So you're an atheist, well I see no reason for us to fight about that.
The word atheist has been largely twisted both by the media and extremists on both sides to the point where it has be generally accepted to mean "Against God". Actions and billboards by groups such as the American Atheists not withstanding, lets have an honest look at this word.
The prefix a... as in asexual, abiotic, atrophy, etc means not or without. So an atheist is simply not theist, meaning they do not worship a 'god'. That's fine and doesn't really confront me, what you believe or not is yours to choose.
The problem, on both sides, is when this meaning is forgotten and a-theism becomes anti-theism.
In the side of people of faith who make this mistake, a persons declaration of atheism is seen as an attack. Nastiness always follows this error.
On the other side of the coin, atheists who make this mistake see it as an excuse to attack or belittle people of faith under the 'atheists banner'. This is just as wrong as the previous example of this misunderstanding.
It may seem petty to argue words, but words are how we convey our thoughts in print and in speech. Let's choose our words and understand them correctly shall we? The sandbox is a much better place if we do so.
The same is true for black holes. Evidence suggests they exist, other evidence suggests they don't. Belief ... more