I like Sam Harris... don’t agree with everything he has to say.
I like Richard Dawkins... don’t agree with everything he has to say.
I like Daniel Dennett... don’t agree with everything he has to say.
I absolutely loved Christopher Hitchens... still... didn’t agree with everything he had to say. For example, Ellen DeGeneres and Wanda Sykes are hysterically funny (Hitch said women aren’t funny).
My point is, not everyone in global atheism has the exact same ideas/opinions on every single topic that is brought up, in and around the movement. Disagreement is healthy. We’re not all robots programmed with the exact same values. I’m many things besides being an atheist. I’m a wife, mother and grandmother. I’m a feminist. I’m a humanist. I’m an environmentalist. I’m a dog and cat lover. I’m a science enthusiast. I’m a singer and guitar player. I’m an amateur artist. I’m a computer geek and I’m a math nerd. I’m sure I’m many other things but those are a few of the things I identify with most.
The Civil Rights Movement did not result in change for just African Americans. The Civil Rights Movement changed society as a whole (for the better). Gloria Steinem’s feminist movement didn’t improve things for just women. Things improved (not quite enough) for society as a whole. What I’m saying is, society did not improve because these groups splintered off into their own little clubs/groups/cults. Society improved in a global sense because people spoke up/protested/marched to get the message out that they just weren’t going to take abuse anymore.
In the atheist movement in recent years, several splinter groups have formed and in my opinion, this has harmed the movement. The attitude of these groups is, “If you’re not for us, you’re against us.” Well, “la dee da.” It feels like grade school when kids broke off into their own little cliques and excluded everyone else. Personally, I was never in a clique... not because they didn’t want me to be but because, frankly, I thought these groups were childish, ridiculous and just plain stupid. I’d rather be alone with my own opinions... thank you very much. My friends were a varied group with amazing diversity. They were individuals. They were the outcasts and they were some of the kindest people I have ever known. Not all children are cruel.
The misogynist groups that have popped up are simply vile. I ignore their rants because they're... well... morons... and quite likely sociopaths. They have an obvious "hate on" for women and we're not going to change their minds on that subject. They think their penises make them special and... well... just not so. There are, however, other groups, who, on the surface, seem benign enough but when you look a little further, you see that they too are very exclusionary in practice. They may not be quite so despicable in their approach to others but they definitely have this air of, “My views are beyond contestation.” If and when you criticize them, they pounce like a pack of wolves. I see these splinter groups and all I can envision is the dudes with the orange robes at the airport. And you’d think you’d beat their dog if you criticize their “group think” mentality. They are very “cult-like”. To hear chanting coming from them wouldn’t surprise me. And for the record, I don’t care if you agree with me or not. I really truly don’t. I’ve had extremely negative encounters repeatedly with members of the atheist plus group (for an example) and, frankly, it’s nauseating. If you’re an exclusive group, you’re not inclusive and I want absolutely nothing to do with you. Some people in the global atheist movement do need an attitude adjustment but forming a cult is not, in my opinion, the way to accomplish that. It looks like certain individuals were bothered that they were not getting the attention of a Harris or Hitchens and so wanted to grab a moment in the limelight for themselves. Well, sorry, but I’m just not interested in giving cult leaders the attention they crave.
And, for the record, I’m not on a stage in a debate and I’m not interested in “the official rules of debate”. This blog is my opinion. I don’t need empirical evidence to conclude that you’re an asshole if I think you’re an asshole. I don’t require x-rays of your skull to show a sphincter where your brain should be in order for me to conclude that you’re an asshole. If you act like an asshole towards me or my friends/family, then you’re indeed an asshole.
In conclusion, I’m tired of being pounced on by these “lunatics” (my opinion... not a clinical diagnosis). If you attack me on Twitter or any other forum from this point forward, please be advised that you will be blocked for being an asshole. Cheers! And have a nice life.
