Does Anyone Else Feel Labeless?

[Twilight Hue]

Why abandon labels? Labels help us define and expand upon things we knew or feel or what is already there. If we didn't have labels, we wouldn't have cultures, groups, communities or even knowledge on my anthropological things. We need labels so we can better understand ourselves.

A bit like salt and pepper on mashed potatos. "0)

 

[Twilight Hue]

I use labels to indicate a general sense and direction, but ultulmatly labeless as to where it takes you. Probably why I find the gateless gate so intriguing.

 

[McBell]

Nonsense. There's no requirement for an adequate descriptor.

nonsense.
Everyone is labeled.

 

[Acim]

Labels are definitely unnecessary, but can be helpful in certain contexts. Like here on RF.

Without a label, if you enter discussions (and for sure debates), people will label you (which is how I hear @Mestemia 's point). If they mislabel you, you'll let them know, but that is probably going to lead to another label, as it is fairly likely whatever you're currently speaking about has been discussed previously, and thus a label can be attached to it.

I don't think the label becomes us, or if it does, then we also can expand the label, whether or not those stuck on stereotypical characteristics (previously) associated with that label like it or not. So, if you are an atheist that has high appreciation for Bible and Christian history, then there is at least one atheist existing that has those characteristics. Another hardline atheist may think that sucks, but that is entirely on them. Just as all the bad / contradictory stuff that some religious people do sucks to some (or many theists), but those judgments about that type of theist are on us who think that.

In most cases, I think the label is a temporary consideration. Helpful a bit in a debate/discussion or helpful perhaps if wanting to have congregation and not exactly welcoming everyone - essentially looking to accept into the fold those that aren't seen as intentional disruptors who are looking to sabotage things.

Labels are really about the roles one may play in a situation. Being an atheist and say wishing to play forward in a soccer match, really doesn't matter (at all) if you are atheist. If you are on a religious forum wishing to debate characteristics of a deity, the label atheist helps save a whole lot of time in what you might be trying to get across if you were without a label.

 

[Moonbear]

Like Acim said labels can be useful but ultimately don't get much across. Its alright to simply consider yourself an eclectic or you can have fun and go into a lot of depth with your labels but just remember it doesn't matter too much.

If someone is truly interested in your view they should be willing to listen to an explanation about them.

Also I know plenty of Christians who are not pure theists (or not at all) and have very similar views to your own. I go to an Episcopal church from time to time (mostly to meet with friends or for the donuts afterwards ) but almost everyone there has differing views on major theological points but its all very civil and they all have a deep love of the actual teachings in the Bible like you stated. If your looking for a community Im sure you can find one nearby and if not you always have this forum.

 

[McBell]

Labels are definitely unnecessary, but can be helpful in certain contexts. Like here on RF.

Without a label, if you enter discussions (and for sure debates), people will label you (which is how I hear @Mestemia 's point). If they mislabel you, you'll let them know, but that is probably going to lead to another label, as it is fairly likely whatever you're currently speaking about has been discussed previously, and thus a label can be attached to it.

I don't think the label becomes us, or if it does, then we also can expand the label, whether or not those stuck on stereotypical characteristics (previously) associated with that label like it or not. So, if you are an atheist that has high appreciation for Bible and Christian history, then there is at least one atheist existing that has those characteristics. Another hardline atheist may think that sucks, but that is entirely on them. Just as all the bad / contradictory stuff that some religious people do sucks to some (or many theists), but those judgments about that type of theist are on us who think that.

In most cases, I think the label is a temporary consideration. Helpful a bit in a debate/discussion or helpful perhaps if wanting to have congregation and not exactly welcoming everyone - essentially looking to accept into the fold those that aren't seen as intentional disruptors who are looking to sabotage things.

Labels are really about the roles one may play in a situation. Being an atheist and say wishing to play forward in a soccer match, really doesn't matter (at all) if you are atheist. If you are on a religious forum wishing to debate characteristics of a deity, the label atheist helps save a whole lot of time in what you might be trying to get across if you were without a label.

I would add that people assign what they like to each label.
How many different descriptors have there been here on RF alone for the label "atheist"?

Seems to me that it matters not what label you prefer, you are still dealing with other peoples descriptors of the labels.

 

[bubbleguppy]

I personally don't like using labels with my own religious beliefs because I feel doing so will impede future spiritual growth. Although, it does come with the price of not having any solid religious community, which definitely can feel devastatingly isolating at times. But to be clear, I believe it is better to find peace with a label-less state than to force oneself into an ill-fitting ideological box. Cramming oneself into categories only makes such a person stress when they remember that the fit isn't perfect. At least, that's what personal experience has taught me.

 

[Rick O'Shez]

Why abandon labels? Labels help us define and expand upon things we knew or feel or what is already there.

The problem is that often when we label something we stop looking at it closely.

 

[Neon Genesis]

I personally don't like using labels with my own religious beliefs because I feel doing so will impede future spiritual growth. Although, it does come with the price of not having any solid religious community, which definitely can feel devastatingly isolating at times. But to be clear, I believe it is better to find peace with a label-less state than to force oneself into an ill-fitting ideological box. Cramming oneself into categories only makes such a person stress when they remember that the fit isn't perfect. At least, that's what personal experience has taught me.

This describes how I feel about religious labels perfectly. I also think when you slap a label onto your beliefs, it becomes more tempting to associate your label with the Truth and then it can enable you to become more arrogant and sometimes overly aggressive and potentially hurtful to others. You see this all the time in religious and political debates when it seems like most of the time they're all about keeping people trapped in boxes.

 

[Rick O'Shez]

This describes how I feel about religious labels perfectly. I also think when you slap a label onto your beliefs, it becomes more tempting to associate your label with the Truth and then it can enable you to become more arrogant and sometimes overly aggressive and potentially hurtful to others. You see this all the time in religious and political debates when it seems like most of the time they're all about keeping people trapped in boxes.

Yes, it is comforting to put other people in boxes, we think we know what we are dealing with. But the same is true when we label ourselves. When you strip away all the labels, what is left?

 

[CEMB]

Yes, it is comforting to put other people in boxes, we think we know what we are dealing with. But the same is true when we label ourselves. When you strip away all the labels, what is left?

People searching for meaning.

 

[Neon Genesis]

Yes, it is comforting to put other people in boxes, we think we know what we are dealing with. But the same is true when we label ourselves. When you strip away all the labels, what is left?

I think there may be some confusion here. I am not arguing for the abolishing of labels. I am not arguing everyone should stop using labels all together. In fact, I use many labels to describe myself. But not everyone has a label for every aspect of their life and all times of their life. All I am saying is that in this time in my life, there is no religious label I feel comfortable using to describe how I feel about something as complex as any potential creator of the universe. I am merely describing my own personal experience and seeking to connect with others who might feel the same.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

As I mentioned in my introduction thread, I was raised a Christian and then throughout much of my college youth I identified with atheism. I later experimented with progressive Christianity but nothing really feels like it sticks with me. I feel like I have too many doubts about biblical literalism, organized religion, and supernatural beliefs to feel entirely comfortable with the Christian label. Having said that, I don't feel like I fit entirely in with most atheist communities, especially the ones who chuck out all religious traditions in the name of secular purity. I still have a great deal of love for the power of religious stories and their teachings and the communities they create when they're at their best and not at constant war with each other. I find the history of the bible and Christianity to be just as fascinating as the bible itself, if not more so, and I love learning more about it even though I don't have a literal belief in it. Does anyone else here feel like this and how do you handle not having a label when it seems like everyone else around you does?

Nice post.

You may be granting words to much power. I've always appreciated Alfred Korzybski's dictum: the map is not the territory, And then, of course, we have ...

“When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less.”

“The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things.”

“The question is,” said Humpty Dumpty, “which is to be master—that’s all.”​

Labels are a sometimes useful while alway imperfect convenience. Think of them as a pair of shoes. Find one or more that serve you as you migrate through a conversation - especially those that you have with yourself. If none seem particularly helpful, walk the path barefoot. You've lost little by doing so.

For what it's worth, I would label you thoughtfully religious.

 

[Neon Genesis]

I don't know that it's a case of giving words too much power to me as much as it is based on my own experiences with various communities. I was pretty involved with atheist and skepticism communities early on in my college youth and I still value those experiences and the close friends I've made from those experiences and I certainly think most atheists are good people. But there was a lot of aggressiveness and mean spiritedness from certain elements of organized atheism that I felt very uncomfortable with. For a time there was also a lot of issues with sexism and sexual harassment in the atheist community with women being harassed by some very vocal leaders in the movement and getting death threats if they spoke out about it. It felt like I had to constantly investigate the backgrounds of everyone organized atheism before I could trust them and I still feel like I have to do that but the whole affair just really turned me off from organized atheism. I was very attracted to the intellectualism of progressive Christianity especially in regards to the secular biblical scholarship side of things that I just found to be very fascinating and I enjoyed participating in dialog about it all because this wasn't the type of discussions you typically heard in conservative churches. For the most part, I was accepted in those communities just fine, but at t the same time, I was also kind of turned off by the way it seemed like a lot of people in progressive Christianity were always trying to push me into accepting without question or doubt that a Supreme Being existed that created everything and is listening to our prayers and stuff and they also kept trying to push me into accepting a level of authority to the bible that I wasn't ready to do yet. It was like they were fine with questioning literally everything else about the bible but God itself remained off limits.