This thread was inspired by one of our newest members, PhilosophicalZebra. I wonder how philosophical he is concerning lions. 
I was moved by his reference to Carl Sagan's Pale Blue Dot. That says it all for me. Atheism is not a worldview in itself but Sagan's Pale Blue Dot speaks volumes for many of us, including most Secular Humanists like myself. Atheism is just a component in anyone's worldview but whether they are Secular Humanists or not, that image of our homeworld being but a speck in a cosmic vastness is so powerful. It makes our differences seem so petty, so insignificant. But not necessarily for all of us.
There are many brands of atheists including Satanists and Objectivists (Ayn Rand atheists). I feel more kinship with liberal Christians than I do with those. That seems to be the majority opinion among us. If find it interesting that while there are so many generic atheism websites like this one and Secular Humanist websites, there are few dedicated to minority atheists like the Rand followers and Satanists.
I wonder what label or description (if any) the typical atheist/agnostic/freethinker here would use to describe himself/herself. I didn't make this a poll because those are almost always too limiting. There will always be someone for whom the labels don't fit. Their own words would be better.
I use the Secular Humanist label to describe myself. Secular Humanists have a science-based outlook regarding reality and a common-sense, common-good outlook regarding morality. Compassion for others is a core component. There is also the belief that we human beings have everything we need to improve ourselves, to transcend our limitations. No cosmic babysitter is required. We can achieve greatness on our own. My first inclination that I was a member of this ethos was through watching the original Star Trek TV series. Later, I found that the creator of the series (Gene Roddenberry) was a Secular Humanist and that the characters he created reflected that.
Anyway, that's me. What are you?
I was moved by his reference to Carl Sagan's Pale Blue Dot. That says it all for me. Atheism is not a worldview in itself but Sagan's Pale Blue Dot speaks volumes for many of us, including most Secular Humanists like myself. Atheism is just a component in anyone's worldview but whether they are Secular Humanists or not, that image of our homeworld being but a speck in a cosmic vastness is so powerful. It makes our differences seem so petty, so insignificant. But not necessarily for all of us.
There are many brands of atheists including Satanists and Objectivists (Ayn Rand atheists). I feel more kinship with liberal Christians than I do with those. That seems to be the majority opinion among us. If find it interesting that while there are so many generic atheism websites like this one and Secular Humanist websites, there are few dedicated to minority atheists like the Rand followers and Satanists.
I wonder what label or description (if any) the typical atheist/agnostic/freethinker here would use to describe himself/herself. I didn't make this a poll because those are almost always too limiting. There will always be someone for whom the labels don't fit. Their own words would be better.
I use the Secular Humanist label to describe myself. Secular Humanists have a science-based outlook regarding reality and a common-sense, common-good outlook regarding morality. Compassion for others is a core component. There is also the belief that we human beings have everything we need to improve ourselves, to transcend our limitations. No cosmic babysitter is required. We can achieve greatness on our own. My first inclination that I was a member of this ethos was through watching the original Star Trek TV series. Later, I found that the creator of the series (Gene Roddenberry) was a Secular Humanist and that the characters he created reflected that.
Anyway, that's me. What are you?
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
