If you’ve got a version of unbelief, you can probably find a name for it.
Freethinker sounds quaint, and it should. It’s one of the oldest names for unbeliever, dating to 1692.[1] “ ‘Free thought’ means coming to your own conclusion about religion and without the influences of religious dogma or doctrine,” according to Blair Scott, Alabama director of the national unbelievers group American Atheists. “It’s kind of an umbrella term for atheists, agnostics, skeptics, secularists, brights, and any other label.”[2]
Rationalists trust in logic and reason. While the word isn’t as old as freethinker, the rationalist viewpoint goes back at least as far as Socrates, Plato, and other ancient Greeks. Science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov, an outspoken atheist, said that he’d rather call himself a rationalist because “‘Atheist,’ meaning ‘no God,’ is negative and defeatist. It says what you don’t believe and puts you in an eternal position of defense. ‘Rationalism,’ on the other hand, states what you DO believe: that is, that which can be understood in the light of reason.”[3]
Humanists focus on people rather than on God. Instead of taking guidance from a spirit in the sky, they emphasize humanity’s own “ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity.” [4] So says the American Humanist Association, and they should know -- but theirs isn’t the only definition. Some people apply humanism to any attitude that values people and cares about their problems, which means that it’s possible to be a religious humanist. In fact, there’s a tradition of Christian humanism that dates back to the Renaissance. That’s why some modern, non-religious humanists call themselves secular humanists, a term that’s suffered attacks from some Christian conservatives. “Most of today’s evils can be traced to secular humanism, which has already taken over our government, the United Nations, education, television, and most of the other power centers,” say evangelical ministers Tim LaHaye and David Noebel in their book Mind Siege. “Secular humanism is driven by a flaming hatred for Jesus Christ that seeks to eradicate the Christian worldview.”[5] (LaHaye and Noebel are wrong, by the way.)
On and on the names go. Objectivists are rationalists who follow the philosophy of one particular rationalist, Russian-American novelist Ayn Rand. Materialists believe that the only reality is the world of physical matter and that supernatural forces play no part. Naturalists are a lot like materialists but focus on any laws, processes and phenomena that science can explain.
The newest label -- one that’s sparked some sharp arguments -- is probably brights. Mynga Futrell and Paul Geisert, a husband-and-wife team of atheist educators and activists, came up with the name as a cheerful-sounding alternative to godless and other harsh-sounding names. But calling unbelievers “brights” hints that believers are dull and stupid, which is insulting; and many atheists believe that it’s unkind, unfair, rude or stupid for a minority group like atheists to insult believers. “The ‘bright’ kids aren’t always the ones with the most friends,” says atheist author Chris Mooney, “and nobody -- nobody -- likes a smart ass.”[6] [1] Uncredited, “Freethinking,” Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, tenth edition (Merriam-Webster, 2001), http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freethinking
[2] Michael Martin, “Atheism on the Rise in U.S.,” Tell Me More, National Public Radio (August 14, 2009)
[4] Uncredited, “About Humanism,” American Humanist Association website (undated), http://www.americanhumanist.org/Who_We_Are/About_Humanism
[5] Tim LaHaye and David Noebel, Mind Siege: The Battle for Truth in the New Millennium (Word Publishing, 2000)
[6] Chris Mooney, “Not Too ‘Bright,’” Committee for Skeptical Inquiry website (October 15, 2003), http://www.csicop.org/specialarticles/show/not_too_bright/
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