When you have to self-label, do you describe yourself as an agnostic, skeptic, non-believer--or something else?
I typically say "atheist". It has the advantage of being a word most people know, and it gets us in the ballpark.
A problem with "atheist" is that it doesn't get to the heart of the matter, because I'm very skeptical of any kind of mysticism. To see what I mean, I know someone who doesn't believe in god(s), so he's an atheist. However, he believes in ghosts. (It's unusual, but it's not contradictory.)
A word that gets at the core, for me, is "physicalist". Most people aren't familiar with it, though. That can be an advantage or disadvantage, depending on the situation.
I am an agnostic. I don't know if god exists & neither do you. The reason is there is no clear & logical definition of "god". Definitions are all convoluted & often anthropomorphizing, so we are foolish to say something with no clear definition exists or doesn't exist. The best we can come up with is the issue is unsettled, which is the essence of agnosticism
I am humble enough to admit my ego is not the be all & end all of reality. Something is happening here, but I don't know what it is. So I follow the scientific principle--if I can't prove it or disprove it, I keep an open mind & search for further evidence, which is the search for truth.
I am also a skeptic, as I believe in questioning everything, especially my own assumptions, which is why I can't say god doesn't exist, as I would have to question that assumption too.
I am also a humanist, in that I believe my ethics should be based on respect for my fellow humans, doing as much good for them as I can & hurting them as little as possible.
As my wife says “Pompous, insensitive oaf”
About right!
I hate labels and try to avoid them as often as I can. (I realize that sometimes they are necessary). So, if I am asked, I just say that I am not religious. That seems to satisfy most people. Sometimes people will accept, sometimes they will look down their noses at me and then there are those who will try to convert me.
I do not think (almost said believe) that I have ever been pressured to say.
The few casual conversations where it came up, I just said. I haven't figured it out yet
I don't think I've ever actually identified as agnostic, athiest, or non-believer. Aside from setting up my page here. Lol
That's just out of my own stubbornness against the "packaged idealogies" that tend to be associated with identities.
I have however identified as a Muslim once for the sake of an argument with an incredibly ignorant acquaintance. & I identified as a scientist once for the sake of a joke just because for some odd reason athiest didn't work quite as well in the context of the set-up. Lol
Oh yea!!! LOL Can't believe I almost forgot.
I also once identified as a shitpot while in a religious debate with my very religious brother in law.