The Dictionary and Leftovers of Christian Influence

[Lagmonster]

I had to look up some terms in the dictionary this morning, and was near on the page to the word 'atheist'. In the Cambridge dictionary I own, 'atheist' has a number of synonyms and 'related words', among them such wonderfully choice entries as 'immoral', 'unfaithful', and 'profane'.

Now, I thought, this book was published in 1962. Maybe things have changed. And then we stroll over to Mirriam-Webster. Atheist is fine. Atheism is fine. But a synonym is presented: 'Irreligious'. And we find this (abbreviated by me for space):

-Entry Word: irreligious
-Text: lacking religious emotions, doctrines, or practices
-Synonyms: godless, nonreligious, unreligious
-Related Words: ungodly, unholy, blasphemous, impious, profane, amoral, unmoral

Getting worse...okay...let's try Roget's Thesaurus, just for the fun of it, turn over some terms like atheist, atheistic and godless:

http://thesaurus.reference.com/search?q=atheistic

Now, I am twisting the dictionary's arm more than a bit to be sure to find these connections - the basic literary definitions don't list atheist or atheistm as meaning evil or wicked. But apparently people still draw such connections, even in our best English language dictionaries and thesauruses.

At least things seem better now than in my 1962 Cambridge dictionary, where you don't have to hunt to see the Christian influence!

[Alyeska]

Reminds me of something I heard a while back. A particular student was in his science class when the teacher said that Dinosaurs were nothing but a conspiracy of scientists. This student objected and pointed out evidence. Then people next to him insulted him and started calling him an Atheist, which he wasn't, though they didn't exactly know that.

The point of that being, some really fucking stupid people still use Atheist in a derogetory since. It was all the more insulting for this student because he was not an Atheist.

[Darth Wong]

The English language has largely developed under the care of religionist bigots. "Godless" is also widely regarded as a synonym for "immoral".

Frankly, I think that certain types of Christians have become so accustomed to using "atheist", "godless", and "immoral" interchangeably that they're downright stunned when they encounter someone like me, who's proudly atheist, who doesn't smoke, rarely drinks, has never cheated on his wife, has a clean criminal record, volunteers with the local Boy Scouts, etc.

[Wicked Pilot]

Frankly, I think that certain types of Christians have become so accustomed to using "atheist", "godless", and "immoral" interchangeably that they're downright stunned when they encounter someone like me, who's proudly atheist, who doesn't smoke, rarely drinks, has never cheated on his wife, has a clean criminal record, volunteers with the local Boy Scouts, etc.

Same thing happened to me last week. I met some fundie while working at a Habitat for Humanity site. He couldn't believe that I am in the Air Force, and commissioning in five months, do community service, and am an athiest. It must have took him twenty minutes to think about what to do or say. Then of course he tried to indoctrinate me into his advintist little cult.

[Lord_Xerxes]

The English language has largely developed under the care of religionist bigots. "Godless" is also widely regarded as a synonym for "immoral".

Frankly, I think that certain types of Christians have become so accustomed to using "atheist", "godless", and "immoral" interchangeably that they're downright stunned when they encounter someone like me, who's proudly atheist, who doesn't smoke, rarely drinks, has never cheated on his wife, has a clean criminal record, volunteers with the local Boy Scouts, etc.

It's still indoctrinated into their feeble brains that only believers can me good moral citizens. Despite the fact that more often then not, it's proved to be just the opposite. I would go so far as to put myself out on a limb here and say that, if they are using the Bible as a code of morals, and taking it literally, and we aren't, wouldn't that state that we have the better code of morals...because we aren't basing ours around a book that doesn't condemn mass-murder, the killing of children, rape, etc?

[Durandal]

The English language has largely developed under the care of religionist bigots. "Godless" is also widely regarded as a synonym for "immoral".

Frankly, I think that certain types of Christians have become so accustomed to using "atheist", "godless", and "immoral" interchangeably that they're downright stunned when they encounter someone like me, who's proudly atheist, who doesn't smoke, rarely drinks, has never cheated on his wife, has a clean criminal record, volunteers with the local Boy Scouts, etc.

You volunteer at the local Boy Scouts? I've stopped giving money to that cretinous organization ever since the whole atheist scout fiasco.

[Darth Wong]

The Canadian Scouts don't have that policy. The application form states that you don't have to tell them your religion if you don't want to.

[neoolong]

That is a pretty poor dictionary. Amoral and immoral are two completely different things. They aren't synonyms.

[Shadow WarChief]

I just want to point out that while the dictionary has that definition, it doesn't necessarily mean that the writers of the dictionary agree with it.
It's merely listing how the word is used. Since all the dickless donkey raping shit eating son's of whore's fundies think atheist = amoral and vice versa, they included the definiton.

[Durandal]

The Canadian Scouts don't have that policy. The application form states that you don't have to tell them your religion if you don't want to.

Oh, well good on them, then.

[Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi]

There are many fundies in American society, and their views have seeped into mainstream American beliefs. Without any examples at all, and using bizarre logic, somehow, Atheists are associated with immorality.