(July 19, 2014 at 8:54 am)whateverist Wrote: Probably just because the people who do have the extraordinary beliefs tend to be a little obsessed and not at all shy about pressing them on you. The word "atheist" will sometimes drive them away, sort of like garlic to vampires.
I think because theism is predominant worldwide there has to be a word to describe people who don't believe in personal gods, since the norm is to be a believer, human beings like putting others into boxes and categories/classifications, we've always been like that. I don't have a problem with the word atheist though, since most of my friends are theists I need to differentiate myself.
Maybe if being an atheist had always been the norm, then the word would have never come up.
Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you
