Don't Call Me Atheist

Pantheism is the belief that the universe is identical with divinity, or that everything composes an all-encompassing deity.

A pantheist considers the possibility that the divine is manifested in or encompassing the material world.

Einstein disassociated himself from being labeled atheist, preferring, he said, "an attitude of humility corresponding to the weakness of our intellectual understanding of nature and of our own being."

To accept the term 'atheist' places the recipient in a no-win situation. Once you embrace this designation you're placing yourself behind the eight-ball in every religious conversation.

Theist are quite adroit at attacking any person who identifies with this group. The religious-right have centuries of experience and are masters of duplicity, chicanery and fabrications. These detestable characteristics have been the cornerstone of their religion for the past 2000 years.

Christian apologist use the word 'atheist' as their weapon of choice in an attempt to belittle those who disagree with their religious philosophies. First of all, Atheism is not a philosophy and second, don't call me atheist because I disagree with your medieval views regarding life and death.

Just because I don't agree with the characteristics of your God, is not indicative of whether or not I believe in an intelligent presence that orchestrates the multiverse.

Throughout my five decades in this dimension I've never aligned myself with the Christian God, but this does not make me Atheist. Those people who identify themselves as Muslim, they don't believe in the Christian God and are not called atheist. Those who follow the Buddhist faith, they don't wear the atheist label. Even Hare Krishna's are not part of the atheist discussion. Because I do not subscribe to any religion, doesn't mean that I don't believe there is a Creator.

No one knows if there's an actual designer of our amazing universe. Therefore, no one can describe this particular entity, or presence no more so than a fish could describe water. It is not possible.

All we have to go on are flawed, incorrect, inconsistent holy books that man told you came from God. All we have is counter-factual information, myths and data, from over 2000 years ago.

You call me an atheist because I do not agree with your version of events, so you make the vain attempt to categorize me. Those who embrace atheism, that's all well and good, but you're selling yourselves, and your opinions short by doing so. If you're in a debate with several people who subscribe to one religion or the other, and you're the only Atheist in the conversation, you could be the more logical, the more analytical and your arguments are lucid and based on scientific evidence. Nonetheless, your opinion won't be worth very much primarily because you've been branded an Atheist.

When people label themselves Atheist, they immediately place themselves behind the eight-ball in any religious debate. Sam Harris, lecturer and author of the book, "The End of Faith," in one of his lectures stated that people need to get away from using the word.

I choose not to wear any labels except the two that identify me as an African American male and a human being. People can easily stereotype you when you subscribe to some label.

So please, don't call me atheist because I disagree with you. Why do I have to be called anything? Furthermore, it's futile to attempt to pigeonhole me, to disparage or attack my views with fallacious arguments, because that won't work either.