Via The Second Mouse's Guide to Life:
So you’ve come to understand that you are an atheist. Now what? To the uninformed, it might seem that there isn’t much to do as an atheist. You’ve just decided to not be religious, time to get on with your life right? Well, in fact there is quite a bit to do as an atheist that encourages community, support for church/state separation issues and the national understanding of atheism. The following is a partial list of constructive and useful ways to positively demonstrate your atheism and lend your energies to a national movement. By no means is this a complete list and for the most part, they aren’t ranked in any particular order. Read on to find the ways that best suit your interests and above all else, be steadfast to your ideals.
Some good ideas here. Read more...
I can't agree.
ReplyDeleteMy atheism is mine, and it doesn't include things like refuting my neighbors religion. I don't care about my neighbor's religion.
The idea of adhering to any particular ethos of atheism is as anathemic (is that a word? I guess it is now...) as supporting religion is. Frankly, I have no interest in propagating atheism: it smacks of evangelism too much. If someone is going to become atheist, they can do so on their own terms.
And I will not support atheist efforts to separate church and state: I will support non-partisan efforts to uphold The Constitution, though. I will, and do, support the Reverend Barry Lynn in his efforts to continue ensuring that the state has no interest in religion.
The moment any group tries to separate church and state because they are offended is the time when I will stand against them: they argue that their offense is greater than free expression. Which is ridiculous. I can't support positions like that, no matter how much I agree with them. Free expression is too important to be left to such offense.
I'd rather be offended than silenced.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the active silencing of the religious is behind those items. And please, correct me - I assume my interpretation to be wrong.
Until then,
Carolyn Ann
I feel the same way. I don't preach. But then again, I am interested in making sure I can be an atheist without the state or my neighbors interfering. I do not really care about what other people believe, but if engaged I will talk about what i don't believe.
ReplyDeleteI don't want to silence anybody. I'm all about diluting. As in diluting the absolute power of Christianity. So I am active, but active in a way that promote tolerance.
Do you think we maybe mix atheism - which is not a belief as such but an absence of belief - with anti-clericism or as Hitchens describes himself and anti-theist? Like you, my lack of faith in God is kind of my own thing. But organised religion is such a cancer in our society that I am motivated to stand up against them. While related, I see my atheism as separate to my aggressive stance on religion.
ReplyDeleteTo Carolyn Ann,
ReplyDeleteHi, its Brian Parra, the guy that wrote the Activist article. I hope you take the time to read my article because I think you'll find that no where in there do I support prostyletizing or activly trying to "preach" atheism.
Instead, I focus on things people can do to "clear" the bad rap atheism has gotten, and how they can make sure we are treated fairly. The cause of maintaining the wall between church and state is not about "silencing" religion or anyone for that matter. I would defend to the death the right of anyone to have their say, but we need to insure that religion does not have unfair access to controlling the goverment.
Certainly you are welcome to disagree with me, but take the time to consiter what I'm offering up as constructive activities for people interested in promoting reason and liberty.