Fellow people who do not believe in god, can we please stop using the term “Atheism?” I’m not the first to say this, but atheism is not a philosophical position and ultimately it is a term that we simply do not need. It serves as a huge impediment to advancing rational thought by perpetuating a false dichotomy between two seemingly opposing belief systems…the problem is, however, that one is not even a belief system. I take it most of you, thankfully, are not racists. Do we need to come up with a discipline called “non-racism” for which to describe our disbelief? I don’t believe in flying pigs. Must I wake up every morning and describe myself in opposition to those who do believe in flying pigs? The term “atheism” is a trap which is incessantly used by the religious to prop up a straw man that does not exist in the first place…and we are jumping in with both feet every time we use the word.
To any believers who are reading this, atheism is nothing more than a specific type of skepticism – skepticism about the belief that there exists a god or gods. Simply switch the word “atheism” for “skepticism” or “atheist” for “skeptic” next time you feel like using “atheism” or “atheist” in a sentence, and see if it makes sense.
“You can’t prove skepticism (atheism).”
“Hitler and Stalin are perfect examples of how skepticism (atheism) leads to genocide.”
“Skepticism (atheism) is just another religion.”
“On skepticism (atheism), there is no basis for morality.”
They don’t quite make much sense anymore, do they?
Update:People, ask yourselves, when was the last time you had to describe yourself in opposition to magic, or alchemy, or astrology, or voodoo, or witchcraft? The way in which we get to a point where religion or theism is seen in the same respect as witchcraft is not going to happen because "atheism" replaced it, in the same way that witchcraft didn't go out style becuase "non-witchcraft" replaced it. We simply need to get to a point where even mentioning god or religion is viewed as silly as magic is to most people today...and by continually ascribing ourselves to the "tenets" of atheism, we are impeding our own progress.
Answers & Comments
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Personally I am quite happy with "atheist" as an expression of my position clearly understood in the current cultural setting.
I'll accept "apostate" as technically correct, too.
Trying for a technical nicety (even if there is a point to be made) that would only be confusing or a side-issue to the majority (or worse, taken as pretentious) seems like far too much effort for too little gain.
Your just using the wrong form in those sentences. When you use the correct form it makes perfect sense.
Skeptics are just another religion. With skeptics there is no basis for morality. (That is a true statement according to the definition of skeptics and moral skeptics.) That makes perfect sense! Thank you!
According to a few on here claiming to be atheists and how they explained to us how Stalin and Hitler were not atheists because they were religious. Are you idiots? They were religious and became atheists! That makes them non religious or are you now saying atheism is a religion? They became atheists. They tried to get rid of belief in God but focused on religion. That makes them anti God, anti theist, atheist!
Atheists who were religious should take offence to these people. They say your still religious because you did not start out as an atheist. What wonderful and skeptical morality the group you have chosen. Atheists don't even believe they are other true atheists! That is funny! Yes! you are right skeptic fits so much better!
You sound like a suffering Deist. Or a Deist suffering to emerge. this might help. there's a glyph in Kabbalistic Judaism, that's extensively utilized by using some Gnostic Christians (see the link under). on the ultimate or the crown is the undifferentiated divine, observed as Keter, as you flow down the glyph--observed as the Tree of existence or Jacob's Ladder--divinity will become greater differentiated finally to the universe we see manifested in the present day. Granted, this is written interior the language of mystical Judaism, yet do no longer enable that be a practice stopper. it supplies help to hold close what Jesus (Rabbi Yeshua) became attempting to get throughout the time of. yet, none of this contradicts our information of technology. It in simple terms enriches the human element of the greater suitable total. Shalom and Namaste.
Atheism perfectly describes my position on the existence of gods, I see no need to change the word or my views on the matter of gods.
I am most definitely not a sceptic, I am quite adamant that gods do not exist.
Hitler and Stalin were both Christians, one a Catholic the other trained for the priesthood.
If the religious people do not understand what atheism means then that is their problem and it becomes just another item of ignorance to be added to the list of things that they have been kept ignorant of.
The word atheism is defined as: "the doctrine or belief that there is no God". Nothing wrong with that usage at all. Tell you what. I'll stop using the word atheism when the rest of the world stops using the inappropriate and incorrect term of "homophobic".
Atheist is a perfect Greek Word to fully describe a non believer in God
Means
Atheist .. Gr .. Against the the Teaching of Theo ( God)
and Christian. ( A Follower of Christ)
If people don't understand the full meaning , they should learn.. it . Something may be wrong
with the people who don't understand the word. >Greek is precise and its All Greek To the
People who may not understand it.
What is your problem..
Blah, blah, blah... some people like to talk only because they like the sound of their own voice...
When you have a prefix of "A-" before the root word, it implies the opposite, or antithesis of the root word. The word "Theist" means one who accepts the notion of diety. So, "A-Theist" sounds like a pretty good term for the untouched.
What I find interesting is that those who purport to not believe are spending more TIME and devoting more energy to the whole idea rather than those who purport to believe....except for that 4th Commandment, huh?
You're wrong. Hitler was a catholic and Stalin studied to be a priest.
Atheism is a beuatiful word if you know the whole story.
One atheist has more "morality" than 50 rich holy rollers COMBINED.
There are religious people in the world who try to cajole or even force me into joining their club, or at least try to force me (through their entry into the political process) to follow the commandments of their religion. There are no flying-pig-believers trying to force me to believe in flying pigs.
are you saying that Hitler was an atheist cause if you are your wrong, Hitler was searching for ancient relics like the arc of the covenant, i don't think an atheist would search for such things. you need to study more.