A brief, broad introduction to Marxism. Since conservatives like to use this as a dirty word, they might as well learn what it actually means...

@PicturesOfABetterTomorrow

Interesting. Not something i've encountered enough to consider it something to be irritated by lol

@Pikachu Well it impacts me directly.

It makes about as much sense as her calling herself a Hindu for the Lolz

@PicturesOfABetterTomorrow

Does it?
When i look up the definition of heathen it seems that atheists could easily fall into that category. Especially ones that are actively critical of the Christianity

@Pikachu I am familiar with such definitions. They are so broad as to be completely useless.


The term historically references the "country folk" of Germanic Europe who didn't comply with the Roman religion be it Roman polytheism or later Christianity.

Much like the term Paganus.


Historically it never had anything to do with Atheists.

@PicturesOfABetterTomorrow

Yeah i get ya. But language evolves i guess🤷‍♀️
I hate when people use "ask" as a noun but apparently it's a thing now lol

@Pikachu Language does evolve but it is no excuse to disrespect a minority community for whom that means something important to be cute or edgy. And it is not like the online Atheist community are not aware of this.

@PicturesOfABetterTomorrow

lol are heathens a minority? Aren't they every religion that isn't an orthodox flavor of Christinaity?

@Pikachu No, and that is the entire point. It is not just some random generic term.


It refers to people who practice germanic/norse polytheism.

@PicturesOfABetterTomorrow

At what time was that the prevailing usage of the term?

@Pikachu Literally for decades. Minimum half a century at this point.


It never became a thing for atheists until a bunch of Debate Me Bro atheist Youtubers started using it around the 2010s.

@PicturesOfABetterTomorrow

Wait...are you saying that it's been only 50 years since "Heathen" was usually referring to people who practice germanic/norse polytheism?
...cuz that seems unlikely....

@Pikachu I am saying I am aware of heathen religious organizations officially incorporating as far back as the 1960s. Their use of the term in that context likely goes back even further.


The use to Atheists referring to themselves as heathens is a very very new trend mostly to piss off Christians they pick fights with on the internet.

@PicturesOfABetterTomorrow

Oh ok cuz yeah, i think Christians have been referring to anyone from Muslims to just being Chinese as "Heathen" for at least hundreds of years lol.

But to modern christians, "Atheist" seems to be more of a dirty word than "heathen" and ain't no one seeing that term and thinking to themselves "Hey, you're not a person who practices germanic/norse polytheism! " lol

@Pikachu

Actually there are. Alot of people in my community see it as very disrespectful. And you seem to think it is a joke.

@PicturesOfABetterTomorrow

To be called a heathen or to call someone a heath who does not practice germanic/norse polytheism?

Yeah it does seem like a joke to me...because it's such a generic term these days. Where is your community?