What is in a label?

[Purple Rabbit]

What exactly is unclear about the statement "I have no belief in god(s)"?

"Atheist" is more succinct than "I have no belief in god(s)" and if the English language were full of phrases instead of words a discussion would be awfully long.

Succintness is only an illusion when you have to define it over and over again. Also, why adopt a label for yourself in terms of how you are not complying to the stance of someone else?

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Sam Harris says that Atheists shouldn't use the atheist or atheism label. And they shouldn't 'call' themselves anything at all. Obviously himself included.

I disagree with that sentiment completely. I'm always proud to call myself an atheist. I'm never shy or afraid to do so because I want people to know they exist and that they're people like me.

I certainly recognize the emotion of proudness you express but in time my mind has changed on the matter using the label. The position I take is not about what I don't stand for, denial of stances of others, but what I do stand for. Most words in the latter category, like reason, democracy, church state separation and the like, have already sufficiently defined meaning.