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I want a symbol

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is not a radish
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Oct 23, 2005
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Crucifix. Jesus fish. Star of David. Pentagram. The list goes on... religions and other woofers have their symbols that they can slap on the back of their car, wear around their neck, or subtly put in their yellow pages ad.

Well dammit, I want a skeptics symbol.

The closest thing I know of is the atheist symbol used on military headstones (looks like an atom with an A in the middle), but that's a bit too religion-specific for what I'm after. I want something that will become instantly synonymous with "Oh yeah? Prove it." I want something that make missionaries keep walking when they see it on your necklace. I want something that will make some high school kid get sent home because he had it on his t-shirt.

But mostly, I want it so we can have a custom mold of it made so we can bring official Skeptic Chocolates to TAM. So with that as your incentive, let's hear some ideas.

My first idea: A simple line drawing showing the unmistakable image of someone banging their head against a wall.
 
E-FlyingPig.gif
 
Seconded. This works well as a reply:

-- I read minds!
-- :pigsfly

But not so much as a T-shirt...
 
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Probably his avatar, but it is a good sign for an Atheist, which does not correlate completely with a skeptic.

The Pigasus is a good one, but narrow. The evolutionfish is good, too. Got that as a bumper sticker on my car.

I think we need to make it a candle, as to light the darkness. I think that'd be a cool symbol.

Or we could just take the Carlin attitude and leave symbols to the symbol-minded....:D
 
Unnamed said:
Sorry, ESL here, what do you mean?
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Sorry, mate, yes I did mean my avatar. It's religion-specific, but you could change the symbols to include something like a Ghostbusters logo.

Quick idea for you:

That's a real ghost on the left, while the right-hand pic is a tarot symbol, apparently.
 
It's a figure eight, or probably an infinity symbol. In the Tarot it is a symbol of celestial consciousness.

(Yes I can read Tarot cards!!)
 
I don't know about a symbol, but we've got a clear motto:

PROVE IT!
 
clarsct said:
I think we need to make it a candle, as to light the darkness. I think that'd be a cool symbol.
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I like the Sagan aspect, but the candle is a religious symbol for many people (Catholics, for a start).

The Atheist said:
Sorry, mate, yes I did mean my avatar. It's religion-specific, but you could change the symbols to include something like a Ghostbusters logo.
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Thanks. I browse with avatars off, but now it's clear. I like the idea, but I think these examples have too much fine detail.

Dr Adequate said:
How about a badge ... with nothing on it?
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It's a bit cryptic... I wouldn't get it until somebody explained it.
 
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I suggest a buzzard. "Why?" I hear you ask. The Rev. A Wilford Hall, in his "The Problem of Human Life: Here and Hereafter" 2nd edn. 1883, a magnificently deranged work, which inter alia attempts to overthrow the wave theory of sound in order demonstrate the principle that it's easy to disprove widely accepted theories before going for evolution in earnest, compares the pious with free thinkers such as Ingersoll in the following terms:
The one represents the glorious eagle which is never so proud and happy as when facing the sun and soaring toward heaven, while the other is a fit symbol of the buzzard, whose glory is in its shame and whose fondest felicity is in feasting on filth.
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Sadly this statement doesn't occur in the first edition, which is in verse-form. Anyway, reclaim the negative vernacular and all that, so buzzard it is. I realise this suffers from the same misalignment with skepticism as The Atheist's avatar. I just like quoting Wilford Hall.
 
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Desktop Icon said:
Crucifix. Jesus fish. Star of David. Pentagram. The list goes on... religions and other woofers have their symbols that they can slap on the back of their car, wear around their neck, or subtly put in their yellow pages ad.

Well dammit, I want a skeptics symbol.

The closest thing I know of is the atheist symbol used on military headstones (looks like an atom with an A in the middle), but that's a bit too religion-specific for what I'm after.
Click to expand...

That's the symbol for the American Atheists, and it looks totally cheesy these days. As my friend asked: "When did atheists start worshipping Captain Atom?"



Desktop Icon said:
I want something that will become instantly synonymous with "Oh yeah? Prove it." I want something that make missionaries keep walking when they see it on your necklace. I want something that will make some high school kid get sent home because he had it on his t-shirt.

But mostly, I want it so we can have a custom mold of it made so we can bring official Skeptic Chocolates to TAM. So with that as your incentive, let's hear some ideas.

My first idea: A simple line drawing showing the unmistakable image of someone banging their head against a wall.
Click to expand...

I had two ideas awhile ago that I still like:
  • an open circle
  • a lit candle against a dark background

The problem with the Pigasus is that it's a JREF-specific device. (Maybe we could make another one for general use, and call it "Wingham?")
 
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