Behold, the Six Type of Atheists (CNN Article)

[valet]

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/07/15/the-six-types-of-atheists/

If this has been posted before my bad.

 

[dennis roadman]

hilarious that a "CNN Belief Blog" would try to delineate this into 6 specific types. most people who are not involved in religion or the belief in gods would identify with more than one of these so-called groups.

trying to fit these into distinct natures is ridiculous and blatantly short-sighted, most likely written by someone from a religious background

 

[acri1]

I'll bite.

1) Intellectual atheist/agnostic
This type of nonbeliever seeks information and intellectual stimulation about atheism.

They like debating and arguing, particularly on popular Internet sites.

(Ahem.)

They're also well-versed in books and articles about religion and atheism, and prone to citing those works frequently.

2) Activist

These kinds of atheists and agnostics are not content with just disbelieving in God; they want to tell others why they reject religion and why society would be better off if we all did likewise.

They tend to be vocal about political causes like gay rights, feminism, the environment and the care of animals.

3) Seeker-agnostic

This group is made up of people who are unsure about the existence of a God but keep an open mind and recognize the limits of human knowledge and experience.

Silver and Coleman describe this group as people who regularly question their own beliefs and “do not hold a firm ideological position.”

That doesn't mean this group is confused, the researchers say. They just embrace uncertainty.

4) Anti-theist

This group regularly speaks out against religion and religious beliefs, usually by positioning themselves as “diametrically opposed to religious ideology,” Silver and Coleman wrote.

“Anti-theists view religion as ignorance and see any individual or institution associated with it as backward and socially detrimental,” the researchers wrote. “The Anti-Theist has a clear and – in their view, superior – understanding of the limitations and danger of religions.”

Anti-theists are outspoken, devoted and – at times – confrontational about their disbelief. They believe that "obvious fallacies in religion and belief should be aggressively addressed in some form or another.”

5) Non-theist

The smallest group among the six are the non-theists, people who do not involve themselves with either religion or anti-religion.

In many cases, this comes across as apathy or disinterest.

“A Non-Theist simply does not concern him or herself with religion,” Silver and Coleman wrote. “Religion plays no role or issue in one’s consciousness or worldview; nor does a Non- Theist have concern for the atheist or agnostic movement.”

They continue: “They simply do not believe, and in the same right, their absence of faith means the absence of anything religion in any form from their mental space.”

6) Ritual atheist

They don't believe in God, they don’t associate with religion, and they tend to believe there is no afterlife, but the sixth type of nonbeliever still finds useful the teachings of some religious traditions.

“They see these as more or less philosophical teachings of how to live life and achieve happiness than a path to transcendental liberation,” Silver and Coleman wrote. “For example, these individuals may participate in specific rituals, ceremonies, musical opportunities, meditation, yoga classes, or holiday traditions.”

For many of these nonbelievers, their adherence to ritual may stem from family traditions. For others, its a personal connection to, or respect for, the "profound symbolism" inherent within religious rituals, beliefs and ceremonies, according the researchers.

If I must be categorized, I guess I'd think of myself as mostly a Type I, with shades of a Type IV when it comes to certain topics (like religious involvement in government).

 

[NZA]

i happen to be a combination of 1,3,5,and 6. if your personality is completely encapsulated in one category, you are either taking life too seriously or not seriously enough

 

[Mr.Black]

mixture of 4 and 5

i think it's a joke and will willingly debate the pure rediculousness of it, but at the same time I don't go out of my way to do so unless provoked.

 

[Julius Skrrvin]

I troll the religious nutjobs on here a lot but I'm mostly a 5 with shades of 3,6

 

[2Quik4UHoes]

1,3,5, and 6 all describe portions of my non-belief but I'm mostly 3. I mean we're only human, how the fukk can we be expected to know what made all this if we can't even solve issues like terminal illness or poverty?

 

[Fervid]

Yeah, the article is too black-and-white. I also am a mixture of most of these.

 

[L.A.]

I'm 3.

 

[newarkhiphop]

2) Activist

These kinds of atheists and agnostics are not content with just disbelieving in God; they want to tell others why they reject religion and why society would be better off if we all did likewise.

They tend to be vocal about political causes like gay rights, feminism, the environment and the care of animals.

99% of the HL

 

[thekingsmen]

Sounds like a list for personality disorders.

 

[kingofnyc]

Yeah, the article is too black-and-white. I also am a mixture of most of these.

this

 

[Blackking]

99% of the HL

truth. And it's weird because most atheist in life aren't this way.

 

[Meta Reign]

It sucks that we can't 1 star threads anymore.

 

[Tommy Knocks]

3, 5 ,6.