Reminder to all atheists: pointing and laughing is not an argument.
Renovations
I take a lot of heart in the fact that atheism has worked its way into the mainstream over the last few years. This is in large part thanks to the surprising success of Richard Dawkins’ “The God Delusion” and Christopher Hitchens’ “God is not Great“. I have only heard the audiobook of the former (and this was at work, so I was only half paying attention), and I haven’t read the latter - so I can’t really talk so much about the tone within those books. From what I recall of the Dawkins, it is largely well-reasoned and argued, and not too deliberately insulting, but I couldn’t say much more than that. No doubt a large part of their success comes from the strident nature of their titles. If a bit of harsh polemic is necessary to get the dialogue going, then so be it. It’s had the desired effect.
What bothers me is the growing smugness among vocal atheists. It’s damaging.
For a group that prides themselves on thinking logically, many atheists (particularly those who write/comment on the numerous atheist-circle-jerk blogs out there) don’t seem to understand that belittling their opponents is exactly the wrong way to convince them to reconsider their faith. Telling a Christian who may have some private doubts about her religion that the “invisible sky-dad’s zombie son was nothing but a raving lunatic” is a fine way to push her to the other side of the fence.
And really, the argument was won at least a century ago - it just hasn’t caught up with most of the world’s population. The bulk of contemporary philosophers did away with God a long time ago, as have most scientists. As the globe gets smaller and its various religions interact with greater frequency, the idea of a single “true” religion becomes increasingly difficult to hold (though a personal pastiche spirituality becomes easier). Doubtless there are those among the faithful who fear atheism because they expect divine vengeance, a valueless society, or simply out of a compassion for the surge of souls running headlong into the various hells that await the faithless. Still, there are certainly those who fear atheists because we might be right.
For a while I was almost tempted to join Dawkins’ “OUT” campaign. Unfortunately, the “Red A” logo is truly a crime against typography and good design. What’s more, the whole thing is at least as obnoxious as the Jesus Fish people stick on their cars. It seems a little silly to create another sect, when a common complaint against religion is its tendency to tribalism. Fighting fire with fire isn’t the way to go, here.
I should also address the Atheist Bus campaign, given that it’s spread beyond the UK, making its way to Toronto among other cities. In spite of myself I enjoy the campaign. I don’t really like the slogan (it’s vague at best), but the whole thing is playful enough that it manages to avoid most of the high-minded taunting that is so common when you get a bunch of atheists together in the same room.
It’s difficult. It’s really easy to be smug and cavalier about how silly religion is when you’re an atheist. I’ve damaged important friendships by taking a light attitude with what, to the spiritually minded, is a very serious thing. I still lapse into it on occasion, catching myself only after it’s too late. But please, people, let’s at least try to be a bit more civil. If our objective is to make the world a freer and more inclusive place, let’s not write off the majority of the population as fools. If we do, we’re the stupid ones.
Eh, religious folk can claim allegiance with the abolitionists, the civil rights leaders, liberation theology, etc. ‘Rationalists’ still have to admit that there were stupidities like the pseudo-science of ‘evolutionary biology’ or eugenics that can’t be blamed on one group of people believing in the wrong celestial being, meanwhile Jefferson justified slavery, even for people that were biologically his children. My point being I don’t think anyone has a right to claim their camp has an inherent intellectual or moral superiority, is why I dislike Dawkins. I dislike Hitchens for many more reasons, but with all that said I am still a rabid secularist. Public policy and private practice are different planets though.
I think the respecting others thing is just a good general rule-even on the internet I don’t have a lot of patience for people that can’t do this, which is probably good cause the volume of stuff I won’t look at saves me a lot of time.
Also I really like that tshirt catngirl made that was like ‘pfft, there is not god (bigfoot is real tho)’
I meant “evolutionary psychology” is the pseudoscience, DEFINITELY NOT evolutionary biology, I’m tired!
Oh yeah, for sure. This post wasn’t meant to be a critique of religion at all, though there may be a couple of those in the offing. That wasn’t the point, and I’m certainly not claiming that religion is the root of all ill.
It was mostly to call bullshit on the high-horse atheists (and on myself) for the hypocrisy that they regularly engage in regarding that intellectual/moral superiority you mentioned. I know every group has its share of those types, but I have gotten fed up with jerks giving atheists a bad name, since I am one. I suspect that a lot more posts here are going to wind up touching on that theme of respect… it really is amazing how many problems would be diffused (defused?) if people just respected one another a little more.
There’s bigger fish to fry than which deity is the right one. That doesn’t mean “don’t talk about it” - but there are certainly more pressing concerns on the planet right now.
Yeah I know you weren’t criticizing religion like that, I had Dawkins more in mind there, as some of the arguments he makes goes into that territory.