I thought that it might fun and interesting to start a forum that hopefully will be long-lived. I encourage you to post your own "random thoughts," be they ridiculous, sublime, or somewhere in between on anything that is germaine to the Ath/ag site.

-I see that many of the editors have name games that appear to be fun and popular.
So, I was thinking that if I began a NAME GAME about famous atheists and agnostics (if no one used any online famous ath/ag lists- wow are some of the names on them really obscure!) that it would be close to impossible to even begin, let alone the game having any longevity at all! What a daunting task!

For example, if the first entry was Clarence Darrow (a famous agnostic) would you be able to continue the game with someone whose name begins with "W"?

- The statistics on worldwide percentages of atheists, agnostics, and other persons professing no religious beliefs is really sketchy, perhaps lacking in validity, and not particularly up-to-date.
However, I have a theory (totally unscientific with a limited population sample-myself and my father!)that lefthanders constitute a disproportionate amount of atheists, agnostics, and other so-called nonbelievers. What do you think?

- Why would a person subscribe to my/BellaOnline's Atheist/Agnostic Newsletter and upon receiving the first copy immediately email me to say "take me off this pathetic list-
Jesus Christ Reigns"? Did I take this personally- heck no!
Did I contemplate resigning from the site?- heck no! Did I wonder where I went wrong- heck no! Should that person no longer be on the mailing list?- heck yes!

Please make comments or better yet, add to this listing of "random thoughts."

There you go a'wandering, Les. Hmmm...this is difficult - to think of something randomly.

Uhm...how about philosophy? My son states that Buddhism (he is of the Bhuddhist faith and teaches Buddhism) is more of a philosophy than a religion. It is a way of life, he says.

The Native American belief system I adhere to is also a way of life or philosophy rather than a religion. Traditional Native American leaders of the past have stated that their religion is their way of life.

How would you connect this thought process to Agnoticism/Atheism?

I would connect my philosophy/ideology with those of your son's and yours by saying that what we three believe in "is in the air that we breathe." My belief system is definitely also my way of ( my one and only) life and also was integral in my developing my own moral/ethical guidelines, of which the primary compass is "Integrity can never be taken away from you, it can only be given away."
In fact the next article (not written yet but in the germinal stages of mental devcelopment/creation) will address my philosophy as a way of/rationale living ones life-"The meaning of Life is Life, No more and No Less."

In general, atheism and agnosticism are not religions but rather are philosophies/ideologies that each of their adherents have (hopefully) developed on their own.

Thanks Phyliss for your post and for its perfect timing.

Awesome answer, Les. Thank you. I look forward to your article on this thought.

Communist Vietnam's population is comprised of 81% "nonbelievers in a god." I doubt, though, if that high percentage is attributable to much "freethinking" going on there.
On the other hand, overall as a world region, Scandanavia seems to have the highest percentage of "nonbelievers in a god." Why do you think that is?

-Here is a "straight from the book" definition of a term that was not included in the Glossary of Agnostic, Atheistic, and Other Related Terms article- for good reason!

Model Agnosticsm- the view that philosophical and metaphysical questions are not ultimately verifiable but that a model of malleable assumption should be built upon rational thought. This branch of agnosticism does not focus on a deity's existence.

I am "malleably assuming" that I am totally, absolutely, and unequivitably without knowledge as to what the above means! How about you?

- Why are atheists, agnostics, and other "nonbelievers" expected/asked to disprove the unprovable/unproven?

In social work jargon that is called being set up for (everlasting) failure!

Every year for many years on March 15, the Ides of March, I light a candle on the anniversary of my aunt's death. She was an atheist who believed herself to be culturally Jewish. My agnostic older brother, my only sibling (who by the way was very close to her and helped manage her affairs in the later stages of her life as I was always thousands of miles away) refused her request as he thought it would be "hypocritical" to do. I was her second choice and honoring her wishes said yes. Do you think that I, a self ascribed NAA (Naturalistic Atheistic Agnostic) am being hypocritical in doing so?
In all probability, this "random thought" will soon be fleshed out into an article.

Another article idea that is in the germinal stages of development.

Under what circumstance(s) would an Atheist/Agnostic/Deist not be considered to be a freethinker?

Under what circumstances would a Theist be considered a freethinker?

Who do you think is responsible for this following quote and by these words alone do you have enough evidence to conclude that this person is an atheist or an agnostic?

Man has always speculated on the origin of the universe, including himself. I feel, with Herbert Spencer, that whether the universe had an origin- and if it had- what the origin is will never be known by man.