Are you a Bright? Get yourself counted!

What is a bright?

    * A bright is a person who has a naturalistic worldview
    * A bright's worldview is free of supernatural and mystical elements
    * The ethics and actions of a bright are based on a naturalistic worldview



http://www.the-brights.net/action/register/

* A bright's worldview is free of supernatural and mystical elements

I still feel that there is plenty of stuff that science cannot currently explain.  So until that day comes that it can, my "worldview" still contains "supernatural" elements.

So, darn.  I can't be a bright.

Quote from: "Ubuntu"

* A bright's worldview is free of supernatural and mystical elements

I still feel that there is plenty of stuff that science cannot currently explain.  So until that day comes that it can, my "worldview" still contains "supernatural" elements.

So, darn.  I can't be a bright.

American Heritage Dictionary:

su·per·nat·u·ral·ism (sū'pər-năch'ər-ə-lĭz'əm) n.

   1. The quality of being supernatural.
   2. Belief in a supernatural agency that intervenes in the course of natural laws.


nat·u·ral·ism (năch'ər-ə-lĭz'əm, năch'rə-) n.

      3. Philosophy. The system of thought holding that all phenomena can be explained in terms of natural causes and laws.

Ubuntu:

No is claiming that science explains, or even can explain, everything.

I've been a member of the Brights' Society for some time now, though I haven't been active at all. The word is really dumb however.

Yeah, it's a dumb word the way "gay" is a dumb word for homosexuals.  I'm not particularly happy that that term was coopted by the queer community and I'm not particularly happy that the term "bright" has been coopted by the naturalist community.  I'm a naturalist, with some caveats.

Yeah, it's a dumb word the way "gay" is a dumb word for homosexuals.

I actually think it's a good word.

'Gay' doesn't annoy me like 'Bright' does, but since I'm not homosexual I can't really say anything about that word. 'Bright' is a really useless word for 'naturalist', and I predict it will not come into general use.

'Gay' doesn't annoy me like 'Bright' does, but since I'm not homosexual I can't really say anything about that word.

Oh sure you can!

Quote from: "dysfunction"

'Gay' doesn't annoy me like 'Bright' does, but since I'm not homosexual I can't really say anything about that word.

Oh sure you can!

I just meant that the word doesn't have any real ties to me, so though I feel neutrally about it, people who it does apply to might feel strongly about the word's positivity or negativity.

So being an atheist means that you get to call yourself bright and hold it over everyone else's head?  Personally, I'd rather be a hippy.

So being an atheist means that you get to call yourself bright and hold it over everyone else's head?  Personally, I'd rather be a hippy.

Same here  :wink:

"bright" bugs me to for some reason....cant quite think why.

So being homosexual means you get to call yourself gay and hold it over everyone else's head?  Personally, I'd rather be brilliant.

So being homosexual means you get to call yourself gay and hold it over everyone else's head?  Personally, I'd rather be brilliant.

Eh?

So being an atheist means that you get to call yourself bright and hold it over everyone else's head?  Personally, I'd rather be a hippy.

That seems to be the New Atheist philosophy so far as I can tell, point out that you do not believe the same thing, and decide that therefore you are better than others, despite the fact that you yourself claim that the truth can never be known.

Quote from: "cadmium_blimp"

So being an atheist means that you get to call yourself bright and hold it over everyone else's head?  Personally, I'd rather be a hippy.

That seems to be the New Atheist philosophy so far as I can tell, point out that you do not believe the same thing, and decide that therefore you are better than others, despite the fact that you yourself claim that the truth can never be known.

Those arrogant humanitarians too, going into African villages -- like they know so much about wells, and medicine, and condom use. Get a grip, Teresa.