Why do atheists call themselves atheists?

Question

If you don't believe in God, you don't and move on. It seems to me if you choose something to call yourself and categorize yourself, you want to belong to another organization ( same as christian, jewish, muslim..) whether it's faith related or not.
Why not say " I don't believe in God" in response to "what religion are you"? If you say " I'm atheist", that's another religion ain't it?
You somewhat become as fanatical as the religious mass you're bashing.

Answer 1

Generally, the atheist or agnostic will say exactly that... "I don't believe in God" in response to "what religion are you"? Upon hearing that, the nosy, busybody christian who asked the question will follow up with something like: "Oh... so, you're an atheist, then?"

Answer 2

Okay, being an atheist does not come close to being part of a religion. Atheists simply agree on one thing, and that is that "God" does not exist. Some don't believe in the supernatural at all, and others do. Atheists have differing views on many others things where as an organized religion has a clear cut set of beliefs and rules. Very different.

Answer 3

We as a society insist on labels. Some take those labels and wrap thier identity up in them "Christian" - this takes people from multi dimentional to one dimentional

Case in point go up to a man and ask who are you - a lot will after a name give you an occupation and then maybe a status in thier family etc.

The label becomes an identity and this forms parameters for behaviour - this establishes ease amongst the participants because it is then reasonable to assume person A who is an Athiest and an Acountant and a single dad will respond this or that way ......By falsely believeing that I am able to predict behavoiur I am more comfortable and by assuming if I behave in the set manner of the identifications I have made I will be safe and so I I am happier.

How should I act how should I think how should I speak and dress ???? Oh thank god I have labbels for that - now it's okay .

I am an athiest and they behave like this - okay Your a Jew you will respond like that - oh okay ---------roles

Answer 4

Everyone wants a category. If I tell you "i don't believe in gods", you will start hounding me about whether or not I'm an atheist or an agnostic, forcing me to explain to you the difference. Then you'll try to claim I'm using faith and that I should be an agnostic instead. Then you'll take the label 'agnostic' as a sign to try to convert me since I'm 'sitting on the fence' from your perspective.

It grows tiresome. If you wish to label me an atheist, I'll simply accept the label and tell you I believe in the nonexistence of gods through faith.

Now it's your turn to explain why that isn't valid. In the meantime, I get to drink another beer.

Answer 5

"I don't believe in God" makes Christians orgasm with delight as they think of how wonderful it will be to induct another member into their cult.

Saying you are an Atheist allows them a label to hate and weeds out all but the most fanatical Christian cult members that try to "save" you from thinking for yourself.

EDIT: To the guy posting below me. I am not Atheist but I will bite. They are not EVANGELICAL with anyone other than Christians.

Why you might ask? Well, Christians try to pass laws based on their beliefs (their views in schools we pay for with tax dollars, No gambling, No porn, No alcohol on Sunday, etc…). Christians tell everyone else how wrong their beliefs are and how BAD (sinful) they are for no reason other than the want that person to believe what they believe. Christians impede scientific progress by claiming that the bible is inerrant and make rational people fight them in court about it (CREATIONISM)

Christians have interfered in EVERYONES life and made their beliefs OUR business. Atheist don’t do this although Christians claim they do every time something doesn’t go their way. School curriculum is not atheist it is base on FACT not BELIEF but the only people whining about it is the members of the Christ cult who don’t think for themselves.

Summary: The Christ Cult tries to run everyone’s life so quit whining that they should be somewhere else. YOU made your beliefs their business when you decided your beliefs were what everyone should believe. Don’t hate them because they care enough to fight tyranny when it invades their lives, listen to them.

Answer 6

I will answer your question WITH a question... why ask such STUpid questions....its called a dictionary.... look it up... Another dipsy asked the very same question 30+ min ago and got the same answers as you. Here is the definition of religion;

re·li·gion (r-ljn) KEY

NOUN:

Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe.

And now Faith;

Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing.

Now if you wanna argue since Atheist have alot of Faith that their is no god then that makes it a religion please refer to the faith definition if a firm belief you are right not in any way a religious word what so ever. So in retrospect a atheist is not a religion because they have no belief in a supernatural beging or governer of the universe. Yet they have Faith they are right which is just a pumped up word for believeing. I believe I am human. I have faith the internet is on at the moment. Does that make any of that a religion because I believe and have faith in it? No and its outright silly to think otherwise.

And as to the rest its just as stupid its a label put on by goverment and individuals. Maybe the native americans had names for their people as a whole yet to UNDERSTAND them they called them indians, red skins, etc. Religiously I am a wiccan yet to understand many of the differing many god religions all of them are grouped together and called "pagans" which the definition for is a muti-god religion which makes up most of the religious population of the world. Its a structure to dehumanise and label any group or class of people to put them into nice cozy little groups to I.D. them. I think people invented the word atheist to socialize the group its unlikely someone invented the name for the group to ID themselves much as the above examples.

Answer 7

If someone asks and I say I don't believe in God, then they seem to not understand that this means I believe in no higher power at all, then they start asking questions like well then what do you believe. If I say I am an atheist they seem to get that I don't believe in any higher power at all and they just say oh ok without all the questions.

Answer 8

Atheists so often defend their debunking of religion with science that it is tempting to equate atheist with "science religion." But then there are the philosophical atheists...but they are all trying to prove that there is no God or gods. One must invoke some kind of evidence to prove this, and since philosophy and science are manmade systems of thought, what is to keep us from equating Atheist with a religion of Man, of the essential raising of Man to the divine or the lowering of the divine to the level of mankind? In the end, one must have faith even in rigorous logic in order to trust it to define his or her worldview. And we all know the world isn't logical! ;) In the end it boils down to a personal world view; just because an atheist may go into it with logic, rather than faith, does not render one view more valid than the other. I'd say this works both ways.

Answer 9

Atheists didn't choose to be called that, it's just what the word means; without theism. When someone asks what religion I am I say none.

Answer 10

So I'm confused.

If someone asks you what religion you are you should just say "I believe in god" rather then saying "christian"?

Atheist is the proper term for someone who doesn't believe in god.

Atheism is a religion if you consider bald a hair color.