We Need an Atheist Symbol!

[Lockesdonkey]

I know the U.S. military has an atheist symbol somewhere to put on the graves of atheist soldiers...for the life of me I can't find it. I think it looks like the Bohrian model of the atom.

 

[Mr. Dictator]

how a bout a picture of a brain?

amirite?

 

[Fifty]

Dawkins and Dennett already kinda tried:

An Icon

The image at right presents a body, perhaps a planet, viewed from space. As there is no up or down or right or left in outer space, the arrangement of planet and darkness and starlight is changeable. Whatever the relative positioning of the triad of elements might be, they call to mind a process of change. The question becomes: Is the transition one of brightening or darkening?

Viewing the planet as our own and the star as our nearest, one sees the illusion of a sunrise or a sunset. We would wish to take the promising route, whereby the imagery brings to mind a gradually increasing illumination for this earth of ours, an escalation of enlightenment. Looking forward in time, then, the hope of the Brights is for a better future for humankind, and enbrightenment, shall we say?

A Metaphor

Enbrightenment! This rhetorical expression hearkens to a once promising time on earth when it looked as if science and reason would offer a key to the future. During the period many call the Age of Enlightenment, it was possible to envision a world wherein humankind itself might acquire understanding of nature, gain insight into humanity, make meaning of life, and work for a better and brighter future for all.

To enlighten is to free from ignorance, prejudice and superstition.

Brights today promote social acknowledgement and full civic acceptance for those who would wish to express and live out their naturalistic worldview, to inform, to give clarification–to brighten!

 

[AL_DA_GREAT]

I want my avatar to be the symbol. We atheists know we are monkeys and the dude looks smart. MR: Dictator also had a good idea.

 

[warpus]

Yep Thats why if you believe it is truth, you put faith in it.

Depends on what you mean by 'faith'. It is not blind faith, like your faith in God. It is a statistical type of faith, backed up by mountains of evidence.. the kind where if somebody gives you 6 dice and tells you that the next roll is going to be 1 2 3 4 5 6, you have faith that if you bet against that you will win

Soft atheism is basically agnostic.
If you believe there might be a God at all you are agnostic.

I don't believe in any Gods, concede that it's possible that one (or more) exists, and consider myself to be an atheist.

Underseer

THe two statements:

1. I have no beliefs about God or Gods
2. I don't believe there is a God or Gods

are logically equivalent

 

[JonnyB]

I like the Darwin fish, here's another option

 

[nihilistic]

Then it is agnostics who need no symbol.

Atheism is the belief there is no God.

Not in the same way that your Christianity is a believe of some kind of a god. Assigning a symbol for atheism is unneccesary in an atheist's (my) eyes, since we really don't define ourselves with that portion of our ontology very much, as it is not very important to us. In the same manner that you wouldn't define yourself to be Anti-Santa Claus even though you (I assume) do in fact believe that Santa is a fairy tale, we do not consider theology to be a significant part of our ontology. Our "best estimate" that there are no deities is then, qualitatively different from your "belief" that there are Gods, of which only one exist, though in 3 distinct entities.

In short, you might want to assign symbols to us, but we don't give a damn. You may call us atheists, but we prefer to differentiate in more meaningful ways into functionalists, eliminative materialists, empiricists, (soft/hard) determinists, etc.

 

[Cheetah]

Then it is agnostics who need no symbol.

Atheism is the belief there is no God.

What is the name for the belief that there is no unicorns?

I am me, and if I want a symbol for my set of beliefs, I'll find one on my own.

And I think I fit better under the label "Agnostic" than "Atheist", but I guess I could fit into both (depending on which definition we use).

Seeing the amount of differing beliefs between religious people who claim they have the same religion, should make it obvious that trying to put people into cathegories according to their beliefs is futile.

 

[Perfection]

An interesting website on the different symbols used
http://www.helsinki.fi/~ssyreeni/atheist/no-ghost-c-06

 

[Xanikk999]

I wouldnt mind a symbol. Although it isnt necessary.

If agnostism falls under athiesm i guess im athiest also.

 

[Riesstiu IV]

The real question is what should we call our organization. The Allied Atheist Alliance? The United Atheist Alliance? Or the Unified Atheist League?

 

[JonnyB]

The real question is what should we call our organization. The Allied Atheist Alliance? The United Atheist Alliance? Or the Unified Atheist League?

Atheist Secular Society

 

[Smellincoffee]

Dawkins and Dennett already kinda tried:

All Brights aren't atheists; "Bright" is an umbrella term.

The real question is what should we call our organization. The Allied Atheist Alliance? The United Atheist Alliance? Or the Unified Atheist League?

I thought the Committee had already decided on "Evil Atheist Conspiracy".

 

[Riesstiu IV]

Atheist Secular Society

Good one.

How about United Society of Atheists? No patriotic American would dare be anti-USA.

 

[nonconformist]

The real question is what should we call our organization. The Allied Atheist Alliance? The United Atheist Alliance? Or the Unified Atheist League?

National Society for Darwinists, Atheists, and Pro-choicers?

 

[puglover]

An interesting website on the different symbols used
http://www.helsinki.fi/~ssyreeni/atheist/no-ghost-c-06

Wow. Athiests can really be upfront about what their against. Does any other belief system have a symbol made purely to attack another religious symbol?

On acronyms: How about Symbiosis of Athiestic Groups Against Neo-Faith

 

[CaptainF]

Meh if we were forced to use a symbol I'd use this

Otherwise, we need no symbols.

If you have to choose a symbol, DONT make it that one.

 

[Perfection]

Wow. Athiests can really be upfront about what their against.

Well, all groups can be upfront about what they are against.

Does any other belief system have a symbol made purely to attack another religious symbol?

Probably. It's just that atheism has no central dogma to symbolize and so these symbols become more widespread among atheists. One should note that the users of such symbols as the antichristian one are in a very distinct minority (And in fact I've never met one). Most atheists don't even use a symbol.

On acronyms: How about Symbiosis of Athiestic Groups Against Neo-Faith

Sagan kicked ass!

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

I have seen the "Darwin fish" used as a symbol of atheism, which obviously annoys the heck out of me. Darwin may have been an atheists but the theory he founded is not inherently atheist. Same deal with the "science" rocket ship. Besides, no religion, no symbol.

 

[CaptainF]

Out of all the symbols on that page, this one looks the most promising.