Is there a general-usage Atheist symbol?

[Viet Minh]

I can't find one. Or rather, I find lots, but there's no common consensus.

[B5C]

This:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FHES2ilXMFg/TFcVMSPCD7I/AAAAAAAAAeo/OHw6YQk7hNk/s1600/atheist.jpg

Most Atheist groups use the "A."

It's from Dawkin's Out Campaign:
http://outcampaign.org/

[Omsk]

Maybe this one?It is the one i saw most.
http://justinsomnia.org/images/atheism-atom-symbol.jpg

[Who?]

We don't need a symbol.

[Viet Minh]

We don't need a symbol.

symbols can create their own problems, and of course are open to abuse or misrepresentation, but in parts of America for example, where Religious symbology is widespread, I think its important to show the presence of Atheism as well, although thats open to debate I suppose.

[Revolution starts with U]

The United Atheist Alliance stands against the Allied Atheist League's use of the atomic A! Death to the wrong non-believers!!!!

(As one poster said; we don't need a ******ing symbol)

[Tim Finnegan]

We don't need a symbol.
Which is really the most accurate symbol we could have.

[Kuppo Shakur]

http://heretic666.webs.com/InvertedCrossSkull.gif

[Viet Minh]

http://heretic666.webs.com/InvertedCrossSkull.gif

Satanism =/= Atheism, but still, nice trolling material! :D

[NGNM85]

I've always been fond of this one...

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y128/thyleetonesyn/nogod_nomasters_anarchismcopy.jpg

...or, some permutation, thereof.

[ComradeMan]

http://decoy.iki.fi/atheist/pictures/atheism4

Here's an article that discusses this issue:-

http://decoy.iki.fi/atheist/no-ghost-c-06

[Vampire Lobster]

http://iconsoffright.com/news/ghostbusters_logo.jpg

[Viet Minh]

http://decoy.iki.fi/atheist/pictures/atheism4

Here's an article that discusses this issue:-

http://decoy.iki.fi/atheist/no-ghost-c-06

Funnily enough that's the article I was reading yesterday! That symbol, as they say, is too limited to the Creationism/ Evolution debate, but still awesome, if I had a car it would be on the bumper! :D

I was messing around with the idea of a humanist symbol, and designed this flag based on the carbon molecule.
http://i54.tinypic.com/11kb7nn.png

There are 2 problems with it though, 1. it looks a bit like a swastika, albeit in reverse, or certain other religious/ spiritual symbols, and 2. it could be offensive to silicone-based lifeforms, who probably have the power to destroy earth.

[Revolution starts with U]

If you're going to shy away from every spiral because it looks like a swastika, you're not gona get very far in symbology :lol:

[hatzel]

If you're going to shy away from every spiral because it looks like a swastika, you're not gona get very far in symbology :lol:

Oh, you're such a Raëlian...


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f8/Raelian_symbols.svg

[Revolution starts with U]

Aren't those the guys that think YHWH is an alien and the third temple will be a space port?

Makes more sense than the Bible's mainstream interpretation, that's for sure :lol:

[ComradeMan]

Aren't those the guys that think YHWH is an alien and the third temple will be a space port?

Makes more sense than the Bible's mainstream interpretation, that's for sure :lol:

The Bible's mainstream interpretation is generally a lot of nonsense- you have to go deep....

[hatzel]

Aren't those the guys that think YHWH is an alien and the third temple will be a space port?

Almost. They claim that Elohim are a race of aliens. Not just one single alien. And not with that name :)

[Tablo]

Militant atheism is such a joke. To properly answer the op I've most seen the Darwin fish and the A.

[ʇsıɥɔɹɐuɐ ıɯɐbıɹo]

I've seen the molecule one before but it's not really an accurate model of atomic stuff anymore I hear.

[Aloysius]

Militant atheism is such a joke.
Militant religion is, too.

[hatzel]

And militant militancy...

[Tim Finnegan]

And militant militancy...
Not as bad as militant anti-militancy.

[ComradeMan]

Not as bad as militant anti-militancy.

What about para-militancy?

Fuck the neo-militants too... and as for those anarcho-cap-vegan-anti-theist militant anti-militants- don't get me started....

All extremists should be shot. :lol:

[Viet Minh]

What about para-militancy?

Fuck the neo-militants too... and as for those anarcho-cap-vegan-anti-theist militant anti-militants- don't get me started....

All extremists should be shot. :lol:

Zero Tolerance for intolerance!

[ComradeMan]

Zero Tolerance for intolerance!

Don't you think that's a bit intolerant? :lol:

Seriously however, "tolerance" is one of those words that really irritates me. It's not a good thing per se to be tolerant- tolerant fundamentally implies that you don't like something but you are not overtly hostile to it. When all of these politicians use the word tolerant as in "We live in a tolerant society etc..." What are are they really saying? "We live in a society in which people dislike each other but are not overtly hostile.":thumbup1:

It's a very misused word in my opinon.

[Viet Minh]

Don't you think that's a bit intolerant? :lol:

Seriously however, "tolerance" is one of those words that really irritates me. It's not a good thing per se to be tolerant- tolerant fundamentally implies that you don't like something but you are not overtly hostile to it. When all of these politicians use the word tolerant as in "We live in a tolerant society etc..." What are are they really saying? "We live in a society in which people dislike each other but are not overtly hostile.":thumbup1:

It's a very misused word in my opinon.

Truth! I hadn't really thought of it that way. Its absurd to say 'I am tolerant of minorities' (for example) like they are a personal burden to you or something. This is a bit off topic now but another thing that irritates me is people using the term 'retard'. I actually had someone call me a bigot and a 'retarded faggot' in the same sentence one time. My dad works with disabled people and some of them have absolutely shit lives. They are constantly demeaned and humiliated, have little ability to defend themselves intellectually or physically, and are vulnerable to all kinds of prejudice even hatred. Yet I hear the term 'retard' (which is as offensive as homophobic or racial slurs in my opinion) a lot in mainstream media.
But yeah, thanks society for tolerating these people, sorry for the inconvenience! :thumbup:

/Rant

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

"Militant" is such a hyperbolic term for what is actually outspoken atheism. Exactly how militant is writing books and giving speeches?

[hatzel]

I don't even know what militant means...:confused:

...except for when the military are involved, then I know! :thumbup1:

[NGNM85]

All this stuff about 'militant Atheism' is total horseshit. It's merely a transparent attempt to insulate religion from the same standards of discussion as everything else, from science to sports.

[#FF0000]

All this stuff about 'militant Atheism' is total horseshit. It's merely a transparent attempt to insulate religion from the same standards of discussion as everything else, from science to sports.

It's a way of letting some people know that they are smug and self righteous idiots, I think.

[NGNM85]

It's a way of letting some people know that they are smug and self righteous idiots, I think.

This is completely bogus. These rules don't apply to any other subject, listen to sports radio, or just observe the kind of political debate that goes on in this forum, but one absolutely cannot, under any circumstances, criticize religion or hold religious people to the same standards as we would for every other subject. Rerligious people can spout the most insane nonsense and we just have to stand hopelessly mute. It's an obscene double-standard.

[MarxSchmarx]

http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/images/gfy_tot3.gif

[#FF0000]

This is completely bogus. These rules don't apply to any other subject, listen to sports radio, or just observe the kind of political debate that goes on in this forum, but one absolutely cannot, under any circumstances, criticize religion or hold religious people to the same standards as we would for every other subject. Rerligious people can spout the most insane nonsense and we just have to stand hopelessly mute. It's an obscene double-standard.

Except it is not like talking about sports or politics.

Speaking to someone who is religious is like speaking to a baby and engaging that child in debate. It is easy. Literally anyone can best a baby in discussion because it is a baby.

Militant Atheists are people who argue with children with their hyper-enlightened, millenia old arguments they saw regurgitated by Richard Dawkins who gets tons of cashbux for saying things that were said better by more intelligent people before him. They do this, and then think themselves to be the very paragon of reason and enlightenment when all they are doing is beating dead horses, going for the low-hanging fruit, taking candy from children.

Religion is stupid. I hate religion. When the revolution comes, they can shoot the priests and burn the churches for all I care. But with that said, so long as someone understands that their dumb religion is 100% about faith and has absolutely nothing to do with logic, reason, facts, or anything like that, then who cares. Believing in God is dumb, but it isn't the worst thing in the world.

Being a militant atheist is

[#FF0000]

This is completely bogus. These rules don't apply to any other subject, listen to sports radio, or just observe the kind of political debate that goes on in this forum, but one absolutely cannot, under any circumstances, criticize religion or hold religious people to the same standards as we would for every other subject. Rerligious people can spout the most insane nonsense and we just have to stand hopelessly mute. It's an obscene double-standard.

btw you can criticize religion without being a smug and self righteous idiot. a lot of people don't understand how for some reason

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

Except it is not like talking about sports or politics.

Speaking to someone who is religious is like speaking to a baby and engaging that child in debate. It is easy. Literally anyone can best a baby in discussion because it is a baby.

It's hardly our fault that most believers couldn't debate their way out of a wet paper bag. If people widely hold to concepts about the reality that we live in, that they are unable or unwilling to defend, then that's a strike against religion for discouraging the use of one's critical faculties, not the criticism of religion which encourages it.


Militant Atheists are people who argue with children with their hyper-enlightened, millenia old arguments they saw regurgitated by Richard Dawkins who gets tons of cashbux for saying things that were said better by more intelligent people before him.

How exactly is the age of an argument relevant here, or the fact that enough people find it worthwhile to part with their cash to hear them?


They do this, and then think themselves to be the very paragon of reason and enlightenment when all they are doing is beating dead horses, going for the low-hanging fruit, taking candy from children.

Like I said, you can hardly blame us for the quality of our opposite numbers. Maybe the fact that the vast majority of believers cannot even defend their own beliefs coherently should tell you something.


Religion is stupid. I hate religion. When the revolution comes, they can shoot the priests and burn the churches for all I care. But with that said, so long as someone understands that their dumb religion is 100% about faith and has absolutely nothing to do with logic, reason, facts, or anything like that, then who cares. Believing in God is dumb, but it isn't the worst thing in the world.

Being a militant atheist is

In what kind of bizarro world is being outspoken about one's atheism, and being a partisan public advocate of non-belief, any worse than the whole litany of horrors perpetuated in the name of belief?

[Blackscare]

I don't see how anyone can really whine about attacking the 'faithful' as if they're somehow out of bounds because of how stupid and illogical they are. Are you forgetting that they are some of the most *monumentally* condescending people on the planet?


I'm supposed to take all their smug comments and self-righteous bullshit and I can't say anything back? Maybe some of you don't have to deal with that, and that's good, but I do and lots of people do. I don't go out of my way to attack them but when they come at me trying to shove jesus pamphlets in my hand you can be damn sure I'm going to humiliate them.

[#FF0000]

I don't see how anyone can really whine about attacking the 'faithful' as if they're somehow out of bounds because of how stupid and illogical they are. Are you forgetting that they are some of the most *monumentally* condescending people on the planet?


I'm supposed to take all their smug comments and self-righteous bullshit and I can't say anything back? Maybe some of you don't have to deal with that, and that's good, but I do and lots of people do. I don't go out of my way to attack them but when they come at me trying to shove jesus pamphlets in my hand you can be damn sure I'm going to humiliate them.

Oh, yeah do it up. I've got no problem with this.

I guess I am talking about a different kind of person, since when I think of a "militant atheist", I think of people who I know who are really insufferable and just mean to people who are otherwise kind and intelligent but have some religious belief that they just sort of keep to themselves, or who are try-hards that are dumb as rocks but think being an atheist makes them a profound intellect or something.

[Thug Lessons]

As a smug militant Dawkins atheist, I'd like to say that God isn't real and all religions are fairy tales. Deal with it.

[Tim Finnegan]

As a smug militant Dawkins atheist, I'd like to say that God isn't real and all religions are fairy tales. Deal with it.
So you're willing to throw out all scholarly understanding of religious beliefs and mythologies in favour of a trite rhetorical point? Some "rationalist"! :p

[Thug Lessons]

So you're willing to throw out all scholarly understanding of religious beliefs and mythologies in favour of a trite rhetorical point? Some "rationalist"! :p

Hail Satan.

[Viet Minh]

To me a militant or extremist is someone who pushes their beliefs onto someone else, that can include atheists as well. There's a grey area, it sits somewhere between calling a religious fanatic a self-important deluded asshat, and hitting them in the face, which I've come to realise is probably wrong. Btw there's agnosticism and religion, atheism falls into the latter category.. :p

[Tablo]

To me a militant or extremist is someone who pushes their beliefs onto someone else, that can include atheists as well. There's a grey area, it sits somewhere between calling a religious fanatic a self-important deluded asshat, and hitting them in the face, which I've come to realise is probably wrong. Btw there's agnosticism and religion, atheism falls into the latter category.. :p
I agree that it is militant when one is forcing their belief on another. Campaigning for atheism itself makes me think of crusaders. My first political activity was militant atheist bs and I'm kind of ashamed of it now. Also, pretty much everything is technically a religion. The definition of religion is soooo broad. Most atheists are agnostic atheists, as in they don't believe in god, but they don't adamantly believe there is not a god. It is impossible to if there really is a god. Also I don't know how one would even define god.

[Pretty Flaco]

Militant atheists are more annoying than militant libertarians.

[#FF0000]

Militant atheists are more annoying than militant libertarians.

There is such an overlap sometimes that it's really difficult to tell which is worse.

p.s. it is the latter

[Tablo]

There is such an overlap sometimes that it's really difficult to tell which is worse.

p.s. it is the latter
There really is an overlap! I used to be a militant atheist libertarian! :lol:

[Revolution starts with U]

Yep. Deal with it. ;)

[Revolution starts with U]

Ignosticism wins everytime. Agnosticism is merely a cop-out. The only rational position to take in the God argument is to treat the word "god" as an absurdity regarding the natural world.

God is the unknowable. She is useless.

[hatzel]

Ignosticism wins everytime. Agnosticism is merely a cop-out. The only rational position to take in the God argument is to treat the word "god" as an absurdity regarding the natural world.

God is the unknowable. She is useless.

Militant ignosticism here, clearly...:rolleyes:

[Viet Minh]

Ignosticism wins everytime. Agnosticism is merely a cop-out. The only rational position to take in the God argument is to treat the word "god" as an absurdity regarding the natural world.

God is the unknowable. She is useless.

Agnosticism is definately a cop out, that's the beauty!
Ignosticism is an interesting position, but it seems to miss the point a bit. To my understanding the term Agnostic does cover everything unknowable, or not. In fact it pretty much covers anything we can't define, or prove, or know. Which is most stuff, so it suits me!

Stop me before I say 'known unknowns' :lol:

[Viet Minh]

Militant ignosticism here, clearly...:rolleyes:

Hey I'm Agnostic, I'm not saying for sure either way..

[Revolution starts with U]

Ignosticism posits that even if God does exist it is impossible to verify its purpose or act upon in it in the physical world (useless at making predictions). It is not needed for anything else than a personal motivation.

I'm willing to admit that a God may exist. Ignosticism differs from atheism in that it gives no credence to God/no God from the start. Personally I view "God" as the "everything" and that it is in no way a personal God. But it has no use in science or philosophy other than a cop-out.

[Pretty Flaco]

I don't think there is a god, I wouldn't care if there was one, and it doesn't concern me if people wish to believe in one.

[Viet Minh]

I don't think there is a god, I wouldn't care if there was one, and it doesn't concern me if people wish to believe in one.

I try my best to be atheist, but I find myself cursing God for stupid shit. So I suppose I am an anti-theist in the truest sense of the word. Thats another reason Atheism could be seen as a religion, you do need some kind of faith. I just wish there was an Atheist Church I could go to and re-affirm that faith!

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

You know, if you make the definition vague enough then almost anything can be a religion. Problem is, that then makes the word almost completely useless at the same time.

Certain philosophies, life stances and ideologies may have some qualities that they share with religions - for example, intense devotion to fundamental principles, ritual and ceremony, and a canon of literature.

However, the similarities are not as important as the differences. What makes religions different from the rest are the supernatural and moral claims about the universe that are either unverifiable or untrue given our current knowledge. A common one is "God created the universe". Combine this with the concept of faith - belief without evidence, in some cases it seems belief despite evidence otherwise - and it should not be too hard to work out why religions are especially dangerous.

[ComradeMan]

As a smug militant Dawkins atheist, I'd like to say that God isn't real and all religions are fairy tales. Deal with it.

Dawkins....:laugh: