Dawkins loses humanist title

[Reforged]

Yes, he did, he explicitly noted how contentious it was..and with that, waded right in.  That was his call, wasn't it?  Or are we going for the doddering geriatric who knew not what he did bit?

For better or for worse, the business of ideological associations is a pandering business.  Humanism can no more suffer bad pr by having associated itself with and awarded a person who appears to have taken some kind of interesting turn than the catholic church needs another scandal.  You can wring your hands over this all you like, as a freethinker - but are you doing so out of a factual understanding of the reality of the matter and through a set of rational inferences?

I'm willing to grant that the american humanist association wants a more humanist world, lol.  Dawkins comments in the recent past and present, regardless of whatever work he did in the more distant past of 96 or so, just don;t serve that goal anymore - if they ever did.  Perhaps giving him the award in the first place was their mistake, regardless of whether we agree with his positions?

Didn't see that quote but will take your word for it.
Alright, so it was contentious. So was Galileo's telescope. Not exactly proportional but its still throwing yourself against popular sentiment in the pursuit of empirical, objective truth. What could possibly be more representative of the better parts of human nature than that? 

Oh I understand that. I'm saying thats wrong, I'm saying its not humanism. That whether we like Dawkin's or not it should concern us that this sort of "tow the line" nonsense can not only be done in the name of humanism but against the freedom of expression and against science. These are the highest accomplishments we have and they're being sold off piecemeal like brand names to a company in a merger. 

When someone can literally be stripped of the title of humanist for asking questions it cheapens the word.
It becomes a term used to punish debate and award conformity. How far down that road do you really want to see the word travel?