Ocassional Thoughts of an Independent Progressive Atheistic Humanist
Chris Arnade is an atheist or so he says in an article in the Guardian that was published on Tuesday. He claims that his atheism was tested after working with and photographing homeless addicts in the South Bronx. He is shocked that the people he met weren’t atheists and then he somehow makes the false connection that having faith and hope is better than not being a homeless addict. He does a poor job selling religion.
An article published on Salon this weekend made the claim that I’ve been making for some years. It is impossible for an atheist to identify with the Republican party. CJ Werleman offers some evidence why atheists need to “grow up”. I agree with most of the article.
Lindy West, in an article on the Jezebel website, said that she was embarrassed to be an atheist because some atheists are dicks. I get tired of such complaints. I agree that being a dick shouldn’t be our first move, but why should believers get special treatment for their irrational and silly beliefs when they tend to be used to hurt scores of people around the world. Why are atheists always the ones asked to change?
Skepticism is the questioning of what is stated as fact and is one of the primary tools I use as a free thinker. I am also an atheist. I don’t subscribe to any religious belief. I have considered the arguments for and about religion and rejected the conclusion. The process I used to get to my conclusion was Skepticism. In a recent blog post PZ Myers, responded to an idea I’ve seen and read myself where some people think religious beliefs shouldn’t be subject to Skepticism. Like Myers, I think that’s stupid.
The other day I read that a Republican legislator, in Arizona, introduced a bill that would require high school students to take a loyalty oath before being allowed to graduate. The oath includes the usual invoking of God clap trap we see in the Pledge of Allegiance. The requirement is stupid, doesn’t help educate kids, and could be used to discriminate against people who either don’t believe in such pledges or don’t believe in the God part like Atheists. What bothered me more was the reaction from an Atheist who thought the possibility for discrimination was trivial and nothing to get worked up about. In defending our rights nothing should be trivial.
Here is the text of the proposed high school graduation loyalty oath: