The Freethought movement (in the U.S., anyway) follows in the tradition of Thomas Paine and Robert Ingersoll. It contains a vision of the world and society that is non-religious, humanist, and secular. It is a way to work at bettering our communities without needing religious scripture to guide our way...good without god, as the saying goes. How to remain ethical in thought, word, and deed without the necessity of religious doctrine.

A freethinker is one whose mind is not for rent, to any god or government.

That we don't charge for our thoughts??

"Freethought (or free thought)[1] is an epistemological viewpoint which holds that positions regarding truth should be formed only on the basis of logic, reason, and empiricism, rather than authority, tradition, revelation, or dogma. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a freethinker is "a person who forms their own ideas and opinions rather than accepting those of other people, especially in religious teaching." " from Wikipedia and could not say it any clearer.

Basically the same as the motto of the Royal Society "Nullius in verba" or take no one's word for anything.

I prefer it to "atheist" because it defines what I believe rather than what I do not believe.

Free of misconceptions, able to logically conclude without outside opinion!

Historically the Freethinkers correspond to the German Freisinnigen. The movement in German was called Freisinn ("free sense" ). Freisinn was both a secular philosophical position and a classical liberal political movement opposed to tariffs, govt regulations, and church (esp Catholic) involvement in public life. In British politics such folks were called Radicals. Freisinnigen is often translated as Left Liberals, where liberalism means classical liberalism of the 19th century.

A "free-thinker" has the ability and confidence to evaluate based on evidence and reason, and accepts the consequences of that evaluation.

I define
free thinker" as someone who doesn't automatically accept someone else's point of view or dogma, whether on religion or in any other area where pre-conceived ideas tend to be popular. As Tim Minchin points out, just because an idea is tenacious doe not mean it's worthy.

The site breaks the categories down like this:

• Agnostic - sees no direct evidence for God(s)
• Atheist - has no belief in any God(s)
• Humanist - focuses on human-based ethics
• Secularist - advocates the separation of government and religious institutions
• Skeptic - questions the supernatural
• Freethinker - believes truth comes from logic, reason, and empiricism
• Spiritual - believes in a supernatural entity
• Believer - believes that specific God(s) exists
• Religious - believes that specific God(s) require worship

I think for myself. I am not held captive to the thoughts of some priest or pastor or religious scam. I choose to think scientifically and logically. Therefore, I am a free thinker.

I believe my definition is a person who does their own thinking... so...commonly held beliefs are less likely to be present in this person, and if they are, they have hopefully taken time to truly think it through. An opposite example would be those who simply accept religion as true based on it being a common belief.

Typically, people on this site, or in general are typically referring to being unfettered in religious thought. However, quite a few see a pattern of free thinking in many areas of their life beyond religion, like willingness to break laws that are not rational or hurt no-one, or are willing to go against social norms like traditional families and monogamy (the list goes on).

Robert Heinlein comes to mind. But...for every taboo, you can find a time or place where it was encouraged as a norm. A free-thinker is along those lines, at best...and at the very least, typically taking a stance against blindly following a religion.

For me, being a freethinker is to be able to think outside of religious dogma....or any type of dogma.

To me anyway, a free thinker is someone who doesn't believe something is true just because someone else says so. It's like a sceptic, only for real world things instead of the supernatural.

Being a freethinker doesn't cost you anything...

A person who forms his or her own opinions about important subjects (such as religion and politics) instead of accepting what other people say

Free Thinker... a human who makes and lives by their own values rather one who follows a prescribed doctrine?

As far as I’m concerned as it’s what both my father and grandfather called themselves...it means not following anyone else’s ideology but formulating you’re own beliefs and ideals based on reading all accounts and evidence available. No connection whatsoever with “spiritual”, so I don’t understand the need to connect the two words. I doesn’t follow that because you are bored with the continual questions regarding the meaning of being spiritual, that you feel the need to now question what people think “freethinker” means. It means what it says on the tin..to quote the advert on the telly! A freethinker is free to think without having to adhere to any prescribed school of thought or dogma. My grandfather had hitherto been a Catholic and when he left the church in 1911 he was then free to think for himself for the first time in his life and that is why he described himself as a freethinker for the rest of his life.

In my personal use of it, it represents the freedom to change my mind based on the evidence. Its not a static image, and curiosity is an endless present.

Personally speaking here, to me 'Free-Thinking' means, simply, that I can think FREELY about anything and everything WITHOUT the constraints and influences, etc, exerted by external sources such as religions, etc, etc.

Is it possible that there are no free thinkers in China, b/c there is no such word as free in their language?

For me, to be a freethinker means merely that I don't base my world view on authority.

I am pretty sure that many religionists would also claim to be freethinkers but have no direct evidence.

I really like that question.

One who thinks freely, without the constraints put upon them by random authorities, one who considers evidence first, before the social norm. An innovative thinker.
Especially in terms of religion.

Merriam Websters says ": a person who thinks freely or independently : one who forms opinions on the basis of reason independently of authority
especially : one who rejects or is skeptical of religious dogma

Someone who attempts to avoid preconceptions on the universe like God