Frivology

This is why I don’t really like the term ‘Humanist’ to describe Atheism (specifically).  In my (albeit brief) experience with the Atheist movement, I’ve found that those who want to use the phrase ‘Humanist’ over ‘Atheist’ tend to be a bit dismissive of Atheists.  Case in point:

Pat O’Brien, president of the Humanist Association, said his group considered working with atheist bus.ca but decided a pure atheist campaign would be too negative. "Joseph Stalin was an atheist," said Mr. O’Brien, who considers atheism an element of humanism. "He was not a humanist. We want to send a positive message. Atheism is what you’re not; humanism is a positive world view."

via: That there is no God is about all they agree on

I don’t know, maybe this is a New Atheist / Old Atheist or whatever you want to call it discussion, but it rankles me. To have someone who identifies along the same lines that I do, but who feels the need to bring in Stalin, often used by theists to prove that Atheists are all bad people is just … icky.  It’s like … sleeping with the enemy.

My my, that Atheist bus campaign sure is stirring up quite a bit of conversation off in the land of the UK.  I only wish it was happening here, too.  Unfortunately, the former Archbishio of Canterbury has it somewhat wrong: 

“I have no doubt that one can trace a direct link from 9/11 to the aggressive and strident tones of such writers as Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, and others. The result is a widening gap between religion and science; an unwillingness to engage, concluding in a dialogue of the deaf.”

via Former Archbishop of Canterbury says atheists use 9/11 as an excuse to attack all religions - Telegraph.

I’d say this statement is at least partially accurate.  At least for us in the US (where the attack actually happened), it was as it someone took a baseball bat to a hornet’s nest that had been slowly building for a few decades.  After 9/11, the fundamentalists couldn’t be shut up and any chance at us all living together and peacefully minding each other’s religions went out the window.

(continue reading…)