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An interesting example of the use of language to consciously mo(u)ld opinion... Turns of Phrase: Bright
It's a noun, not an adjective. If you say, "I'm bright", that's an immodest (and possibly inaccurate) statement. But "I'm a bright" says that you don't believe in God, more strictly that your view of the world is naturalistic, free of what its inventors describe as "supernaturalism and mystical elements of all kinds". The term has only recently been coined by Paul Giesert and Mynga Futrell, two educators from Sacramento, California. They modelled it on "gay", to provide an umbrella term for a potential coalition of all those who felt themselves isolated and without political influence in the USA because they professed no religious belief. The philosopher Daniel Dennett has taken it up and publicised it in newspaper articles, from two of which the quotations below have been taken.
Whether we brights are a minority or, as I am inclined to believe, a silent majority, our deepest convictions are increasingly dismissed, belittled and condemned by those in power - by politicians who go out of their way to invoke God and to stand, self-righteously preening, on what they call "the side of the angels." [New York Times, 12 Jul. 2003]
Look on the bright side: though at present they can't admit it and get elected, the US Congress must be full of closet brights. As with gays, the more brights come out, the easier it will be for yet more brights to do so. People reluctant to use the word atheist might be happy to come out as a bright. [Guardian, 21 Jun. 2003]
WORLD WIDE WORDS ISSUE 350 Saturday 19 July 2003 Editor: Michael Quinion http://www.worldwidewords.org Q1: Do you think this is likely to gain wide enough currency to make any impact? Q2: How might it affect perceptions of the matter under discussion - is it likely to alter popular sentiment over time?
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Carpal Tunnel
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Dear maverick: anyone who admits to being a bright risks having his lights put out. But i don't object to the word as much as I do to "gay". The mutual fellatists and backward boys had a hell of a nerve to take a clean word and soil it.
They should have made a new coinage.
I think it will be a long time before the "brights" can declare their views with impunity, even though the may indeed be a silent majority.
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old hand
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old hand
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An interesting experiment. I wonder, though, if there was any subconscious push in choosing that word. It seems to me that, unlike the gay/straight pairing, bright invites at least an implied pejorative in its other half: "Hi there, I'm a bright. Are you a dullard?"
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Carpal Tunnel
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I like it, though I too, wonder about the choice of word. I think they will stil continue to have a difficult time until at least this present administration has left office. there are certainly denominations that may embrace this.
formerly known as etaoin...
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I think, I too, lean towards brightness. however, how does this differ from "atheist"?
formerly known as etaoin...
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Carpal Tunnel
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How does a gay differ from a homosexual?
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Carpal Tunnel
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Atheists have a heavy load to bear: propositions of no prayer in schools; no silent time in schools; take 'In God we trust' off of coins; and so on.
'Non-theist' seems to be a less inflammatory term.
And 'bright'--oh, good heavens--really does imply there's that 'dullard' mentioned in one of the above posts.
For anyone who is interested, go take a look at the many non-theist or atheist v. theist threads on 'Straight Dope' (Internet site) if you're interested in reading how ordinary non-believers v. believers are debating numerous spiritual (or lack of) topics.
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Carpal Tunnel
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How does a gay differ from a homosexual?
ah, I see. marketing.
formerly known as etaoin...
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Carpal Tunnel
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Thinking that God is not an old guy with a long gray beard, and doesn't spend all his time managing one small planet doesn't make you an atheist.
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