and her adventures in Atheism
Militant Atheism
According to the common usage of this phrase, I am a “Militant Atheist”. Here’s why:
- I speak out publicly about my critical view of religion and spiritual belief.
- I maintain an atheist blog. le gasp.
- I will engage theists in discussion and debate about theology.
- I vehemently support the separation of church and state.
- I love science so much, I’d have its babies.
- I use sarcasm and ridicule to illustrate why I think certain things are, indeed, ridiculous.
- The most violent thing I’ve done in the name of godlessness is to gleefully throw a bible into the recycling bin.
Why is this a bad thing? Why should I be quiet simply because I lack faith in mythological creatures? Why do we give religious people a free pass to express their loud, evangelistic points of view and then shy away from expressing our own thoughts?
The word “militant” should not be assigned to someone like me who at worst is loudly expressing opinions and ridiculing the irrational.In the words of twitter user @HHeliBebcnof:
A militant Christian blows up abortion clinics; a militant Muslim hijacks airplanes; a militant atheist argues with people.
-@HHeliBebcnof (Science Man), 13-1-2010 15:36:52
I don’t stone you for being a Christian/Jewish/Hindu/Wiccan. I won’t burn you at the stake for being a witch. I will never kill in order to please a lack of deity. My lack of spiritual belief doesn’t make me want to hurt you. My lack of belief doesn’t tell me to bomb a building or damn someone to eternal torture. If I ever do something violent, it’s because I’m an ass–not because some imaginary friend would like it.
The term “militant atheism” needs to be utterly rejected by skeptics and atheists everywhere. If anything, call us Proud Atheists or Pain-In-Your-Ass Atheists. But don’t call a peaceful, intelligent movement a name that equates it with acts of violence, hatred, and bigotry. It’s easy to slander your opponents–to poison the well in order to make yourself the good guy. But cheap shots don’t make for a winning argument.
Check out a discussion on this topic at deconversion.org. Watch two great videos about “militant atheism” after the cut!
| Print article | This entry was posted by Godless Girl on June 28, 2009 at 4:03 pm, and is filed under godless blogs, religion, videos. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site. |
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about 8 months ago
Can I be a “Militant Atheist” as well.
about 8 months ago
Well, I'd rather you be a proud atheist, which would be a much more appropriate term, don't you think
about 8 months ago
I definitely think the term "militant atheist" is stupid, but the term "fundamentalist atheist" describes a lot of people quite accurately. There's plenty of black-and-white, us-and-them sloppy thinking out there on the net. It's not the majority of atheists by any means, but it's definitely there.
about 8 months ago
If "fundamentalist" just means black-and-white thinking, then yes, I agree with you that is exists in atheism–though on an individual basis.
Since we're talking word meaning here (and someone on twitter reminded me that militant does not always mean violent), it's important not to ignore the definition of "fundamentalist". Here's the only one I could find that could apply to atheists:
"A movement or attitude stressing strict and literal adherence to a set of basic principles"*
What are the principals to which atheists strictly and iterally adhere? I think this term is also lacking.
[*fundamentalism Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2009.]
about 8 months ago
You're right. "Fundamentalist Atheist" in this sense is an intentional non-sequitur to describe Atheists who act like Fundamentalists.
about 8 months ago
Incidentally, might also ask what are the principles to which Fundamentalist Muslims, or Fundamentalist Christians, strictly and literally adhere to. They're not "fundamentals" that most members of those religions would recognise (in the sense that they have a habit of adding things which aren't "fundamental" and removing things that are).
about 8 months ago
Half the fun (oh boy, what a party!) of dealing with these groups is trying to figure out what they would like you to believe and act on. With Christian fundamentalists it's sometimes a merry-go-round of which interpretations of biblical text they've been taught.
about 8 months ago
In a way, I think we should kind-of embrace the term.
Militant Fundamentalist (read: NOT ALL of) Islam is up in arms because of what it sees as a meddlesome West trying to impose itself on what is, quite honestly, an outdated and sexist belief system that they've needlessly clung to in order to maintain the patriarchal power they crave.
Militant Fundamentalist Christianity, on the other hand, is scarily more widespread, and has a different view on things: They see attempts to secularize things (for the purpose of inclusion and good faith, BTW) as attacks on their belief structure, and they're suddenly finding themselves repressed by what they see as a hostile force bent on their destruction.
If they're both so in need of an enemy to fight, why not give it to them? I most certainly don't mean doing so by abandoning reason and taking up arms – quite the opposite actually. We continue to do what we do. Speak, Question, and Reach Out. We show them that Militant isn't always about picking up an RPG and blowing up a family just because their God doesn't like the other's God.
If anything, instead of a lonely guy at a bar with a pint, I say we take that pint outside, find ourselves a soapbox, stand on it, and start exercising the First Amendment Rights that we also have; the same rights that the Christians like to hide behind when they practice their varied brands of hate speech. And we should talk until we are either heard, or hoarse. Then we should take a week off, because a bunch of talking does get tiresome, and does require a few pints to fix.
We know better than to hate. We know better than to take up arms unless it's absolutely necessary. We know what is right and what is wrong.
And we know all this without the help of a higher power, other than our own rational thought.
If that's a Militant Atheist, sign me up for life. They like to sing Onward Christian Soldiers, taking up weapons behind the cross. I say, Onward Atheist Soldiers, taking up voices and not hiding behind a damned thing.
about 7 months ago
It may very well come down to you having to die to keep your beliefs. Are you willing to die before having to be subjected to praising god in front of a bunch of christinsanities? I am. If a bunch of militant christinsanies came down your street toting guns looking for atheist to kill how would you react? Join them or fight them? I'll fight the bastards to my last breath if need be.,
I want them bankrupted and out of the tax exempt business because A. It gives them enormous power. Money=power B. Well, if just isn't fucking fair. Need I explain that? and C. I damned sure don't trust the bastards with anything much less my kids. To many of their leaders will willingly rape babies and young girls for their gawd.
Sit back and accept their horse shit if you want, but I will never sit idly by and wait until they control all of congress and the whitehouse because if they do they WILL install a theocracy in the US.
about 7 months ago
To bankrupt them I mean to suggest that whenever you see any church performing or engaging in any fund raising activity no matter how mundane just get their address and church name, paster/priest name if possible then turn them into the IRS web site as possible tax frauds. 99% will probably go unnoticed, but if the IRS uncovers something really big there is every possibility that church could be out of business soon. I never trust anything they do. They are innately corrupt in my opinion.
about 7 months ago
I think it's fine to express being atheist, you're just telling the world of your own views. I'm christian but I treat anyone with the same respect I'd treat myself with. Whats the point in arguing, we won't know till we die. I say, just accept different beliefs and don't let them get in the way of life or relationships.
(though I do admit, the church has had some embarrassing and stupid moments on our own part)
about 4 months ago
so what you're saying is you're not militant at all