"I'm often asked -- and occasionally in an accusatory way -- 'Are you atheist?' And it's like, you know, the only 'ist' I am is a scientist, all right? I don't associate with movements. I'm not an 'ism.' I just - I think for myself. The moment when someone attaches to a philosophy or a movement, then they assign all the baggage and all the rest of the philosophy that goes with it to you, and when you want to have a conversation they will assert that they already know everything important there is to know about you because of that association. And that's not the way to have a conversation. I'm sorry. It's not. I'd rather we explore each other's ideas in real time rather than assign a label to it and assert, you know, what's going to happen in advance."
- Neil deGrasse Tyson
Big Think: "Neil deGrasse Tyson: Atheist or Agnostic?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzSMC5rWvos
full list of quotes