# Is there an Atheist symbol ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 4, 2003, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-atheist-symbol/211400 "2003-11-04T18:57:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2003, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-atheist-symbol/211400/21 "2003-11-05T05:08:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by moriah \* > \*\*Can an atheist symbol repel a vampire? \*\* No, but I’ll bet [this one](http://www.svcn.com/archives/sunnyvalesun/08.18.99/gifs/cover-main-9933.jpg) would. ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2003, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-atheist-symbol/211400/22 "2003-11-05T06:27:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bughunter \* > \*\*I propose _pi_. \*\* Nah - [symbol]p[/symbol] is irrational 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2003, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-atheist-symbol/211400/23 "2003-11-05T07:22:30Z")
On a trip home last year I saw a small round bumper sticker. It was in the form of a black cross with that international “verboten” circle with the angled line going through it. I took it to mean that the driver was atheist. Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2003, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-atheist-symbol/211400/24 "2003-11-05T07:34:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Race Bannon \* > \*\*FWIW, if you’re a US veteran you can have a “belief symbol” on your headstone in a national cemetery. [Check this link](http://www.cem.va.gov/hmemb.htm) for a list. There is an atheist symbol that looks to me like the American Atheist’s logo. \*\* That’s weird, why are the United Church of Christ, Christian Scientst, and Muslim symbols ‘not shown because of copyrights’? You can copyright a religious symbol??? ---
**Author:** ![Rashak\_Mani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rashak\_Mani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rashak_Mani)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2003, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-atheist-symbol/211400/25 "2003-11-05T08:28:34Z")
Geez talk about Christian disunity… never saw this many sects… ---
**Author:** ![blork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@blork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blork)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2003, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-atheist-symbol/211400/26 "2003-11-05T08:48:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Quasimodem \* > \*\*On a trip home last year I saw a small round bumper sticker. It was in the form of a black cross with that international “verboten” circle with the angled line going through it. I took it to mean that the driver was atheist. > > Quasi \*\* its a symbol for a punk band called “Bad Religon”. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2003, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-atheist-symbol/211400/27 "2003-11-05T09:12:39Z")
How about [this?](http://www.exile-films.com/images/red_star.gif) Well, it’d work for me, except for the fact that I _like_ capitalism. And democracy. And not having to stand in lines for turnips… ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2003, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-atheist-symbol/211400/28 "2003-11-05T09:20:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by blork \* > \*\*its a symbol for a punk band called “Bad Religon”. \*\* Thanks, **blork** for the clarification, and \*WELCOME!{/i] Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2003, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-atheist-symbol/211400/29 "2003-11-05T09:21:35Z")
Maybe you’ll be better at coding than I am! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![trabi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecae2f/32.png) [@trabi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trabi)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2003, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-atheist-symbol/211400/30 "2003-11-05T12:05:57Z")
> [@](#): > > “Atheism” describes only what a person doesn’t believe, not what he does believe. I don’t agree. An atheist believes - i.e. has faith - in something: the non-existance of God. This as opposed to an agnostic, who won’t commit either way - i.e. has no faith. ---
**Author:** ![SkeptiJess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2003, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-atheist-symbol/211400/31 "2003-11-05T12:29:06Z")
[hijack] I’d argue with the definition of an agnostic as one “who won’t commit either way.” I think a better definition is that an agnostic simply doesn’t know whether or not there is a god. In my opinion there is a difference. That said, most people do seem to interpret “agnostic” as wishy-washy – people often respond to an admission of agnostism with, “Oh, haven’t made your mind up, huh?” or something – so I usually call myself an atheist. Although, in the strictest sense I am closer to agnosticism than atheism. [/hijack] Oh, and I always look around for the atheist symbol at veteran’s cemetaries. I always find one or two – I guess there _are_ atheists in foxholes! ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2003, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-atheist-symbol/211400/32 "2003-11-05T12:46:42Z")
**Agnostics** have been trying to come up with a symbol for years, but they just can’t seem to decide. How is it that the **Anarchists** ever came up with a symbol? Did they vote on it or was it decided by their leader? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2003, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-atheist-symbol/211400/33 "2003-11-05T13:16:05Z")
How about a red circle containing a cross, a Star of David, and a crescent, all with a diagonal red stripe running over them? ---
**Author:** ![jon\_pi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/48db29/32.png) [@jon\_pi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jon_pi)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2003, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-atheist-symbol/211400/34 "2003-11-05T13:20:59Z")
I’ll second the motion for _pi_ ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2003, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-atheist-symbol/211400/35 "2003-11-05T14:00:28Z")
I don’t know about symbols, but I did see an atheist bumper sticker last week. . . It said “Darwin Loves You”. Made me chuckle. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2003, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-atheist-symbol/211400/36 "2003-11-05T15:55:07Z")
> [@](#): > > That’s weird, why are the United Church of Christ, Christian Scientst, and Muslim symbols ‘not shown because of copyrights’? You can copyright a religious symbol??? You can have a copyright on a piece of visual art. I don’t know whether a simple symbol would actually qualify. These symbols seem more like logos to me, in which they would not be eligible for copyright protection. Rather they would be protected by trademark law. If that’s the case, then they couldn’t prohibit a Web site from simply showing you what the simple looks like (that falls under the fair use doctrine). Interesting question, though. I’ll see whether I can look into it further. ---
**Author:** ![MasterChief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@MasterChief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MasterChief)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2003, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-atheist-symbol/211400/37 "2003-11-05T20:02:49Z")
I like pi and i like the second one of astro… ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2003, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-atheist-symbol/211400/38 "2003-11-05T20:17:45Z")
**trabi** : That statement is wrong. [ul] [li] **Agnostic** : One who believes that we cannot know anything about a deity or deities.[/li][li] **Atheist** : One who is skeptical of all claims that there is a deity or are deities.[/li][/ul] > [@](#): > > _[My cite](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=agnostic&r=67)_: > **Word History** : An agnostic does not deny the existence of God and heaven but holds that one cannot know for certain whether or not they exist. > [@](#): > > _[A second cite](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=atheist)_ > One who disbelieves or denies the existence of God or gods. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2003, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-atheist-symbol/211400/39 "2003-11-05T21:08:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Race Bannon \* > **[Check this link](http://www.cem.va.gov/hmemb.htm) for a list.** No Scientologist. Interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2003, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-atheist-symbol/211400/40 "2003-11-06T04:23:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cervaise \* > \*\*No Scientologist. Interesting. \*\* That would be this: $ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-atheist-symbol/211400.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-atheist-symbol/211400.md?page=3)