Amarok
This is what has happened with all belief systems as they've diversified. It starts out as one thing, then people want to modify it to fit their alternative belief that incorporates the same thing with a slight twist. Society doesn't have time to try to explain each one, so they all get lumped together under one definition. If not it would require us to discriminate, but that would violate the religious freedom applied to atheism that was granted to them in Dec 2016. Now we're even seeing the atheist churches splitting into what one side feels is more "correct" for them. Throw in that it's being monetized and it will happen all the more. T-shirts, offerings, membership fees. "Why go to their church when I can make my own and charge a fee?" They do it, then someone else wants a piece of the pie, so they put their own spin on it. Same thing that has happened to Christianity. You get late night shysters with their own TV shows making "false claims" but they have religious protections so they can get away with it. When you realize that atheists are already making channels and selling merchandise and what not, you'll see it's just going to follow the same path everything else has. As soon as someone starts saying "they aren't atheists" and it challenges the $$$ coming in, then someone is going to end up getting sued, then you'll see even more protections provided and broader definitions of the law as to protect everybody.
Quote:Although the literal definition of “atheist” is “a person who does not believe in the existence of a god or any gods,” according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, 8% of those who call themselves atheists also say they believe in God or a universal spirit. Indeed, 2% say they are “absolutely certain” about the existence of God or a universal spirit. Alternatively, there are many people who fit the dictionary definition of “atheist” but do not call themselves atheists. About three times as many Americans say they do not believe in God or a universal spirit (9%) as say they are atheists (3%).Then they aren't atheists they can call themselves whatever they please they simply aren't
Quote:Your version, their version. Two different versions, so you can both be right.
This is what has happened with all belief systems as they've diversified. It starts out as one thing, then people want to modify it to fit their alternative belief that incorporates the same thing with a slight twist. Society doesn't have time to try to explain each one, so they all get lumped together under one definition. If not it would require us to discriminate, but that would violate the religious freedom applied to atheism that was granted to them in Dec 2016. Now we're even seeing the atheist churches splitting into what one side feels is more "correct" for them. Throw in that it's being monetized and it will happen all the more. T-shirts, offerings, membership fees. "Why go to their church when I can make my own and charge a fee?" They do it, then someone else wants a piece of the pie, so they put their own spin on it. Same thing that has happened to Christianity. You get late night shysters with their own TV shows making "false claims" but they have religious protections so they can get away with it. When you realize that atheists are already making channels and selling merchandise and what not, you'll see it's just going to follow the same path everything else has. As soon as someone starts saying "they aren't atheists" and it challenges the $$$ coming in, then someone is going to end up getting sued, then you'll see even more protections provided and broader definitions of the law as to protect everybody.
