So a few of us were knocking around on You Made Me Say It, discussing the issues involved with the definition of atheism, when Exterminator came up with the frankly brilliant term, faithfreeist. We are indeed not “lacking” in faith, but altogether free of it, and it’s important to stress the freedoms that atheism entails.
We are free from the guilt of believing that nothing we ever do is good enough for God.
We are free from the need to follow rules and regulations laid down by Bronze-Age tribesmen.
We are free from the constant struggle to reconcile our beliefs with the observable world.
We are free from the requirement that we trust a man in a pulpit, who claims to know what God wants from us.
We are free from the need to maintain our dogma in the face of irrefutable evidence to the contrary.
We are free from the demand that we waste our Sunday mornings in a draughty church, mouthing platitudes and singing off-key dirges.
We are free from the expectation that, because of our faith, we will hold fixed opinions on certain matters.
We are free from the requirement that we hand over our hard-earned cash to an organisation founded in fantasy.
We are free from the complacency that comes with the anticipation of an afterlife.
We are free from charlatans who claim to heal by faith.
We are free from mental strictures which seek to confine our minds.
We are free from the terror of everlasting damnation.
We are free from being fearful and ashamed of sex.
We are faithfreeists – and we are free.
12 comments
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July 2, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Spanish Inquisitor
The Faithfreeist Creed??
I like it.
We’re on our way to establishing the Faithfreeist Church. 8)
July 2, 2008 at 7:22 pm
Evo
I have, in the past, when answering a question about my religion, said that I’m “faith-free”. If all my friends are going to be calling themselves “Faithfreeists” I may have to say it more often. I guess it’s less insulting than the other variant I’ve used – I’m free of superstition. By the way, why is it capitalized? We don’t capitalize atheist.
July 2, 2008 at 9:04 pm
The Exterminator
Evo:
It’s not capitalized except in your comment and the title to the post. In keeping with your comment, I think we should not capitalize faithfreeist. (Obviously, that doesn’t mean we have to resist the urge to use boldface italics as emphasis.) But the capitalization troubles me. It’s not as if we’re part of an organization or a specifically carved out worldview. In fact, faithfreeist implies the contrary.
yunshui: This is a great post.
July 3, 2008 at 1:11 am
TheNerd
I had never felt that wonderful emotional reverence and joy for Jesus when I was a Christian that everyone else claimed to feel. I remember wishing I could share in their feeling of freedom from sin, but I just felt guilt and abuse from my faith. But I remember that first moment I got a taste of the freedom they described – the first moment I realized that I wasn’t a Christian after all. It was like a heavy burden was lifted, and I could finally live!
July 3, 2008 at 1:51 am
John Morales
Laudable as this initiative’s motives may be, I suspect most people, on first encountering faithfreeist will vaguely feel it has to do with freedom of religion advocacy.
I can already imagine the retorts: “Indeed, only by faith is one freed from damnation!”.
PS Lately, I’ve had this feeling I’m the proverbial fly in the ointment. Dunno why ;)
July 3, 2008 at 2:09 am
The Exterminator
Nah, the ointment has room for hundreds of flies. We’ve all taken a dip in it now and then.
By the way, if you Google “faithfree,” the program comes back with a very sarcastic Did you mean: faithful
July 3, 2008 at 2:21 am
Evo
Ex, I too felt it smacked of organization. Like the Atheosphere. Faithfreeist is a word I’m never going to capitalize again.
Oops.
July 3, 2008 at 2:41 am
The Exterminator
Evo:
I capitalize Atheosphere because it’s a place — where everybody knows your name. Like cheers, but with ideas indeed of beer.
July 3, 2008 at 2:55 am
The Exterminator
That should be “Cheers.” Also a place.
July 3, 2008 at 7:51 am
yunshui
SI:
But will we qualify for tax-exempt status?
Evo/Ex:
How dare you deny us capitalization! HELP! HELP! I’M BEING PERSECUTED FOR MY BELIEFS!
TheNerd:
Can I include that as a testimonial in my first pamphlet: “Faithfreeism – Because Jesus Didn’t Love You, And Neither Does Anyone Else”? I will be handing them out on a street corner near you soon. Maybe I can get Jack Chick to do the illustrations…
July 4, 2008 at 6:46 am
TheNerd
Quote me all you like!
“Jesus Didn’t Love You, And Neither Does Anyone Else” Aww… I’ll love them – I just don’t think they want my kind of love. *cracks whip* ;)
July 10, 2008 at 1:42 am
the chaplain
yunshui – this is a wonderful post.
TheNerd – I know exactly what you mean. If I’m honest, I always feared God more than I loved Him. And really, one can’t truly love what (or whom) one fears.