1.27.2012
The Fallacy of Atheism's Public Relations Problem
A number of prominent atheist bloggers, women and men whose work I respect, seem to share the opinion that one of the most important obstacles faced by modern atheists is our lousy public image. Some even appear to suggest that this image is largely of our own making. Again and again, we are cautioned against offending the religious. We are told, "Don't be a dick," and our tactics are criticized as too rude or too assertive. We are accused of picking the wrong battles, and some of our activism is labeled as counterproductive. Many of us are now seen as part of the problem because our particular brand of atheism contributes to bad PR. That is, we are not nice enough, tame enough, or passive enough.
1.24.2012
Sexism in the Atheist Community: Sexism and Misogyny
1.20.2012
Secular Activism is Needed to Oppose Religious Thuggery
Religious thuggery (i.e., attempts to impose religiously derived preferences on others through violence) is nothing new. We have encountered many examples of upset Christians using it to intimidate those with whom they disagree or to punish those who were successful in protecting the separation of church and state. But religious thuggery is not unique to Christians. In some ways, Islam seems to have perfected it.
Adam Lee (Daylight Atheism) wrote an informative post in which he reviews many recent examples where Muslims have attempted to suppress any criticism of their religion. And yes, there has been some thuggery involved. Many Muslims seem to have little tolerance for free expression when it involves criticism of their religious beliefs by non-Muslims. In case after case, we see offended Muslims seek to silence criticism through intimidation. And when non-violent approaches fail, blatant thuggery is quick to emerge.
1.19.2012
The Purpose of Prayer
This simple chart provides a fairly accurate description of why prayer serves no real purpose. Assuming that the god at which religious believers are directing their prayers has some sort of plan for them, as most Christians insist, prayer is either redundant or futile. If one's prayer happens to coincide with the will one one's preferred god, it ends up being redundant. On the other hand, if one's prayer conflicts with the will of one's preferred god, it ends up being futile. In either case, prayer serves no purpose.
I should note one important omission from the chart. Prayer, even if it has no purpose in the sense described by the chart might temporarily make a believer feel better. For this reason, one could argue that temporary self-soothing is the only purpose that could be served by prayer.
1.16.2012
Church-State Heroes Face Threats of Violence from Christians
1.15.2012
Sexism in the Atheist Community: Initial Objections
1.14.2012
Turn or Burn: A Case of Hate Speech in the U.K.
1.12.2012
The Danger of Freethought
Atheists are commonly viewed as potential threats by religious individuals. This is often justified by their concerns about our morality, as many doubt that we can be good without their preferred god(s). I think it is also fair to speculate that we may be viewed in this manner because our presence reminds religious believers that the might be wrong. However, I've been wondering lately about whether an even more important reason for perceiving us as a threat might be our tendency to question the status quo, particularly the religious privilege that is a central part of it.
1.11.2012
Sexism in the Atheist Community: We Have a Problem
This is not the sort of atheist community we currently have. How do I know? First and most importantly, I have heard the accounts of many atheist women. Many have not experienced our community as particularly welcoming. It is great that some have, but many others have not. In fact, many have felt marginalized and have described the atheist community as a "boys' club." A few examples:
- Some women report that their contributions and those of other women are not taken as seriously during meetings or group interactions as the contributions of men.
- Prominent female atheists are often overlooked at conferences or various lists of influential atheists.
- There is a tendency for women to be sexualized, even in contexts that have nothing to do with sex.