Damn Glad to Meet Ya!
15 September 2007 by Bob
In Europe and U.S., Nonbelievers Are Increasingly Vocal
New groups of nonbelievers are sprouting on college campuses, anti-religious blogs are expanding across the Internet, and in general, more people are publicly saying they have no religious faith. [...] Christian fundamentalist groups who want to halt certain science research, reverse abortion and gay rights and teach creationism rather than evolution in schools are also angering people, according to Sanderson and others. “There is a feeling that religion is being forced on an unwilling public, and now people are beginning to speak out against what they see as rising Islamic and Christian militancy,” Sanderson said. Though the number of nonbelievers speaking their minds is rising, academics say it’s impossible to calculate how many people silently share that view. [...] Associations of nonbelievers are also moving to address the growing demand in Britain, Spain, Italy and other European countries for nonreligious weddings, funerals and celebrations for new babies. They are helping arrange ceremonies that steer clear of talk of God, heaven and miracles and celebrate, as they say, “this one life we know.” [...] Now, she added, humanist and secularist groups are becoming “more confident and more powerful” and recognize that they represent the wishes of huge numbers of people. [...] The expansion of the Internet has made it a vital way for nonbelievers to connect. In retirement centers, restaurants, homes and public lectures and debates, nonbelievers are convening to talk about how to push back what they see as increasingly intrusive religion. “Born Again Atheist,” “Happy Heathen” and other anti-religious T-shirts and bumper stickers are increasingly seen on the streets. Groups such as the Skeptics in the Pub in London, which recently met to discuss this topic, “God: The Failed Hypothesis,” are now finding that they need bigger rooms to accommodate those who find them online. [...] Not believing in an afterlife, he said, “makes you think you have to make the most of this life. It’s the now that matters. It also makes you feel a greater urgency of things that matter,” such as halting global warming, and not just dismissing it as being “all in God’s plan.”
Howdy-Howdy, Folks. It’s nice to know we can reach such a large audience.
So, like, where are all of you atheist-freaks from, anyway?…
15 September 2007, on 7:07 pm
What really irks me is this ridiculous schism within the nonbeliever community, with those on one side yanking on the coat tails of the more vocal amongst us like the most timid in a group of juvenile delinquents- Oh, no, what if we get caught?!. You got people crying “Hate Speech, Hate Speech!” anytime some nonbeliever dares to open his/her mouth. I suppose it’s mainly because it’s so utterly shocking to some just to hear the opposing viewpoint stated clearly and candidly. And, in terms of offense, any sort of denial of this Adult Imaginary Friend- whether the terms used are themselves insulting or not, is ultimately an attack on the mental health of the believer(if gwod doesn’t exist, it doesn’t say much for those in thrall to a delusion?).
I think the trend is in our favor. The monotheistic block in the path of species-wide enlightenment is eroding. It’s really just a matter of time. A tremendously frustrating, extra-crazy time but inevitable all the same.
15 September 2007, on 9:03 pm
A refreshing post. I do think that ranks of the non-believers are swelling.
I can understand why those of faith become defensive when us non-believers speak (I used to be on “the other side.”) As a believer, you realize that, as much as you might try to rationalize it otherwise, if reason is brought into the picture, doubt starts to creep in. Ahh, Doubt; that nefarious nemesis of faith–faith; that grand meme that we can all so cozily found our life philosophy upon. So much easier when the rules are outlined for you–after all, this belief system has thousands of years of “tradition” behind it. Things start to crumble when you realize tradition (slavery, arranged marriage, sexism/chauvanism, daddy getting drunk every holiday) can be very terrible.
I find particular urgency and pertinence in the statement at the end–that WE (the only entities guaranteed to exist) must take care of things in this one, guaranteed life, and not expect Yahweh, or his friends Allah, Sheeva, Zoroast, the Easter bunny, Father x-mas, and the toothfairy to “take care of things” in their “plan.” (When I hear “it’s all in God’s plan,” I start to wonder if God sells insurance.)
This all seems like lazy cynicism in it most credulous and unpardonable form, and quite frankly fills me with an anger that I find difficult to conceal (I work as an Occupational Therapist and therefore hear my patients/patient’s family members say “it’s in God’s hands” a great deal. I have to bite my tongue with a gritted smile every time.)
16 September 2007, on 12:37 am
>New groups of nonbelievers are sprouting on college campuses, anti-religious blogs are expanding across the Internet, and in general, more people are publicly saying they have no religious faith.
Weee, that’s me! (All three-college, blog, and general.) And in the Washington Post to boot! Thanks for posting this link!
16 September 2007, on 2:09 am
So far, the internet has been my only source for fellow nonbelievers. I know I’m not the only one here in Michigan, but it seems like it sometimes.
I hear the “god’s plan” bit from my mom all the time and find it hard myself not to say anything. And being a smartass, it’s REALLY hard.
16 September 2007, on 3:54 am
Heh, and being an atheist smartass is terrible for meeting girls too… an irreverent crack will end a conversation real quickly :/
Looking forward to the college campus part, even here in Washington I barely run across any nonbelievers.
16 September 2007, on 10:08 am
Vancouver, Washington myself.
I’m definitely feeling better about “coming out” to people, but I still am VERY careful about it.
Asymmeter: If the girls you’re making these wise cracks to don’t like them, they probably aren’t that great a caliber of girl, anyway. I’m sure you know that, but just thought I’d say it. My bf is a large piece of my recent “atheist revival” and I can’t imagine being with a “believer.” (I know a lot of people are making it work…I just don’t think I’d be able to.)
16 September 2007, on 3:37 pm
Assymeter and Terra:
My ex-girlfriend of five years was very conservative southern christian (don’t ask how we came together in the first place–I’m not even sure. Love is blind I guess.)
I think we both tried very hard to make it work. We would simply dance around the religion issue when it came up, as there was little negotiation to be made (as you can well imagine) exept to agree to disagree. Inevitably, there were the snide comments from her when we got in a fight, and, quite frankly, the lack of respect for her beliefs on my part.
While there were other issues that put an end to the relationship, the religion was a big, irreconsilable reason. Assymeter, as this post points out, I think you will find plenty of people in college that have a similar lack of belief to yours (even in Bible-belt Nebraska, I found this to be true–although not as much as here in CA.) Actually, I would argue to NOT be careful about what you say. Make the irreverent comments as a litmus test. Your ideal mate will laugh along with you. Unless you are open to changing your beliefs (which you should never do for another person), things will never work out if she is offended by your atheism.
I think two people in a relationship can have differences in religious beliefs and make it work, but if they are diametrically opposed, such as in my case, it’s doomed ot failure–the respect isn’t there.
16 September 2007, on 5:59 pm
Seven years of college down the drain!
16 September 2007, on 7:44 pm
I moved from Mexico City, to NY for grad school and then back south to teach in Texas…Texas has been a living hell with regard to my in-your-face atheism. I teach in a rural area where Harry Potter is banned, books are challenged, the state legislature forces a “moment of silence” and the words “under god” are inserted into a new TX pledge…Still, I am optimistic that in a small way, I can make a difference…even if it is defending a book in my elementary school library. I think I am the only atheist librarian in the county!
16 September 2007, on 7:56 pm
Ugh… I’m glad I don’t live in Texas, Barbiebrains! People like that are basically the whole reason why I’m beginning to speak out about my atheism.
I have no problem with religious beliefs, as long as they stay private. Unfortunately, the fundies are trying very hard to push their bullshit morality on all of us who don’t want it.
So if the retard fundies won’t keep their beliefs silent, I won’t be keeping my non-belief silent!
It’s only fair, right?
16 September 2007, on 8:27 pm
Sarah,
It is often frightening to speak out but so much is at stake…books are worth defending and I don’t plan to move to Canada…you learn to push back.
16 September 2007, on 8:54 pm
I agree that the Harry Potter series is definitely worth defending. The fundies need to actually read those books. They are very well written. I think they’re just jealous that J.K. Rowling is more intelligent than they are…
17 September 2007, on 8:56 am
Born and raised in NJ, thank you. Born in Paterson and have lived in Jersey all my life. May be moving to Minnesota soon.
As for the posting generally, I’ve noticed this sea change. I take it as a reaction to the rise of fundamentalism as well as its obvious failure.
Backlash is a bitch, ain’t it?
17 September 2007, on 4:12 pm
Moved to Miami, Florida from Baton Rouge, Louisiana more than ten years ago, myself – and every gaspingly-hot-and-humid summer I swear I’m going to move somewhere cooler (but I never do, because then the Floridian winter seduces me into staying once more).
Barbie, keep up the good fight! I just finished the last book in the Harry Potter series, and not once has the entire sequence ever made any kind of reference to anything that might conceivably be described as a deity or religion. The only elements that could be said to be traditionally “spiritual” in it are the existence of souls and a rather vague afterlife. Teach the controversy!
17 September 2007, on 4:20 pm
I’d rather be a smartass athiest from Western PA than a dumbass xian from…well…anywhere.