Atheist

[hiero]

Anyone have a translation for this?

I'm basically looking for a way to say "I'm an atheist" that won't come across as "I am a morally depraved devil worshipper"

i've used ผมภายนอกศาสนา in the path, but unsure of whether that comes across differently to what I want to convey.

[Xangsamhua]

Lexitron gives ผู้เชื่อว่าพระเจ้าไม่มีอยู่จริง, which seems fine, but may not convey your actual state of mind. After all, Buddhists don't (theoretically) believe in a supreme being, but if one is an atheist Buddhist, one would say "I'm a Buddhist", not "I'm an atheist".

Perhaps the better translation is คนที่ไม่มีศาสนา but this may reflect badly on you as หัวแข็ง (stubborn, disrespectful of elders, etc.).

I think when Thai people ask about your religion they're not really asking about your personal views (which are changeable), but your heritage, e.g. if you're born into a Christian family you're a Christian, regardless of what you believe.

[Richb2004v2]

What's Thai for 'free mind' or 'clear thinker', something like that.

[bhoydy]

I don't know what happened to the search engine on this website but i definitely asked the same question recently under the title religious beliefs. A search of that title doesn't bring up my post so who knows. I find that a bit of explanation is always required when dealing with this subject. If you tell someone ไม่มีศาสนา you will get funny looks because everyone is usually born with a religion, whether they follow it or not is personal choice. ไม่นับถือ works best for me.

[Xangsamhua]

What's Thai for 'free mind' or 'clear thinker', something like that.

I looked for a translation for "freethinker", but didn't find one.

I think the term emerged in the 18th century and was popularized in the Scottish and French Enlightenments; hence flowing on to the American colonies and United States.

My view is Thailand has not had the critical-analytical and individualizing experience of the Enlightenment and, hence, there is no widely used equivalent term, though there may well be plenty of Thai freethinkers around.

[mikenyork]

Here's a suggestion, offered with all due respect, that you might consider:

ผมเองไม่เชื่อเรื่องพระเจ้าว่ามีหรือไม่มีผม

ประพฤติตน ตามคำสอนของพระพุทธเจ้า--จงแสวงหาความจริง

This isn't exactly what you wanted, since it makes you an agnostic, not an atheist. But there's a very substantial problem with saying in Thai "ผมไม่มีศาสนา" because of the way that Thais view religion--as the source of all morality. Therefore, to say one has "no religion" is, to the average Thai listener, tantamount to saying one is a completely amoral person. The above phrase has the advantage of "slipping thepunch". It doesn't say you are a Buddhist, but only a truth-seeker.

Just athought. Its worth should probably becarefully examined in light of what it cost you to obtain this littlecontribution.

Edited September 12, 2010 by mikenyork

[kriswillems]

I usually use ผมเชื่อตัวเอง. It work better than saying ผมไม่มีศาสนา.

And if they look shocked anyway you can add:

เสียดาย.. ไม่ค่อยมีใครเื่ชื่อผม...

Edited September 12, 2010 by kriswillems

[klons]

I don't know what happened to the search engine on this website but i definitely asked the same question recently under the title religious beliefs. A search of that title doesn't bring up my post so who knows. I find that a bit of explanation is always required when dealing with this subject. If you tell someone ไม่มีศาสนา you will get funny looks because everyone is usually born with a religion, whether they follow it or not is personal choice. ไม่นับถือ works best for me.

[bhoydy]

555 ok you got me there, but i did try to search under a few other possibilities, that being one of them and still nothing came up. Maybe there's a ghost in my computer.

[SoftWater]

A Thai friend suggested the following for 'free thinker'

อิสระชน or ปัจเจกชน