Uncommon Descent Serving The Intelligent Design Community

Guy at Salon wants atheists to stop behaving like Bill Maher and Richard Dawkins

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File:A small cup of coffee.JPG So they should behave like Mother Theresa and John Paul II? Without the reasons those people would give if you asked?

Steve Neumann says,

I’d like to challenge all atheists, myself included, to refrain from posting disparaging commentary about Christian newsmakers on Facebook and other social media sites — including blogs — for one month. Let’s call it The Atheist Positivity Challenge, or the APC for short. The purpose of this challenge is to draw attention to two things: The fact that gloating about the lunacy and misdeeds of specific Christians is not only unnecessary, but probably counterproductive; and the need to rehabilitate the reputation of atheism in America.

So then what would they talk about?

While many millennials are de facto atheists or agnostics — or at least politically secular and socially tolerant — atheism still doesn’t enjoy a very good reputation in America. In a 2011 survey, for example, atheists were distrusted as much as rapists; and even this year atheists and Muslims are in a statistical tie for most disliked. This is the main impetus for the APC. I think that we outspoken atheists, the ones who actively contribute to the culture wars by blogging, writing articles and engaging in public debates, have to ask ourselves: Are we sincere when we say we have a positive worldview? I mean, it’s not enough to just have positive beliefs — that is, beliefs in something, as opposed to not believing in God — what is needed is an emphasis on positivity itself.

Confidence in confidence alone? Well, it worked for Sound of Music. Anyway, the atheists have a head start; no one claiming to represent them has beheaded any journalists recently…

His plea is of interest here at UD chiefly because Darwin’s most zealous defenders are predominantly atheists for whom it’s really a religion (and a pretty intolerant one at that) and Bible U profs embarrassed by their fellow believers.

Oh wait. I know! Here’s a winning ticket: Atheists move beyond Darwin. Dump trashy icons of evolution. Start to get serious about what really happened. Abandon lawsuits. Recycle picket signs. Address huge problems in science publishing today.

Then the Maher-Dawkins problem will solve itself. No need to invite them; they wouldn’t even be interested. But some people might be. Freed of dogmatism, evolution is an interesting subject.

And their reputation can only improve.

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Comments
"Freed of dogmatism, evolution is an interesting subject." Yes indeed.Vishnu
October 2, 2014
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I personally pity the atheist. We need to call a spade a spade and recognise that they aren't well. They have a cognitive disorder. As with all disorders, treatment should be applied before the condition gets worse and spreads. Unfortunately, instead of dealing with it, we have allowed it to flourish and take hold in society. As such their insane and unhealthy ideas, through indoctrination programs at schools etc, have infected the minds of our young to the detriment of our once enlightened society. I'm hoping sanity will ultimately prevail so as to prevent a repeat of history where lunatic atheist ideas resulted in the death of millions. http://www.leaderu.com/truth/1truth12.htmlhumbled
September 24, 2014
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I hope you don't mind me laughing at your jokes, Axel - because I do that. I guess my comedy is that bitter, but in person I actually smile so it's not that bad. I'll do that here also. :-) ... I'm hoping some day to do something half as good as News' one-liners that she tosses off effortlessly at the end of each day's posts. Thanks for catching those also, Axel - I would have missed several of those gems without your brief comment.Silver Asiatic
September 24, 2014
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I get the feeling, Asiatic Silver Fox that your humour is as bitter as that of a much-loved, but now-deceased uncle of mine, whose humour was so bitter that he used to get a bit ratty if you laughed at his jokes! He was particularly upset that at Aldermaston where he worked as some kind of electornics boffin, at the end of each week, I think, they had to report and justify the work they'd carried out', and he said that a colleague of his had called it, 'examination by introspection'; which I thought was funny - but he was evidently all together more ambivalent about it!Axel
September 24, 2014
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In a 2011 survey, for example, atheists were distrusted as much as rapists ... I mean, it’s not enough to just have positive beliefs — that is, beliefs in something, as opposed to not believing in God — what is needed is an emphasis on positivity itself.
It's not enough to believe in belief. You have to be positive about positivity. Ridicule and mockery of God and of believers has it's time and place, of course -- but add some positive vibes to it. Claim your own positivity. Smartness alone is not enough. Declare your smartness to everyone you meet.
Freed of dogmatism, evolution is an interesting subject.
Isn't the dogmatism the most interesting part of the story?Silver Asiatic
September 23, 2014
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as to: "I’d like to challenge all atheists, myself included, to refrain from posting disparaging commentary about Christian newsmakers on Facebook and other social media sites — including blogs — for one month. Let’s call it The Atheist Positivity Challenge, or the APC for short." Better idea, let's call it herding alley cats,,, cowboys herding cats https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk7yqlTMvp8bornagain77
September 23, 2014
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