Why does the term "atheist" carry a negative connotation?

The term "atheist" carries a negative connotation. Preachers and their followers use it to refer to people who don't believe in God, which they see as foolish and immoral. Because they define God as good, they see that anything that is absence of God as bad. However, they fail to see it's not in the supernatural where we discern right from wrong. It's from nature where we discern right from wrong.

If we keep a healthy mind by getting the right amount of healthy food, water, sleep, and exercise, that is good because by keeping a healthy mind we are able to reason and by doing so we are able to sort that which is good and bad and make better informed decisions. This health concern is not one that comes from belief in the supernatural (although mind you, studies do show that religion leads to a longer life) but comes from discerning what's right from wrong in what we do naturally. Unfortunately, theists fail to see this. They think if by looking at nature, we fail to see the goodness that is God and we are unable to do what is right. To some, God provides an example to live by, which for many, is the only way to get through day-to-day in a healthy manner, probably because they associate God so closely with the state of good that they can't possible ever conceive being an atheist. This may also be the reason why atheists associate themselves with moral relativism and nihilism. Or maybe it's because atheists just want to be foolish and immoral.

I, for one, prefer the term "naturalist" because it includes all nontheists, not just atheists. Also, because many atheists, agnostics, and other nontheists don't believe in a soul, ghosts, or other immaterial aspects of what many people believe, it also makes it clear what their opinion on those issues are.

I, for one, prefer the term "naturalist" because it includes all nontheists, not just atheists. Also, because many atheists, agnostics, and other nontheists don't believe in a soul, ghosts, or other immaterial aspects of what many people believe, it also makes it clear what their opinion on those issues are.

Genetic_Code

The term naturalist excludes atheists who do believe in the soul and ghosts and other immaterial things though.

[QUOTE="Genetic_Code"]

I, for one, prefer the term "naturalist" because it includes all nontheists, not just atheists. Also, because many atheists, agnostics, and other nontheists don't believe in a soul, ghosts, or other immaterial aspects of what many people believe, it also makes it clear what their opinion on those issues are.

domatron23

The term naturalist excludes atheists who do believe in the soul and ghosts and other immaterial things though.

The term naturalist excludes atheists who do believe in the soul and ghosts and other immaterial things though.domatron23

That's why I like the term. I don't think spiritual or religious atheists should be associated with naturalists.

The term "atheist" carries a negative connotation. Preachers and their followers use it to refer to people who don't believe in God,Genetic_Code

which they see as foolish and immoral.Genetic_Code

[QUOTE="domatron23"]The term naturalist excludes atheists who do believe in the soul and ghosts and other immaterial things though.Genetic_Code

That's why I like the term. I don't think spiritual or religious atheists should be associated with naturalists.

Well no of course they shouldn't. But they should and must be associated with atheists because that is what thy are and so labelling a group as naturalists would in fact exclude some non-theists.

I do see where you're coming from though. I would treat an atheist that believes in ghosts and souls more or less in the same way that I would treat a theist. The label naturalist is far more specific and defining and would exclude such people that I would disagree with.

Some of them have the "if you're not with us, you're against us" approach. The bible, qur'an and book of mormon couldn't be clearer on that.

It carries such a negative connotation for the same reason Wiccan's, or at least older practitioners of "witchcraft" related practices were condemned and killed by the Church. Anything that is contrary to the ideal of the Church is seen as a very negative part of society, and should be judged and condemned by followers, despite it contradicting the basis of actual Christian doctrine.foxhound_fox

the answer to your question: atheist carries a negative connotation because religion is the status quo, and to differ from that is considered negative by most people.

and as for what i consider myself : i'm going to assume that anything paranormal, supernatural, etc. does not exist until there is conclusive proof that they do exist. 

if there is a word for that then excellent. if not then i will just keep saying that everytime someone asks me about my religion.

Because we are godless heathens.

But in all seriousness, all these labels carry negative connotations to some group of people. If someone came up to me and told me that they were christian, I wouldn't be impressed by that and I would think negatively of that aspect of them. Not in a bigoted, intolerant sort of way, but similar to how sports fans feel about each other.

For example, I'm a die hard NY Mets fan, and I have a very close friend who is a Philadelphia Phillies fan (for those who are baseball illiterate, the Mets and the Phillies are pretty big rivals), and we get in heated arguments all the time about baseball, and I do not like it one bit that he is a Phillies fan and the words "Phillies fan" carries a negative connotation for me, and my guess is that a lot of theists probably feel that way towards atheists, and I'm not upset about that at all.

You also touched on the ambiguity of these labels. Not all atheists are atheists for the same reasons, and not all atheists believe in the same thing. So the term "atheism" becomes very inaccurate. That's why I try to label myself as specifically as humanly possible, and so when someone asks what my beliefs are in relation to god and all that good stuff, I'll tell them that I'm a strong-atheistic theological non-cognitivist, and sometimes I might through in the term "anti-theist" and "secular humanist" as well. 

Because we are godless heathens.

But in all seriousness, all these labels carry negative connotations to some group of people. If someone came up to me and told me that they were christian, I wouldn't be impressed by that and I would think negatively of that aspect of them. Not in a bigoted, intolerant sort of way, but similar to how sports fans feel about each other.

For example, I'm a die hard NY Mets fan, and I have a very close friend who is a Philadelphia Phillies fan (for those who are baseball illiterate, the Mets and the Phillies are pretty big rivals), and we get in heated arguments all the time about baseball, and I do not like it one bit that he is a Phillies fan and the words "Phillies fan" carries a negative connotation for me, and my guess is that a lot of theists probably feel that way towards atheists, and I'm not upset about that at all.

You also touched on the ambiguity of these labels. Not all atheists are atheists for the same reasons, and not all atheists believe in the same thing. So the term "atheism" becomes very inaccurate. That's why I try to label myself as specifically as humanly possible, and so when someone asks what my beliefs are in relation to god and all that good stuff, I'll tell them that I'm a strong-atheistic theological non-cognitivist, and sometimes I might through in the term "anti-theist" and "secular humanist" as well. 

-Sun_Tzu-

That's an excellent metaphor regarding baseball. I have a confession to make. For some strange reason, I'm attracted to females who call themselves Christian. It's probably because I've had good experiences with Christian females. However, I associate negative traits with Christian males, which is hypocritical of me to criticize them. I find that they're overtly aggressive with their religion whereas females are more concerned with being passionate about their religion. I'm more inclined to debate Christian males and socialize as to the extent my socializing goes with Christian females. This isn't an exact science, since not all Christian males pursue evangelizing and there are Christian females are just as bad, but my general experience.

Even though atheists tend to be men, the men on both sides of the debate seem to be stubborn and unwilling to accept each other's differences, whereas females are very tolerant of each other for the most part. Men accept more radical aspects of belief whereas women pursue moderation, or at least that has been the case in my experiences. 

"The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one." -Psalm 14:1-3

When the religious founders had this much respect for atheists what do you expect of the followers?

Btw gabu you once asked where jesus said that atheists are fools, well there you have it.

"The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one." -Psalm 14:1-3

When the religious founders had this much respect for atheists what do you expect of the followers?

Btw gabu you once asked where jesus said that atheists are fools, well there you have it.

Gambler_3

Um, the Psalms are in the Old Testament. The teachings of Jesus are in the New Testament. So he never said that particular quote. :)ChiliDragon

The teachings of Jesus include the Old Testament, since he affirmed it.

Btw gabu you once asked where jesus said that atheists are fools, well there you have it.

Gambler_3

I'm fairly sure that Jesus did not write the book of Psalms, so... yeah.  As I noted before, Jesus is said to have said at one point in time that almost the entire Old Testament could be summarized by the golden rule.  It seems rather clear to me that he did not treat the text as though one ought to parse every single word with a fine-toothed comb.

To be perfectly honest, I get the sense that you really want to believe that Jesus would have spurned and rebuked you, so I really do not think there is anything I can say that could convince you otherwise.  If you are that willing to jump on a single verse in the Old Testament that Jesus never quoted or made any reference to, while discarding the record of Jesus' entire life in which he constantly rebelled against the religious establishment and welcomed sinners and outcasts of all stripes with open arms, then I do not imagine I could ever hope to move you.

[QUOTE="ChiliDragon"]Um, the Psalms are in the Old Testament. The teachings of Jesus are in the New Testament. So he never said that particular quote. :)Genetic_Code

The teachings of Jesus include the Old Testament, since he affirmed it.

In what way did Jesus affirm it is okay for his followers to despise their fellow man? That's really not how I interpret the order he's given us to pray for our enemies and forgive those who persecute us. ChiliDragon

Yeah, you're right. Jesus never said that the entire Old Testament must be trusted, even though the Old Testament prophesied of him. I've never heard of any biblical evidence of that being the case.

However, we atheists are not your enemies and we are not persecuting you, or at least I'm not.

However, we atheists are not your enemies and we are not persecuting you, or at least I'm not.

Genetic_Code

[QUOTE="Gambler_3"]

Btw gabu you once asked where jesus said that atheists are fools, well there you have it.

GabuEx

I'm fairly sure that Jesus did not write the book of Psalms, so... yeah.  As I noted before, Jesus is said to have said at one point in time that almost the entire Old Testament could be summarized by the golden rule.  It seems rather clear to me that he did not treat the text as though one ought to parse every single word with a fine-toothed comb.

To be perfectly honest, I get the sense that you really want to believe that Jesus would have spurned and rebuked you, so I really do not think there is anything I can say that could convince you otherwise.  If you are that willing to jump on a single verse in the Old Testament that Jesus never quoted or made any reference to, while discarding the record of Jesus' entire life in which he constantly rebelled against the religious establishment and welcomed sinners and outcasts of all stripes with open arms, then I do not imagine I could ever hope to move you.

It is your assumption, as far as I am concerned one should oppose a text as strongly as possible which contains such foul and vile talk. Just because there are contradictions doesnt mean that we start to choose and pick. People take the bible very seriously unlike normal books so things which promote hatred shouldnt be tolerated at any cost.

Jesus is a part of god and since god wrote the OT, jesus wrote the OT.Gambler_3

Jesus is a part of god and since god wrote the OT, jesus wrote the OT.Gambler_3

...In mainstream Christian doctrine, yes.  As is illustrated in detail in this thread, I am not a mainstream Christian.

It is your assumption, as far as I am concerned one should oppose a text as strongly as possible which contains such foul and vile talk. Just because there are contradictions doesnt mean that we start to choose and pick. People take the bible very seriously unlike normal books so things which promote hatred shouldnt be tolerated at any cost.

Gambler_3

"The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.  Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever."

-Psalm 23

"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

-Matthew 5:38-48

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

"Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

-1 Corinthians 13

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

"We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

"God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

"We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, 'I love God,' yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother."

-1 John 4:7-21

It is very easy to appraise the worth and virtue of the entire Bible based on a few excerpts from it that affirm one's preconceived view of it.  It is also the case, however, that the ease with which an action may be performed is generally inversely proportional to the extent to which it produces a truly satisfying and meaningful result.  The Bible is one of the largest texts in the world; one cannot hope to even remotely understand it let alone have one's words regarding it do it justice if all that one is willing to do is to find a few choice verses from it that were likely taken from anti-Christian websites.

I dont think I was judging jesus from any other point of view when I said that he called atheists fools. 

And I have said this before, just because the bible says good things doesnt mean that the bad things dont exist all of a sudden. And what about anti-christian sites? They dont normally post "wrong" verses so it doesnt matter if they are biased or not...

Depends on the people who say it. Here in Denmark, in the urban areas the term "Christian" carries an almost negative connotation, but not quite. It is still a part of our culture, but real Christians are a small minority and most people are either completely atheist or cultural Christians (participating in a few ceremonies and traditions like Christmas and Easter, and they only go to church on these occasions)  Most people are skeptical when it comes to religion. I guess it comes with the cold, rational nature of the people. 

As to another term. I tend to call myself a cold materialist. Implying that I do not believe in any such thing as a soul or any higher power other than the laws of physics. 

Depends on the people who say it. Here in Denmark, in the urban areas the term "Christian" carries an almost negative connotation, but not quite. It is still a part of our culture, but real Christians are a small minority and most people are either completely atheist or cultural Christians (participating in a few ceremonies and traditions like Christmas and Easter, and they only go to church on these occasions)  Most people are skeptical when it comes to religion. I guess it comes with the cold, rational nature of the people.

Steingrimur

As to another term. I tend to call myself a cold materialist. Implying that I do not believe in any such thing as a soul or any higher power other than the laws of physics. 

Steingrimur

Does the "cold" prefix distinguish it from regular (metaphysical) materialism in any way?

[QUOTE="Steingrimur"]

As to another term. I tend to call myself a cold materialist. Implying that I do not believe in any such thing as a soul or any higher power other than the laws of physics. 

domatron23

Does the "cold" prefix distinguish it from regular (metaphysical) materialism in any way?