http://www.humaniststudies.org/enews/?id=317&article=0
2007-10-04 02:00:01 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
"As I argued briefly in Letter to a Christian Nation, I think that 'atheist' is a term that we do not need, in the same way that we don't need a word for someone who rejects astrology. We simply do not call people 'non-astrologers.'" he said. "All we need are words like 'reason' and 'evidence' and 'common sense' and 'bullshit' to put astrologers in their place, and so it could be with religion." Sam Harris
2007-10-04 02:02:18 · update #1
\%%%/: You gave a good answer to my last question but it was different to this question.
2007-10-04 02:03:39 · update #2
Malik L: Thank you for pointing out my mistake, quite right.
2007-10-04 02:19:50 · update #3
What does it matter, what we call ourselves?
"A rose by any other name" and such
Plus, I don't think that Sam Harris suggests suggests calling ourselves Secularists. I think that he was suggesting that we reject all labels altogether.
2007-10-04 02:02:46 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 7⤊ 0⤋
I don't think that works for me. I have a religion, even though I don't believe in any gods. So an atheist I remain.
I'm all for seperation of religion from Government, etc, but I can't be a true secularist because I don't think religion should be ignored in all decisions in favor of rationality. (Let's face it, if it isn't hurting anyone or discriminating, I don't mind allowing religious accomodation.) The best I could do would be the soft version of secularism.
2007-10-04 09:02:52 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I like term 'free-thinker' since it means someone who listens to all ideas.
Secularist would work for me but not for all non-Christians since some are Wiccans, Jewish,, Buddhist, Islam, etc.
I think there's a big difference between the type of atheist who believes in absolutely no god or goddess or anything spiritusl and the 'atheists' that are just not of one of the Abrahamic faiths.
2007-10-04 09:31:31 · answer #3 · answered by strpenta 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't see anything wrong with the word "atheist." By definition, it simply means the opposite of a theist; it's someone who does not believe in a god. Like "liberal," this is a perfectly good word with a perfectly sensible definition that has taken on negative connotations through misuse and misunderstanding.
2007-10-04 09:04:17 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Christians are quite good at putting words in others' mouth.
Don't you ever do that to Sam!
2007-10-04 09:05:31 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
secularism is different from atheism,so dont call them by same name.atheists dont accept any god/where as secularists respect other faiths and believers,only thing they dont hate others like some religious fanatics
2007-10-04 09:06:34 · answer #6 · answered by madhavan n 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't mind the label 'atheist', but I also call myself a humanist, a rationalist, and a philosophical naturalist.
2007-10-04 09:05:45 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Atheism is a religion whose primary belief is that there are no gods; therefore the name is fitting.
2007-10-04 09:13:29 · answer #8 · answered by diaboloist99 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Words don't matter. What is important is what's in one's heart. Call me Ateo if you want ;)
2007-10-04 09:13:28 · answer #9 · answered by Geist König 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No most of us are happy the way we are, what it going to change only the name
2007-10-04 09:02:26 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋