that is their faith: I am active in the community. So is my wife. I am open about the word -atheist- when asked, but do not propose to force my own opinions on others, including the religious. In this very religious town we have live in for a year and a half, we know every person and they know we are interested in the community.

My wife serves on the village public library board as vice-president. I was just appointed to the Village Board of Trustees (city council - my first overtly political post) as the -least- divisive of five candidates (more on that at my blog post on my recent interview on "Ask an atheist," where I explained it Sunday) to fulfill the term of a thirty-year member, though I am openly an atheist. The village is more interested in whether I pay my taxes, mow my lawn, and check up on my elderly neighbours rather than whether I cross the street to the church on Sundays.

2) Neither of us tries to go about the village "proving the Christians wrong." We go about the village living our lives the way moral people ought live, and they can see that our morality is not derived from a religious book.

But if you absolutely get someone who wants to know why you find the Bible to be less-than-satisfactory as a moral guide, point them to http://www.whydoesgodhateamputees.com - it is an awfully good read for those who would like to find good arguments to issues about answered prayer and the promises alleged in the New Testament.

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Permalink Reply by Secular Forces 2013 on November 13, 2012 at 6:25am

not when it's repeated constantly .. just like any god stuff. religions.. they're only accepted because they've been repeated through the centuries.. sigh.. people.. 
people people.. learn some code.. learn a new sport.. politics and hate are no sports worth a damn 

peace!

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