Hi all.

FGL
Posts: 39
Joined: 2007-02-17
User is offlineOffline
Hi all.

Greetings.

 

I didn't see a thread where newbies can post; sorry if I missed it.

Anyway, newbie here. I am an atheist, but not really militant. I guess I would promote a kinder gentler atheism, were I promoting. That said, i think different niches exist for different types of atheists, and I respect that you guys are pursuing your niche.

 

So, what is everyone wearing!?!

 

 


pariahjane
pariahjane's picture
Posts: 1595
Joined: 2006-05-06
User is offlineOffline
Hi.  Not everyone here

Hi.  Not everyone here could be classified as 'militant'.  I'm certainly not.  I have a great interest in protecting my constitutional rights. 

If god takes life he's an indian giver


RationalSchema
RationalSchema's picture
Posts: 358
Joined: 2007-02-12
User is offlineOffline
Welcome, I am relatively

Welcome, I am relatively new as well.

I don't know if you can be a militant atheist. There is really no dogma or doctrin to follow, so if you don't believe in God then you are just an atheist. Maybe you are trying to say that there are those who are just much more outspoken and opinionated??

Either way, enjoy the sight.

"Those who think they know don't know. Those that know they don't know, know."


politicalhumanist
politicalhumanist's picture
Posts: 133
Joined: 2006-10-09
User is offlineOffline
Hello,  I dabble in

Hello,

 I dabble in Buddhism, but consider myself somewhat spiritual; meaning I have emotions, altruism, empathy, sympathy, and benevolence. Welcome!

 

Chad

http://homelessatheist.com 


GreyhoundMama
GreyhoundMama's picture
Posts: 76
Joined: 2007-03-09
User is offlineOffline
Hi back at ya!

I'm new too, and not militant ... at least not yet. I find the older I get the more likely I am to speak my mind.

Welcome aboard!!! Smiling

Karen and her hounds
creating art ~ creating a new life


Susan
Susan's picture
Posts: 3561
Joined: 2006-02-12
User is offlineOffline
Hi FGL.  Welcome to the

Hi FGL.  Welcome to the forums.

We'd all love to sit back and be gentle Atheists as you mention.  However, until theists become gentle (see examples of emails I have received here), there have to be Atheist activists. 

Atheist Books, purchases on Amazon support the Rational Response Squad server.


deludedgod
Rational VIP!ScientistDeluded God
deludedgod's picture
Posts: 3221
Joined: 2007-01-28
User is offlineOffline
Hey man. I know everyone is

Hey man. I know everyone is pile driving on the militant comment so I'll chuck in my two cents.

None of us are militant because we do not promot violence, not that I am implying that you are implying that we are militant.

Even very outspoken atheists like Dawkins are not militant because they promote peace (and disgust of religious militant violence)

I think it is important not to confuse passion and activism with militanitism and fundamentalism.  

"Physical reality” isn’t some arbitrary demarcation. It is defined in terms of what we can systematically investigate, directly or not, by means of our senses. It is preposterous to assert that the process of systematic scientific reasoning arbitrarily excludes “non-physical explanations” because the very notion of “non-physical explanation” is contradictory.

-Me

Books about atheism


FGL
Posts: 39
Joined: 2007-02-17
User is offlineOffline
Thanks for the

Thanks for the welcome.

 

In the interest of debate-- not trying to pick a fight; I think the RRS has the absolute right to promote atheism any way it wants-- here's my take on why I think "militant" atheism might not be the best way to convert people.

 

This is something I wrote on another board, when people criticized me for bowing down to theists by promoting a kinder / gentler atheism:

 

"I never said religion was good-- in fact, my headline is: Hate the christianity; love the christian.

I just think militant atheism won't work. It's like the school geek poking the football quarterback in the ribs and saying I'm gonna kick yer butt.

We need some nice atheists around to clear out the body parts from failed experiments like that.

Plus, I see the majority reaction to the demands of a pushy minority as being the opposite of what we intend...

That said, I really don't hate theists; or necessarily theism. I despise when theism's used to govern people, or when theists exert power in ways I believe they should not. If you wanna believe X, go for it, as long as it doesn't interfere with my right to do y.

One could argue the politics of it too: wouldn't natural selection dictate at least offering the reach around, especially if you were the one bought for the carton of marlboros by some dude 6 times your size, and you-- rather than him-- wanted to lead while dancing?

I don't know where I am going with this-- I just wanted to get the carton of marlboros comment in there."

 

 

Thanks again!

 


Laker-taker
Laker-taker's picture
Posts: 87
Joined: 2006-04-04
User is offlineOffline
The FGL? Heh, how's it

The FGL? Heh, how's it goin, B?

 

"Plus, I see the majority reaction to the demands of a pushy minority as being the opposite of what we intend..."

 

Hmm... I can possibly see that, too. But, if we turn our eye to events like desegregation and the gay rights movement with that in mind, we can also see that sometimes the minority getting pushy is what's needed for social progress.

Perhaps you mean "pushy" in a different sense though--in the sense of actively seeking to convert/deconvert people. In that sense, I personally am not "militant," and I would urge the same for others, but I'll let them answer for themselves.

Where it is important to be outspoken (and I think you agree) is in pointing out the looming stigma attached to being an atheist in America (particularly evident the farther south you go), pointing out discrimination, pointing out cases where religious ideas have hitched themselves to public policies, etc. Sometimes it seems that, just by virtue of being an atheist in America, people automatically assume that we're necessarily "militant"; even moreso if we openly speak about our lack of religion, or even mention separation of church and state or discrimination. I'll accept a bit of militance in those areas; as much as is required to achieve progress.

So, it's sort of lose-lose in that sense--keep quiet, live with the stigma; speak up for social justice, get branded as a so-called "militant." The latter option eventually ends with a win though.

It depends on what our goals are. While I'd love to be rid of religion from the entire species within my lifetime, it's their own prerogative to give it up on their own. The unique argument in our situation is that it would be to their own benefit to do so, imo, and I think many here, perhaps yourself included, would agree. Our situation differs from the desegregation and gay rights movements, since no one was urging everyone to become gay or black, just to eliminate discrimination and stigma as much as possible, to get people to reflect and come to the conclusion: "You know... they're just normal folks, like me and you."

I think that this is an implication that can't be avoided and one that is likely to make the transition exceedingly slow. If the general public accepts that atheists are just normal folks, too, that we can be just as diligent a citizen, just as morally conscious, without believing in a god, it might seem to highlight the extraneous nature (and potentially harmful to progress in public discourse and policy) of their beliefs. They hate that.

Heh, here I set out to just say "hello" and I've blurted out too much. Welcome aboard, B Eye-wink