tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523972779869011604.post6014894652087920070..comments2023-03-22T04:16:51.489-04:00Comments on With A "U": Book: Against All Gods by A.C. GraylingLaurencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12398997835970276333noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523972779869011604.post-89920471600136819902011-05-27T10:32:14.055-04:002011-05-27T10:32:14.055-04:00One of my friends used to use the word "nonth...One of my friends used to use the word "nontheist" to describe his beliefs that were such: "I don't know if God exists and I don't think it matters," which I think lies somewhere between atheism and noncognitivism. This has become, essentially, my own belief about the whole ordeal. <br /><br />Atheism, in my mind, has taken on militant connotations. "Strong atheists" are as offensive to me as the "extremely devout Christians." Why? Because I don't want to hear either talk about how the world is against them. Personally, looking for and finding an affront to one's beliefs (that oftentimes has no actual impact on the lives of the actual affronted) is not only highly annoying, but detrimental to one's overall well-being. <br /><br />Maybe it's the whole "a-" prefix that is responsible for this mindset as well as the militant demeanor of some atheists. To call yourself an "atheist," you must be "a-" or "against" or "without." Neither of those words have a positive connotation. <br /><br />For the above reasons and the associated uncomfortable feeling that I have as, essentially, an atheist who doesn't want to associate with the word "atheism," I would welcome a switch to "Naturalism." For purely semantic reasons, the idea of a "militant naturalist" just seems counterintuitive.Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08382671876645463216noreply@blogger.com