Image by bobster1985 via FlickrWhy aren't more atheists vocal about their feelings on religion? Why aren't more atheists willing to take a stand against anti-atheist bigotry and demand equality? In a word, fear. We fear losing friends, alienating family, getting fired from our jobs, or even being physically assaulted by religious extremists. These concerns are understandable, but true equality for atheists is likely to require some measure of risk. I submit that we could learn quite a bit from the protests of Proposition 8.
Yes, I realize that the protests we are now seeing in every state (even Mississippi) were prompted by a specific political action which removed rights previously granted to same-sex couples in California. Some may argue that atheists have faced no such denial of rights previously granted and that our efforts would be every bit as impressive if this were to happen to us. I'm sorry, but I don't believe that for a second.
Over at Mississippi Atheists, I posted a video from a small protest in Mississippi last weekend. Roughly 40-50 brave individuals gathered in a Mississippi town across the street from a college campus only a couple hours before a home football game. Those of you familiar with football in the South know what this means. For everyone else, think hordes of drunken rednecks pouring in from tiny rural communities for the game.
And yet, these protesters were out there, wrapped in rainbow flags and holding signs calling for equality. Some may have been terrified, but they did it anyway. They spread their message to passersby and received local television and newspaper coverage. And all over America, people were doing the same.
I know that atheists typically beat out all other groups, including members of the GLBT community, on lists of the most hated persons in America. But I simply do not believe that it would be measurably more perilous for us to take a stand. We can (and should) learn as much as possible about how to organize and foster activism from the GLBT community. However, I suspect that the crucial lesson on which all others may depend is one of working through our fear.
I'll tell you what I learned yesterday - I have no excuse for not standing up for atheist equality. None whatsoever. It is time to face the fear.
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Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Proposition 8 Protests Offer Lesson For Atheists
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Humanist Symposium #28 at Disillusioned Words
The 28th edition of the Humanist Symposium blog carnival has been posted at Disillusioned Words. Check it out for some good humanist blogging.
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Online Dating For Atheists
Has anybody tried Atheist Passions? I'd never heard of them until seeing them mentioned in a newspaper article somewhere. They advertise themselves as focusing on "atheist dating & social networking." Sounds like it might be worth a look. Or are there others out there you prefer? Subscribe to Atheist Revolution
Monday, November 17, 2008
Rethinking the War on Christmas
Image via WikipediaThe month of November brings both Veteran's Day and Thanksgiving, but it also heralds something even more special - the war on Christmas. It is almost unfortunate that this war is nothing more than a marketing campaign by Christian extremists to solicit donations from their deluded supporters. If only the war was real, it could bring atheists together to denounce Christian privilege as a potent cultural factor for maintaining extremism. But sadly, the war on Christmas is nothing more than an exercise in atheist-bashing where we become the boogeyman long enough to fill right-wing coffers. For this season, I have but one simple question: is there any way we could use this imagined war to benefit ourselves and our compatriots in reality?
I realize that this may seem like a strange question, and to be honest, I'm writing this post without much idea of where it will end up. That is, I'm not sure how we could turn this war to our advantage. It only occurs to me that it might be a question worth asking.
The Christian right has a platform from which to loudly blather about our fictional attacks on their religion. Each year, representatives from atheist groups set the record straight, pointing out there there is no such war. It makes no difference, and the dance is repeated next year.
What if we went off script? What if we embraced their imagined war and made it real? I don't mean armed conflict, of course, but an unflinching war of ideas. Perhaps this would give them exactly what they most want - an enemy they could use to incite fear and raise dollars. But in a way, they already have this even without our participation.
Instead of using our limited public forums to defend ourselves against Christian extremists, what do you suppose would happen if we went on the offensive? Imagine an atheist saying something like the following on national TV:We all know that there is no actual war on Christmas and that windbags like Bill O'Reilly talk about it just to raise money for Christian extremists groups. But maybe there should be a war - not necessarily on Christmas itself - but on the Christian extremism responsible for spreading hate and blocking our educational and scientific progress as a nation.
If nothing else, might this force the mainstream media to discuss Christian extremism and how it impacts our nation? I submit that this would be an excellent starting point.
Personally, I'm on board with boycotting Christmas altogether as just another celebration of superstition. But I recognize that this idea has little traction in the atheist community and am fine with that. Christmas isn't the problem; Christian extremism (and arguably Christianity itself) is the problem. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_a.png?x-id=f9269bff-5de1-41cf-b97b-581e683a44ce)
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Nobody Wants To Be Alone, Atheists Included
When I was in high school, a friend and I took a trip from our home in the Pacific Northwest to Southern California. Neither of us had any money, so we traveled via bus (Greyhound). In retrospect, I'm really not sure what my parents were thinking. Not only was I not particularly responsible, but the cast of characters we encountered along the way were not exactly tame. Among the many memorable experiences, one sticks with me to this day. In fact, this particular experience has contributed greatly to my experience of atheism.
Getting off the bus in Oakland, CA, my friend and I discovered that we were the only White people in a crowded bus station. Now, I'd been to Oakland a few times before. I knew that it was a predominately Black city. But knowing this had not prepared me for experiencing it like this.
Looking around that bus station while waiting for the next bus to arrive was the first time in my life that I had the experience of being a minority. As a White male, I'd been benefiting from privileges I had rarely been forced to recognize. Here I was feeling like an outsider, someone who stood out in the crowd as not belonging.
At the time, I recall a vivid sensation of being out of place. To be sure, there was an element of fear. Where my friend and I were coming from, there were very few African Americans. While we had a couple Black friends, it was possible in our town to go for weeks without ever seeing a Black face. But whatever fear of the unknown we experienced paled in comparison to the sense of simply being outsiders.
I have had similar experiences since then but none have been quite so striking or have affected me to the same degree. I chalk this up to my relatively sheltered upbringing and developmental level at the time.
What has this experience taught me? Simply put, it reminds me of the importance of community. Nobody relishes the thought that they may be the only [insert whatever you wish] in a particular situation or environment. We all need support, belonging, and the sense of identification with others.
This applies to atheists too, whether we like to admit it or not. I don't know about you, but I have had the thought that I am the only atheist in a particular environment many times. In fact, it is a thought which I continue to have at least weekly. It is not an especially pleasant thought to have. I suspect this is why the most common comment my fellow godless Mississippians make when they first discover Mississippi Atheists is, "It is so good to find out that I'm not the only one."
Some atheists have convinced themselves that our lack of organization and community are assets. I think that this is a narrow view which undermines efforts to spread rationality and blunt superstition. If we want a viable atheist movement, we must recognize that community is essential. Helping others realize that they are not alone is going to be a crucial task. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Nationwide Protests of Proposition 8
Protests over California's Proposition 8 (banning same-sex marriage) are scheduled in every state today. Growing numbers of Americans are fed up with intolerance and are speaking out against it. The GLBT community is understandably upset over this case of religiously-motivated bigotry. It is good to also see a number of straight allies protesting too. I just want to take this opportunity to remind readers that we all have a stake in ending bigotry. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution
Friday, November 14, 2008
Arguments For The Existence Of God
Image via WikipediaSome religious believers have no problem whatsoever with admitting that there is no evidence to support their belief. They perceive their faith as virtuous and recognize that it is precisely the absence of evidence that permits faith in the first place. Other believers accept that evidence would strengthen their case dramatically and are not eager to appear irrational. Such believers are convinced, however, that there are solid arguments and compelling evidence for the existence of their god. They use reason and experience to make their case. Theirs is a case we should understand.
From what I have been able to gather, there are roughly six categories of arguments for the existence of the Christian-Jewish-Muslim god. They are as follows:
Did I miss anything? If you think you have an argument - or have encountered an argument - for the existence of the Christian-Jewish-Muslim god that does not fit into any of these categories, please let me know.
In upcoming posts, I'd like to look at some of these arguments in greater detail and have some discussion around them. I bet we could even get some good cross-blog dialogue going. At this point, I just want to make sure I'm not leaving anything out. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_a.png?x-id=720722db-695f-4427-be28-53b2d2af8ed4)
