Whether NDT is an atheist or not really doesn't make a lot of a difference to me. I've heard him explain why he doesn't use that label and favors simply "scientist" instead and if that works for him then what's it to me to say otherwise? In my opinion, he often expresses his skepticism in such a way as to strongly imply that he's an atheist, but I don't really care. He's doing what he thinks is best for him in order to be the most effective science communicator he can be.
With that said, he recently had a Jesuit priest on StarTalk on his apparent deference to all the priests' "gotcha!" questions was really annoying, especially when, had that conversation not been intended for general audiences, the majority of which are probably theistic to some degree, I think he might have gone after the guy a little more. He shows a deference to religion that he doesn't show to other claims, like aliens or big foot or the like, that I, personally think is unwarranted.
But that's just my opinion.
As for him being rather ignorant of what atheism is or isn't or how he might be connecting it to things it's not inherently connected to... yeah, that's also annoying, since it makes it harder for the actual atheist activists (of whom I am not a part of) to fight misconceptions about atheists. NDT linking it to a philosophy or saying that it comes with baggage gives theists a person in a position of "authority" to point to and say, "he says its a philosophy and he's really smart an stuff, so he's right and you're wrong!" and it just makes it harder to explain how *I* see atheism to anyone who talks to me about it. (Which is hardly ever.)
With that said, he recently had a Jesuit priest on StarTalk on his apparent deference to all the priests' "gotcha!" questions was really annoying, especially when, had that conversation not been intended for general audiences, the majority of which are probably theistic to some degree, I think he might have gone after the guy a little more. He shows a deference to religion that he doesn't show to other claims, like aliens or big foot or the like, that I, personally think is unwarranted.
But that's just my opinion.
As for him being rather ignorant of what atheism is or isn't or how he might be connecting it to things it's not inherently connected to... yeah, that's also annoying, since it makes it harder for the actual atheist activists (of whom I am not a part of) to fight misconceptions about atheists. NDT linking it to a philosophy or saying that it comes with baggage gives theists a person in a position of "authority" to point to and say, "he says its a philosophy and he's really smart an stuff, so he's right and you're wrong!" and it just makes it harder to explain how *I* see atheism to anyone who talks to me about it. (Which is hardly ever.)
Teenaged X-Files obsession + Bermuda Triangle episode + Self-led school research project = Atheist.
