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That's not the word I use, but I like that word. Isn't that the word Bill Maher uses in the movie Religulous?
People who ask me my position are usually adherents to one religion or another, and our culture both urges and presupposes we are religious. So I usually answer that I am "a non-religionist", which seems to be surprising enough, or confusing enough, or makes the listener think a bit.
But what I don't like about "non-religionist", although accurate, is that the 'non' makes it a negative...
I jumped to a conclusion -- my bad. Bill Maher calls himself an "apatheist" -- apathetic regarding thesim and antitheism. For example, on Scarborough Country:
'Bill Maher - APATHEIST' by Scarborough Country, Bill Maher - RichardDawkins.net (http://richarddawkins.net/article,932,Bill-Maher---APATHEIST,Scarborough-Country-Bill-Maher - broken link)
My guess is that the word also comes up in Religulous. But I don't know for sure. I shouldn't have said that. Sorry!
I think atheist or agnostic denotes that one actually thinks about religion and has come to a conclusion about it and what they believe or don't believe. A free thinker also thinks. Humanist or Secularist also thinks about it and has positive thoughts about how one should structure life and thinking. Each of these labels denotes a positive action thinking about the subject with some conclusion reached or active questions asked. That is not what the OP is talking about.
There are a lot of people out there that really don't think about it at all and they really don't care about it in any way - truly have no opinion. Some, when asked, might mumble something about being nothing, some might say they are whatever they were trained to be in childhood just because it is easier to end the subject that way. But the reality is that they neither think about it nor believe in it. So they aren't on the fence, or on either side of it. They are in the next town and don't care at all!
I like Troop's combo word, but again the parts denote some active thinking. If you are an apostate, it is an active denounciation.
I don't think Bill Maher is truly one who doesn't care because he uses it so much in his satire and he has active opinions on the subject. I think he is really an atheist. I like his made up word, tho - apatheist since apathetic means don't care.
Hi, all. Good questions and good answers. I'm actually a Free Thinker myself. When two evangelists came to my door yesterday I just told them I wasn't interested and they politely left. I wish I had told them I am a Pastafarian... you know, someone who worships the foodstuffs of Italy.
Ok, thank you everyone. I just couldn't think if there was a word I wasn't thinking of. Sounds like there just isn't a word for it. Hubby gets off the hook.
@Troop - That's a great one.
@blue62 - The problem with that is that it is inaccurate. "non-committed" to me means "Agnostic". There is a world of difference between not knowing and not caring.
Agnosticism = I don't know and neither do you. The "I don't care" part is personal, not included in the definition of agnostic.
# A word first used by Professor Huxley, to indicate one who believes nothing which cannot be demonstrated by the senses. The Key to Theosophy - Glossary 1
# Someone who claims that they do not know or are unable to know whether God exists. Glossary Of Technical Terms
# An Agnostic [1] [noun] [OW] embraces a worldview in which the existence of deity is unknown or unknowable. Derives from the Greek agnostos, a = without, gnostos = known or knowledge.
Hi, all. Good questions and good answers. I'm actually a Free Thinker myself. When two evangelists came to my door yesterday I just told them I wasn't interested and they politely left. I wish I had told them I am a Pastafarian... you know, someone who worships the foodstuffs of Italy.
Thanks! lol! I actually told someone that once and all I got was an annoyed smirk. Didn't bother me.
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A philosopher?
