6.29.2011

Atheist Revolution: What's in a Name?

atheist revolution

When I started Atheist Revolution back in 2005, I hoped to spark discussion and critical thinking on religion and politics in American life. I called the blog Atheist Revolution because I was convinced that the pervasive hold of Christianity on the minds of most Americans necessitated a revolution of the mind. I thought that "revolution" conveyed strength (e.g., atheists standing up for our rights) and upheaval (e.g., replacing belief in superstition with an appreciation for reason and science). I went out of my way to describe this as a revolution of the mind rather than some sort of armed insurrection. Again and again, I have gone out of my way to be clear about this. And yet, I am still considered "militant" by some. I suppose that is what I have to expect in a nation where anti-atheist bigotry is the norm.

It took me too long to realize that any atheist who refused to stay silent in the face of bigotry, Christian privilege, or threats to church-state separation was going to be called "militant" by at least some Christians. It took me even longer to discover that some atheists are equally confused about the appropriateness of the "militant" label.

6.26.2011

Priest Advocates Taking Up Intellectual Arms Against Advancing Atheist Horde

Atheism

I mentioned CNN's Belief Blog recently when I highlighted a couple of lessons they shared from their first year of blogging, one of which involved the number of atheist commenters. It looks like I was not the only one who found this post interesting. A reader directed me to a post written by Father Robert Barron (update: link no longer active), head of a "global media ministry" that seeks to "evangelize the culture." On the recommendation of this reader, I decided to check out what Barron had to say about atheists.

Why Atheists Comment on Religious Sites

Barron started with CNN's observation that atheists are among the most frequent to comment on religious stories and said that he has noticed the same thing.

Every day, my website and YouTube page are inundated with remarks, usually of a sharply negative or dismissive nature, from atheists, agnostics, and critics of religion.

I do not doubt for a minute that he has had this experience. On average, atheists are better informed about religion than the religious. Given the tremendous pressure many of us face to embrace religion, it makes sense that many of us who have rejected it would have given it serious consideration before doing so. That it, many of us have formed opinions on the subject of religion.

6.23.2011

Some Christian Email

emailIf you write an atheist blog, you are going to get email from Christians. It is inevitable, and it is something I encourage you to embrace. Ideally, it will provide you with some insight into the Christian mind. And if nothing else, it will be entertaining.

From what I've observed over the years, there are a handful of motives that lead Christians to email me. Some clearly want to convert me with the latest "clever" Ray Comfort argument that they always assume I've not already heard. Others want to remind me of their hell, something which seems to delight them to no end. And still others feel the need to threaten me with assault or even death at their own hands.

But there are some Christians who don't fit neatly into any of these categories. Consider the following email as an example:
God bless all of you. May he wrap you in his loving arms and welcome you all into his kingdom.

Whilst you do not believe in Him the almighty father loves and accepts you for who you are. Of Course he is saddened that you have chosen to reject him but he is a forgiving father and e is waiting to welcome all of us into a close personal relationship with him (sic).

May the love of God shine on all of us
At first glance, this could be read as an attempt at conversion. But if that is what it is, it is far less blatant than most I receive. What strikes me most about this one is how truly childlike it is. It is not that I assume a child wrote it - I don't necessarily assume that. But it suggests that the author has not spent much time thinking about the world which he or she inhabits.

My other observation concerns the use of the word "whilst" at the beginning of the second sentence. I have noticed that many Christians who email me seem to feel the need to "biblicize" their writing like this. Fascinating!

6.19.2011

Happy Father's Day

Father's Day
via Atheist Cartoons

To all the atheist dads out there (and to the religious dads who have been accepting of your atheist children), give yourself some credit for being far better at this whole fatherhood thing that the Judeo-Christian god. I hope you have a wonderful Father's Day whether you are celebrating it or not. I'm not sure how my father plans to spend the day, but I know it won't involve church.

6.15.2011

Why Do So Many Religious Believers Seem to Hate Atheists?

Why do atheists hate America?

Poll after poll has revealed that atheists are the most distrusted minority in the United States. Why do so many (although certainly not all) American theists seem to despise us so much? Why are they less likely to vote for us than any other group? Why would they prefer for their son or daughter to marry a Muslim than an atheist? Why are atheists, as University of Minnesota sociologist Penny Edgell put it, "a glaring exception to the rule of increasing tolerance over the last 30 years?" That we are hated is quite clear; why we are hated is open for debate.

6.13.2011

Why Do Atheists Hate My God?

eyehategodYou know how some Christians are extremely fond of claiming that we atheists hate their god? It is one of those nonsensical claims we hear quite a bit. The fact that it is not possible to hate something which one doesn't believe exists never seems to occur to them, and this is usually what we find ourselves explaining when faced with this claim. In my experience, they often try to work around this response by insisting that we really do believe in their god and are just mad at it for some reason. Perhaps there is a different line of inquiry that would be interesting to pursue here.

6.12.2011

Supporting Atheist Youth Should Be Priority

atheist youth may feel isolatedThere are groups that provide assistance and support to LGBT teens who are struggling social ostracization, coming out, or escaping an abusive home life. There are not nearly enough of them, but at least the need for this sort of support is widely recognized. This is not yet the case for atheist teens. Perhaps the plight of Damon Fowler will lead to some progress in this area, as more of us realize what some atheist youth must endure.

6.11.2011

Comedian Tracy Morgan Expresses Anti-Gay Hate During Nashville Show

Tracy Morgan is a Bigot

I haven't felt the need to do an Idiot of the Week post in a while. Maybe I've just been a bit burned out on the whole thing. Because it has been a while, I'm going to be a bit liberal with the timeline on this one. The incident that earned Tracy Morgan Idiot of the Week recognition actually occurred last week but did not come to my attention until this week. I'm making an exception because it continues to baffle me how this guy has any fans at all.

What are we to make of celebrities who use their celebrity to spread hate? I'd suggest that shouldn't be celebrities for long.

6.06.2011

What Else Do Atheists Have in Common?

Atheist UnityWhenever an atheist begins to talk about the value of organizing atheists, two things inevitably happen: Someone introduces the "cat herding" comparison, and someone claims that atheists cannot be organized because we have nothing to unite us (i.e., we have nothing in common but our lack of belief).

But is it really true that atheists having nothing in common besides our lack of belief in gods? In this post, I'm going to argue that this claim obscures an important reality and prevents us from moving forward. In fact, most atheists do have plenty in common.

6.02.2011

Are Atheists at Risk of Developing a Persecution Complex Like Christians?

Christian persecutionIt is no secret among atheists living in the U.S. that many of our Christian neighbors have a bit of a persecution complex (i.e., a deep conviction that they are being persecuted in spite of no evidence to support such a claim). They not only have an overwhelming majority in terms of numbers, but they exert stifling control over every branch of government in every state. And yet, it seems like many of them are always whining about how they are persecuted for their religion. But what about atheists? Do we run the risk of developing our own persecution complex?