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Atheist "identity"

Fragment of a discussion from User talk:Armondikov
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I agree (but only partially). We're getting back into the concept of rationalist taboo again, and, once again, I have to say it depends on the context. Sometimes there are terms that are so loaded it's easier to just avoid them altogether.

Nebuchadnezzar (talk)21:00, 14 December 2011

I don't know what we are doing. I'm just avoiding work. Loaded terms are intended to be loaded terms. But that doesn't apply to things like "religion" "god", "atheist" which are all useful terms that can be quickly and fairly precisely defined at the beginning of a conversation.

But mostly I don't care other than reading what sounds like the start of a very long conversation for ADK, dealing with someone who doesn't care what ADK has to say, only what that someone himself wants to think.

Those conversations will not be improved by avoiding or using loaded language; avoiding or using precise language - they will only be improved by avoiding using any language and saying "nertz" or making buzzing noises.  ;-)

Pink mowse.pngGodotI live in the Infinite monkey cage21:34, 14 December 2011
 

Here's the context that made me wonder about atheism as a useful term - well, strictly "agnosticism", but there's always that "oh, but atheists should always be agnostic!!" crap going on.

Someone says "I'm agnostic, because I think we'll never know if there's a God"

Everyone applauds such open minded fairness. After all, you have to be soooo deep to be open minded.

Then I say "wait, you say we'll never know?"

They say "yes". Well, they didn't, I cut that step out. I'm a little drunk, this could be fun to explain from now on.

So I add "so, you'll never know if God is real. Therefore there's no way of detecting God."

"Right"

"So there's no way that God can make a meaningful interaction with the world?"

"Erm..."

"So what is the fucking point in believing in God?"

"Derp"

Then someone else like chimes in and says "hey, so you must be an atheist then!!!"

And I'm like "bitches, please. Just shut up."

So basically, yes, "agnosticism" seems to be used as a loaded term. It's a term that says "hey guys, I'm totally open minded about God because I'm cool and open minded and intellectual and look at how open minded I am". When really it's saying "actually, I've just given undue privilege to a hypothesis with fuck all evidence for it. I just want the connotations of being open minded despite having no belief whatsofuckingever in God or gods or any of that crap but am too scared of putting my bollocks on the line to say so."

Though why a girl would be scared of putting her bollocks on the line is beyond me.

I should stop steam-of-conciousnessing... it never ends well.

Scarlet A.pngtheist01:37, 15 December 2011
Ceiling cat.jpg W A R N I N G

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