Should Atheists Wear Their Non-Belief?

[theHandpuppet]

Hmmm... good question. I rather like the idea, especially the flying spaghetti monster necklace.

Should Atheists Wear Their Non-Belief?
Added by Rebecca Savastio
June 25, 2014.

Recently, a new trend has cropped up among the atheist population: wearing necklaces and other jewelry symbolizing their non-belief. Just as people of other religious faiths have done, atheists have now begun wearing physical items to announce to the world that they do not believe in God. Should atheists wear their non-belief?

For years, some Christians have adorned themselves with the cross to let others know their belief system, and also perhaps as a matter of personal fashion and reminder of their faith. Some atheists are convinced that there is no God, but traditionally they did not have a symbol to wear and some might have been frightened to do so because of the discrimination and oppression atheists have long faced in the U.S. and around the world. In some countries, atheists are routinely murdered for their non-belief.

In American society it is generally acceptable to question a person’s beliefs as long as a person’s religion is not disparaged. Many atheists feel that religion has “taken over” U.S. society and yet, they state, when an atheist proclaims there is no such thing as God, some who believe in God begin claiming that there is a “war on religion.” The donning of an atheist symbol by non-believers may result in an uptick in this sentiment, which is something a person should consider when pondering whether to wear his or her beliefs on his or her sleeve (or in this case, around the neck.)

Do today’s atheists have a duty to question the beliefs of those who follow scripture, or should atheists take the approach of “live and let live?” Wearing a necklace with an atheist symbol can and will start the conversation and perhaps even a debate about atheists beliefs, but is it necessary to do so? Should atheists wear their non-belief?

Read more at http://guardianlv.com/2014/06/should-atheists-wear-their-non-belief/#8f4YFiYsBSdxh8Vm.99

[Cartoonist]

1. should atheists take the approach of “live and let live?”

SHOULD? Is this person proposing a law that Atheists "should" obey? The problem here in America is that Christians don't take the approach of “live and let live".

[ccinamon]

28. +1,000 for "christians don't take the approach of live and let live"

IF christians would stop shoving their faith in everybody's faces (I live in Texas and one of the reddest/christians parts -- other states may not be as bad)...then I would not have turned into a rabid atheist.

I think we need to stop "turning the other cheek" and start fighting fire with fire...whatever they give us, we return. Being nice no longer works...the gloves are off!

[ZombieHorde]

2. Those who want to should do so,

and those who don't want to should not do so. Pretty simple in my world view.

[valerief]

3. Atheists should wear their non-belief the way nudists should wear their T shirts.

Why frame atheism in a theist way?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

4. I wear a Village Atheist shirt when I shop

I get both horror and applause as a response.

[mr blur]

5. Do atheists "have a duty" to whom?

If I were to wear an atheist symbol, who would care, around here? This highlights one of the differences between the US and the UK.

[rexcat]

35. Most Christians here in the US...

have no clue as to the atheist movement in this country. They typically don't know Dawkins, Harris and the rest of the outspoken atheists. For the most part they don't know the symbols of the movement or care to understand anything about the movement. US Christians are some of the most uninformed people I have ever come across. As far as science goes it might as well be talking a foreign language to them for most of them. When I talk to Christians in this country about atheism their eyes gloss over and then when they realize what I am talking about they get angry or flustered. It doesn't matter if they are mainstream, fundamentalist, right, left or center, Catholic, Protestant, Mormon, Jewish (except possibly for the reformed movement) or Muslim.

It is best as an atheist to stay out of conversations with the religious in this country unless you don't want them to associate with you.

[Heather MC]

6. I wear atheist T-shirts does that count.

I find I have to handle most theist with kid gloves. Just the other day An intact nurse asked me a standard question. "Do you have any religious beliefs that would prevent us from providing you medical care"

I responded. "Absolutely not, I have no use for religion in my life"

She goes off script from her list of questions and ask, "Why is that"

I say, "I just don't"

She ask, "well do you know why that is"

Now I am at the DR for a B-12 shot and routine blood work, not a discussion about religion. She is just supposed to be asking routine yes or no questions, and marking my answers.

So I say, "My reasons are very clear it is what it is, what's the next question on the list"

Every strong theist gets there claws out when they find out you are atheist. I don't need to fight them all.

However, considering I had never heard the word Atheist until I was out of Highschool, I think it's important for theist to know that being Atheist, is not the end of the world.

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. OT: what's an "intact nurse"?

Are there broken ones?

[Heather MC]

10. ha ha I meant Intake nurse. what can I say, I type with my eyes closed in the morning

[Heather MC]

7. thanks for the idea just bought an atheist necklace on ebay

[trotsky]

8. The old saying comes to mind - "Damned if you do, damned if you don't."

If you remain silent, the hatred goes unchecked.

If you're open about it, people accuse you of "proselytizing" for atheism and you're a lightning rod.

[AtheistCrusader]

11. I'd wear a t-shirt. Something tasteful, like a fish with a cross jammed up its ass.

[Iggo]

13. I've seen the one with the cross inside the fish.

I hadn't really thought about how it got there.

[ccinamon]

29. lmao...love it! n/t

[Iggo]

12. Live And Let Live goes both ways, or it's meaningless. (n/t)

[JoeyT]

14. I don't really see the point of wearing symbols.

The people that know me know I'm non-religious, and I don't particularly care what people that don't know me think, and the stuff that you say is far more challenging to authority than a symbol most people wouldn't recognize without thirty minutes on google.

If someone thinks wearing a symbol is prosletyzing, their definition of the word is so broad as to be useless. Generally the people accusing atheists of prosletyzing are just pissed off we answered a question honestly.

"Do you believe in Jesus, Lord of Lords, King of Kings, The One and Only True Son of God?"
"No."
"STOP PREACHING AT ME!! YOU'RE JUST AS BAD AS A FUNDIE!!!"

[RebelOne]

15. I wouldn't dare to flaunt my disbelief

here in the southern bible belt state of Georgia.

[theHandpuppet]

16. Yeah but would anyone know what the Flying Spaghetti Monster was about?

Other than other folks of like minds, that is.

[AtheistCrusader]

17. Some of my co-workers made an awesome 5 foot tall FSM statue and left it in the lobby.

It's been there for a year. I'll post a pic if I can find one.

[CrispyQ]

18. I've worn my FSM tee out in a liberal area & have been stopped twice & asked what it was.

I told them it was the Flying Spaghetti Monster & that it was a spoof on religion. They were dumbstruck & speechless.

[sweetexile]

31. southern man

The bigotry we are subjected to is little different from the civil rights abuses blacks faced in the 60's on back. I am in Texas and am subjected to rude and condescending attitudes from those who are aware that I refuse all gods: natural anf supernatural-whatever the legend's basis. Surrly advertising this fact would be deliberately provacative, and I DO remember the ALAMO! Being totally outnumbered, I exist in sweetexile.

[AlbertCat]

34. I like to wear.... and give as gifts.... Science related T-shirts

Like the usual Darwin shirts

But also:


http://www.northernsun.com/Banana-Human-Organic-T-Shirt-%281940%29.html


or

http://www.northernsun.com/You-Are-Here-T-Shirt-%281123%29.html


or

http://www.northernsun.com/Power-Of-Science-T-Shirt-%288416%29.html


(from Northern Sun.... a great company)

But not too (anti)religious-y things.... see my other comment #27

[Curmudgeoness]

19. That convinced me, I'm getting a FSM tattoo tomorrow.

Oh, damn, no one will be open to do a tattoo tomorrow! Holiday and all.

Really, though, I see the symbols as something that the theists do. They just have to have a cross necklace or a bumper fish so that you know they are believers, because you would never know it unless they announced it. I think that if I start wearing my non-belief symbol, it really will feel like we are starting a "religion".

[Arugula Latte]

20. In a way they are doing us a favor.

I see a cross or a fish ... well ... then I basically steer clear.

[theHandpuppet]

21. Yep, same here.

And there are a lot of those around these parts. I've even seen trucks sporting the Christian fish on the tailgate and those horrible rubber testicles on the trailer hitch. Go figure.

[Arugula Latte]

24. Jesus Nutz!

[theHandpuppet]

22. Just once in a while I'd like to spot someone wearing a FSM necklace or the like

I wouldn't feel so isolated.

[Curmudgeoness]

25. I can see your point.

Maybe you should wear one, and you may meet others who know what it is and also feel isolated. And if the fundies know what it is and call you on it, say you just thought it was a cute design.

[PassingFair]

26. I have one on my car.

Only one person has commented on it.

A guy walked up and tapped on my window while I was waiting for my husband to
come out of the bike store.

He told me that he, too, had been touched by his noodley appendage.

[Warren Stupidity]

23. I wear a half eaten dead baby around my neck.

I find it is a great way to start up conversations about atheism.

[AlbertCat]

27. Well.....

....since I got my tires slashed when I put a Darwin fish on my car, and I get stopped and "talked to" when I wear a Darwin T-shirt, I'm keeping "it" to myself and not playing the stupid "what do you believe" game.

[ccinamon]

30. If you won't get beat up or killed

I say, SHOW OFF your atheism. By being quiet we just encourage the christians with bad behavior.

Same with politics...STOP.BEING.NICE.

Bullies understand only one thing: being bullied. Hit them twice as hard, twice as often, twice as fast.

RWNJ christianistas and republicans are bullies and we need to start treating them as such whenever we can and whereever we can.

[onager]

32. I have one of these...

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[theHandpuppet]

36. You're a braver heretic than I am

Really like the shirt but where I live, I'd probably get shot for wearing it.

[LostOne4Ever]

33. It can feel pretty lonely being the only atheist/nonbeliever that you know of

Especially if you live in the bible belt and being open about your nonbelief can open yourself up to a LOT of unwanted attention.

I think wearing some sort of semi-obscure symbol (by which I mean only other non-believers will recognize it and believers wont have a clue) might actually be helpful. An invisible pink unicorn tatoo (with invisible ink) orempty set or AA atom ear-rings or flying Spaghetti Monster necklace for example.

[center] Embedded links are not working for me atm, so here are some pics:[/center]

[p class=post-sig style=margin-top:0px;text-align:center;]

I personally would probably send mix messages as I still have a crucifix that my deceased grandmother bought for me when I was a young child. I can't seem to bring myself to give it up despite the fact I stopped believing over a decade ago.

[theHandpuppet]

37. Some nice choices

The AA Atom as a pendant would be my choice. Can't actually wear metal against my skin -- I'm allergic.