The Image Problem With Atheism in America

[CapnAwesome]

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

That is stupid, inaccurate, offensive and not worthy of comment beyond that.

[Polaris]

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


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

That is stupid, inaccurate, offensive and not worthy of comment beyond that.

So pretty much true then.

[LivingNumbers6.626]

There are so many things I would like to refute, but many have already did. But I would like to concede that, atleast here in SD, the atheist community (secular, humanist, whatever) could use a lot of improvement. Coming out of religion, and the sort of financial and material support one can receive from religion makes the atheist contribution look rather pubescent. But, we don't manipulate our fellow atheists promising virgins, riches, and godly power (or all the opposite) after death and hence the people who do work and donate in the atheist community do it from their true philanthropic nature, not through some scare of hell or promise of omnipotence.

Though this is quite the double edged sword, good because most atheists are pretty damn genuine, we have nothing to manipulate those atheists who don't care so much. BUT...though you don't see atheists painting walls and handing "god loves you" bumper stickers, many atheist place a lot of value in their profession. It's called being secular and I know many atheist who do a damn good job changing lives being secular in various secular activities.

[Ryantology]

That is stupid, inaccurate, offensive and not worthy of comment beyond that.

So pretty much true then.

truth (n)
1. something that is stupid, inaccurate, offensive, and unworthy of further comment

If this is how Christians define 'truth', I can understand why they find so much of it in the Bible. No other definition of the word is even remotely compatible with it.

[Esquilax]

That is stupid, inaccurate, offensive and not worthy of comment beyond that.

So pretty much true then.

I don't get you. Why do you find this kind of contrarian point scoring appealing?

[FlowingFlame]

I don't get you. Why do you find this kind of contrarian point scoring appealing?

Pretty much everything I've seen out of this guy smacks of this dishonest non-debate garbage. Seems the type just looking for something to go clamboring back to his Xtian buddies for high fives and totally non-gay back thumps (totally...) for "Absolutely DESTROYING some Atheists!"

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?se...%204:29-32

Tsk Tsk Tsk

[Thumpalumpacus]

Pretty sure Alabama is the South....you're just mad because where you live is the laughing stock of the United States and for good reason as well.

You'll notice that I didn't disagree with that.

I only had to go one mile out of the DC to see "The South Will Rise Again," but even that area was much less like the South than Washington D.C.. Anyone who's been to all parts of the city knows just how awful it truly is...basically 3rd World nations have better statistics than Washington D.C.

So what? I've seen Conferderate flag bumper-stickers in Southern California. Does that make it part of the South?

I saw those better qualities, which was why I stated good things about Williamsburg and the region of North Carolina I visited. Your stereotypical pro-American BS keeps you focusing on the worst of perceptions people have about you.

Nonsense. What is irksome is your tendency to overgeneralize, and extrapolate the worst of what you saw to everyone from the South. That marks you as a bigot, in your own way.

Good to know that you enlightened Europeans can be just as dumb as the worst of us Americans.

[Polaris]

So pretty much true then.

I don't get you. Why do you find this kind of contrarian point scoring appealing?

Ryan...I would have stated the same if I were an atheist...politician truths as Capn stated don't fly with me.

It's not my fault you have atheists in America who refuse to acknowledge the many criticisms about their lack of connection to non-whites. It's an area that fellow atheists in that nation have brought up as a major issue. The few times they have tried, they ended up putting their foot in their mouths by being quite incentive, such as a billboard featuring an African American as a slave.

Thump. Southern California is part of the southern regions of the United States as it is part of the American Southwest. I guess thinking that Williamsburg is the best part of the United States means that it must not be in the South per your statement....oh wait it is which makes your statement like swiss cheese.

I find it humorous when you people whine when when others overgeneralize about the type of people you associate with yet you have no issues doing the same towards other groups.

Pretty much everything I've seen out of this guy smacks of this dishonest non-debate garbage. Seems the type just looking for something to go clamboring back to his Xtian buddies for high fives and totally non-gay back thumps (totally...) for "Absolutely DESTROYING some Atheists!"

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?se...%204:29-32

Tsk Tsk Tsk

The Christians don't gloat about taking down American atheists. They just seem to be concerned about you.

The atheists on the other hand just want to make sure you don't embarrass them by having others think all atheists are like you guys.

[FlowingFlame]

The Christians don't gloat about taking down American atheists. They just seem to be concerned about you.

Wholly untrue. I've seen it, I've overheard it, I've had decent Christians come up and tell me about exactly this kind of bullshit going on behind my back.

Hey, I get not wanting your side to be full of assholes but unfortunately they're still people, people are universally assholes. We all have to deal with that. Get over it.

The atheists on the other hand just want to make sure you don't embarrass them by having others think all atheists are like you guys.

Hmmm ~scans up one inch~

I find it humorous when you people whine when when others overgeneralize about the type of people you associate with yet you have no issues doing the same towards other groups.

Wow. Pot and Kettle in the same reply. Humorous indeed!

[Bad Wolf]

It's not my fault you have atheists in America who refuse to acknowledge the many criticisms about their lack of connection to non-whites.

We refuse to acknowledge them because they aren't relevant. Atheism has nothing to do with race.

It's an area that fellow atheists in that nation have brought up as a major issue.

No it isn't. That is the first time I have ever seen anyone complaining about the issue and the article was clearly written by a black guy with serious prejudice, it was full of buzzwords.