50 Greatist Atheists Of All Time?

[Animavore]

Surely I should be on this list?

http://brainz.org/50-most-brilliant-atheists-all-time/

[Xamonas Chegwé]

Not one Rationalia member! What is going on here?

Seriously, some strange choices as well - Brian Eno? OK, I like his music but what has he done as an atheist to be considered one of the 50 greatest? The 50 most well known perhaps? The same applies to Mick Jagger, Kathleen Hepburn and Jodie Foster.

And some of the ancient and historical choices are of debatable atheistic credentials - Democritus for example is only assumed by some to have been an atheist based upon several of his cosmological writings.

Still, how else would one compile such a list?

[Animavore]

Not one Rationalia member! What is going on here?

Seriously, some strange choices as well - Brian Eno? OK, I like his music but what has he done as an atheist to be considered one of the 50 greatest? The 50 most well known perhaps? The same applies to Mick Jagger, Kathleen Hepburn and Jodie Foster.

And some of the ancient and historical choices are of debatable atheistic credentials - Democritus for example is only assumed by some to have been an atheist based upon several of his cosmological writings.

Still, how else would one compile such a list?

Live poll?

Y'know like 'Text 55011 for Democitus. For Jodie Foster text 55012...etc'.

[Chinaski]

I know number 48, David Chalmers. Funny guy.

[Kristie]

Not one Rationalia member! What is going on here?

Seriously, some strange choices as well - Brian Eno? OK, I like his music but what has he done as an atheist to be considered one of the 50 greatest? The 50 most well known perhaps? The same applies to Mick Jagger, Kathleen Hepburn and Jodie Foster.

And some of the ancient and historical choices are of debatable atheistic credentials - Democritus for example is only assumed by some to have been an atheist based upon several of his cosmological writings.

Still, how else would one compile such a list?

Live poll?

Y'know like 'Text 55011 for Democitus. For Jodie Foster text 55012...etc'.

Atheist Idol!

[Animavore]

Not one Rationalia member! What is going on here?

Seriously, some strange choices as well - Brian Eno? OK, I like his music but what has he done as an atheist to be considered one of the 50 greatest? The 50 most well known perhaps? The same applies to Mick Jagger, Kathleen Hepburn and Jodie Foster.

And some of the ancient and historical choices are of debatable atheistic credentials - Democritus for example is only assumed by some to have been an atheist based upon several of his cosmological writings.

Still, how else would one compile such a list?

Live poll?

Y'know like 'Text 55011 for Democitus. For Jodie Foster text 55012...etc'.

Atheist Idol!

It would be better than X-tian Factor at least.

[al-rawandi]

Surely I should be on this list?

http://brainz.org/50-most-brilliant-atheists-all-time/

I object to Chomsky being called an atheist. He is one of the greatest dogmatists and believers in the history of modern political thought. A wretched man and a discredit to disbelief.

[Red Katie]

More a list of 50 brilliant people who were atheists. A list of great atheists should surely include Ingersoll.

[charlou]

...Why aren't David Attenborough and Jacob Bronowski on this list???




Edit: according to wikipedia, David Attenborough specifically denied he's an atheist, calling himself an agnostic ... I wonder if that's his current view ... ?

[Styrer]

Surely I should be on this list?

http://brainz.org/50-most-brilliant-atheists-all-time/

I object to Chomsky being called an atheist. He is one of the greatest dogmatists and believers in the history of modern political thought. A wretched man and a discredit to disbelief.

Hate to agree with Al-the-fucker, but Chomsky's notion of atheism is not worthy enough to be counted. He should have stuck with linguistics.

The fucker can't give a straight answer. Enjoy his unbelievable verbosity on religion by way of some nice music:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-3_iVdpvQw

What a twat.

Guy's an equivocating cunt. Surprised he didn't blame his pathetic use of language on some sin committed by the US. Count the cunt out.

Best,
Styrer

[Dasein]

aside from the less than serious, I'd say Mark Twain, man of reason and poetry.

Wallace Stevens is a good one too. don't know if they make it to the list, but they are on my list.

[Red Katie]

aside from the less than serious, I'd say Mark Twain, man of reason and poetry.

Easy there. Mark Twain is one of my heroes. He wrote some humor, but he could be extremely serious. They're saying now that even the weird ending of Huckleberry Finn was more serious than we thought. They're saying it was a burlesque of reconstruction, where Congress was all tied up in how-to-proceeds while the south kept the freedmen in virtual slavery.

Mark Twain came to the aid of General Grant when he was broke and sick and couldn't take care of his family. He chivvied Grant into writing his biography, and did the work of publishing it and selling it, providing Grant and his family with a hefty hunk of change.

When Twain had pissed all his money into his stupid typesetting machine and gone deep into debt, he went on a world tour, when he was getting too old and sick himself for any such enterprise, and paid off all his debts dollar for dollar.

Twain was also a great social activist, a promoter of peace, of freedom, and of education. I don't think you can call him less than serious just because he could be funny.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

aside from the less than serious, I'd say Mark Twain, man of reason and poetry.

Easy there. Mark Twain is one of my heroes. He wrote some humor, but he could be extremely serious. They're saying now that even the weird ending of Huckleberry Finn was more serious than we thought. They're saying it was a burlesque of reconstruction, where Congress was all tied up in how-to-proceeds while the south kept the freedmen in virtual slavery.

Mark Twain came to the aid of General Grant when he was broke and sick and couldn't take care of his family. He chivvied Grant into writing his biography, and did the work of publishing it and selling it, providing Grant and his family with a hefty hunk of change.

When Twain had pissed all his money into his stupid typesetting machine and gone deep into debt, he went on a world tour, when he was getting too old and sick himself for any such enterprise, and paid off all his debts dollar for dollar.

Twain was also a great social activist, a promoter of peace, of freedom, and of education. I don't think you can call him less than serious just because he could be funny.

I think the 'less than serious' comment referred to the picture of Brian from Family Guy.

[Dasein]

aside from the less than serious, I'd say Mark Twain, man of reason and poetry.

Easy there. Mark Twain is one of my heroes. He wrote some humor, but he could be extremely serious. They're saying now that even the weird ending of Huckleberry Finn was more serious than we thought. They're saying it was a burlesque of reconstruction, where Congress was all tied up in how-to-proceeds while the south kept the freedmen in virtual slavery.

Mark Twain came to the aid of General Grant when he was broke and sick and couldn't take care of his family. He chivvied Grant into writing his biography, and did the work of publishing it and selling it, providing Grant and his family with a hefty hunk of change.

When Twain had pissed all his money into his stupid typesetting machine and gone deep into debt, he went on a world tour, when he was getting too old and sick himself for any such enterprise, and paid off all his debts dollar for dollar.

Twain was also a great social activist, a promoter of peace, of freedom, and of education. I don't think you can call him less than serious just because he could be funny.

XC is right, I was referring to Brian the dog as being less than serious. Mark Twain is also one of my heroes! You are preaching to the choir here.

[Red Katie]

Sorry. Guess I'm a little touchy.