The different flavors of atheism, revisited

(Cross-posted to Skeptic Freethought)

Despite what The Oatmeal may think, this isn't every atheist's idea of a good time.

For better or for worse, some people like to categorize. I can be one of those people at times.


PZ Myers recently posted a list of taxa that he believes describe different personalities within the atheist movement; I did something similar on my blog last fall, though with a slightly different focus. PZ focused on patterns of thought, while I looked at patterns of behavior (I also marked each of mine with a card suit for symbolism). Here’s an executive summary of both of our lists:

PZ’s Taxa:

• Scientific Atheist: Knows that there is no god due to total lack of empirical evidence for one. Sometimes a little too arrogant.
• Philosophical Atheist: Doesn't believe in god because believing in one requires making unfounded assumptions. Sometimes overly long-winded.
• Political Atheist: Motivated to fight the political and legal battles to make the world a better place for atheists. Sometimes makes compromises that other atheists don’t like.
• Humanist: Altruistic do-gooder who wants to help people in the name of godlessness. Sometimes “pragmatically fickle” and may join up with liberal churches instead of expressly atheist organizations.

My Taxa:

• Agitating Anti-theist (spade): Sees religion as an enemy to be vanquished, and fights its advances tooth and claw.
• Incredulous Inquirer (club): Skeptical toward religion, but wants to discuss rather than fight.
• Mainstream Materialist (diamond): Doesn't believe in god, stops worrying, and enjoys life.
• Diplomatic Disbeliever (heart): Strives to form friendly alliances with open-minded religious people.

Many people who read either or both of these posts may find themselves identifying with more than one category. They’re archetypes, and very few people strictly belong to any one of them. Each one of us has a different story behind how we realized we were atheists, how we came to join up with other atheists in this ever-evolving movement, and where we’d like to see the movement go.


And yet I unfortunately continually see bickering among these different “kinds” of atheists, the most vitriolic of which occurs on the internet. Atheists call one another “bullies” and “accommodationists” and accuse one another of dogmatism and “Tinkerbellism” over different approaches toward the movement. We see nasty exchanges of ad-hominems and passive-aggressive head shaking on Twitter because one party is either too critical or not critical enough of religion for the other party’s tastes.


Don’t get me wrong; I think that atheists who speak out in the name of atheism should be willing to defend why they say, and if an atheist says or does something reprehensible then others can and should call him or her out on it. But let’s try to keep it civil.


A diversity of perspectives and approaches toward living without religion is, in my opinion, healthy for the movement. We need people who uncompromisingly fight for the truth, we need people who make nice with theists, and we need average citizens who aren’t full-time activists to show the general public that we do walk among them. This movement isn’t one-size-fits-all.

Giving thanks, the humanist way

As an atheist, I don't have a god to thank for the "blessings" in my life.  There are many things I'm fortunate to have in my life: living in a region with abundant natural resources, dwelling in a relatively safe area without the daily threat of violent crime, and having good general health that's at least partly due to my genes, to name a few.  Absent belief in any higher being that chose these circumstances for me, I have to chalk them up to a mere accident of circumstance.

What I can be thankful for are the actions of other people that have had a positive impact in my life.  Some have done great gestures of generosity; others, small acts of kindness.  Some have done nice things for me intentionally; others have indirectly helped me while helping themselves.  Some have given material aid; others have given kind words, or a smile, or even a challenge for me to meet.

I give my thanks to every person whose actions have helped me get to where I am today: the family that raised and provided for me, the friends who were there for me throughout school, the teachers who challenged me to learn and think critically, the co-workers who brave the proverbial trenches by my side.  I give my thanks to my wife, who has helped me learn as much about myself as I have about her.  I give my thanks to the strangers who invented the tools I use to express myself, the generations of our civilization who have preserved free speech, and the soldiers who stand ready to protect this society.

Last month, my fellow HCCO member Derrick posted this Dial-A-Humanist message on the HCCO blog, discussing the benefits of adopting an "attitude of gratitude" (cheesy slogan, yes, but accurate).  It's something I thought about this evening as I sated myself with slow-cooked turkey breast, stuffing, yams, and pumpkin cheesecake.

We humans have one another thank for every good thing we have in our lives.  We're the ones who keep one another safe from danger.  We're the ones who work to secure food and resources for one another, and carve niches for one another in the economy.  We're the ones who challenge one another to succeed and help one another in times of need.  We're the ones whose kind words and companionship keeps one another happy.

Happy Thanksgiving, my fellow humans.

Why I’m a Male Feminist (And Why Our Movement Needs More of Us)

(Cross-posted on Skeptic Freethought)

"Feminist" is a polarizing word.  You'll generally see it used in one of two ways: as self-identification by people who consider themselves feminists, and as a pejorative by people who do not.

It's a word with an ugly connotation in many people's minds, not unlike the word "atheist"; people hear the "-ist" suffix and infer an ideology that seeks feminine supremacy rather than gender equality, just as many see atheism as a rebellious denial of God rather than an affirmative acceptance of a godless universe.

To be sure, there are differing opinions among those who consider themselves feminists regarding what it means to be a feminist. There are disagreements about its implications regarding sexuality, marriage, reproductive rights, and parenting. There are disputes about what reforms are needed in modernized Western societies compared to developing nations.  There are debates about who gets to call themselves feminists, particularly about whether this label can apply to men.

Can men be feminists?

I call myself a feminist because I agree with the movement's most basic tenet: women are people. I feel that throughout human history and in the status quo today, women have been and are either (a) regarded as lesser beings than men, or (b) propped up on a pedestal from which they are not permitted to descend, and often paradoxically both at the same time. I see this as wrong and would like to do my part to correct it.

Hoping that I don't sound like this.

As such, supporting fair treatment across gender lines means proactively questioning and reforming the way we (both men and women) think about women. For this reason I will use the word "feminist" and not try to make up some new, gender-neutral term for supporting gender equality.

I know that there are hardcore feminists out there who object to men calling themselves feminists. I understand their reasons for feeling that way (for example, men presumptuously thinking they can speak on behalf of feminism, men dominating discussions on feminism, and then there's this guy).

I still feel that I should use the label, as it helps to make feminism less taboo, less scary to people who claim they oppose feminism without understanding what it means. An increase in the number of visible male feminists (or "pro-feminists" or "allies" if you prefer) will increase dialogue among men about their treatment of women, and increase the number of men who stop to think "Y'know, maybe I am being sexist without realizing it. I should reexamine my attitudes about gender roles."

Being visible among skeptics, or Wearing it proudly

At the SSA conference last month, I chose to wear my bright green "THIS IS WHAT A FEMINIST LOOKS LIKE" t-shirt, bought years ago from a fundraiser for a battered women's shelter.

I don't always wear t-shirts with slogans on them,
but when I do I support equal treatment of women.

I'll admit that I knew I wasn't going out on a limb with this: I knew that there were many feminists among the population of young atheists and agnostics. It got positive reactions from feminist atheist bloggers Jen McCreight and Greta Christina, and it turned out there were even a few other male feminists there as well.

In proclaiming myself as a feminist, just as happened when I proclaimed myself an atheist, I am bound to make both friends (not all of whom I'd like to call "friend") and enemies (some of whom I have no quarrel with) based solely on the label.

Case in point: one of the neo-Marxist activists present at the conference seemed to assume I'd be sympathetic to her group's ideology based on my self-identification as a feminist. I was not.

I'm not aware of any animosity toward me regarding the shirt (I've experienced such from male acquaintances in the past), but I have to wonder if it frightened anyone away. I would certainly hope not.

The bottom line

I will echo the sentiments of atheists who have found the AAFHSS community to have a detectable sexism problem, if based solely on what I've read in the blogosphere (I personally heard no such comments at the SSA conference).  I do suspect, however, that many groups and social movements have the same problem, if not a more deeply embedded one; the difference is that there are feminists in the secular movement who recognize sexism when it rears its ugly head and call people out on it.

I also will ask that any men who feel threatened by feminism take a serious second look at their attitudes toward women. Are you afraid of becoming a second class citizen, or are you afraid of losing special privileges you’ve become accustomed to? Are you afraid that values associated with your gender will someday no longer be the default?

I won’t tell other skeptics and freethinkers that they should get behind a particular ideology, but I will ask them to consider what they do believe about sex and gender and examine the evidence on which they base their views (even feminists should do this – any idea worth believing is worth scrutinizing). You may find that you hold biases you weren’t aware of.

Weeky Recap: We Are Atheism, Godless Quote of the Week, Sunday Subscription Suggestion, and the Thought Offender Registry?

I've decided to make these Weekly Recaps a regular feature on this blog.  If anything, it'll give you all something to read every Sunday if I happen to be out of material for a week.  It'll also motivate me to work past my writer's block in at least some way on a regular basis.

Each such post is going to feature the following:

• The Godless Quote of the Week: something profound and/or snarky uttered or written by a fellow atheist, with a link to the source for context.
• Sunday Subscription Suggestion: inspired by Twitter's Follow Friday meme, I will link to a blog or other site I've recently discovered and would recommend to my readers.  Not necessarily atheism-related.
• Weekly Absurdity: something absolutely ridiculous that I've discovered within the week.  It might be a facepalm, or it might be a LOL.
• Whatever the hell else I want to post.

That's it in a nutshell.  Buckle up.

We Are Atheism campaign launched!

The push for atheists to step out and assert their presence has yet another organized form of support.  With the tagline "Stand up.  Speak Out.  Be Counted.", We Are Atheism provides atheists with a platform to tell the world who they are and what they do believe in.

I plan on submitting a video myself in the near future.  Speaking of which, are there any readers in Central Ohio who own a decent video camera?

Godless Quote of the Week

(via Friendly Atheist)

"[T]hey said, 'So you think you’re the biggest, most important thing in the universe?'
On the contrary. I think I am among the smallest. Cosmically speaking, I barely exist."

This was said by author Marya Hornbacher, an atheist who writes about mental illness, addiction, and recovery without a higher power to call upon.

Sunday Subscription Suggestion

I'd like to spotlight the blog Fallen From Grace by Bruce Gerencser.  Bruce is a former evangelical pastor who spent half of his life as a church leader before coming to the conclusion that he's an atheist.

His blog tells the tale of his journey "from Eternity to Here" and offers a unique perspective on life, religion, and apostasy.  He'll often point out the hypocrisy of those who once considered him their brother in Christ.

Weekly Absurdity: Thought Offender Registry?

(via Pharyngula)

Pastor Mike of the Living Water Church in southern Florida has a suggestion for keeping tabs on us nasty atheists.  He proposes a national registry of all those who publicly deny his god's existence, modeled after the Sex Offender Registry.  After all, don't good Christians have a right to know if there are any godless monsters living in their communities?  Think of the children!

He highlights some of the benefits of such a registry:

. . . we could begin to witness to them and warn them of the dangers of atheism . Or perhaps they are radical atheists , whose hearts are as hard as Pharaoh's , in that case , if they are business owners , we would encourage all our Christian friends , as well as the various churches and their congregations NOT to patronize them as we would only be "feeding" Satan.

Were I a business owner, I'd have mixed feelings on this.  I'd be happy to have fewer bigoted fundamentalists hanging around in my shop, but I'd sure miss taking their money. I'd also be quite perturbed that this Satan character was embezzling my profits, as I'd have a strict policy against hiring mythological beings.

It's all too tempting to scoff and snicker at this sort of nonsense, but as PZ correctly points out it poses a real threat of harassment and intimidation against outspoken atheists by self-righteous Christians with nothing better to do with their time.

Well, the only defense against something like this is threat dilution. I say that atheists start contacting Pastor Mike and ask where we can sign up!

On attending atheist conferences, networking, and an assessment of secular activism

The Secular Student Alliance Annual Conference was certainly a new experience for me. As August Brunsman took the stage to give the opening remarks, I glanced around the auditorium at the 200+ people in attendance, and it dawned on me that every single one of them is an atheist (or agnostic, or whatever they want to call themselves). There was something profoundly empowering about that feeling.

I already knew that nonbelievers are legion in this country, given the preponderance of atheists who choose to vent their hopes, fears, opinions, and frustrations in blogs or on Reddit; seeing that many of them together in one place for one purpose really hammered home the idea that I'm not alone in my worldview.

I'm obviously very open about my atheism on the internet for those who wish to read my opinions and get to know me through text on a screen, yet I'm tight-lipped about it in person. I don't mention it unless someone directly asks, and whenever I meet new people when starting a new job, doing volunteer work, or at social gatherings, I silently hope that the topic won't come up. It was a relief being able to meet new people - generally very intelligent, interesting, quirky people - without having to worry about whether I'd need to bite my tongue or prepare for an argument if religion got brought up in conversation.

Some people just don't like me saying that there's no Candy Mountain.

SSA2011 is nigh!

Today's the start of the Secular Student Alliance Annual Conference.  Any readers going to be there?

I plan on going to as many sessions as I can - it looks like I'll be doing a lot of room hopping in Hitchcock Hall over the next couple of days.

I might swing by the Union to say hello during my lunch break today as well.

Is the slogan "Good Without God" controversial?

The series of billboards around Columbus showing the smiling faces of friendly neighborhood atheists doesn't seem to have generated any notable controversy until just now.  It turns out that one of the billboards happened to go up on a church's property on the East side; it appears that the church was leasing the land to the billboard company, and must not have been aware of the new content being displayed there this month.

The church didn't take kindly to a billboard on their premises proclaiming that people don't need what they're selling, so they complained to the billboard company and the ad was moved to another site.

To be fair, a steakhouse probably wouldn't want an "I'm good
without beef" billboard displayed in their parking lot either.

So, a billboard got moved.  Not censored, not stolen, not vandalized, just moved.  I have to say that it's an improvement over what's befallen similar ads in other places (and I must give thanks to Hemant Mehta for diligently calling out such acts of sabotage).  If this is the worst thing that happens, then I'd say this was a pretty successful campaign.  People know that we're here and they seem to be wising up to the fact that we're not evil.  I sincerely hope that one day atheism will be such a non-issue in public life that we won't need to announce our presence like this; perhaps these billboards and even atheist-themed blogs will one day be a thing of the past because they've served their historical purpose.

On a related note, I decided that I'm not sure how well I like the "Out of the Closet" banner that I made previously on the FFRF website, so I made a new one:

I'm still not a big fan of the font they use for these, but eh. ~shrug~

I think that I like the new one better, but the old one has its merits too.  Any thoughts, my tiny band of loyal casually interested readers?

I'm materialist, call me a humanist

I finally stopped procrastinating about it and went to a Humanist Community of Central Ohio (HCCO) event - a Sunday brunch, quite appropriate for a demographic not otherwise engaged that day of the week.

I'm glad I went. They're a group of amiable, approachable people, they're all at least a little bit nerdy, and I felt welcomed among them as a fellow nontheist. I'll be going to more HCCO events for sure - next up is a "Bleed & Feed" at the local Red Cross Donation Center.

One of the humanists at the brunch was showing a printout of images of a very familiar design - billboards for the Freedom From Religion Foundation's "Out of the Closet" campaign, featuring the smiling faces of atheists from right here in Columbus!  The billboards are going up around town this week; I'll be sure to look for them and cheer silently to myself when I see them. Atheists cease to be a scary bogeyman or a scorned fringe group when we stand up and make ourselves known as friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues among the religious majority.

It's obviously a little late to be selected as one of the few faces going on the billboards, but I did make my own mini-banner on the FFRF website:

I'm excited to see the atheist community gaining visibility in Columbus, and I'm excited to be involved with a group like the HCCO that unites the nonreligious to go out and do good.

Secular Student Alliance, in MY city? (It's more likely than you think)

Apparently the Secular Student Alliance Annual Conference is being held right here in Columbus, Ohio, which happens to be where the freakin' SSA is headquartered.  I'm not sure how this slipped my notice until now, but it's pretty thrilling to know that so many leaders of the secular movement will be speaking at an event I could attend without traveling across the country, let alone on OSU campus!


It'd be a great opportunity to meet fellow atheists from around the country (hopefully I manage to not be awkward and shy around them like I have at local meetups so far).


Over the past few months I've given a lot of thought about what I want to do with my life.  With that comes a lot of thought about the kind of impact I want to make on the future, particularly on the future of the country I happen to call home.

When I think hopeful thoughts about the world in which my descendants will live, a recurring theme is a secular society with superstition absent from public life. I hope for a future in which:

• religion is never called into question in politics, and elected officials' speeches don't all seem to end with "God Bless (America/Our Troops/etc.)" or other such religious frippery;
• schools freely teach modern science, without parents and politicians forcing them to push a false parity between scientific theory and mythological speculation;
• atheists and agnostics don't even need to be "out" about what they are, nor fight for their right to abstain from religious practice, because belief or disbelief in any god's existence is a non-issue;
• the holier-than-thou evangelicals who whine that they're being persecuted because they have to tolerate the presence of homosexuals or pray on their own time are just an annoying fringe group instead of a major Republican voting bloc.

I've come to the conclusion that, for the time being, supporting an organization like the SSA is going to be the most effective way for me to help achieve that goal.  The atheists, agnostics, and humanists among the students out there are future of the secular movement, and helping them organize will help us all have a greater voice in the world.

They see me rollin'...

My blog has officially been added to The Atheist Blogroll, courtesy of Mojoey.  See the sidebar for the nifty little graphic linking to the Big List of Atheist Blogs.  It's a free community-building service that links atheist, agnostic, and skeptic bloggers from around the world.  See this link for instructions on how to join.

It's a bit thrilling to see the spike in pageviews I've had since my addition to the blogroll.  I started this blog just to provide an outlet for my sometimes frustrated thoughts about politics and religion, not thinking anyone other than a few friends might read it.  Now I'll (hopefully) have the opportunity to share ideas with fellow nonbelievers from around the world!  Or maybe I'll get a few more hits than usual and then fade into obscurity.  Either way, it's exciting.

Death from the Skies, and blood offerings!

This little guy was deceivingly heavy.

Last night I had the privilege of attending skeptic/astronomer/blogger extraordinaire Phil Plait's talk at The Ohio State University, jointly hosted by Students for Freethought and the Astronomical Society.  It was, as expected, full of the witty and nerdy humor usually seen on his blog.  He ripped on the bad science in Armageddon, discussed how we ought to keep a close eye on the sky because the universe is trying to kill us, and passed around a chunk of an iron-nickel asteroid (pictured) that survived impact with the Earth once upon a time.


I stuck around for a bit after the show for the book signing, got to shake Phil's hand, and have an autographed copy of Death from the Skies! to show for it.  I also got to meet Ashley Paramore of the Secular Student Alliance, as well as a few board members of the Humanist Community of Central Ohio, two organizations in which I'd really like to get involved.


***


In other news, today I did my humanistic duty and donated blood so that some lucky person in need of a transfusion will live to see another day.  It's really the most low-budget way to significantly help someone, and I try to do it as often as I can; I may not have much money to spare, but I can always grow more red blood cells.  Anyone reading this blog (ok, I can probably count that number on one hand, but still!) should do the same if you're eligible.

On Community Without Communion

In the various conversations I've had with religious people in my life, I've often heard one commonly cited "pre-mortem benefit" (my terminology, not theirs) of membership in a religious group: the sense of community they feel among members of their congregation.  It seems to me that it's more than just being surrounded by people who reaffirm their beliefs; people in religious congregations can serve as a network of support (material and/or emotional) for one another during times of crisis, provide an ample supply of volunteers for service projects, and simply present another venue of opportunity for forming new friendships.


Non-religious organizations focused on common interests and hobbies can do some of these same things, of course, but it doesn't seem like it happens on quite the same level.  I found that sense of community to some degree as an undergrad in Phi Sigma Pi (a national co-ed honor fraternity, through which I met several good friends, including my wife), but in all honesty I still felt just slightly out of place at fraternity events, and I haven't felt motivated to stay involved as an alumnus.


In the past I've considered joining a Unitarian Universalist congregation - the idea of interfaith cooperation and a search for truth across different theologies certainly has appealed to me, particularly back when I called myself an agnostic.  To be honest, however, it just doesn't seem like something I'd enjoy in the long run; I'm really just not interested in feigning credence toward spiritualism, and if I'm going to commit my free time to an organization, I'd rather not feel like I'm wasting it on something I just don't believe in.


In the past year I've become aware that there are a growing number of secular humanist organizations out there for people who want this sense of community without the mythology.  These are groups of atheists and agnostics, centered on the philosophy that human beings should help one another find truth, health, and happiness in our material world without needing to speculate about gods, spirits, or an afterlife.  I'll likely be paying a visit to the Humanist Community of Central Ohio in the near future to see if they're right for me.  I'm also planning on going to an atheist Meetup next week in order to (for lack of a better phrase) meet up with some other atheists in Columbus.  Maybe I'll feel right at home with the group, maybe I'll feel like an outsider who just shares their skepticism toward religion.  There's only one way to find out...