June 7, 2009

Isolation Among Atheists

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I made a point to spend some time on Atheist Nexus a couple of weekends ago when I had more free time than I do now. No particular reason - I just hadn't been there in awhile and wanted to see if there were new members in Mississippi I should welcome. See, I can be friendly every once in awhile! Anyway, what I found in the Atheist Nexus forums really saddened me, inspiring this post.

What I encountered in post after post was pain, isolation, and fear. So many atheists throughout the U.S. reported feeling ostracized, some even terrorized, by the Christians surrounding them. I know things are rough in the American bible belt, but it soon became clear that things are not necessarily much easier elsewhere. Many of the younger atheists had stories of being condemned by their own families. Some were still "in the closet," worried about being disowned by their families.

A common theme was the pervasive sense of isolation caused by recurrent experiences of being socially ostracized for one's atheism. Again and again, I encountered people who simply wanted someone to talk to without having to worry about their safety or yet another religiously-motivated condemnation. Some noted that the Internet has become their lifeline, a link to reality in a sea of religious delusion. But for others, forums, blog, and chat rooms just weren't cutting it.

I know some atheists take pride in not being joiners, but there are many out there who are hurting and need a human connection they are not currently finding. I'm not sure what the answer is, but I am starting to think that we need one.

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June 6, 2009

Idiot of the Week: Wiley Drake

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Idiocy of this magnitude deserves attention, and that is exactly what it gets right here in the Idiot of the Week series (now with a dedicated topic label for easy access). A new winner is announced each Saturday.

As has been fairly obvious to readers of Atheist Revolution lately, I was and continue to be upset by the murder of Dr. George Tiller. It is not simply that he may have been killed by someone who appears to be a Christian terrorist. Nor is it that the suspect appears to be an avid consumer of Fox "News," that the role of Christian extremism seems quite evident here, or even that the murder is being celebrated by Christian extremists. It is also that he was one of a tiny number of physicians with enough courage to provide a controversial but necessary service to American women and that he will be difficult to replace. Thus, I hold special contempt for this week's honoree, Pastor Wiley Drake, and acknowledge that this goes well beyond mere idiocy.

Here is what Pastor Drake had to say on the murder of Dr. Tiller:

I’ve been a Baptist pastor for a long time, been in the pro-life fight, been face-to-face with Tiller, told him about Jesus, and I’ve seen many, many others tell him about Jesus over and over and over again. And I’ve seen horrific things that go on in those death abortuaries — and that’s what they are — and so my initial response to those people, they said, 'Well what was your response,' and I said, 'Well, in all honesty I have to just respond directly and say I am glad that he’s dead.'
The murder of Dr. Tiller is abhorrent to most people, regardless of their views on the subject of abortion. However, Christian extremists such as Pastor Drake appear to have few moral qualms over this crime.

In the unlikely event that this is not enough for you, Pastor Drake is also the one who has been in the news lately praying for the death of President Obama (i.e., imprecatory prayer).

H/Ts to The Good Atheist and The BEattitude

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June 5, 2009

What Do Atheists Think of Christians?

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Anacampseros subnuda var. lubbersii flowerImage by Martin_Heigan via Flickr

Anybody who tells you that they truly do not care what anyone else thinks of them is either a liar or operating on an entirely different plane from most of humanity. Maybe that is too strong, but you get the idea. Most of us care, perhaps even too much, what at least someone may think of us. It is normal to be curious about such things. It seems that we atheists rarely have to wonder what some Christians think of us because we are often being told exactly what they think of us. But how about Christians? It is only natural that some might wonder what we think of them.
My church says that all atheists think Christians are stupid, and that they hate us all. Is that true?
I make no claim to speak for all atheists, but I will provide my response to this question below and let my readers (most of whom are atheists) add as they see fit in the comments.

What Do I Think of Christians?

For starters, it is difficult to answer such a question because I recognize that Christians are a diverse group and that there is little I can say which would accurately apply to all of them. Under this broad heading of "Christian," one can find everything from liberals who read their bibles as loose metaphor and attempt to model themselves after the positive deeds attributed to Jesus to bible-thumping extremists who seek to overthrow our secular democracy and replace it with precisely the sort of Christian theocracy which America's founders took such great pains to avoid.

In many respects, I have more in common with some progressive Christians than I do with many conservative atheists. In fact, the vast majority of my friends are Christians. It would be easy to indicate how I feel about them - I like them very much, but that is not the question.

To get at what the individual asking this question is after, I almost have to construct an artificial sort of Christian, one who has only those characteristics shared by all Christians. This raises a significant problem because each time I think I am close to such a construction, a Christian or two drops by to shoot it down. From what they have told me, not all Christians believe in a personal god intervening in human affairs. Not all believe in the divinity of Jesus. And on and on. I suppose I should conclude that the question is unanswerable because Christians refuse to specify the essential features of Christianity. Of course, that strikes me as a bit of a cop out and probably not what the questioner is after.

Let me try this: What do I think of someone who believes that supernatural entities (e.g., gods, demons, angels, etc.) exist and have some role in human affairs? I think they are wrong. Specifically, I think they are making a mistake by believing rather extraordinary things without sufficient evidence. By definition, this makes such beliefs irrational. The individuals who hold such beliefs may be quite intelligent, but these specific beliefs are not rational. Moreover, starting with a set of beliefs without sufficient evidence (i.e., faith) and then imbibing it with a moral quality so that those who share it are "good" and those who do not are "evil" is very dangerous. That is, this is not merely irrational belief but the sort of irrational belief which can have a seriously destructive impact on humanity.

Do I think that all Christians are stupid? Of course not! Many are far more intelligent than I will ever be. Do I hate all Christians? Of course not! I've already explained that nearly all of my close friends are Christian. The same is true for my family. Even in the abstract, it makes no sense to say that I hate anyone I've never met.

I find it unfortunate that a church would spread such lies. Then again, it has been my experience that some Christian churches are convinced that this is the only way they are going to be able to retain members. Perhaps they realize that Christians who meet happy, well-adjusted atheists may realize that a life free from superstition is not only possible but can be quite meaningful.

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June 4, 2009

Atheist Activism: Lessons From Gay Rights

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Milk (film)Image via Wikipedia

I finally got around to watching Milk. Not only was it a great film with strong acting all around, but I found it quite thought-provoking. I have repeatedly suggested here that the atheist movement could learn a great deal from the gay rights movement. Reasonably fresh from seeing this film, I am now more convinced of that than ever.

General Observations

One of the things that really struck me about both Milk and the various documentaries I have seen about gay rights at this point in history was how similar today's opposition to gay marriage is to the opposition to gay rights in the 1970s. At both points in time, the opposition has a Christian extremist core. At both points in time, the opponents were generally well-funded and relied heavily on fear-mongering via misinformation and bible quotes.

A second observation, more from history than the film itself, concerns the ongoing nature of the broader civil rights struggle. It is undeniable that great progress has been made. And yet, the fact that gay marriage is even controversial today, much less prohibited in most of the U.S., shows just how much work remains. Racism is alive and well, and even fleeting exposure to Lou Dobbs shows that anti-immigrant sentiment is similarly present. In many sectors, American women still earn less money for performing the same job than their male counterparts.

Essential Questions for Atheists

One of the key lessons we atheists must learn from Milk is that achieving equality is going to be a long and difficult struggle that will require sacrifice. This appears to be particularly true when those most vehemently opposing atheist equality are afflicted with religious extremism.

There are many questions we should ask and re-ask of ourselves and each other as we consider what lies ahead:
  1. How many of us are still denying our atheism to ourselves?
  2. Are we willing to fully "come out" as atheists in all spheres of our lives?
  3. If we have not personally been the victims of anti-atheist bigotry or discrimination, are we still willing to work for those who have and those who will be in the future?
  4. Are we willing to embrace atheist activism as a means to accomplish goals such as atheist equality?
  5. Will we strive to educate others about the meaning of atheism and correct the misconceptions we encounter?
I do not pretend to have all the answers. I am still struggling with some of these questions myself. But one thing I am starting to recognize is that the real enemy is not those who seek to keep us invisible or to demonize us; the real enemy is our own apathy.

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June 3, 2009

EXCLUSIVE: Indiana Library Patron Who Challenged Nativity Scene Successful

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Indiana state welcome signImage via Wikipedia

I don't get to do many "feel-good stories" here, but this is one. I just received an update from Tyson, the atheist patron of Elwood Public Library in Indiana who complained about a nativity scene in the library last December. You may recall that the library's director initially decided to ignore the complaint and behaved in an unprofessional manner. Nobody was prepared for what happened next.

A library employee, presumably the director, contacted the local paper and revealed Tyson's identity, at which point he started receiving threats from Christians in his community. He complained to the library's board of directors. A library employee then published his library record on a public blog! The Associated Press then picked up a version of the story from which Tyson's version of events was curiously omitted. And that is where we left off...until I received this update from Tyson.

Here is what Tyson had to say:
As you know, I received some excellent advice on how to handle the nativity situation from many of your readers. Based on this advice, I decided to contact several organizations, such as the Freedom From Religion Foundation, ACLU of Indiana, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Anti-Discrimination Support Network. Each one of these organizations responded to my request for assistance, and as a result of the pressure they put on the library, I’m happy to inform you that the library has written a display policy which states: “Exhibits or displays cannot promote any one commercial, political, or doctrinal viewpoint. Displays of a religious nature will not be accepted.”
The full policy can be viewed as a .pdf file at http://www.elwood.lib.in.us/PDF-Policies/Library%20Display%20Policy%2009.pdf

As great as that is, Tyson informs us that it gets even better:
Furthermore, after receiving assistance from these organizations, the library board decided to suspend the library employee who revealed my library record for one month. This is the same employee who posted an exaggerated post of my complaint about the nativity scene to elwoodindiana.org, and even though I think she deserved to be terminated from her job at the library, I am pleased to know that she was disciplined for the pain and suffering she caused me and my family.
Very nice! It is so tempting to simply ignore these situations, even when a flagrant violation of the law is right in front of us. Tyson had the courage to stand up for separation of church and state. Not only did he complain, but he persisted in making sure that those who trashed him for doing so were held accountable.
Unfortunately, I do not think this library employee would have received any type of punishment had it not been for the pressure put on the library and its board by the organizations mentioned above. Additionally, I do not think the library would have drafted a display policy prohibiting displays of a religious nature if it had not been for the assistance of these organizations.
You better believe I will be renewing my memberships in these organizations for the foreseeable future!

In addition to his success with the library, Tyson shared the following with us:
Early this year I decided to surround myself with other atheists by joining the CFI Indiana – Hamilton County Atheists and Freethinkers Meetup. Since I have not known very many atheists in my life, it has been great to converse with other nonbelievers for a change. They are a great group of people; however, the majority of people I come in contact with daily think atheists are immoral people who cannot be trusted because they do not believe in god. As a matter of fact, the Indiana atheist bus campaign, “You Can Be Good Without God”, was rejected in Bloomington, Indiana because it was deemed too controversial. It is amazing that there are people who truly believe that a person cannot be good without god. After discussing this issue with the Hamilton County Atheists, we decided to form an American Cancer Society Relay for Life team. Even though we are accustomed to doing charitable things individually, we thought it would be good to come together as nonbelievers to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Hopefully, people will see that we can be good without god. If you think your readers would be interested in contributing to our cause, please refer them to our team page at http://main.acsevents.org/goto/cfiindiana.
I have a huge smile on my face right now! It is so nice to get good news of this kind and see how much can be accomplished through courage and perseverance. Tyson, you are an inspiration! Thank you so much for sharing this with us.

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June 2, 2009

On Gay Marriage, Just Think of the Children

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Progressive states around the U.S. are demonstrating their commitment to the civil rights of all Americans, and Maine is one of the latest. Now Maine's Bishop Malone issued a statement of opposition to his state's recent decision to grant equal rights to same sex couples.

Same-sex marriage is a dangerous sociological experiment that I believe will have negative consequences for society as a whole. Children will be taught in schools that same-sex marriage and traditional marriage are simply different expressions of the same thing, and that the logical and consistent understanding that marriage and reproduction are intrinsically linked is no longer valid. These are profound changes that will reverberate throughout society with tragic consequences.
Dangerous, huh? Dangerous because Maine's children might be taught to be tolerant of human differences? Or perhaps the good bishop thinks it would be dangerous because children might be confused about the conflicting messages they would receive from adults (i.e., marriage is about reproduction vs. marriage is about love). Yeah, I suppose that might be a bit confusing for some. After all, the conflict between rigidly held dogma and reality is a common source of confusion.

You know what else might be confusing (or worse) for Maine's children? Victimization at the hands of pedophile priests and a church who prefers to conceal their offenses by moving the perpetrators around their system.

What Bishop Malone might want to consider is that his link between marriage and reproduction is horribly dated and simply no longer relevant. His religion can evolve (e.g., the Catholic position on limbo), crumble, or remain a force for ignorance and oppression.

H/T to Pam's House Blend

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Blogger Outed by Police to Church Sues

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Police Officer Breaking the LawImage by Call To Adventure via Flickr

Last month I posted about a disturbing story out of Jacksonville, FL, in which an anonymous blogger was outed by a police detective after he dared to criticize Pastor Mac Brunson of the First Baptist Church. The detective in question was a member of the pastor's security detail and revealed the blogger's identity to Brunson and his congregation even though no criminal charges were ever filed. I am happy to report the the blogger is now suing the sheriff's department and prosecutor's office. Sometimes this sort of legal action is necessary to prevent future abuses.

I wonder how many other churches have law enforcement officers working for them?

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June 1, 2009

Correcting Barry Lynn on Wichita

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An abortion protester from the filmImage via Wikipedia

Americans United for Separation of Church and State is one of a handful of worthy organizations that I am happy to support. They do good work on behalf of atheists in the U.S., and I have great admiration for their executive director, the Rev. Barry W. Lynn. That said, I do have to take issue with something he was quoted as saying in a recent Americans United press release about the latest act of suspected Christian terrorism in Wichita.

Lynn was quoted as saying the following:
The murder of Dr. Tiller is an affront to every moral system imaginable.
I appreciate his willingness to issue a statement condemning the murder, but I think this statement is inaccurate. While the murder of Dr. Tiller should be an affront to every moral system, it is clearly not.

Regardless of what we ultimately learn about the killer, his motives, and the like, we know now that a segment of our population supports his actions. And no, I do not think I am merely nitpicking here.

It is important to recognize that there is a segment of society to which I have repeatedly referred to as Christian extremists. They cheer the murder and congratulate the killer. We need to talk about this.

The loss of Dr. Tiller is a serious one. His murder is indeed an affront to most moral systems, but unfortunately, it is not so to Christian extremists.

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Is Disparaging Atheism a Constitutional Violation?

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Capistrano Valley High SchoolImage via Wikipedia

I trust that you remember the case of Chad Farnan, a Christian student at Capistrano Valley High School in California, who accused his AP history teacher of making disparaging remarks about Christianity in class. At the time news of Farnan's complaint first surfaced in 2008, I noted that it was difficult to see hostility to Christianity in the teacher's alleged comments. I also suggested that the case seemed to be more about Christian privilege in our nation's schools than anything else. As I am sure you have heard by now, the case has traversed the legal system, and a decision has been rendered. In this post, I'll not simply rehash the decision but instead consider one of the possible implications for atheism.

As you know, the judge in this case ruled that teacher James Corbett's description of creationism as "superstitious nonsense" violated the U.S. Constitution in that it counted as "derogatory, disparaging and belittling regarding religion and Christianity in particular." As I understand it, this was a church-state issue because Corbett made this statement during class at a public high school. As a government employee, he is not permitted to disparage religion any more than he would be permitted to promote it.

This is a groundbreaking case with which all atheists should familiarize themselves. As recently noted in the Guardian:
Farnan's lawyer, Jennifer Monk, who works for a not-for-profit Christian law firm, Advocates for Faith and Freedom, told the Guardian yesterday that Farnan's victory was the first of its kind, proving that the establishment clause applied equally to the disapproval of religion as it did to the promotion of religion.
Yes, I have a feeling I know what you are thinking at this point. You and I know full well that government employees promote religion in general and Christianity in particular as part of their officials duties all the time without any legal consequences. Sad but true. However, this is not what I want to address in this post.

Instead, I'd like to maintain the focus on the student-teacher interaction in our public schools. I'd like us to consider the situation in which a teacher made disparaging remarks about atheists or atheism during class. Furthermore, I'd like us to assume that a student was upset by this and decided to file a complaint. If such a scenario strikes you as far fetched, I encourage you to remember that some students are in fact willing to stand up in opposition to the promotion of religion in their schools.

If we imagine a complaint about a public school teacher making disparaging remarks about atheists or atheism making its way to court, I wonder if this would in fact be recognized as a Constitutional issue. Does the fact that atheism is not a religion change the outcome of such a case? Do we lose protection under the law because atheism is not a religion?

H/T to Austin Cline

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