# Hey Atheists How do You Like These Nicknames? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 18, 2001, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-atheists-how-do-you-like-these-nicknames/50710 "2001-01-18T16:53:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2001, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-atheists-how-do-you-like-these-nicknames/50710/101 "2001-09-23T16:31:35Z")
clairobscur wrote: > [@](#): > > This Pascal’s wager is nonsense. > > First, believing in God isn’t free. You invest time in Church, prayers, you change your conduct, you possibly vote differently, try to convince others, etc…And you have no clue about the odds. If I say : “flip a coin, if you loose, you’ll give me 100 dollars, if you win, _perhaps_ I’ll give you 1 billion dollars”, would you agree? \ \ You know, that’s probably the best summary I’ve seen yet as to what’s wrong with Pascal’s Wager! I’m surprised I haven’t seen anyone else put it in those terms. It really shows off how Pascal’s Wager is little more than a con game: CON ARTIST: If you give me a hundred dollars right now, I’ll give you a billion dollars later! ME: Um … how will you guarantee that you’ll actually give me the money? CON ARTIST: What’s the matter, don’t you trust me? ME: Sorry, not interested. CON ARTIST: But it’s a **billion dollars!** Can you really afford **not** to take the risk? (Well, okay, this **is** vaguely reminiscent of [Kissing Hank’s Ass](http://www.jhuger.com/kisshank.mv).) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2001, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-atheists-how-do-you-like-these-nicknames/50710/102 "2001-09-23T21:54:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tracer \* > \*\*Mangetout wrote: > > > [@](#): > > > > > [@](#): > > > > > > \*Originally posted by WiredGuy \* > > > **Lets say I have a dragon in my home and I invite you over to see it. And when you get there you don’t see it, I tell you its invisible.** > > > > You meant to say ‘Unicorn’, not ‘dragon’, surely? > > No, he meant “dragon.” > > He was paraphrasing an argument from Carl Sagan’s _The Demon-Haunted World_. \*\* Fair enough. BTW, every time I invite people over to come and see the dragon in my home, they refuse, saying things like “it doesn’t exist because I refuse to look at it” - strange, but there you go 😉 ---
**Author:** ![RoboDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bbe5ce/32.png) [@RoboDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RoboDude)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2001, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-atheists-how-do-you-like-these-nicknames/50710/103 "2001-09-24T03:25:20Z")
> [@](#): > > You and someone else mentioned “pleasure” (that you would miss out on if you believed in God) just curious what pleasure or pleasures do you think you would miss out on if you followed God’s word and plan for you? For one thing, I rather enjoy being able to live life according to my own moral beliefs instead of a book written thousands of years ago which is full of ambiguously worded statements and self-contradictions. ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2001, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-atheists-how-do-you-like-these-nicknames/50710/104 "2001-09-24T16:16:51Z")
Hm, what to do? “Heretic,” “heathen,” and “infidel” all have a nice ring. Ah. What about “heretical heathen-infidel?” I love it.😃 ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2001, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-atheists-how-do-you-like-these-nicknames/50710/105 "2001-09-24T17:59:52Z")
I’ve got a few ideas: Amusing: “firewood” “brimstone biscuits” Dismissive: “the blind” “the infernal” and, in light of many arguments I have seen lately: “IPUists” “straw man artistes” usage: That blind brimstone biscuit’s nothing but a straw man artiste. The IPUist reminds me that I shouldn’t allow my time to be wasted by the infernal firewood. ---
**Author:** ![bagkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ab992/32.png) [@bagkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bagkitty)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-atheists-how-do-you-like-these-nicknames/50710/106 "2001-09-25T02:54:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Annie-Xmas \* > \*\*I’m your basic agnostic. Call me what you will if it refers to basic agnosticism. When a card-carrying member of a fundamentalist Christian religion (is that okay?) once told me I was “immoral” if I didn’t follow the Bible. When I started to say I would not believe in a male god, and didn’t like the things some Christians do, he said “Well, people who claim to be Christians.” I told him “I think of Christians like I think of homosexuals. If you say you are one, I believe you are.” I thought he was going to pass out. \*\* What can I say Annie… I loved your post. ---
**Author:** ![theretsof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e8c25b/32.png) [@theretsof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theretsof)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-atheists-how-do-you-like-these-nicknames/50710/107 "2001-09-25T15:46:43Z")
For anyone who wonders if WB is really concerned about name calling please see \<[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=88444](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=88444)\> Now, I have a deal for all people concerned with the very incorrect term “fundie”. I will immediately cease using that and many other terms for you, as soon as you begin calling yourself the very correct “anti-choice” when speaking of abortions. S ---
**Author:** ![Wildest\_Bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Wildest\_Bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wildest_Bill)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-atheists-how-do-you-like-these-nicknames/50710/108 "2001-09-25T15:55:47Z")
Why don’t you use the real term “pro-death” then? ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-atheists-how-do-you-like-these-nicknames/50710/109 "2001-09-25T15:59:43Z")
**Bill** , I though we’d already discussed this. ---
**Author:** ![Wildest\_Bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Wildest\_Bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wildest_Bill)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-atheists-how-do-you-like-these-nicknames/50710/110 "2001-09-25T16:05:43Z")
Andro, He started it. (I can’t I just said that) oh well I guess most debates are from the adolescence side of us. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-atheists-how-do-you-like-these-nicknames/50710/111 "2001-09-25T16:11:38Z")
No worries. I was just pretty sure you didn’t want to get into _that_ discussion again. ---
**Author:** ![theretsof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e8c25b/32.png) [@theretsof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theretsof)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-atheists-how-do-you-like-these-nicknames/50710/112 "2001-09-25T16:44:44Z")
Ya, sorry I went to the gutter. Was just trying to make a point. One man’s junk is another man’s treasure? You, WB, find one type of name calling acceptable, but another unfair. I do hope you call yourself fundamentalist, b/c your brand of religion is really political and has nothing to do with the teaching of Christ. And those are the folks the term ‘fundie’ is making fun of. Moreso, I find your smugness interesting, and wonder why you keep posting things in GB when its clear you’re intention is Pit’ish. S ---
**Author:** ![Wildest\_Bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Wildest\_Bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wildest_Bill)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-atheists-how-do-you-like-these-nicknames/50710/113 "2001-09-25T16:57:20Z")
Because in the pit everybody calls you vile and nasty names which I could really do back also. But that is not the Christian thing to do(I know I have done it in the past no reason to bring up past threads I admitted it) so I try to stay out of there because I am a human and get emotional and sometimes it is hard to resist striking back even though I know I shouldn’t. Heck even one of the diciples chopped off an ear off a guard when he was mad and Jesus was right there. So here, I can debate with people that I disagree with in a more polite way. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-atheists-how-do-you-like-these-nicknames/50710/114 "2001-09-25T18:19:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by WiredGuy \* > \*\*Yep I’m a Godless, Faithless, Heathen and God Damn proud of it. I’m not delusional, irrational, nor gullible. \*\* couldn’t have said it better! i can only add that i have brains filling the hole where my soul would have been… ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-atheists-how-do-you-like-these-nicknames/50710/115 "2001-09-25T18:22:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by WiredGuy \* > \*\*Yep I’m a Godless, Faithless, Heathen and God Damn proud of it. I’m not delusional, irrational, nor gullible. \*\* couldn’t have said it better! i can only add that i have brains filling the hole where my soul should go. its tough relying on intellect and reason instead of faith… ---
**Author:** ![Lucifer12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b38774/32.png) [@Lucifer12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucifer12)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-atheists-how-do-you-like-these-nicknames/50710/116 "2001-09-25T19:09:08Z")
I prefer ‘blasphemer’ or ‘heretic’ - what can I say, I love the classics! At any rate, let 'em call us whatever they want if it keeps 'em from burning witches again… * * * [http://www.unamerican.com/catalog/index.htm](http://www.unamerican.com/catalog/index.htm) I WORSHIP SATAN HA HA! ---
**Author:** ![Kate\_W](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/cc9497/32.png) [@Kate\_W](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kate_W)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-atheists-how-do-you-like-these-nicknames/50710/117 "2001-09-25T23:26:56Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by Felice \* \*\* > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jackmannii \* > [ > > I’m confused. What’s wrong with ‘childless’? It is accurate - I don’t see that it is perjorative. I mean… I have no home, I am homeless, I have no hair, I am hairless, I have no kids, I am childless. Where is the problem with this? > > Just bemused by the whole thing… \*\* Those of us who have chosen not to have children usually prefer the term “childfree,” as the “less” implies the loss of something. I myself am childfree, but Chanelless and catless. If somebody wants kids and doesn’t have them, for whatever reason, they would probably think of themselves as childless, since they will feel they are lacking something. It’s not perjorative, just that childfree is cropping up more and more to differentiate those of us who made a decision to not have kids. ---
**Author:** ![HairyPotter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ab097/32.png) [@HairyPotter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HairyPotter)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-atheists-how-do-you-like-these-nicknames/50710/118 "2001-09-26T00:00:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kate\_W \* > > Those of us who have chosen not to have children usually prefer the term “childfree,” as the “less” implies the loss of something. I myself am childfree, but Chanelless and catless. If somebody wants kids and doesn’t have them, for whatever reason, they would probably think of themselves as childless, since they will feel they are lacking something. > > It’s not perjorative, just that childfree is cropping up more and more to differentiate those of us who made a decision to not have kids. \*\* The above post has inspired me to describe myself as **religousless**. My preferred self-inflicted insult remains “dispicable degenerate disbeliever”. My motto is “Nothing IS Sacred”. ---
**Author:** ![portajon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c0e974/32.png) [@portajon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/portajon)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-atheists-how-do-you-like-these-nicknames/50710/119 "2001-09-26T00:13:27Z")
It is hard to prove that any of you Lets say I have a dragon in my home and I invite you over to see it. And when you get there you don’t see it, I tell you its invisible. You then propose a bunch of tests and for each test you come up with I have reason that it will not work, ie its incorpreal, doesn’t produce heat, ect. I can’t prove the existence of a single person here…but I believe you do. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-atheists-how-do-you-like-these-nicknames/50710/120 "2001-09-26T02:16:26Z")
For what it’s worth, the post **Kate\_W** quoted was originally from **Felice** , not **jackmanii**. And no offense, Kate, but I think it’s silly to be sensitive about “childless.” Sounds like a big ol’ chip on the shoulder there. I was childless, and happy to be so. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-atheists-how-do-you-like-these-nicknames/50710.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-atheists-how-do-you-like-these-nicknames/50710.md?page=7)