I may be termed as an “agnostic atheist” in that I don’t pretend to know for certain there is no god. As Dawkins says in this Ted talk however, it is highly unlikely and the word agnostic seems to give equal weight to both possibilities.

If you haven’t seen this video already, take 1/2 hour to watch it!

Up until now, it seems the atheist community has done a decent job of getting messages out in public in a way that will do some real good.  I’ve seen several billboards and bus signs that do a good job of letting other non-theists know they are not alone.  Not a great job, but a good job.

Then comes along this from the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

Let me start by saying I’m an atheist, separation of church and state is critical, and I agree this sign is telling the truth to the best of our ability as a human species about the topic.

At the same time, putting this particular sign and message up next to religious displays like a nativity scene was just stupid.

• Are they winning people over?  No.
• Are they putting forth a positive message for non-theists?  No.
• Are they celebrating the secular aspects of the holidays?  No.
• Are they creating and nurturing any views out there among the religious majority that atheists are rude, inconsiderate, and should be thought of as the enemy?  YES!

Now to address some of the specific comments in the video embedded below.

“Christians came along and basically stole this time of year”

Dan, I’m an atheist.  This statement makes me want to ask what is wrong with you.  It’s true that this time of year had celebrations since long before the Judeo-Christian religions of today where invented.  You need not convince me of this.  To say that Christians “stole it” is simply ludicrous and carries the implication that every Christian out there who celebrates it is doing something harmful and destructive to us non-theists.  It’s just wrong, and I don’t know how you justify it.

“We see the nativity scene as a direct attack on good human values and we would like our place at the table as well”

Your “We” does not include me.  It sounds as if you are taking the worst parts of their religion and applying it to one of their most peaceful symbols.  The nativity is a cultural tradition….the Christian bible doesn’t even support the historical authenticity of it very well.  Again, I would like to see your logic in calling this a “direct attack on good human values.”  Perhaps that’s true from the standpoint of ideological zealotry, but not from a pragmatic, critical view of the world.

“If atheists want their own federal holiday sir, go to congress”

This seems to me an expected reaction.  Instead of a message of inclusion and/or separation of church and state, Dan and company have come to the table with the message that Christians stole our holiday.  If I were in the other shoes, I would also feel like Christmas is under attack.  It would be like showing up to a Thanksgiving celebration with a sign that says “The pilgrims were sexist, misogynistic people!”  -It may be true, but what a killjoy to pin point a negative aspect and act as if it represents the whole holiday.

I enjoy Christmas.  My birthday is Christmas Day, but aside from that, I love the traditional meals, giving presents, and being with family and friends.  I love Christmas carols, even the explicitly religious ones.  Why can’t we enjoy the holidays right alongside Christians, Muslims, Jews, etc?

“that little baby who became the dictator”

Again, you seem to take a black-and-white view of the world.  One of the reasons I started doubting religious dogma was because of the all-or-nothing approach.  Either you are saved by Jesus, or you go to hell.  You’re not convincing anyone, and not winning any points.  Instead, you sound like as much of a zealot as the religious right.

Possible Alternatives for atheist holiday signage

We can still be represented and visible without being offensive.  Here are some ideas that could sit alongside religious displays without offending (reasonable people).

• Peace on earth and good will to all!
• Atheists love this time of year too!  Happy holidays!
• Happy Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and whatever reason to celebrate that you have!
• During this holiday season, remember that we are all brothers and sisters regardless of our differences.  Happy holidays!

I’d love to hear your thoughts.  Leave a comment!

Related blog entries elsewhere:

• Freedom of Religion? Most Americans Don’t Buy It
• Freedom OF Religion not FROM it.
• Generalized Grievances & Hein v. Freedom from Religion Foundation, Inc.
• Freedom From Religion Have Their Atheist Sign Stolen Photo
• Church Growth–>Freedom From Religion
• Washington: Freedom From Religion?
• Freedom From Religion’s Atheist Display in Washington State Capitol
• Freedom From Religion Foundation
• Washington Allows Atheist Anti-Religion Sign Next to Nativity
• Only In Washington: Freedom Against Religion?
• Religion is but Myth and Superstition.
• Atheists Trying To Spoil Christmas
• Debating Atheist Nihilism
• You Don’t Need Religion to be a Jerk

Technorati Tags: atheism, christine gregoire, Christmas, Christmas carol, dan barker, daniel barker, Freedom From Religion Foundation, Holiday greetings, religion, Religion and Spirituality, Thanksgiving

Two dimensions or goals of religion or other forms of philosophy competing for followers:

• Expanding horizons and knowledge
• Changing how people live

Güzeldere responds to attacks that the new atheists are not addressing the second point.  His general point is that changing how people live in the current generation is a very difficult task, whereas changing the state of knowledge and awareness in the general population will more easily influence future generations.

I see his point, but if I understand him correctly I also disagree.  If the current generation is not made to see the harmful effects of their belief without evidence, they will very likely pass these beliefs on to their children.  Whether it be homeopathy, ghosts, big foot, or a deity, these things must be exposed to the light of reason in a way that the believer will at least have a chance to see them in said light of evidence.

Also, the popularity of books by some of the new atheists is a good sign that they may in fact be changing minds out there and making a real impact on how people live.  I would love to here from anyone who had this happen to them.  Just leave a comment please!

I doubt Güzeldere was rejecting activism and I probably misunderstood his argument.  Either way, it made me think.

Watch the video here.

Güven Güzeldere is Associate Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences and of Neurobiology at Duke University. He has published articles on philosophy of mind, history and philosophy of psychology, and artificial intelligence. He is a founder of Stanford Electronic Humanities Review, a founding associate editor of Psyche: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Consciousness, and a founding member of the Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness.

ASSUMPTIONS

(1) Atheism comes in 2 distinct forms which must be treated separately and
(2) “Wrong” is in the eye of the beholder.

Credit: jurvetson

ATHEISM DEFINED

There are two forms of atheism, broad and explicit. Broad atheism is the most common form. It is defined as the absence of belief in any god or gods. The explicit form of atheism, on the other hand, explicitly denies the possibility of the existence of any gods.

As you can see, the broad definition does not deny the existence of a god or gods, it is a statement of non-belief without any assertion that what others believe is actually wrong. The explicit form on the other hand, asserts that a god or gods do not exist, period. This may seem like a small difference, but it’s actually huge.

BROAD ATHEISM

Broad atheism is self-supporting and consistent, because it applies only as a belief system of the individual practicing it. The burden of proof between theism and broad atheism falls on the theist to prove their god or gods exist. Proving to the theist that their god or gods do not exist is not even something a true broad atheist would want to do, because their belief system does not oppose other belief systems or even the possibility that gods do exist. The broad atheist just finds it so improbable and unknowable that spending any time or effort attempting theism no longer holds value. Of course there may be other reasons broad atheists have for their beliefs.

EXPLICIT ATHEISM

Explicit atheism is not self-supporting. An explicit atheist asserts that the absence of gods is not just their belief, but a fact. Asserted facts must be supported by evidence, and now the burden of proof falls on the explicit atheist to show it is impossible for gods to exist. It comes down to their belief being asserted as a fact. To my knowledge there is no self-sustained logic that a explicit atheist could use that would achieve their objective. The broad forms of both atheism and theism are based on beliefs that are not falsifiable at their core.

WRONG?

As stated earlier, right or wrong is in the eye of the beholder. A perfectly acceptable practice in one culture may be completely wrong elsewhere. All belief systems, atheism and theism included, can be observed with the “explicit” or “broad” approaches.

For instance, a Christian, Muslim, or atheist who assert the others do not have the right to practice their beliefs, or that they should and will be punished for what they believe are in the “explicit” category. Sometimes this means that an entire sect of a religion can be explicit in nature. Their beliefs explicitly state that people who do not worship their god or gods in a particular manner will burn in hell for all eternity, for example.

In these same belief systems exist people who are “broad” believers, and do not force their beliefs onto others or dismiss them without any evidence or discussion. These people observe respect and tolerance for others who believe differently than they. They believe what they do because it is what makes the most sense to them personally, and they do not expect the rest of the world to comply with their belief system.

CONCLUSION

Explicit atheism will be incorrect until a self-supporting argument can be made that disproves the possible existence of any god or gods. Broad atheism is not either wrong or right in an empirical sense, it only takes on one or the other property for the individual judging it.