Why Do Atheists Feel The Need To Describe Themselves As Such?

[Khandro]

after all, people who don't like or participate in sport, don't go around calling themselves Asportsmen/women do they?

[naomi24]

khandro, //"Then there are the unspeakable people who bring up their children to be actively atheists."  //

 

What does 'actively atheists' even mean?   I'd like to know because I'd like to ascertain why you deem those people 'unspeakable'.

[Mozz71]

The bile being spewed by Khandro here is proof enough for me that being a non-believer was the right choice.

[andy-hughes]

Khandro - // Then there are the unspeakable people who bring up their children to be actively atheists. //

If parents choose to raise their children to believe there is no God, I don't think that makes them 'unspeakable' - they simply don't think as you do, which is not the same thing at all.

To address your OP -

I have opined on here many times that the root cause for religion and faith - and that's anything from workshiping the sun through to Scientology - is two fold.

First, it's an attempt to get a handle on the unexplainable, which provides comfort, people don't like 'not knowing' things, so the reason why we are here is given an anchor to hold on to.

Secondly, people like to bond together in like-minded groups.

It doesn't matter if you are a Christian and go to church, or if you are a Trekkie and attend Star Trek conventions, the basis is to be with like-minded people because a sense of belonging is comforting.

As to atheists 'feeling the need to describe themselves as such' - in the main, I don't believe that they do, but on occasions when a description is needed, then it fits.

If you say you are a 'Christian', that's shorthand for a description of the belief system you live by, and everyone understands what that means, because your faith is an important part of your life and persona.

For an atheist, it's the opposite, it's not important at all, because it is the absence of a belief system, there is no set of perameters to live by, rules to obey, codes of practice to observe, and so on.

But if anyone needs a similar recogniseable phrase, then 'atheist' works as well as 'Christian', 'Muslim', 'Buddhist', and so on.

Speaking personally, I can;t remember the last time I used the word 'atheist' to describe myself. If faith comes up in conversation, and I need to explain myself, which is very rare, then I will usually say that I don;t believe in God, and leave it at that.

As I have also said before, I think the notion of defining yourself as a Christian is far more important to you, than defining myself as an atheist is to me - because my absence of faith is just that - there is nothing there to label as such.

I think that you think about this subject a lot, and periodically you raise it on here.

If you didn't mention it, I doubt I would even think about it.

But we all have aspects of our lives that are important to us, and they differ as we know.

In conclusion, I would never belittle anyone for any faith, I never have, and I never would.

However, my reactions to the attitudes and behaviours that faith creates - that's a different matter.

[ToraToraTora]

Khandro - // Then there are the unspeakable people who bring up their children to be actively atheists. //

when left to their own devices with no parental brainwashing children en up as athiest. That's what happened to me, the "Unspeakable people" are those filling the heads of their children with their favoured brand of fairy tale. As pointed out by Ricky Gervais, evereyone in the world is at least 99.99997% athiest anyway. They believe in one more god than me out of 3000.

[andy-hughes]

Khandro - I know you say you don't read my 'long' posts, but I hope you will read my previous one, since it does address the question you have raised.

Thank you.

[Khandro]

An active atheist is exactly what I refer to in the OP. Not a person who doesn't participate in something, but a person who actively wants to self-identify as being 'involved' in something called atheism (AB abounds with them) & worn like a chip on the shoulder.

 

 

 

[naomi24]

Khandro, I don't know anyone who is actively involved in something called atheism.   Unless the subject arises in discussion the atheists I know don't even think about it.  I think it's you who has a chip on your shoulder.  You sound quite paranoid about it.

[jackthehat]

Khandro - That's arrant nonsense.

I actively take part in not stamp-collecting and there are large groups of us, roaming hither and yon, not mentioning it to anybody...

[andy-hughes]

Khandro - // An active atheist is exactly what I refer to in the OP. Not a person who doesn't participate in something, but a person who actively wants to self-identify as being 'involved' in something called atheism (AB abounds with them) & worn like a chip on the shoulder. //

I can only concur with the responses from naomi and jack.

Hopefully you have read my response, in which I point out at some length, and I have said this to you before - atheism is the absence of faith, so it's difficult to be involved in something that doesn't actually exist.

In my experience, the atheists on here who engage with you on threads you start, do so because you adopt a provocative position, as you are doing again on here.

Rest assured, if you did not post about your faith, I can pretty much guarentee that no-one would bother to post in order to point out the absences of theirs.

[THECORBYLOON]

How large a grouping are these "active atheists" in the UK and what is it they are doing to make them stand out as such?

[naomi24]

khandro, could you please answer my question.  Why are those people 'unspeakable'?   

[lankeela]

Maybe we athiests should have an anti religion rally and wave flags and chant so people know what we are.  Would that help you identify us khandro?

[Khandro]

The way atheists club together on this thread alone is a positive love-in.

naomi; To avoid the subject of religion completely to child. as TTT's parents did is one thing - though I'm not sure why he thinks it naturally leads to atheism. 

But to actively tell a child that religion is bad, point out the worst things that have happened in its name, while avoiding the enormous amount of good -- education, health care for the young and old, the art, music architecture & much more and tell the child that there is no God (which is just your opinion and without any basis in fact) is not only unspeakable it is wicked.

[jackthehat]

Telling a child that they are being watched over at all times to compel compliance and scare them into silence is surely more wicked?

I adore church architecture and the music can move me to tears BUT that was created by people to laud a being in which they believed.....I don't have to share the same belief to appreaciate their endeavours.

[naomi24]

Of course it isn't wicked, khandro.  Children aren't born believing in Gods.  An absence of faith is the default position for human beings.  Teaching children to be afraid, teaching them they're sinners and will meet with unthinkable punishment if they don't adhere to irrational ideologies, and instilling the notion of guilt where none exists - that's wicked!   Actually it's more than that.  It's evil.

[andy-hughes]

Khandro - // ... and tell the child that there is no God (which is just your opinion and without any basis in fact) is not only unspeakable it is wicked. //

What about telling a child that there is a God, which is also just your opinion, without any basis in fact?

Isn't that wicked?

Or is that OK because it chimes with what you think?

[andy-hughes]

jack - // I adore church architecture and the music can move me to tears BUT that was created by people to laud a being in which they believed.....I don't have to share the same belief to appreaciate their endeavours. //

Wherever we go in the world, we always visit churches, because my wife is a Catholic, and I simply enjoy the atmosphere of them.

I attend Mass most Sundays, because I like singing hymns, and I enjoy the community spirit, but I do not believe in God, and I never will.

[THECORBYLOON]

KHANDRO, I'll ask again, which would you prefer, someone brought up as an atheist or someone believing in a non-Christian god?

[Countrylover]

My son attended a village church school because it was a great school.  We had no problems with him joining in with religious assemblies etc.  We didn't discuss religion at home.  It took him a couple of years to realise he didn't believe in God.  We let him decide for himself.  

[Countrylover]

I like singing hymns too Andy,