de-conversion

Is “bright” a more negative term than “atheist”?

Hey, my name is Jersey, this is my first entry for d-C.

I have just recently heard of something called the “Bright” movement. Essentially, the term “bright” is, according to the “official” website, someone “who has a naturalistic worldview”, has “a worldview free of supernatural and mystical elements”, and “the ethics and morals [...] are based on a natural worldview.”

I understand why some people who disbelieve in higher deities would want to avoid the term “atheist” as a title: to many, the word connotes an angry, amoral person who will try anything to rid society of religious influence. (Correct me if I am wrong, this is my perception of how theists view the stereotypical atheist.)

However, to me, the term “bright” also brings on an air of self-righteousness, arrogance, and the same determination to prove religion wrong. If you ask me, I think if you are wary of using the word atheist to describe your “religious views”, there are already plenty of common and old-school terms that are still just as popular: non-theist, irreligious, cynic, skeptic, (secular) humanist, secularist, naturalist, or my personal favorite…freethinker…

Continue Reading January 18, 2008 at 4:03 am Jersey 31 comments