The Image Problem With Atheism in America

[Polaris]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/posteveryt...-atheists/

Faith-based institutions provide resources to these poor and working-class families. They also fight racial discrimination, offer a foundation for community organizing and create access to social welfare, professional networks and educational resources. These are essential issues, and atheists of color often find themselves allied in these missions.

White atheists have a markedly different agenda....White organizations go to battle over church/state separation and creationism in schools. They largely ignore the fact that black nonbelievers face a racial and gender divide....But when we look to atheist and humanist organizations for solidarity on these issues, there is a staggering lack of interest...

Ultimately, if people of color don’t see atheists and humanists stepping up on issues that directly affect their communities, atheists proselytizing about the evils of organized religion will be dismissed as empty paternalism.

Thoughts? This has been an issue for many years where the outspoken atheists in America are seemingly dominated by mainly middle-class, white men who are are often seen as self-serving by minority atheists. I have even read articles by minority atheists that view these white atheists as closet white supremacists and want absolutely nothing to do with them. Agnostic Atheist, But Not Interested In White Supremacist Atheism

[Bad Wolf]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/posteveryt...-atheists/

Faith-based institutions provide resources to these poor and working-class families. They also fight racial discrimination, offer a foundation for community organizing and create access to social welfare, professional networks and educational resources. These are essential issues, and atheists of color often find themselves allied in these missions.

They also systematically hide pedophiles from justice, condemn homosexuality and bomb planed parenthood clinics.

White atheists have a markedly different agenda....White organizations go to battle over church/state separation and creationism in schools. They largely ignore the fact that black nonbelievers face a racial and gender divide....But when we look to atheist and humanist organizations for solidarity on these issues, there is a staggering lack of interest...

OK firstly, I didn't even need to click the link to know this was written by a black guy/girl. 'White organizations' really?

I don't think the lack of interest for the racial and gender divide from atheist groups is staggering. Its exactly what you would expect seeing as atheism has nothing to do with these things. There are plenty of other organizations that campaign for equality and against discrimination. Atheist groups don't want to waste their time campaigning for something that a lot of other groups are. They prioritise and so choose church/state separation issues because they are the only group who are actually going to fight against it. If there weren't any relevant issues at hand for an atheist group to address, i'm sure they would turn their sights to issues of race and gender.

Ultimately, if people of color don’t see atheists and humanists stepping up on issues that directly affect their communities, atheists proselytizing about the evils of organized religion will be dismissed as empty paternalism.

Atheists and humanists are different things. One does not come hand in hand with the other.

Thoughts? This has been an issue for many years where the outspoken atheists in America are seemingly dominated by mainly middle-class, white men who are are often seen as self-serving by minority atheists. I have even read articles by minority atheists that view these white atheists as closet white supremacists and want absolutely nothing to do with them. Agnostic Atheist, But Not Interested In White Supremacist Atheism

And I have read articles by minority 'scientists' who believe the pyramids in Egypt are landing platforms for spaceships.

[Cato]

From the linked blog:

Most atheists of colour aren’t looking for a White massa to run a collective atheist plantation.

Guess what? Neither are most atheists of any color.

[vodkafan]

And I have read articles by minority 'scientists' who believe the pyramids in Egypt are landing platforms for spaceships.

Hey that's silly the spaceships would just slide off down the sides

[Zack]

I agree with that blog about atheists/theists preaching to you being annoying, but calling them closeted white supremacists because they don't take criticism well is absurd. Her argument is: White male atheists don't like to be criticized by black female atheists, ergo, they are closeted white supremacists. Telling someone you think they are full of shit and/or you don't believe them isn't likely to be taken well...by anyone of any race. If that person does exist, I haven't met him/her anyway. I am going to assume the people she refers to have big or delicate egos before I call them closet Klansmen. She makes a whopper of an assumption based on what she thinks the other person is assuming. It wouldn't surprise me if she thought I was a woman hating Nazi for writing this. There should be a word for that. Like asshole or something. It is both gender and racially neutral.

[Faith No More]

I'm a mentally ill atheist, and I don't see white or black atheists doing anything for me and my bretheren.

Should I callously throw around accusations of prejudice, or should I come to the realization that it's ludicrous to expect an organization to address issues that aren't directly related to its cause?

[Brian37]

We do not have an image problem, anymore than Galileo should have had one. Getting angry at sexism, bigotry, homophobia, religious violence and attacks on science are what sane people do. Theists have a use of logic problem, they should not be blaming us for the stories someone else sold them that are simply not true.

[Thumpalumpacus]

There may well be racists atheists, no doubt. I suspect that they represent a small proportion of atheists as a whole, and know for sure they don't represent me, a member of a multi-racial family.

[Mister Agenda]

It would be nice if more 'atheists of color' joined active atheist groups.

[Bibliofagus]

There's also no atheist kkk. Fucking atheists with their liberal bias!