Why so many "anti-feminists" in the atheist community?

[bennyboy]

No, it doesn't even require that.

This is the language of implied coercion. You are clearly attempting to railroad someone to accept your definition of feminism.

Simply looking at two online dictionaries directly contradict your basic definition of feminism, particularly the second page that states clearly it's about equality and not supremacy.

Yes, because a 1-line entry in an online dictionary encapsulates all of feminism, right? Anyway, you are inaccurate: the believe in the equality of women is SUFFICIENT to term someone a feminist. It is not, however, required, as there are other definitions. It's a little annoying that in your attempt to railroad the conversation, you deliberately ignored another definition of feminism in your own link-- one of the ones I just cited: 2: organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests . You do not have to believe women are equal to act on behalf of their rights and interests. Nor do you have to act on behalf of women's rights and interests to believe that they are (or should be) equal.


As for the second link, what can I say? Are you sure "urbandictionary" is really the place to go to when you want rock-solid definitions with which to support your points?

Your refusal to accept the fact that the key word is equality and that nothing else is necessary doesn't change the definition and it doesn't change the fact that you're wrong.

Your refusal to accept that a 1-line summary definition in an online dictionary, ignoring both the etymology and the historical usage of the word, is insufficient to represent all of feminism, doesn't change the fact that many people are using the word differently than you do and that these differences are important in understanding why some atheists seem "anti-feminist." If you actually want to engage in discussion about why some people (including atheists) are anti-feminist, you need to figure out what THEY mean by the word, not what you insist they must mean.

Also, since coercion is the act of coercing; use of force or intimidation to obtain compliance or force or the power to use force in gaining compliance, as by a government or police force it's pretty clear I wasn't coercing you since I was not advocating a change of your opinion or position, I was simply saying that your personal opinion is completely irrelevant to determine the doctrinal definition of feminism

"Doctrinal definition" means dogma. And the fact that many atheists have an aversion to dogma explains why many atheists seem "anti-feminist." My "opinion" is that "feminism" means "a doctrine, belief, or movement about women," because I happen to know what "femin" and "-ism" mean. As for coercion, I would say that "accept what I say or you'll be branded as unintelligent" IS a kind of intimidation. It's clearly not a rational argument, is it?


Finally, you really have to get over this definitional cherry-picking. Words have long, rich histories that cannot be summarized in 5-word one-liners, and to believe otherwise is to exhibit intellectual laziness (See what I did, there?). I could easily respond with http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/feminism , in which feminism is represented in terms of advocacy, and not belief. Would you then say that feminism most certainly does not require a belief in the equality of women? I doubt that.

The very same dictionary you quoted (Webster's online) defines atheism as:

1 archaic : ungodliness, wickedness
2 a : a disbelief in the existence of deity; b : the doctrine that there is no deity

Are you next going to go into a thread about atheism and insist that these, and only these, are the only allowable definitions of atheism? I doubt that, as well.