Call me an atheist if you will but do know this:
Doing so is too narrow a charge of contempt. I am also an infidel, heathen, heretic, blasphemer, and apostate.
Call me an atheist if you will but do know this: Doing so tells you almost nothing about who I am and what I stand for.
Call me an atheist if you will but do know this: I love life. I love myself. And I care about other living creatures.
Call me an atheist if you will, but do know this: I have a deep reverence for freedom, science, knowledge, honesty, beauty, opportunity, gratitude, integrity, creativity, curiosity, friendship, adventure, diversity, community, humility, generosity, fair play, enjoyment, thrift, forgiveness, understanding, spontaneity, affection, passion, empathy, autonomy, responsibility, reason, justice, courage, and compassion– each and every one of the above quite capable of standing on its own merits–without belief in the unbelievable–and without sanction from any “authority”, earthly or divine.
Atheist is an imperfect term, granted, but since “antitheismist” is too unwieldy, and the other terms you mentioned have little name recognition, I’m proud to join with others, some of whom I no doubt hate in many other respects, who have come to be called “atheist.” It’ll have to do.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I hear you.