Becoming More Accessible to Atheist Women

In one sense, atheism is about as gender-neutral as it gets. Lacking god belief is something that can and does apply to women and men alike. Organized atheism and atheist activism, on the other hand, sometimes seem to be more attractive to men than it does to women.

Daylight Atheism recently conducted a brief reader poll and learned that roughly 60% of those who voted in it were men. I found his discussion about what this may mean an interesting one, mostly because one of the four possible explanations he considered was something I have been thinking about for some time.

Hypothesis #4. Something about the subject matter or content of this site, in general, appeals to men more than to women, or makes women feel as if they're less welcome than men.

Atheists and the "Us vs. Them" Mentality

Are atheists, particularly outspoken atheists who engage in secular activism, guilty of fostering an "us vs. them" mentality? This is a common criticism we hear from Christians and more than a few atheists. Are those of us who speak out part of the problem, contributing to a religious vs. secular culture war?

My take on these questions is probably about what you'd expect. I think that an "us vs. them" mentality was established long ago by religious believers and has been kept alive today primarily by religious believers. To say that outspoken atheists are somehow guilty of causing it or even maintaining it denies this basic reality: it exists and will continue to exist whether we express ourselves or not.

Besides, just what are we saying when we express ourselves? We are criticizing religion, promoting separation of church and state, seeking to normalize atheism, advance equality for secular persons, and so on. Can anybody seriously argue that we'd be better off not doing any of this?

I understand how it might seem to make sense to accuse outspoken atheists of fanning the flames of conflict. But is that really what we are doing? Isn't it a bit more accurate to say that we are acknowledging what already is the case and exercising our right to contribute to the discussion?

Let Me Tell You About My Atheism

There has been a bit of a hullabaloo in the atheist blogosphere recently over the meaning of atheism. This is a good thing because atheism is often misunderstood and because how we understand it has important implications. Unfortunately, some of us involved in the discussion have not been communicating clearly. In fact, it is starting to appear that the two sides agree on far more than many realize. I think I can clear things up a bit. Maybe.

Idiot of the Week: PZ Myers

I do not think I've ever selected an atheist as Idiot of the Week, and I do not remember selecting a blogger, although it is certainly possible. What I am fairly sure of is that Idiot of the Week has never gone to a fellow atheist blogger. And no, I don't really think PZ is an idiot. I have way too much respect for him even though he has declared his hatred for people like me and even though I think he's wrong about the meaning of atheism. But the thing about PZ is that he often manages to be thought-provoking even when he's wrong.

Not satisfied with antagonizing religious believers, PZ has decided to go after those of us who understand the meaning of atheism. We are "superficial," and he hates us. Rather than say that he disagrees with us or that he thinks we are wrong, PZ decided to jump directly to hate.

Atheist Movement as a Sleeping Giant

I really enjoyed John's brief but thought-provoking post at Debunking Christianity, "The Trouble With Atheists." He is right to point out that some of our shortcomings can also be strengths, especially with regard to our great diversity. And yet, I cannot help thinking that the combination of apathy and lack of organization pose significant obstacles to the sort of progress most of us say we want to achieve.

My initial reaction to John's post was visual. I saw an image of atheists in the United States as a sleeping giant. As he said, we are everywhere. That's the giant part. But of course, most atheists are not involved in any sort of secular activism. That's the sleeping part. I think there are some small but encouraging signs that this particular giant is slowly starting to wake.