Atheist Userbar

[Prodigal]

I have seen a number of atheist userbars on this forum. Most are fine, but one in particular has a cross which is red marked out. The first time I saw it, I laughed. I think it shows the very character of the people bearing it. They aren't atheists, they're anti-Christians. To them, Christianity is religion and that is them rebelling against it. That one is all about rebelling against the society they were raised in. News flash: Christianity isn't the only religion in the world.

Has anybody else noticed this, and what are your thoughts?

EDIT:

[Don in the North]

christianity is the mainstream religion on this board, so it would be logical to think that their message is being portrayed to their counterparts by that cross crossed out.
could probably add a waning moon and bright start crossed out, and a star of david but that hardly makes the userbar informal. furthermore, its one artists' conception, there are a number of atheist userbars out and about

p.s, your sig is against rules, you have to quote with a proper link so people can see the original post in its full form by clicking on it

[DekuTrash]

I've always seen (X) userbars as, Ah-Ha! I am a Christian!.....Ah-Ha! I am a Atheist! And so on.

[cfmonkey45]

Btw, it's atheist, not athiest.


Yes, I've seen that particular userbar, but its not horribly wrong because Christianity is the predominant religion in the West. But this is culture-specific. By rejecting Christianity in the West, they are rejecting the advances of evangelists, specifically on forums such as these. Ironically, I see your point. But then again, if it were the same, but with a Star of David, it would be anti-semitic, and with a Crescent, it would be either racist or intolerant of Muslims, particularly Arabs and those within the Middle-East.

[Prodigal]

Ironically, I see your point. But then again, if it were the same, but with a Star of David, it would be anti-semitic, and with a Crescent, it would be either racist or intolerant of Muslims, particularly Arabs and those within the Middle-East.

So wouldn't it be anti-Christian to have a cross?

[Pious Agnost]

I think it would show that the maker of the userbar is Anti-Christian, perhaps.

I don't think the people bearing it are too fussy, it says Atheist on it and I don't think they read into it as much as you did.

[Fiyenyaa]

I have seen a number of atheist userbars on this forum. Most are fine, but one in particular has a cross which is red marked out. The first time I saw it, I laughed. I think it shows the very character of the people bearing it. They aren't atheists, they're anti-Christians. To them, Christianity is religion and that is them rebelling against it. That one is all about rebelling against the society they were raised in. News flash: Christianity isn't the only religion in the world.

Has anybody else noticed this, and what are your thoughts?

EDIT:

That was the userbar I was using until a couple of minutes ago. Now, I think you may be overly upset over this, but you make a good point. Even though atheism is a negative position, it shouldn't always be represented as something that is always anti-something (even though it is technically just a lack of belief in gods) - so I've chosen a more positive userbar. Thanks.

I don't think the people bearing it are too fussy, it says Atheist on it and I don't think they read into it as much as you did.

That was why I chose it - but there are probably Christians who will take a look at it and instantly dismiss the person as a rebellious teenager-type who hasn't thought through his positon, whilst a more neutral userbar may not inspire such a knee-jerk reaction. Positive framing has something to it, I guess.

[G-Megas-Doux]

The user bar that specificly targets one relgion is a mochery of any atheist lack of belief.

I had a conversation with SigniferOne about atheism. He said that what unites Atheists is a rejection of Christianity. I said that atheists were not united and that their was a lack of belief in all religious considerations known or unknown. I said that atheists were not united they just did not believe.

However clearly that person must be a fan of hate to specificly target a group like that. I personally feel that if you dont believe in an religous theories and want to publise it just type in your signiture the words. "I do not believe any religous theory of any denomination as yet known or unknown to myself." Much simpiler and more encompasing.

Edit:

Fiyenyaa, good on you deciding to be responsible to yourself and your beliefs by trying to be clear as to what they are.

[Prodigal]

That was the userbar I was using until a couple of minutes ago. Now, I think you may be overly upset over this, but you make a good point. Even though atheism is a negative position, it shouldn't always be represented as something that is always anti-something (even though it is technically just a lack of belief in gods) - so I've chosen a more positive userbar. Thanks.

I don't want anyone to think I dislike atheists, because I can totally see where they are coming from. What I do dislike is rebellious teenagers who know near nothing. If you arrived to your conclusion through thought and contemplation, then I can sympathize, because I myself have gone through much contemplation and have considered many religions, as well as not having a religion.

[Habelo]

I don't want anyone to think I dislike atheists, because I can totally see where they are coming from. What I do dislike is rebellious teenagers who know near nothing. If you arrived to your conclusion through thought and contemplation, then I can sympathize, because I myself have gone through much contemplation and have considered many religions, as well as not having a religion.

So a teenages cant be smarter then you cause he dont believe in dudes walking on water?

[Taiji]

Kaitsar, I agree. Atheism has nothing to do with Christianity and vice versa.

[Manco]

Userbars are popular with the tween crowd, the same crowd that likes to be radical and rebellious without necessarily knowing what they're talking about.
I wouldn't be surprised if the maker of the userbar belongs to that crowd and didn't know the difference between atheism and antitheism.

Nothing more to it I think.

[Fiyenyaa]

Userbars are popular with the tween crowd, the same crowd that likes to be radical and rebellious without necessarily knowing what they're talking about.
I wouldn't be surprised if the maker of the userbar belongs to that crowd and didn't know the difference between atheism and antitheism.

Nothing more to it I think.

You do realise that "tween" is commonly used to refer to 11-13 year-old kids, right?
The reason I use userbars is because I embrace certain labels that apply to me, and want to let people know about them. As for being "rebellious" without knowing what I'm talking about - well, I guess several years of optional religious education tought me nothing.

By his terms an atheist was anti, so I used his terms. By my terms, an atheist is a lack of, not anti. That's what this entire thread was about.

Atheism is the lack of belief in god. It's a negative position regarding the claim of theism. It is not inherently anti, however. I am only anti-theist on a case-by-case basis.

[jankren]

It wouldnt make sense if they were anti-Hinduism if they werent even of Hindu background.

[Tiberius Tosi]

It wouldnt make sense if they were anti-Hinduism if they werent even of Hindu background.

Why?

I can be anti-nazi and not have been a nazi at one point, why can't I be anti-hindu without having been hindu. Or am I reading what you said incorrectly?

Anyways as for the userbar, I think it speaks greatly of how a lot of "atheists" are not actually atheists, but anti-theists and they think they two are one and the same.

[Prodigal]

You missed it. A true atheist doesn't believe in a God at all, not just their cultures God. So yes, any atheist would be anti-Hindu too.

[Manco]

You missed it. A true atheist doesn't believe in a God at all, not just their cultures God. So yes, any atheist would be anti-Hindu too.

An atheist doesn't have to be anti anything.

[Prodigal]

By his terms an atheist was anti, so I used his terms. By my terms, an atheist is a lack of, not anti. That's what this entire thread was about.

[G-Megas-Doux]

The term anti actually means before. It does not mean against in the strictest sense. Some words in latin are more conceptual and thus can be used to mean multipal things. If you were antitheist you would be before theism and thus without theory. Atheism is in itself having no theory on any religious ground or religious ideals. They can thus mean the same thing an absence of opinion or belief without being against religion on principal.

[Taiji]

The term anti actually means before. It does not mean against in the strictest sense. Some words in latin are more conceptual and thus can be used to mean multipal things. If you were antitheist you would be before theism and thus without theory. Atheism is in itself having no theory on any religious ground or religious ideals. They can thus mean the same thing an absence of opinion or belief without being against religion on principal.

Just to help clarify, in english 'anti' roughly means 'in opposition to'. And atheism is about theism, not religions.