Misunderstanding Atheism, the Atheist Movement, and Secularism

Atheism is not synonymous with the atheist movement. One can be an atheist and not want to have anything whatsoever to do with the atheist movement. In fact, this appears to be precisely the position held by most atheists. That is, most atheists do not have much of anything to do with the atheist movement.

Those of us who consider ourselves part of the atheist movement know this full well, but it is frequently misunderstood by people outside the movement. For a great example, see this op-ed Kate Blanchard wrote for Reason Dispatches.

Blanchard writes that she cannot bring herself to apply the atheist label to herself (even though it clearly fits). Why?

The major issue for me is an aversion to militant secularism, akin to some people’s aversion to “organized religion.” The new atheism, of the sort that has celebrities, conventions, media outlets, or protest marches, is not simply about doubting the existence of traditional deities. It is more often about intellectual elitism, and sometimes even outright racism toward people whom Christopher Hitchens referred to as “semi-stupefied peasants in desert regions.” Orthodox secularism, it seems, is about feeling superior to those poor, deluded souls who still cling to religion—that weird little psycho-social appendix leftover from some earlier stage in human evolution.

Christian Terrorism in Texas

If you were to commit a heinous crime, child rape for instance, it would make sense that you would face public outrage. People would be upset with you, and rightly so. Many people, upon learning of your crime, would have violent urges. They would imagine how badly they'd like to beat you, and some with poor judgment or low impulse control might even threaten your safety. Nobody would be surprised by such reactions.

Now let's look at a very different situation. In this one, you commit no crime at all. Instead, you complain about someone else violating the law. Specifically, you become aware of a violation of separation of church and state, and you file a complaint. That's it. But once again, you face public outrage. People are every bit as upset with you as what we described in the first case. Many experience the same sort of violent urges, and you receive death threats. You are fired, stalked, and repeatedly threatened. And you know what? Once again, nobody is surprised. Nobody.

The Kind of Atheist I Want to Be

I want to be the kind of atheist who does not pick fights with the religious but does not run from conflict when it is encountered. I want to be the kind of atheist who defends secularism when necessary and recognizes that strengthening the wall of separation between church and state is of vital importance to all of us, including those who do not value it. I want to be the kind of atheist who models reason, critical thinking, skepticism, and freethought but also tries to balance these things with empathy and humanism. I want to be the kind of atheist who can utilize anger effectively to achieve goals without getting carried away with it.

We Need More Christian Characters on Television

I have always found it odd how some conservative White men seem so determined to feel oppressed. They accuse immigrants of taking jobs they would never do themselves, rail against feminists for expecting them to refrain from overt sexism, and share suspicions about how their ethnically diverse co-workers must be affirmative action hires. They refuse to acknowledge their privilege, status, and the fact that most of those with real power resemble them.

My reaction to Christians in the U.S. complaining of persecution is similar, although I have to admit finding their complaints of oppression even more bizarre. I wonder if they even know what "persecution" means. To be clear, I would never claim that a Christian could not be persecuted for being Christian; however, I am reasonably certain that it doesn't happen nearly as much as many Christians want us to believe.

Demanding Respect for Ridiculous Opinions

Scott over at Atheism - That's for ME! captured my attention with a recent post about one of my pet peeves: the expression "Everyone has a right to their opinion." When I hear someone say this, I nearly always drop what I'm doing and get myself in an argument. I know that is silly of me, but it is like nails on a chalkboard.

I usually point out that people may have a right to their own opinions but not their own facts and that it is a mistake to expect unsupported opinions to be given equal weight to facts. This nearly always seems to be what motivated the speaker to say this in the first place - they were confronted with facts that contradict their opinion and are trying to get away with maintaining their opinion anyway. It is as if they really think their opinion is every bit as valid as the facts contradicting it.

Respect People, Not Beliefs

 Far too many religious believers are either unable or unwilling to understand the simple truth that follows:

People deserve respect. It could even be argued that a person's basic right to his or her beliefs deserves some measure of respect. But the beliefs themselves? No. They deserve nothing. We are under no obligation whatsoever to respect anyone's beliefs.

I will continue to respect religious people and their right to their beliefs; I will not respect their beliefs. I will not respect their efforts to prevent criticism of their beliefs, nor will I pretend that their "sacred" or "holy" objects are anything other than what they are. I will not ignore irrational beliefs or shirk my obligation to challenge false claims. I will remain intolerant of intolerance, regardless of whether religion is used to excuse or justify it. I will not participate in religious privilege, even if that means some will take offense at my words.

How to Complain About a Church-State Violation

As more people become dissatisfied with efforts by religious extremists to inject their beliefs into our secular government, efforts to protect the separation of church and state may become more common. And as more of us embrace reality over faith, we may gradually become more willing to speak out against church-state violations.

Suppose you run into a violation of church-state separation in your local community, are upset by the violation, and decide to make a complaint. Here are some thoughts on how to go about it. Think of these as lessons I've learned from mistakes I have made.

1. If possible, give yourself time to calm down and think before complaining. I know this isn't always possible, but you will usually be more effective if you approach the situation from a calm place rather than complaining in a moment of intense anger.
2. Identify the appropriate person to hear the complaint. That is, figure out who has the decision-making authority and complain to them. Subordinates may agree with you but probably have little control over the situation.
3. Adopt a helpful mindset before complaining. I find that I am far more likely to be successful and not make an ass of myself if I enter the situation assuming that the violation is unintentional and comes from a place of ignorance. This is also helpful in making sure I escalate the complaint appropriately (see section on escalation below).
4. Showing that you know the relevant law may strengthen your complaint.
5. Do not yell. You may be angry, but yelling at a government official can end badly for you and will do little to advance your argument.