Okay, so you don't believe in God...

[gigacannon]

So, you're an atheist. You don't believe in God. But since you don't believe in God, it follows that being an atheist is therefore the least defining element of your personality. If God does not exist, then to define your entire belief system by one statement of what you don't believe in seems... well, daft.

If you aren't a theist, then what are you? What do you care about? And what even is this 'God' that you claim not to believe in? Because it seems to me that there are lots of different meanings to the word.

Pantheism, for example. God is everything, God is existence. It doesn't seem at all logical to deny existence, since that would mean that the denial doesn't exist. I would argue that it's not sensible to use the word God to describe existence, but nonetheless, to that person, I'm a deist.

I define myself as a rationalist, not an atheist, because it means something. It means, 'I'm trying to be a rational person.' There is no implicit solidarity between atheists, or common set of beliefs or ethics. There is only lack thereof.

So, what are your ethics? What do you believe? In short, if you don't describe yourself as an atheist; what do you describe yourself as?  

[iviary]

I'm an Empirical Agnostic Humanist. razz
Meaning, I don't know if there's a god, but don't find it terribly important/possible to know. I also want to make the world a better place, for the sake of humanity, not for the sake of any God's reward or punishment.
And even if not believing in God doesn't define me, it does in a way too, as it defines me as different than most of those around me. It colors how I view the world.  

[PickleBoy]

I agree with iviary. About the whole "defines" thing. Umm... Sorry, tired. Umm... I dunno what I am really. Er... v.v Evolutionist? Lol. sweatdrop Not really a humanist, as I think all humans should DIE! Okay, thats a lie. Just the stupid ones. And... Er... A... Tree hugger. xd Is that what you're asking? What we are seen as? Other things that define who we are?  

[gigacannon]

Doesn't it ever annoy you when you have to fill out a form or a poll, and the only option besides a religion is 'atheist' or 'other'?

Atheism is not a group, it is a not-group. Secular enlightenment cannot progress without clearer definitions in the mainstream consciousness of what non-religious people are.  

[TofuDreamer]

Meh, I'm a weak/apathetic agnostic+pantheist. I just find that maybe god is more of a spiritual thing.

I'm more of the guy who lets things happens. Maybe there's a reason for everything, maybe not.  

[PickleBoy]

Umm... No, it doesn't really bother me. But I never gave it any thought either. It seems this troubles you a lot?

And when I think about it, Atheists have kind of become a group. A group of non-group-ists I suppose. I mean, look, here we're in a guild. So... We're a group unified under the idea that we don't believe in a god and don't have the same exact morals as every other atheist out there.  

[TofuDreamer]

PickleBoy

Umm... No, it doesn't really bother me. But I never gave it any thought either. It seems this troubles you a lot?

And when I think about it, Atheists have kind of become a group. A group of non-group-ists I suppose. I mean, look, here we're in a guild. So... We're a group unified under the idea that we don't believe in a god and don't have the same exact morals as every other atheist out there.

I don't like the idea of atheists of being in a "defined" group. With that, it gives off the idea we all believe in a certain thing/cause. I believe it should be more of an open forum to discuss our different views.  

[Redem]

It's as good a term as any, it gets the point across.

No, I do not believe in your deity, or deities or whatever it is you're selling.

It simply means that I'm not a thiest.



It does not, however, define me as a person.  

[gigacannon]

Yeah, that's why I'm a rationalist. It's by definition the best thing to be. Rationalists seek to be enlightened and live in comfort whilst doing whatever they want with maximum efficiency. Enlightenment naturally is the path to understanding and hence knowledge, and with that knowledge everything else is obviously easier and done better.

Rationalism is the path to learning and enlightenment, and anyone who seeks to learn for its own sake is a rationalist to a lesser or greater extent. All human achievement has been a result of humans acting in a rational manner. Rationalism is badass.

I'm not proselytising, even though I don't think that's a bad thing. I'm just describing how much I love being rationalist.  

[Sanguvixen]

All I can say is that your religious or non religious beliefs can influence the way you view things, and the way society views you.

All of the morals that religious have are derived from thier religion. How they live their life is to live it as close as they can to what thier religion says in order to be granted into a wonderful afterlife into some "Heaven".

If a person is athiest/agnostic they throw that part away. There is either no god, or there could be a god but it isn't proven. Thus a person derives thier morals from what they personally believe is right or wrong. They choose for themselves what is right or wrong. Also they live however the see fit, as close as they can to thier own code of ethics.

I am athiest. I do not feel that a god exists. If it did there would be evidence, there is no evidence, only a bunch of mostly factless stories, and hoaxes. I did my own research to come to this conclusion.

I decide on my own what is right and what is wrong based on my own code of ethics that I create for myself.

So while being athiest doesn't make your personality, it can shape how you act.

 

[Muaethia]

gigacannon

Yeah, that's why I'm a rationalist. It's by definition the best thing to be. Rationalists seek to be enlightened and live in comfort whilst doing whatever they want with maximum efficiency. Enlightenment naturally is the path to understanding and hence knowledge, and with that knowledge everything else is obviously easier and done better.

Rationalism is the path to learning and enlightenment, and anyone who seeks to learn for its own sake is a rationalist to a lesser or greater extent. All human achievement has been a result of humans acting in a rational manner. Rationalism is badass.

I'm not proselytising, even though I don't think that's a bad thing. I'm just describing how much I love being rationalist.

I don't really know what I am.

I have never felt the presence of a God, never really even taken seriously the idea that there may be something 'above' humans- in 'heaven' or whatever. I have no need for a God in my life, and I'm happy living for the present, not the past or future (which is why I don't really learn from mistakes and have no idea of what to do when I'm older... so it's not all good).

Though I don't really like admiting it to people because it's hard to explain, and kind of wishy-washy, but I do believe in some sort of enlightenment- inspiration, of such, which will happen to me eventually. I suppose that's what keeps me motivated and keeps me going even through bad times.  

[FalseDiagnosis]

I think I'd have to say I'm a Humanistic Athiest-Agnostic.
I'd like to help out people who're living in tough situations. I'm not too concerned about whether God exists or not.
I just want to live and let live.
...or something.

 

[DivideByZero14]

I am rationalist, as giga put it. I'm also anti-theist, meaning that I stomp out the embers of a religious brushfire whenever I can. Morally, I make my own morals, b***h. (Most of them are based on efficiency and comfort--more rationalism.) Politically, I'm radically socialist, meaning I want us all to pool our resources for the common good (good news: free staples of life, bad news: big taxes). The world is as it is, will be as it will, and I intend to have a bag of Doritos and an armchair when tomorrow comes around. That's me, in a nutshell.  

[Tenth Speed Writer]

I'm peronally known to dissociate with antitheists, although I am an atheist myself. I believe there's as much of a barrier between atheist and antitheist as there is between "nice" Christian and buble thumper.  

[gigacannon]

'Antitheists' are most likely trying to help theists to dispel false notions. It's compassionate.