The Atheism Plus "movement" -- good, bad, ugly?

[A Hermit]

I don’t know why the skepchicks et al took the line they chose. I do know that they were wrong. They took a stance directly against what I (and I think most atheists) stand for

Really? You think most atheists stand for sexism, racism and homophobia?

Guess I missed that memo....

And for those of you wondering about my comments about Jen McCreight earlier, if any of you had bothered to read her reasons for suggesting the whole A+ thing in the first place you wouldn't be so confused.

For those of you calling her a whiner and mocking her for being stressed out by the constant stream of ignorant abuse and threats, well all I can say is fuck you. "Adolescent morons" is actually too kind a term for the likes of you.

[Taqiyya Mockingbird]

@WANYPA

Indeed. And I have had clinical depression from childhood as well. However, I hardly see sticking her head in the furnace, eg, taking pot shots at public figures like her recent blog swipe at Dawkins, as conducive to managing it effectively.

[Sean Hayden]

Whatever. The last time I checked she's a bright young woman with great prospects that is spending her 20s traveling the world talking about shit she cares about.

That's fucking great. So stop the goddamn victim bullshit, it wears normal folks out.

Personally I'm very happy that she is taking a break and I hope it is the best thing for her.

Now just think of all the poor saps having a shit existence who I didn't say fuck all about hoping it gets better.

Does that even matter? -nah ;-)

[colubridae]

I don’t know why the skepchicks et al took the line they chose. I do know that they were wrong. They took a stance directly against what I (and I think most atheists) stand for

Really? You think most atheists stand for sexism, racism and homophobia?

Guess I missed that memo....

And for those of you wondering about my comments about Jen McCreight earlier, if any of you had bothered to read her reasons for starting the whole A+ you wouldn't be so confused.

For those of you calling her a whiner and mocking her for being stressed out by the constant stream of ignorant abuse and threats, well all I can say is fuck you. "Adolescent morons" is actually too kind a term for you.

Why not deliberately misinterpret my words?
You've just done what pissed everyone off so much. Do you not understand?

Dictatorship as espoused by FtB et al coupled with veiled threats is exactly what's caused the furore.
Deliberately linking repugnance of your dictatorial stance to homophobia etc. is precisely what’s got many worked up.

Do you understand that my hatred of dictatorships does not make me a homophobe, etc? Refusal to bend my knee to your worship does not make me a racist or sexist.

Or is that what you believe?

To demand obedience al la Carrier is the very nadir of humanity. All else pales into insignificance. Your own Matt Dillahunty once said that ‘slavery is probably the only absolute immorality’. The unquestioning obedience you and your ilk demand is slavery.

[Taqiyya Mockingbird]

A Hermit, your strawmanning of our objections to you A+Holes' inflammatory rhetoric and disingenuous tactics is puerile and tiresome. You might get away with it in the FtB ant farm, but out here in the light of day it merely throws your lack of critical thinking skills into high relief.

[Taqiyya Mockingbird]

Really? You think most atheists stand for sexism, racism and homophobia?

Guess I missed that memo....

How could you have missed it? It is the battle cry of your own vowel movement.

[Taqiyya Mockingbird]

[

Why not deliberatelymisinterpret MISREPRESENT my words?

Fixed!

[laklak]

I don’t know why the skepchicks et al took the line they chose. I do know that they were wrong. They took a stance directly against what I (and I think most atheists) stand for

Really? You think most atheists stand for sexism, racism and homophobia?

Guess I missed that memo....

Congratulations! You've just missed the point again! And kudos for erecting another great, big strawman, you're getting quite good at it. Hell, it's so big it's almost a wicker man. Hey, a wicker man isn't a bad idea. You can put everyone who disagrees with you inside and burn it while dancing around draped in flower garlands.

And for those of you wondering about my comments about Jen McCreight earlier, if any of you had bothered to read her reasons for suggesting the whole A+ thing in the first place you wouldn't be so confused.

Oh, I read them. I just don't grant them the authority to usurp the word "atheist" and give it their own political spin. They seem to have no problem judging me on the basis of a couple of joking posts on a small forum, but apparently I'm not allowed to judge them. After all, I'm just a cockroach CHUD, so I should just shut up, sit down on my stool and let my betters do my thinking for me. Well, fuck that for a game of soldiers. As long as they continue throwing about their puerile insults I'll retain my right to insult them in any way I choose. If they can't take the heat they need to get out of the fucking kitchen. Or maybe back into it, barefoot and pregnant ([Foghorn Leghorn voice] thatsa thatsa thatsa a joke, son [/Foghorn Leghorn voice])

For those of you calling her a whiner and mocking her for being stressed out by the constant stream of ignorant abuse and threats, well all I can say is fuck you. "Adolescent morons" is actually too kind a term for the likes of you.

Back atcha, Pilgrim. You're almost as much fun to troll as they are. Keep up the good work!

[A Hermit]

Why not deliberately misinterpret my words?
You've just done what pissed everyone off so much. Do you not understand?

Dictatorship as espoused by FtB et al coupled with veiled threats is exactly what's caused the furore.
Deliberately linking repugnance of your dictatorial stance to homophobia etc. is precisely what’s got many worked up.

Who's misinterpreting here? It's this constant bullshit about "dictatorship" and "tyranny" that is the misrepresentation.

Do you understand that my hatred of dictatorships does not make me a homophobe, etc? Refusal to bend my knee to your worship does not make me a racist or sexist.

Do you understand that a group of people deciding to work together to stand up against things like racism, sexism and homophobia is not a dictatorship? Do you own a dictionary? I can help you find one online if you like...

To demand obedience al la Carrier is the very nadir of humanity. All else pales into insignificance. Your own Matt Dillahunty once said that ‘slavery is probably the only absolute immorality’. The unquestioning obedience you and your ilk demand is slavery.

What a load of ignorant, self serving, bullshit. Everyone involved in A+ jumped on Carrier for that over the top post, and he apologized, retracted it and promised not to do it again. To take that one post and claim that it somehow represents everything about A+ looks like laziness, stupidity or dishonesty. Possibly all three...

[A Hermit]

Oh, I read them. I just don't grant them the authority to usurp the word "atheist" and give it their own political spin.

How is it "usurping" anything to say "I am and atheist AND I also stand for human rights?

Seriously. are you so weak willed that other people having opinions somehow takes away your ability to think and act as you please?

[Taqiyya Mockingbird]

@lak lak:

"Hey, a wicker man isn't a bad
idea. You can put everyone who disagrees
with you inside and burn it while dancing
around draped in flower garlands."


...or he could douse it with petrol, stuff it where the sun doesn't shine, and light it on fire. ..

[A Hermit]

A Hermit, your strawmanning of our objections to you A+Holes' inflammatory rhetoric and disingenuous tactics is puerile and tiresome. You might get away with it in the FtB ant farm, but out here in the light of day it merely throws your lack of critical thinking skills into high relief.

What strawmanning? Colubridae said "I don’t know why the skepchicks et al took the line they chose. I do know that they were wrong. They took a stance directly against what I (and I think most atheists) stand for..."

Since the Skepchicks stance, as far as I'm familiar with it, is the promotion of rational thinking as well opposition to sexism, racism and homophobia I'm asking what part of that stance he has a problem with.

Incidentally, the Skepchicks are a separate entity from the FtB, and as far as I know haven't taken a stance on the A+ idea so not only is it lazy, ignorant or dishonest to accuse the A+ people of "inflammatory rhetoric" it is doubly so to tar the Skepchicks with that particular brush.

[Taqiyya Mockingbird]

@A+hole Hermit:

" Everyone involved in A+ jumped
on Carrier for that over the top post, and
he apologized, retracted it and promised
not to do it again. To take that one post
and claim that it somehow represents
everything about A+ looks like laziness,
stupidity or dishonesty. Possibly all three.."


WHERE? Cite where the A+holes jumped on him, and where he apologized and promised to not do it again. Because he lied if he did, because he is still carrying on like nothing ever happened over on his blog, pandering the same strawman horseshit you are here.

[Taqiyya Mockingbird]

A Hermit, your strawmanning of our objections to you A+Holes' inflammatory rhetoric and disingenuous tactics is puerile and tiresome. You might get away with it in the FtB ant farm, but out here in the light of day it merely throws your lack of critical thinking skills into high relief.

What strawmanning? Colubridae said "I don’t know why the skepchicks et al took the line they chose. I do know that they were wrong. They took a stance directly against what I (and I think most atheists) stand for..."

Since the Skepchicks stance, as far as I'm familiar with it, is the promotion of rational thinking as well opposition to sexism, racism and homophobia I'm asking what part of that stance he has a problem with.

The skepchicks' stance is that the atheist movement is rife with racism, sexism, homo/transphobia, misgyny, blah, blah, blah. that isn't rational thinking, it isn't true, and their slurs about "old, white, privileged, cisgen, hetero, male bigots' is just sexist, racist, and misandric as what they attempt to project on the rest of us.

Incidentally, the Skepchicks are a separate entity from the FtB, and as far as I know haven't taken a stance on the A+ idea so not only is it lazy, ignorant or dishonest to accuse the A+ people of "inflammatory rhetoric" it is doubly so to tar the Skepchicks with that particular brush.

And as you see, my statement above was speaking directly to you. But colubridae said "skepchicks ET AL", which covers you and the FtBullies and the rest of the A+holes quite nicely.

[Audley Strange]

Isn't it nice that we don't ban people for not agreeing with us? Isn't it wonderful that we can discuss things without worrying what word might trigger some potential stranger? Isn't it great that we include voices like A Hermit rather than just ban them for disagreeing?

Still I'd understand if they self-excluded it must be hard to be dogpiled on when all they are trying to get people to see is the fundamental primacy of Jen McCreight's feelings as a global concern. I mean if you don't accept that it follows you must want to burn little girls in the street or something.