Since when did atheism mean "immorality"?

Question

I was horrified a short while ago when someone's answer included a dictionary definition of atheism that contained a reference of "immorality".

Needless to say I found the suggestion quite offensive.

So looking up some dictionaries on the net, I could find only one that included such a reference. Number 7 on the attached link.

http://www.onelook.com/?w=atheism&ls=a

How can any organisation take it upon themselves to redefine a word in such a way?

Don't atheists have a right to be offended by such a thing being included in a dictionary of all things?

Answer 1

ignorance.

im not even atheist and that offends me. anyone who knows what atheism is knows that immorality has nothing to do with it.

Answer 2

Absolutely we should be offended by it.

However, "atheists" didn't coin the phrase themselves. It has historically been a derogatory word used against us anyway. It is basically a slur.

That is why some atheists have adopted the term free-thinker, bright, skeptic, etc. And although I don't particularly care to refer to myself that way, I do understand why many people do.

I have found that by merely referring to myself as an "atheist", that immediately makes people think that I'm also a sadist, satanist, hedonist, that I hate god, that I hate morality, or that I'm a nihilist. There are all kinds of negative thoughts attached to that word. And perhaps I am mistaken for using it. Time will tell. If atheist becomes a dirty word for us to use, then I will stop using it.

I believe the best example of this type of language change is the way "negro", "darkie", "black", etc, has changed to "African-American", (at least in the States). And rightly so.

Answer 3

Didn't you know? We are godless, heathen infidels. Without the Bible we have no moral code to guide us and prevent us from acting out our basic animalistic instincts!

One of the greatest tragedies in human history was the hijacking of morality by religion.
— Sir Arthur C. Clarke

There seems to be a terrible misunderstanding on the part of a great many people to the effect that when you cease to believe you may cease to behave.
— Louis Kronenberger,

I refuse to be labeled immoral merely because I am godless.
— Peter Walker

And what is good, Phaedrus,
And what is not good---
Need we ask anyone to tell us these things?
— Robert Pirsig,

The death of dogma is the birth of morality.
— Immanuel Kant, (1724-1804)

There is nothing divine about morality, it is a purely human affair.
— Albert Einstein

The foundation of morality should not be made dependent on myth nor tied to any authority lest doubt about the myth or about the legitimacy of the authority imperil the foundation of sound judgment and action.
— Albert Einstein

Because morality is a social necessity, the moment faith in god is banished, man's gaze turns from god to man and he becomes socially conscious. Religious belief prevented the growth of a sense of realism. But atheism at once makes man realistic and alive to the needs of morality.
— Gora, (1902-1975)

A man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties and needs; no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death.
— Albert Einstein

So many gods, so many creeds, so many paths that wind and wind, while just the art of being kind is all the sad world needs
— Ella Wheeler Wilcox

I consider ethics to be an exclusively human concern with no superhuman authority behind it. — Albert Einstein

Morality is of the highest importance - but for us, not for God.
— Albert Einstein

To assert that Christianity communicated to man moral truths previously unknown, argues on the part of the asserter either gross ignorance or else willful fraud.... The system of morals expounded in the New Testament contains no maxims which had not been previously enunciated.
— Henry Thomas Buckle

The sentiments attributed to Christ are in the Old Testament. They were familiar in the Jewish schools and to all the Pharisees, long before the time of Christ, as they were familiar in all the civilizations of the earth -- Egyptian, Babylonian, and Persian, Greek, and Hindu.
— Joseph McCabe

Answer 4

wow, the "american heritage dictionary' at that. then again, there's your clue: "american heritage." american heritage is generally a christian one, more or less, so there you go.

let me explain how that is a christian description: that description assumes that god exists (christian perspective), then defines atheism as 'godlessness,' and terming it immoral (since christianity is the moral, divine way blah blah blah).

it is not a redefinition. you have to understand that even the 'definers' are human and hence subjective and hence driven by personal biases.

...atheists have a right to be offended since that is not an accurate description of their belief system, yes.

let me say this though: an atheistic description of christianity would include terms as "elitist, delusional, 'killers in the name of' " etc., so perspective has a lot to do with definition.

Answer 5

Yep, I'd be offended. Just because you're an atheist doesn't mean you're immoral. My mom is one. It just means you don't believe in a deity, right? You can still be a nice person. I was before I became a Christian. It's pretty judgmental to say all atheists are immoral. However, I must say I've met up with some crude ones on here.

Answer 6

You had to look awfully hard to find that.

I think it's wrong, but this is nothing new. Liberals have been rewriting the dictionary for decades now. Try the definition of the word "Conservative" vs. the word "Liberal" to see what i mean.

Answer 7

Yes - but dictionaries, like other books, are published by humans, including ignorant and bigoted believers.

Answer 8

Some people can not handle having people disagree with them and resort to name calling.

I received thumbs down for stating atheists are people in one of my answers. Go figure.

Answer 9

It was probably some clueless editor -- or worse, one with a religious ax to grind -- that conflated atheism with nihilism ... as the religious often do.

Answer 10

since believers decided that it's only the fear of eternal torture that puts people off committing crimes

they can't prove it but their religious leader told them so in church so it must be true