Atheism with a big 'A' or little 'a'?

CdesignProponentsist · #1 by **CdesignProponentsist** » Feb 01, 2012 1:33 am

This is to gauge the validity of paarsurrey's argument that most atheists would disagree with the following statement.

POLL QUESTION: Do you agree with the following statement?

Atheism uses a little 'a' when not starting a sentence, which again goes to the fact that it isn't an ideological or theological concept. Just as not collecting stamps isn't a hobby.

http://www.rationalskepticism.org/post1182683.html#p1182668

Please answer honestly.

Edited for clarity
Edited again to remove unintended double negative (Cripes!)

virphen · #2 by **virphen** » Feb 01, 2012 1:42 am

I answered honestly that I agreed with the quoted statement - I think there is room for people getting confused about what they are saying they agree with though.

Saim · #3 by **Saim** » Feb 01, 2012 1:53 am

I use a little 'a' because it's the most common convention. Not because of anything it implies about the nature of atheism.

CookieJon · #4 by **CookieJon** » Feb 01, 2012 2:01 am

Confusingest poll question eva! :lol:

I answered yes, I agree to disagree with paarsurrey's idea that as a theist I disagree that atheists would consider atheism not to be an ideological or theological concept.

Xeno · #5 by **Xeno** » Feb 01, 2012 2:25 am

Do I agree that I disagree? I disagree with paarsurrey and agree with the quoted statement. In fact, to avoid confusion I tend to use atheist to refer to myself as an individual (and usually adjectivally), rather than to atheism generally.

Weaver · #6 by **Weaver** » Feb 01, 2012 2:27 am

I am an atheist, and I only capitalize "atheist" if it begins a sentence.

hackenslash · #7 by **hackenslash** » Feb 01, 2012 2:40 am

Is it a proper noun? No, it isn't. Therefore, lowercase 'a' unless other grammatical rules, such as beginning a sentence, dictate otherwise.

Spearthrower · #8 by **Spearthrower** » Feb 01, 2012 3:47 am

It's theism/atheism, I don't think agreement comes into it!

CdesignProponentsist · #9 by **CdesignProponentsist** » Feb 01, 2012 8:13 am

Sorry for the confusing wordage. I've edited it to make it a little more clear what the poll question was. But from the comments, it looks like I have proved my point already.

It seems to be a common tactic of theists to capitalize the word atheist to imply that it has some sort of identity or common belief system.

LucidFlight · **#10** by **LucidFlight** » Feb 01, 2012 8:28 am

I'm not a theist and I disagree mostly with the last three options.

Blackadder · **#11** by **Blackadder** » Feb 01, 2012 8:56 am

I'm an atheist with a small "a". Paarsurrey is given to making sweeping statements without any supporting evidence, and I think he is utterly wrong on this point, as the poll results so far seems to confirm.

rainbow · **#12** by **rainbow** » Feb 01, 2012 9:00 am

CdesignProponentsist wrote:This is to gauge the validity of paarsurrey's argument that most atheists would disagree with the following statement.

POLL QUESTION: Do you agree with the following statement?
Atheism uses a little 'a' when not not starting a sentence, which again goes to the fact that it isn't an ideological or theological concept. Just as not collecting stamps isn't a hobby.

http://www.rationalskepticism.org/post1182683.html#p1182668

Please answer honestly.

Edited for clarity

What about the option for Agnostics who don't give a toss either way?

Paul · **#13** by **Paul** » Feb 01, 2012 9:01 am

hackenslash wrote:Is it a proper noun? No, it isn't. Therefore, lowercase 'a' unless other grammatical rules, such as beginning a sentence, dictate otherwise.

MrFungus420 · **#14** by **MrFungus420** » Feb 01, 2012 9:22 am

And, just as an aside, "theism" should not be capitalized, either.

CookieJon · **#15** by **CookieJon** » Feb 01, 2012 9:37 am

CdesignProponentsist wrote:Sorry for the confusing wordage. I've edited it to make it a little more clear what the poll question was. But from the comments, it looks like I have proved my point already.

Great.

How about another poll then, to test Paarsurrey's rather bizarre idea that the majority of atheists depend on a particular author to know why they're atheist. :lol:

Spearthrower · **#16** by **Spearthrower** » Feb 01, 2012 11:12 am

rainbow wrote:
CdesignProponentsist wrote:This is to gauge the validity of paarsurrey's argument that most atheists would disagree with the following statement.

POLL QUESTION: Do you agree with the following statement?
Atheism uses a little 'a' when not not starting a sentence, which again goes to the fact that it isn't an ideological or theological concept. Just as not collecting stamps isn't a hobby.

http://www.rationalskepticism.org/post1182683.html#p1182668

Please answer honestly.

Edited for clarity

What about the option for Agnostics who don't give a toss either way?

The word 'agnostic' also uses a lower case, although the defining clause you've used is not related to their agnosticism.

Spearthrower · **#17** by **Spearthrower** » Feb 01, 2012 11:13 am

Blackadder wrote:I'm an atheist with a small "a". Paarsurrey is given to making sweeping statements without any supporting evidence, and I think he is utterly wrong on this point, as the poll results so far seems to confirm.

More importantly, English is not Paarsurrey's first language, so simply instruct him that he's mistaken.

Varangian · **#18** by **Varangian** » Feb 01, 2012 12:06 pm

That's what we do all the time...

babel · **#19** by **babel** » Feb 01, 2012 12:48 pm

I'm not voting. The double 'not' in the OP statement is overheating my brain. Still, whoever writes "Atheist" or "Atheism" in the middle of a sentence?
Might be Germans. :dunno:

Matt_B · **#20** by **Matt_B** » Feb 01, 2012 1:09 pm

Normal rules for capitalization go out of the window with theists certainly; who else writes "Him" or "LORD" in the middle of a sentence?

On the whole, I think it's another practice that atheists can safely reject.