Comments on: On the Implications of Labels http://www.antichristian-phenomenon.com/anath/on-the-implications-of-labels Behold, Bastard son! We are the evil ones. Tue, 16 Mar 2010 10:19:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: mirror http://www.antichristian-phenomenon.com/anath/on-the-implications-of-labels/comment-page-1#comment-21 mirror Thu, 14 Jun 2007 18:34:18 +0000 http://www.antichristian-phenomenon.com/anath/on-the-implications-of-labels/#comment-21 As pointed out, you definitely over generalized on some of the labels. Overgeneralizations like that are probably half of the real reason anyone would decline being assigned a label. If I wasn't so stubborn, I'd be hesitant to call myself an atheist just because the public understanding of it is so poor. (Taking your definition, I don't believe science overrules the possibility of god(s), I just don't believe in any particular god(s) who have been described to me and that's that.) There's a bit of merit to the idea that if religion isn't even an issue in your life, then labeling yourself is unnecessary. You'll see similar arguments come up when race is discussed. The other extreme is people who claim to be part-this and part-that when those ethnicities have no effect on their life (e.g., if you don't live on a reservation, suffer from diabetes, or face discrimination in the workplace, etc, then being "one sixteenth Native American" is a pointless claim). Labels have been a huge issue in LGBT culture. Sometimes the debates are absolutely silly in that the average English speaker would have no idea what the term means and would have no initiative to learn when 'fag" and "dyke" get them by as much as they want. Yet within the LGBT crowd, the labels are mostly understood and communicate a lot about the person quickly and efficiently. With the rise in post-modernism and anti-imperialism in western thought, there were pushes to remove "-isms" and other labels from discourse. Most would consider this absurd, but its easy to get pulled into a writer's arguments when they present artificial dualisms (as you pointed out, in the US you're either believe in one of the Big Three or you're effectively an Atheist or Satanist in many eyes). As pointed out, you definitely over generalized on some of the labels. Overgeneralizations like that are probably half of the real reason anyone would decline being assigned a label. If I wasn’t so stubborn, I’d be hesitant to call myself an atheist just because the public understanding of it is so poor. (Taking your definition, I don’t believe science overrules the possibility of god(s), I just don’t believe in any particular god(s) who have been described to me and that’s that.)

There’s a bit of merit to the idea that if religion isn’t even an issue in your life, then labeling yourself is unnecessary. You’ll see similar arguments come up when race is discussed. The other extreme is people who claim to be part-this and part-that when those ethnicities have no effect on their life (e.g., if you don’t live on a reservation, suffer from diabetes, or face discrimination in the workplace, etc, then being “one sixteenth Native American” is a pointless claim).

Labels have been a huge issue in LGBT culture. Sometimes the debates are absolutely silly in that the average English speaker would have no idea what the term means and would have no initiative to learn when ‘fag” and “dyke” get them by as much as they want. Yet within the LGBT crowd, the labels are mostly understood and communicate a lot about the person quickly and efficiently.

With the rise in post-modernism and anti-imperialism in western thought, there were pushes to remove “-isms” and other labels from discourse. Most would consider this absurd, but its easy to get pulled into a writer’s arguments when they present artificial dualisms (as you pointed out, in the US you’re either believe in one of the Big Three or you’re effectively an Atheist or Satanist in many eyes).

]]> By: Minion4Hire http://www.antichristian-phenomenon.com/anath/on-the-implications-of-labels/comment-page-1#comment-19 Minion4Hire Wed, 06 Jun 2007 19:34:33 +0000 http://www.antichristian-phenomenon.com/anath/on-the-implications-of-labels/#comment-19 I don't think there is a way to satisfy those who try to exclude themselves from a group by creating a new group. It's likely that this guy either feels that no one group properly addresses who he is (despite the contrary) or that he is against the "principle" of labels, which is just as or more ridiculous in the opposite direction. I don't think labels really matter as everyone is going to be different, but they can be useful in their own ways. If we could somehow remove the negative connotations and twisted meanings behind so many stereotypes and labels I think we would all be much better off, and people would be more open to associate with a or many labels. Of course that would require the undoing of generations of cultural discrimination but if it would be nice if someone could manage it.... I don’t think there is a way to satisfy those who try to exclude themselves from a group by creating a new group. It’s likely that this guy either feels that no one group properly addresses who he is (despite the contrary) or that he is against the “principle” of labels, which is just as or more ridiculous in the opposite direction.

I don’t think labels really matter as everyone is going to be different, but they can be useful in their own ways. If we could somehow remove the negative connotations and twisted meanings behind so many stereotypes and labels I think we would all be much better off, and people would be more open to associate with a or many labels. Of course that would require the undoing of generations of cultural discrimination but if it would be nice if someone could manage it….

]]> By: admin http://www.antichristian-phenomenon.com/anath/on-the-implications-of-labels/comment-page-1#comment-18 admin Wed, 06 Jun 2007 11:00:08 +0000 http://www.antichristian-phenomenon.com/anath/on-the-implications-of-labels/#comment-18 Amazingly well written Anath. Well done. Just a note. When you defined Agnostics, you did so in a very specific way. You defined the Apathetic Agnostic. However that is not the only type as there are many slight variation as so: <ul> <li>Apathetic Agnostic - As you said "I do not know nor care"</li> <li>Theistic Agnostic - "The is somethnig out there but I do not know <b>what</b> it is"</li> <li>Atheistic Agnostic - "I do not know <b>if</b> there is something out there" - This is where I fall under incidentally</li> <li>Skeptics - You can never be certain</li> </ul> Amazingly well written Anath. Well done.

Just a note. When you defined Agnostics, you did so in a very specific way. You defined the Apathetic Agnostic.
However that is not the only type as there are many slight variation as so:

  • Apathetic Agnostic – As you said “I do not know nor care”
  • Theistic Agnostic – “The is somethnig out there but I do not know what it is”
  • Atheistic Agnostic – “I do not know if there is something out there” – This is where I fall under incidentally
  • Skeptics – You can never be certain
]]> By: On Polytheism and my Pen Name « The Rage of Anath http://www.antichristian-phenomenon.com/anath/on-the-implications-of-labels/comment-page-1#comment-17 On Polytheism and my Pen Name « The Rage of Anath Tue, 05 Jun 2007 21:09:01 +0000 http://www.antichristian-phenomenon.com/anath/on-the-implications-of-labels/#comment-17 [...] June 5, 2007 Posted by anath in Ramble, Religion. trackback This is a continuation of my post in the Antichristian Phenomenon blog, but first, a personal rant. You can skip down to the good [...] [...] June 5, 2007 Posted by anath in Ramble, Religion. trackback This is a continuation of my post in the Antichristian Phenomenon blog, but first, a personal rant. You can skip down to the good [...]

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