Pretty soon you’ll have other groups claiming to be Atheists Plus:
We’re Atheists Plus we believe in white supremacy!
We’re Atheists Plus we are anarchists!
Etc.
Honestly, “Atheists plus” to me sounds like either a soft drink or what you get if you play a computer game all the way though as an atheist.
On your second playthrough you get unique anti-religion powers! Smite clerics with your Bolts of Skepticism!
Is Atheist Max a diet soda pop, or a feminine pad, or both?
I’ve heard women comment that menstruation is proof that God is a man, so I’d go with soda pop.
I have to admit I’m really glad it’s not both.
And the secret ingredient to our “Atheist Max” soda pop line is…
I guess these folks feel they need to throw those qualifiers out there because of the stigma that goes along with being Atheist. Let’s face it, a lot of folks out there think Atheist means Satanist.
But really, wouldn’t a similar analogy be:
Blacks, plus we like to do math.
Blacks, plus we don’t smoke crack
Etc…
It’s offensive and stupid.
I suppose part of the problem is that nobody has come up with a pithy euphemism to refer to atheists that they can then “take back”, “own” and “turn around” with pride as was done with “Gay” replacing the clinical-sounding “homosexual”. Thing is, that sort of phenomenon has to evolve, as it were, naturally. If you just make something up it may backfire.
With the exception of the word “atheist” which was and is a pejorative term invented by theists.
We took that one back.
You’ve seen Kung Fu Panda?
“Godless”.
Actually I haven’t.
There’s also infidel and heathen. I’ve seen lots of examples of both being used with pride or at least a sense of humor.
A+ does not allow totally free will because it confines it with rules I give it a D-
I’m proud to be a heathen.
Before he died, Hitchens filmed a commercial with Dawkins around this.
Hitch: Full of kittens!
Dawkins: Full of puppies! (Think Miller Light with more filling, tastes great.)
Finally, the ghost of O’Hair appears and says:
Actually, it has both.
And they shake hands, swig down a bottle of A+, and go off to mug a preacher.
+1
I start to get nervous when atheists organize under the banner of atheism. I believe the usual analogy is starting a club about the non-existence of unicorns.
Though I guess pragmatism mandates something needs to be done to convince people we’re not evil, and any “something” that can be done that will reasonably make a dent will probably have to be organized at some point.
I gotta find a new term for atheist, I’ve never considered atheism a team thing. It’s not that I believe that there’s no god, it’s that I don’t have any belief in one, and I don’t really care whether there’s a big white dude with a long beard hanging around in the sky looking disappointed in me.
This.
Has anyone mentioned “freethinkers” as a term that some atheists have used to describe themselves when trying to avoid some of the Bible Belt opprobium that comes with the word “atheist”?
I follow a fair number of atheist bloggers, and it appears to me that the impetus behind this effort is an ongoing conflict/flame war between different groups of people who tend to attend atheist gatherings and seminars. There are allegations that female conference speakers and attendees have to face hostile and/or condescending environments. As an atheist myself, albeit not the sort who attends that sort of event, it’s not a movement that I’d sign up for, although I probably agree with most of their stated positions. I would have also agreed that it was a stupid idea, but after seeing some of the invective directed towards Jen McCreight for even suggesting it, I at least understand where she’s coming from now.