If I am trying to ask a question specifically to Non-Believers then it makes sense to use that term. If I meant something else I would say something else.
Can you come up with AND AGREE ON a better term for me to use if I have a question and want to learn?
This was the original question that brought it up http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AlGYG8SXo4.5AtV.H0AS_3Tsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20070912091708AAMTuh9
PS: The article about the term "higher power" being an issue for SC&C is http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/09/08/BA99S1AKQ.DTL
2007-09-12 05:40:25 · 22 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
ADD: Someone suggested "god non-blievers". Is that more or less offensive?
2007-09-12 05:47:53 · update #1
ADD: I am NOT a Christian (or any other kind of Abrahamic religion).
I am religious but do not proselytize or evangelize my beliefs (though I do share them on Y!A).
2007-09-12 06:05:16 · update #2
Non-christians if you want to talk to people who don't follow your religion. Atheists if you want to talk to those of us who don't believe in any religion.
*Non-believers is not nice because Muslim people are believers of their faith, Jewish people are believers, Atheist are believers of there not being a god....
Get it?
2007-09-12 05:52:19 · answer #1 · answered by alia 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I think you get into trouble when you separate people into 'believers' and 'non-believers'. This is talking about people as if they were all on one side of a fence or the other side. In the real world the matter is a lot more complicated. Everyone believes a little differently.
'Atheist' and 'agnostic' are a little better because they actually explain what someone believes--that there is no God, or that they can't be sure. An 'non-believer' might just be someone who believes in God but believes something different about him than you do.
I like to think of myself as a 'skeptic', but that term is also misused these days. We think of a 'skeptic' as someone who just doesn't believe something, but the real meaning is someone who believes that nothing can be known for sure.
In any case, it takes more than a one wordl to describe someone's beliefs. Single-word labels are almost completely useless. Even if someone says he's a 'Christian', you can't make assumptions about what he believes.
2007-09-12 12:52:24 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I'm surprised so many people would be offended by that, too. I had asked a question to "non-believers" when I first came here and received the same defensive remarks. Well you don't believe in what I do, so that makes you a non-believer, doesn't it? I wouldn't be offended if I saw someone say, "Non-believers, why don't you accept the FSM?" Because, in that context, I AM a non-believer.
Now I just say non-Christian, and I don't think that offends anyone. Good luck finding a new word!
2007-09-12 12:48:27 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have no problem with non-believer. Most people understand that you are referring to religious beliefs, not belief in, say, your wife's fidelity.
You're likely not going to get 100% agreement on any term - I've been actively involved with atheist/humanist/freethought/Bright organizations for over 15 years, and there's still no universally agreed term. Probably never will be.
2007-09-12 12:49:36 · answer #4 · answered by Brent Y 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
For me, it depends on what religion you're talking about. You can say "non-christians" or "non-muslims" or "non-hindus" or just place a "non-" in front of whatever religious belief you're speaking of. That way you avoid the confusion that comes with a believer of Odin telling you that they are indeed a believer, just not of your specific belief.
2007-09-12 13:03:46 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
You are trying to get a diverse group like atheists to all agree on something. Good luck with that. One of the reasons we are atheists is that we have no herd instincts. We all think for ourselves, so we will all have different preferences.
2007-09-12 13:15:15 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Atheist is good if you want to be serious. Heathen is good for a laugh. Freethinker, if you're an atheist and also smug. I personally like non - believer because that's why I am an Atheist, I don't believe in anything.
2007-09-12 12:48:37 · answer #7 · answered by Jim 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like tortured language to me, overly specific and pointless. Atheist or agnostic or non-believer is generally acceptable by most reasonable people.
2007-09-12 12:59:27 · answer #8 · answered by James M 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I like the term rejectionist. Everyone has doubts so really no one is an atheist. A rejectionist has some doubts but has decided to live his/her lift without God.
2007-09-12 12:47:07 · answer #9 · answered by Matthew T 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Use whatever term you want.
Superstition doesn't offend me at all, although sometimes the way people use it does.
Edit: Personally, I prefer the term "heathen" rather than atheist. It sounds cool.
2007-09-12 12:49:49 · answer #10 · answered by Samurai Jack 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋