Cyprus-Forum.com

[GreekIslandGirl]

"GreekIslandGirl" do you speak Greek? Do you know what the Greek word "atheist" with "στερητικό Α" mean?

The census chap said that there was no place in the form for "Atheist" or "No religion" or "none". Maybe a few census chaps did that, but most didn't even ask the question and filled the form themselves, and most of those who did ask didn't know of any way to record "no religion/Atheism" responses.

Now you are equivocating - confabulating - or worse.

Going by what you wrote - as to what passed between you and the census chap, somewhere along the line, you have made a mistake or are out-rightly lying.

But yes, I do know what 'atheist' means when strictly derived from the Greek - it means without a god. It does NOT mean without religion or "no religion" at all, as you seem to think since you aren't really .... Greek-speaking, now are you?

Sort yourself out ...

Are you suggesting that the Statistical Service in Cyprus are not Greek-speaking either? Because they grouped "Atheism/No-religion" as a single option in their results Now quick .. make up some stupid excuse for that and gain an additional stupidity point

The stupidity lies with you and what you attempted to prove earlier with your supposed understanding.

If they grouped their results as "Atheism/No-religion", it just means "Atheism" OR "No-religion". They can be grouped together for conciseness. But, it doesn't mean as you believe that "Atheism" means "No religion". You can be religious (have a faith/belief) but be atheistic (not believe in a god/gods) - something which you fail to appreciate as an .... atheist!

[Atheist]

You just won 3 more stupidity points

Form the American Atheists Organization:
"Atheism is not a belief system nor is it a religion."
http://atheists.org/activism/resources/what-is-atheism

No true atheist would think of atheism as a religion.

[Lordo]

what a load of nonsense from oracle again. who cares what greeks meant by atheist 2000 odd years ago. as if that makes any difference to us today. language is a living thing my dear and it evolves. except you of course and the likes of you who are stuck in the ancient greek life.

[GreekIslandGirl]

Atheist, when you have mistranslated a Greek word, that over 90% of posters here can verify, do not then turn to some American institution as evidence to support your faux position, thank you.

[Atheist]

Atheist, when you have mistranslated a Greek word, that over 90% of posters here can verify, do not then turn to some American institution as evidence to support your faux position, thank you.

Where did I mistranslated a Greek word. Quote me

[GreekIslandGirl]

It's no big deal, but if you follow the thread back you will see where your ever-shifting position on the meaning of atheism started - I guess after the enlightenment - on the dichotomy between 'god' and 'religion' (and the fact that atheism used for 'no religion' as an answer is not entirely accurate since it means 'no god' rather than 'no religion') - you may have changed again.

[Atheist]

My position on the meaning of Atheism has never shifted: It means "no God" and it is not a religion and this had been my position from the beginning.

[GreekIslandGirl]

My position on the meaning of Atheism has never shifted: It means "no God" and it is not a religion and this had been my position from the beginning.

Your contradictions are making us go round in circles.

For the last time; in your first post you indicated you were asked your religion:

while asking "Orthodox Christian, right?" to which I answered that I was atheist.

You thus self-classified "atheism" as a religion.

If now you say "atheism" is not a religion, somewhere along the line you either made a mistake or changed your position.

Sadly, since race cannot be changed, religion was the last easy vestige for bringing people together ...

[Atheist]

The link I gave earlier offers a good example. If you were asked "What diseases do you have" and you answered "I am perfectly Healthy", this doesn't mean that "Healthy" is a form of disease. It is clear that there was not a proper way to record "Atheism/no-religion" and if and how this was recorded was left to the discretion of each census guy. The end result is a clear underrepresentation of Atheists and non-religious people in the census results. My view is that either they should have had a "none" option in the religion category, and failing that that they shouldn't have listed at all "Atheists/no-religion" in their results.

Sadly, since race cannot be changed, religion was the last easy vestige for bringing people together...

I am not sure what is your context here. In Cyprus practically everybody was Caucasian. If you are talking about the whole world then religion could unite people if there was just one religion. But there are many religions, far greater than the number of races, so the end result is the opposite: more division.

The only positive thing that religion has is to psychologically help some people (and I am not saying that this is an insignificant benefit)

[GreekIslandGirl]

The link I gave earlier offers a good example. If you were asked "What diseases do you have" and you answered "I am perfectly Healthy", this doesn't mean that "Healthy" is a form of disease.

It's not a form of disease but it's a relative measure of disease. You may answer "healthy", feel healthy, but unknowingly be riddled with cancer. Interesting that you chose disease with which to compare the state of 'having a god' or 'not having a god'.

It is clear that there was not a proper way to record "Atheism/no-religion" and if and how this was recorded was left to the discretion of each census guy. The end result is a clear underrepresentation of Atheists and non-religious people in the census results. My view is that either they should have had a "none" option in the religion category, and failing that that they shouldn't have listed at all "Atheists/no-religion" in their results.

Actually, time to confess, I'm not really interested in numbers of so-called atheists or non-atheists. People flit in and out of those states yearly if not daily.

I'm more interested in the reasons why people adopt one label for themselves rather than another.