05.20.08
A Collection of Atheist Symbols
Here’s a giant collection of atheist symbols!
I’m not sure where it’s from… (click for larger image)
Some are already in use (88, 89).
Some I’ve never seen before (57, 100).
Some are just plain dumb (94, 70).
Some could use further explanation (54, 69, 96).
Some crack me up (19, 28).
The Scarlet A is strangely absent. (Or this picture is relatively old…)
(via Reddit)
Technorati Tags: atheist, atheism
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Gene said,
May 20, 2008 at 8:21 am
we should use 59 instead of this ugly scarlet A
Nick said,
May 20, 2008 at 8:30 am
I recognize some of these from when PZ Myers asked people to brainstorm for potential logos.
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2006/10/a_logo_for_the_godless_an_impo.php
Euthyphro said,
May 20, 2008 at 8:43 am
This is a nice little collection going here, but there are some discrepancies. Number 42 the Pansy is a symbol for freethought, and there is no disbelief clause for freethinking. There have even been religious freethinkers.
Also what are the solo Greek characters about. I get the Alpha since the word comes from the Greek, but why Pi, Sigma, Phi and O-mega?
Nos Libri Sunt!
Euthyphro
Brian E said,
May 20, 2008 at 8:51 am
No boobies?
Zachary Moore said,
May 20, 2008 at 9:04 am
I recognize a lot of these from this thread on the Internet Infidels forum.
Euthyphro- I use the Greek letter Phi as my personal symbol, because it is simple, easy to draw, easily reproducible in any word processor or design software, easily found as jewelry or other ‘talismans,’ has a similar appearance to the symbol for the ‘null set’, is the recognized symbol for philosophy, and also is the recognized symbol for the Golden Mean (also represented in symbol #23) which is a fundamental mathematical concept that informs physics, biology, and aesthetics. In short, it touches on everything I hold dear.
Hemant- you pointed out #94 as “dumb.” It’s currently used as the symbol for the North Texas Church of Freethought, which you can read about here. Could you elaborate on why you don’t care for this symbol?
Best,
-Z
Simple z said,
May 20, 2008 at 9:24 am
you’re right, number 94 (lightning) might not be the smartest emblema:
It can represent the god Thur.
At least over here in Scandinavia.
Viggo the Carpathian said,
May 20, 2008 at 9:24 am
I posted my proposed symbol on my blog. Not the best photo shopping but you get the idea.
http://feveredintellect.blogspot.com/2008/05/ok-being-smart-ass-here-but-what-hell.html
Simple z said,
May 20, 2008 at 9:26 am
You’re right;
number 94 (lightning) might not be the smartest emblema:
It can represent the god Thur.
At least over here in Scandinavia.
hoverFrog said,
May 20, 2008 at 9:29 am
117 is my favourite just for simplicity but there is a place in my heart for number 5 and the Star Trek one (44).
Derek said,
May 20, 2008 at 9:32 am
I like 119 because of the simplicity and also the subtlety in that the natural sign signifies some “extra” being removed. Of course, I’m from a musical family.
Eric said,
May 20, 2008 at 9:40 am
I didn’t see this one on the list either, and that’s one of my favorites. I even had it tattooed on my back (with slight modification).
Kris said,
May 20, 2008 at 9:41 am
Uh, regarding 16, 77, and 107…
Does anyone else find the irony of using an irrational number to symbolize rationality amusing?
Sean said,
May 20, 2008 at 9:42 am
Being a musician I like number 119, the natural sign. I see 71 is similar. Does that mean I have to take my sharps and flats on faith?
Michael said,
May 20, 2008 at 9:44 am
This is a pretty old picture. It looks like a collections of atheist symbols currently in use, some new ideas of symbols, and then some random typing. I personally like #80.
Derek said,
May 20, 2008 at 9:45 am
Yes, if the score editor failed to reprint the key signature on the current page…
literghost said,
May 20, 2008 at 9:49 am
Hey, #42 was on my graduation cake this weekend! Sneaking some heathen symbols around the Baptist aunts and uncles…
Also, interesting how it’s numbered on there… (Pansies: Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything?)
— Miz L.
Mriana said,
May 20, 2008 at 10:06 am
I had no idea that Vulcan symbol was an atheist symbol. It’s here and there on my website.
Guess I was using it even before I knew what it really was. And here all this time I thought it was a Star Trek symbol for Vulcan. 
mikespeir said,
May 20, 2008 at 10:07 am
Dang! We sure are a negative lot, aren’t we?
MonolithTMA said,
May 20, 2008 at 10:28 am
I like this version of the FSM better, though I couldn’t find an uncropped version just now.
Clicky–> FSM
MonolithTMA said,
May 20, 2008 at 10:30 am
OK, this kicks ass.
Clicky–> Stained Glass FSM
Auryn said,
May 20, 2008 at 10:38 am
Hey! #30 is the Blue Oyster Cult symbol! Also the symbol of the god Kronos.
Polly said,
May 20, 2008 at 11:20 am
What’s with all the science and math related symbols. Atheism is not science.
You know it might help our image a little more if we weren’t holding ourselves out to the world as the Revenge of the Nerds.
J Myers said,
May 20, 2008 at 11:29 am
Hemant, #69 is obviously an invisible dragon i the garage–haven’t you ever seen one before? I also like the Jesus in the ghostbuster logo (#28).
Gene, you like 59 better than the scarlet A? I like the scarlet A well enough; simple. elegant… and baby-blood red. I don’t care much for #59, myself.
Euthyphro, nice handle! Wish I thought of it…
J Myers said,
May 20, 2008 at 11:41 am
#54 looks like the “new document” icon in MS Word (symbolic of a “blank slate” perhaps?).
Some explanation of (and attribution for) #96 can be found here. (Others are discussed there, as well).
EDIT: eh… that should be “dragon in the garage” in my last comment….
writerdd said,
May 20, 2008 at 12:46 pm
what’s with the pansy?
benjamin ady said,
May 20, 2008 at 12:55 pm
I’m also wondering why the atheists should lay claim to alpha, phi, sigma, etc? I mean alpha is used in statistics, as is sigma, and phi is, among other things, used in multidimensional calculus. I guess Hemant would know all that anyway =)
J Myers said,
May 20, 2008 at 1:30 pm
writer dd,
If you are asking why the pansy appears in a collection of atheist symbols, Ethyphro answered above (in summary: it shouldn’t).
If you are asking why the pansy is used as a symbol for freethought, from Wikipedia:
“The pansy is the long-established and enduring symbol of freethought; its usage inaugurated in the literature of the American Secular Union in the late 1800s. The reasoning behind the pansy being the symbol of freethought lies in both the flower’s name and appearance. The pansy derives its name from the French word pensée, which means “thought”; it was so named because the flower resembles a human face, and in the month of August it nods forward as if deep in thought.”
John said,
May 20, 2008 at 2:49 pm
I absolutely *love* the Happy Human (#89) (I even named my blog after it!). It expresses quite a bit, in my opinion. To me, it symbolizes mere humanity - nothing more and nothing less. It’s a little lopsided - imperfect and flawed. But the hands are raised, expressing the pure joy that can come from optimistic rational thought.
NYCatheist said,
May 20, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Is 92 a shocked PBS viewer?
http://images.google.com/images?&q=pbs
I’m no fan of the AA symbol, but it is still a lot better than most of those.
11 looks like a psychotic cartoon character’s eyeball.
I guess if I had to choose 84 is OK.
Atheist.nu » Bush apologies for Soldier shooting Quran said,
May 20, 2008 at 3:17 pm
[…] Over at friendlyatheist.com, is a good collection of atheist symbols. Go Flying Spaghetti Monster Go!!! [From Friendly Atheist » A Collection of Atheist Symbols] […]
Reed Braden said,
May 20, 2008 at 3:33 pm
I like 119. It took me a while to get the “natural” = natural connection. (Sometimes the obvious stuff turns me into a drooling idiot.) I would also like to use the musical symbol # sometime. We’re sharp people.
Loren Petrich said,
May 20, 2008 at 3:46 pm
I’m the one who created that big collection of proposed atheist symbols; I worked from various collections of proposed atheist symbols, like PZ’s, and various suggestions proposed in that IIDB thread.
I gave them numbers so that people could list the ones that they like and those they dislike; feel free to do so here.
I did that well before the creators of the OUT campaign had gotten started with it, their scarlet A was still in the future when I composed that graphic.
Karen said,
May 20, 2008 at 4:15 pm
Nice! I like that. And I like pansies, they’ve been rather special to me since I was a kid because my mother always insisted on having them in our yard.
Polly said,
May 20, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Thanks to Loren Petrich.
#4, #18, #74 and #120 are my choice because they are specific to atheism.
I don’t like letters: anglophone-centric, not all languages have the letter “A” and “atheist” doesn’t begin with “A” in many other languages.
Too many seem like math symbols.
What’s with the pentagram?!? It’s bad enough some xians think we worship Satan…
4) The human ones tend to make me think of humanism, not atheism per se.
#119 is not necessarily neutral, it means “not sharp” or “not flat”
Too xian specific. 19, 63, & 78
Question marks are for agnostics. It makes us look uncertain.
#97 & #88 look like NASA symbols. I live near JPL, this won’t do.
#79 looks like apostrophes mating.
jtradke said,
May 20, 2008 at 7:40 pm
Loren - are there descriptions or explanations to go along with these? Some of them are cool looking, but the symbolism is lost on me. If I knew the intent behind the designs it would help in choosing one.
Jeff said,
May 20, 2008 at 9:11 pm
I kind-of like 2. But then again, I like math symbols.
pansies4me said,
May 27, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Notice my name?
I also have a pansy ring that I wear sometimes. I got the idea from Annie Laurie Gaylor at the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Who can object to flowers?
Jose Josefina said,
June 18, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Most of these are pretty good, but I made my own and I think it demonstrates atheism pretty well, although I borrowed a few ideas. I’m a retard with computers, so I’ll just describe it. It starts with a thick circle,
( O ) then a line goes through the middle vertically so that the ends of the line stick out a little bit from the circle ( I ), then coming from where the line and the circle meet are two lines that then intersect the cirlce again. They make an “A” without the line across the middle, an upsidedown “V”.
P said,
June 25, 2008 at 8:46 pm
Hmmmm… the website is called Friendly Atheist, yet #5 is anything but friendly. Thanks for proving the hypocrisy.
Teknon said,
June 27, 2008 at 2:12 pm
Atheists don’t believe in God? God definitely doesn’t believe in atheists!
It is appointed unto man to die once - after this comes the judgement!