Monday, January 05, 2009,5:44 AM
Atheist: Don't Call Me An Atheist
This, from a Roanoke Times guest column, is funny, if confused:

Since I and a few others were the object of staff writer Rob Johnson's article "Nonbelievers go through the motions," I would like to respond to some of the article's comments.

Johnson continually referred to myself [sic] and others as atheists. Atheist is an inflammatory and derogatory word that many attach to the outspoken, somewhat surly Madalyn Murray O'Hair, who attacked the practice of school prayer in the 1960s. Her vocal outrage not only culminated in the ending of that practice but placed her squarely at the top of America's "People to Hate" list.

I and, I suspect, others like me would prefer to be called nonbelievers, because terminology does make a difference. If you don't believe this, consider the words "courtesan" and "prostitute."
Does this fella do himself favors by comparing himself to a ten dollar hooker? I don't know.

But beyond that, I want a show of hands. How many of you associate the word atheist with Madalyn Murray O'Hair? How many of you even know who she was?

You're an atheist, pal. A nonbeliever. An adherent to the doctrine or belief that there is no God. You can call yourself a member of "the reality-based community." Or a "believer in nothing." Or a courtesan. Or just plain smarter than the rest of us. But you're an atheist. Live with it.

For a while anyway ...
 
posted by Jerry Fuhrman
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