Do you think it is really fair to use the term "free thinker" as a synonym for atheist, or is that a false designation that should only be applied to individuals and not ideologies?
Anonymous
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Of course not. A free thinker comes up with his/her conclusions about such questions as to whether or not God exists. The notion that someone is a free thinker because they were told that free thinkers are atheists is Orwellian doublethink.
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Atheism and freethinking are two unrelated things.
The latter, however, almost invariably leads to the former.
ZEUS DID IT - "I don't like the term "free thinker" at all. It's a bit condescending, as if others are "unfree." Most Christians are "free" thinkers. No one is making them believe what they do. They could leave the church if they wanted."
Anyone *could* do *anything*.
Being a freethinker doesn't depend upon whether or not a person *could* base their conclusions upon independent evaluations; it depends upon whether or not they *have*.
Ergo, I would judge your statement, " Most Christians are "free" thinkers", entirely false. Perhaps many Christians possess the *capacity* to evaluate their beliefs independently; in my experience, the majority, I'm sorry to say, most certainly do *not* (and I would disagree with any argument that more than, say, one in ten possessed even the capacity graciously afforded them here; in my experience, no more than one person in a hundred is intelligent enough to be even worth conversing with on an issue such as this).
Anonymous
I don't like the term "free thinker" at all. It's a bit condescending, as if others are "unfree." Most Christians are "free" thinkers. No one is making them believe what they do. They could leave the church if they wanted. Rather, I think it's more accurate to say Christians are guilty of wishful thinking and cherry picking science.
Cailyn
I think a free thinker is someone with an open mind. Even a Christian that says "No, God might not be real, but I believe in him" can be considered a free thinker because he/she is saying that there is a chance that they are wrong.
Sarah
Definition of a free thinker:
free·think·er
ˈfrēˈTHiNGkər/
noun
1.
a person who rejects accepted opinions, esp. those concerning religious belief.
This is not exclusive to atheists, nor have I seen atheists make the claim that only atheists can be free thinkers.