This is interesting. As Matt has pointed out, the only way to change public perception is through consciousness raising. This is why I also do not hesitate to let people know I am an atheist in a positive manner.

This week I was on a call (I'm a Patrol Sgt.) assisting a man with a domestic issue. I was waiting for another office to obtain some information from the station, so there was a few minutes where we were just making small talk. The man asked me, "So, are you a Christian?" I told him I was not. He had a puzzled look for a moment, then said, "Oh, you are a Catholic then?"

Now this reminds me of a line from a movie..."We have both kinds of music here, Country...AND Western!"

In this man's mind the only two options were to be a Christian (protestent) or a Catholic. Hell, I didn't know I was in Belfast. I told him I was not a Catholic either. He raised his voice and replied, "Well, your not an Atheist! in an extremely negative tone" I told him I was. He kind of squinted a bit studying me for just a moment, then laughed a bit and said, "No, you are what do they call it...Agnostic?" I told him I am indeed an Atheist. He started to witness to me about how finding Jesus made him a better person. I stopped him and told him, need not believe in supernatural beings to be a moral upright citizen.

I laughed silently to myself as the moments ticked by with this man looking deflated, and not knowing what to talk about next. After a long silent 60 or more seconds went by I let him off the hook and changed the topic to the weather. The man was thankful for my help and I seized on the opprotunity to show his children my patrol car and allow them to turn on the lights and siren. I tried to make the encounter as positive as possible to reinforce his realization that there are secular individuals in all walks of life, who are positive role models for his children. Hopefully he thinks again before assuming everyone is of his faith, or that and Atheist is something negative or evil.

As defined in Wikipedia...

The term atheism originated from the Greek ἄθεος (atheos), meaning "without gods", which was applied with a negative connotation to those thought to reject the gods worshiped by the larger society. With the spread of freethought, skeptical inquiry, and subsequent increase in criticism of religion, application of the term narrowed in scope. The first individuals to identify themselves as "atheist" appeared in the 18th century.[7]

Today, about 2.3% of the world's population describes itself as atheist, while a further 11.9% is described as nonreligious.[8] Between 64% and 65% of Japanese describe themselves as atheists, agnostics, or non-believers.[9] In European countries the estimated percentage of atheists and other non-believers ranges as low as single digits in Poland, Romania, Cyprus, and some other countries,[10] and up to 85% in Sweden, 80% in Denmark, 72% in Norway, and 60% in Finland.[9]


As defined in Wikipedia...

Freethought is a philosophical viewpoint that holds that opinions should be formed on the basis of science, logic, and reason, and should not be influenced by authority, tradition, or any dogma.[1] The cognitive application of freethought is known as freethinking, and practitioners of freethought are known as freethinkers.[2]

Freethought holds that individuals should neither accept nor reject ideas proposed as truth without recourse to knowledge and reason. Thus, freethinkers strive to build their opinions on the basis of facts, scientific inquiry, and logical principles, independent of any logical fallacies or the intellectually-limiting effects of authority, confirmation bias, cognitive bias, conventional wisdom, popular culture, prejudice, sectarianism, tradition, urban legend, and all other dogmatic or otherwise fallacious principles. Applied to religion, freethinkers have generally held that there is insufficient evidence to support the existence of supernatural phenomena.

I for one like to describe myself as a person with philosophical viewpoints based on science, logic and reason. The term free thinker came to be after the study of scientific thought was developed.

The word atheist was handed down by an ancient majority describing an ancient minority.

Embracing the word atheist today potentially drags one back to the negative meaning where it came from, which isn't much different than embracing the meaning of words in ancient books of worship and applying them today.

John F. Kennedy once said, "The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie, deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, persuasive and unrealistic."

Economically: Religion is a trillion dollar industry - taking all of it into account. Of course atheism is more of a threat - look what is at stake! (Not to mention the tax right-offs)!

Socioeconomically: Napolean Bonaparte said, "Religion keeps the poor from murdering the rich". And we're all familiar with the Marxist statement [rephrased], "Religion is the opiate of the masses". If the economically-oppressed didn't have "the better place" to look forward to, they may become weary of the injustices and demand restitution. How easy is it to quell the imbittered with tales of a mansion in the sky while looking down on your oppressor in hell.

Politically: What better reason to dominate the planet than to let that world know that one country is better than another because their nation has been ordained by god? The middle east has been fighting over whose nation has the rightful place in god's eyes for centuries - some say since the days of Jacob and Esau.

Socially: Unfortunately for John Lennon and like-minded persons, no one can imagine living in peace as brothers on this planet. Only in anthropology literature can one read of egalitarian societies from long ago that shared everything they had with one another. And yes - I am aware that there were heavy spiritual emphasis in most societies - but an interesting phenomenon has taken place in recent history. It seems that the more populated our space - the lonlier we become. (Isn't that strange?) But I digress...
People are comfortable in clubs, groups, families, etc. Maslow's Hierarchy of Motivation of Needs Chart is a prime example. The sense of belonging is a very strong motivator in human behavior.

Humans have this innate "need to know", and if they don't know, then they'll make something up. Ergo - God

...that's just what I think anyway

This is an interesting discussion. I have found that in Kansas, I prefer to describe myself as a "Secular Scientist". It does not seem to get the angry response that labeling oneself Atheist does. I just tend to focus on fact, not fantasy.

I for one like to describe myself as a person with philosophical viewpoints based on science, logic and reason. The term free thinker came to be after the study of scientific thought was developed.

I think most of us could apply the term "freethinker" to ourselves. I'm certainly not against using multiple labels, as long as they all fit.

The word atheist was handed down by an ancient majority describing an ancient minority.

Embracing the word atheist today potentially drags one back to the negative meaning where it came from, which isn't much different than embracing the meaning of words in ancient books of worship and applying them today.

It's true that "atheist" was originally a pejorative term, applied to people who didn't believe in the "right" gods. That's an archaic meaning, though. I have yet to hear of anyone at all who thought I believed in gods - just not the right ones - and I've told hundreds, perhaps thousands of people that I'm an atheist. So I don't think we're in any danger at all of having the original meaning applied to us.

By far, the most common response from theists is along the lines of, "So you don't believe in God?" It never even occurs to those people that there are deity options other than the Xian god. I take the opportunity to clarify: "It means I don't believe in the Bible god, or any other gods." And that's that. Minor problem solved.

The second most common response is, "So you don't believe in anything?" That misunderstanding is also easily corrected: "I believe in lots of things - people, stars, anything I can actually see - just not any gods." Again, minor problem solved. No need to avoid the issue.

"The second most common response is, "So you don't believe in anything?" That misunderstanding is also easily corrected: "I believe in lots of things - people, stars, anything I can actually see - just not any gods." Again, minor problem solved. No need to avoid the issue."


I find it easier to point to my lack of belief in the supernatural. Most all gods have some sorta supernatural aspects attributed to them. I can see the totem pole that is a god to them, but I may not agree that the carved wood or stone is responsible for the rain or the fish in the sea or any other natural phenomenon that the totem causes.

A few years ago, some people at the message board I moderate wrote to the editors of the American Heritage dictionary. The dictionary entry for "atheist" included a definition of "godless, immoral". The editors wrote back and said they would remove that definition in the next edition. That's a win, in my book.