What exactly is a "free-thinker"?

According to Wikipedia:

Freethought is a philosophical viewpoint that holds that opinions should be formed on the basis of science, logic, and reason, and should not be influenced by authority, tradition, or any dogma.[1] The cognitive application of freethought is known as freethinking, and practitioners of freethought are known as freethinkers.[2]

Look at the evidence. Don’t assume things are as the authorities say they are.

Though I’m not sure this can exist, I think it’s supposed to be someone who thinks without being influenced.

From what I know, I would cite you as being one.
However,it does take one to know one.

I believe there is a continuum of this characteristic. While I am very much a “show me the evidence” give of person and I generally have to work through the information to be satisfied with the answer even when someone I love, admire and trust tells me something I did not know, I have learned to take some things like peoples expressions of emotion and conviction as true if I have found them to be sincere and honest in areas that can be verified.

I don’t accept the word of authority figures without working through an issue on my own and reaching my own conclusion.

Also known as someone with a so-called naturalistic world view, as already described by @wundayatta. Someone who holds no supernatural beliefs.

“Freethinker” is sometimes used as a euphemism for “atheist.”

Interesting, the Wikipedia thing.

I always thought that ’ free thinker’ meant a rather non-linear, creative approach to problems and life situatons. I do associate with the not blindly following authority bit.

Never made the association with atheism though.

As a freethinker, I am committed to turning to the dictionary for the meaning of words instead of holding an unscientific poll to see what possibly ill-informed people think the word means. If we all make up our own version of what words mean, they soon are meaningless in conversation.

So here is what Merriam Webster says it means:
*free·think·er *
Pronunciation: \-ˈthiŋ-kər\
Function: noun
Date: 1692
: one who forms opinions on the basis of reason independently of authority; especially : one who doubts or denies religious dogma

The Wikipedia definition @wundayatta provided adds good and accurate depth to the dictionary’s abbreviated version. Also, see What is a Freethinker from the Freedom from Religion Organization. This group is dedicated strictly to religious freethought. Freethought goes beyond religion, of course. It means thinking for yourself and basing that thought on reason, evidence and logic rather than dogma, rumor or potential myth and hysteria.

@ubersiren That answer strikes me as digital thinking. Everything must be either a 1 = 100% yes of 0 = 100% no. I don;t know you so don’t know if you would call yourself a conservative. ButI do see that sort of thinking often in coming from conservatives. One can be a freethinker without being 100% beyond any influence of any authority. It’s no different that the fact that one can be a Christian who rarely reads the Bible and attends church some weeks but goes golfing others, and another can be a Christian who gives up all else to proselytize every day, preaching on street corners.

someone who is decidedly deviant x

When I have heard the phrase used in everyday conversation it always appeared to me to mean a person who does not necessarily conform. Someone who thinks outside the box (to employ an overused cliche). Their thoughts just go where they please instead of conforming to society, culture, religion, whatever.

Matt Damon in the movie, The Informant, stuck me as a free thinker, his thoughts just went all over the place, not always with a rhyme or reason, they just went! My head goes like that too, I like it.

There are many religious free thinkers. A good example is Jesus. The establishment at the time hated him for it. Martin Luther was a free thinker too. And so was Martin Luther King. Sadly, there are some atheists seemingly caught in their own dogmatic trap, losing the ability to pursue free thinking. Challenging books like the ‘God Delusion’ becomes impossible. Dawkins words are cast in stone and his views were made into atheist lore.

Should a believer have the audacity to mention the idea that our universe might rely on divine authorship or that religions can be benign and tolerant, this usually triggers a predictable set of verbal reflexes: fiction, superstition, no evidence, pure nonsense, genocidal and so forth. It seems that all the free thinking has already been done and there’s no need for further intellectual exploration.

Philosophical views as such do not determine free thinking. It’s the ability to play around with several of them or even come up with new views. What if?

Free thinkers are dreamers who think big and start small.

Dogmatists are are fools think small and start big.

I am aware of the wiki definition of the term “free thinker”. I’m a Christian Deist and consider myself a free thinker. Many materialists are not “free thinkers” though they claim they are. A true free thinker in my opinion should be a skeptic (I’m a skeptic myself) but not a cynic. I admit I do not know everything but I’m always willing to learn more.

The founding fathers of the U.S were free thinkers. Even though most of them were Christians they were members a more liberal denominations like Episcopalian/Anglican, Presbyterian, Congregationalists and Unitarians. They believed the bible was filled with myths and men’s own opinions rather than gods word himself. They were actually christians with very deist views.

To me being a “free thinker” should mean just that, thinking freely without being confined to any religious dogma or materialist dogma. Open mindness. Most deists would consider themselves free thinkers as well.

@mattbrowne You hit the nail right on the head.

@mattbrowne & @Jabe73 I’m an agnostic, but I fully agree with you that the “Must be an atheist” portion of the definition is rather anathema to what I understand freethinking to truly be.