12.27.2010

Faking It: Should Atheists Feign Respect for Faith?

If there is one recurrent theme pervading virtually all material on atheism you are likely to find on the Internet, it would have to be the subject of respecting faith. To what degree should atheists show respect for the religious faith of others? The question comes up again and again, and I suspect that virtually all atheists who contribute to the atheist community address it periodically. Pat Condell absolutely nails it in the video below and manages to raise an important side issue about which we do not hear nearly enough: whether atheists should be faking expressions of respect we do not feel.

What I mean by "faking it" in this context refers to the part of the video where Pat notes that we are often told to act as if we feel something we do not actually feel (i.e., respect). By pretending to respect faith when we do not, we are not merely being dishonest. If it was a simple matter of dishonesty, we could probably consider this another trivial "white lie" (e.g., "I love that sweater, Grandma. It is just what I wanted."). But this sort of faking it goes well beyond dishonesty and serves to enable the continuance of religious privilege. By holding our tongues when faced with idiocy or pretending to respect something despicable, we are condoning it.

In some circumstances, we may even have an obligation to challenge false claims. This is particularly important when the nature of the claims is such that they are harmful. In these cases, we must intervene. False expressions of respect are not the answer.

H/T to The Good Atheist (update: link no longer active)

12.26.2010

Christmas is Still a Religious Holiday for Majority in U.S.

One of the things that has come up repeatedly in discussions of Christmas here at Atheist Revolution and on a number of other atheist blogs I read is that the holiday is now thoroughly secular. Most people, it is claimed, no longer regard Christmas as a religious holiday at all. When one considers how thoroughly commercialized Christmas has become in the U.S., it is easy to see why people would suggest that it is now a secular holiday. However, a recent Gallup poll calls this claim into question.

According to Gallup, 51% of Americans surveyed consider Christmas a "strongly religious" holiday, over 60% attend religious services, and 78% say that they take time to reflect on the alleged birth of a historical Jesus. In fact, the results suggest a slight increase in the proportion of those celebrating Christmas who feel that it is a "strongly religious" holiday since the previous poll was administered.

12.24.2010

I am Not a Pagan Either

pagan symbol

I would guess that most atheists in the U.S. celebrate Christmas, but that would just be a guess. I am not aware of a good representative survey of atheists to back it up. While I do not celebrate Christmas, my reasons for not doing so have little to do with atheism. Moreover, I see no reason to criticize those who do celebrate Christmas, regardless of whether they are atheists. Their celebrations do not impact me one way or another because I do not participate in them. All the same, there is one increasingly popular defense some atheists are giving for their celebration of Christmas that I do not particularly understand.

I am referring to what I'll call the "winter solstice defense" since I am not sure what else to call it. It goes something like this:

Christians stole Christmas from the pagans. It was originally a pagan holiday that had nothing to do with Jesus, and early Christians co-opted it as a way of stamping out paganism.

12.22.2010

Santa vs. Jesus

The idea that children - or anyone else for that matter - are supposed to find gods real and Santa false is preposterous. There is every bit as much evidence to support the most incredible version of the Santa myth (i.e., that he flies around with magic reindeer delivering gifts to every home not afflicted with poverty in the United States and other countries where he is celebrated in one night, etc.) as there is for the various gods that have been worshiped through the ages. Let's stop pretending that any of this stuff is real.

For several other Christmas-related posts, check out the Atheist Revolution Christmas collection.

12.17.2010

Atheists Will Be On Right Side of History

march_on_washington.jpgI've been generally pessimistic as long as I can remember. I suppose I'm probably wired that way. And yet, I do have periodic flashes of optimism that keep me going. One of the most enduring is that we atheists, agnostics, skeptics, and humanists who make up the reality-based community will be on the right side of U.S. history.

The women's movement, both in the form of suffrage and later in feminism, has made great strides toward equality. That is not to say that American women have fully achieved equality, but it is difficult to deny that they are closer today than ever before. And who has been most consistent in opposing their efforts? Socially conservative Christians.

12.08.2010

Tempering Atheist Optimism: Remembering the Big Picture

Is God Dead?

For atheists in the United States, the last five years feels like it could be the beginning of the end of Christian privilege. We have seen countless news reports of declining church attendance, particularly among younger Americans. At the same time, it is difficult not to be encouraged by the rise of atheism in the public consciousness. Fueled by the sales of a handful of books about atheism and the power of the Internet to expose teenagers to the content found on atheist blogs and websites, the sense of progress is unmistakable. And yet, I think that we are setting ourselves up for disappointment if we lose sight of the big picture provided by history.

12.05.2010

Now THAT is a Christmas Tree!

I've made no secret of my love of Christian artifacts, the tackier the better. And while I don't celebrate Christmas, the sight of this tree is almost more than I can stand. I can picture it in the corner of the largest room in my home, covered with plastic Jesus ornaments. It wouldn't have to be limited to making an annual appearance in December either because it would be appropriate for the faux patriotism thing that happens in early July too. Good thing I don't have a spare $400 at the moment.

Christian Nation Tree

H/T to Godless Girl (update: blog no longer active). If I lose all control and put one of these on the credit card, it is all your fault.

12.03.2010

Determined to Have a War on Christmas

Christianity is a myth

Speaking of myths, the mythic "war on Christmas" has been in full swing for some time. I am only now allowing myself to acknowledge how much I have missed it. Not only is it an excellent reminder of the ease with which people can be manipulated (e.g., donating money to Christian extremist groups out of fear of evil atheists), but it shows the lengths which some will go to preserve their image of being persecuted even when they are the persecutors. But most of all, I am reminded that Christian privilege is alive and well here in the U.S.

12.01.2010

How to Be a Skeptic Without Being an Atheist

cover of The Skeptic's Dictionary

Atheism and skepticism are not synonymous. One can be an atheist and not a skeptic, and yes, one can be a skeptic without being an atheist. This last part requires some explanation. The key is compartmentalization. One can be a skeptic without being an atheist to the extent that one compartmentalizes one's skepticism, keeping it away from one's religious beliefs.

Compartmentalization is how some excellent scientists permit themselves to be religious believers. They make the decision to restrict their application of the scientific method to matters other than religion. It works the same way with skepticism. One can decide to be skeptical in some matters and not others.