Atheists turning to cult behaviour?

[Alex K]

I'd be interested to see links to any of this hate speech you have encountered from atheists before, if you can find any.

Vocal women in the atheist movement, especially if they are on the progressive feminist side of things, all report drowning in daily mountains of death and rape threats, topped off by misogynistic photoshop pictures. The vast majority of originators are not hordes of religious people trying to make atheists look bad. These floods of hate tend to peak whenever one of these women mentions anything related to sexism, or when they criticise prominent male atheists. I would call this a well established fact over the past few years, even if I haven't collected a link farm to the countless articles written on the subject.

[robvalue]

Hmmm, really? I've not heard about this. I've heard a lot of whining, and people whining about whining, but I have no idea of the facts. You think these women really are receiving all this stuff? If so that's repulsive. You think it's atheists sending them these hateful things?

[Alex K]

Hmmm, really? I've not heard about this. I've heard a lot of whining, and people whining about whining, but I have no idea of the facts. You think these women really are receiving all this stuff? If so that's repulsive.

It is true, unfortunately. Some like Jen McCreight got more or less forced to stop blogging because they became so depressed. Of course you don't have to agree with these women on everything they do, but that doesn't change the situation.
Sure, it's not Richard Dawkins sending rape threats (I hope) - no one is saying that. There's this weird continuum of prominent people and organizers ignoring the issue, and the scum feeling encouraged by that, and ignorant remarks by prominent people like the entire "Dear Muslima" nonsense firing up the lowlifes without the "Leaders" even noticing or wanting to notice.

[robvalue]

If you are for real FSE and we've had a lot of misunderstandings due to language barrier, then I apologize. I did try really hard to understand, and to try and see what help would be possible.

It appears to me that you may still have the dogmatic thinking of religion hounding you and making you feel like atheism should somehow follow its structure. But it's absolutely nothing like religion. I don't know much about India, but maybe the kind of behaviour you witness is typical there, I don't know. Maybe they don't stop being sexist when they become atheist. I've not witnessed any of this behaviour myself, online of off. I hope one day you can find a group of atheists who are more respectful and that you are comfortable with.

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Hmmm, really? I've not heard about this. I've heard a lot of whining, and people whining about whining, but I have no idea of the facts. You think these women really are receiving all this stuff? If so that's repulsive.

It is true, unfortunately. Of course it's not Richard Dawkins sending rape threats (I hope) - no one is saying that. There's this weird continuum of prominent people and organizers ignoring the issue, and the scum feeling encouraged by that, and ignorant remarks by prominent people like the entire "Dear Muslima" nonsense and worse.

That is really weird, I had no idea. How awful. Why on earth are they ignoring it? I watch the atheist experience all the time and I've not heard anything about this.

What the fuck's the matter with people? Why are they doing this? I find it hard to believe that your average rational sceptic would behave that way and send crap like that.

[Alex K]

I don't want to be top Watsocentric, but it's one prominent example I have in the back of my head
http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/d...reats.html

http://freethoughtblogs.com/blaghag/2012...e-for-now/

[Mister Agenda]

Hello.

I've observed a growing trend in public interactions and online spaces in the way atheists behave.

And you've concluded that those observations are representative of atheists in general. There's a flaw in your reasoning.

Bullying women, insulting gays, alienating anyone who doesn't subscribe to nerd culture.

No demographic is best represented by its online contingent.

Is the lack of humanistic principles in Atheism leading to cult behavior? Or what else explains this?

More likely, humanists don't get much attention because they're less controversial and not looking for arguments online.

It may not be a religion, but most atheists behave exactly like members of organized religion.

It seems pretty unfair to organized religion to classify its identifying characteristics as bullying women, insulting gays, and alienating anyone who doesn't subscribe to nerd culture. Wouldn't actually being organized AND being a collection of beliefs, views, and practices revolving around humanity's moral and spiritual place in the world be a more fair and honest description of organized religion?

Sorry if this has been brought up before. It's a worrying trend.

Your personal anecdotes can't be used to establish a trend regarding anything but your personal experiences.

A lot of late teen, early 20 atheists I've met won't think twice before using 'cunt' or 'faggot', or other such forms merciless insulting.

Neither do a lot of late teen, early 20 theists I've met. Are you sure you're not just getting old and having trouble adjusting to the ways of the young whippersnappers? Because you're describing Millenials, not atheists.

[robvalue]

Errrr what? Am I dreaming? Are you winding me up....? What in the holy fuck's going on!?

Dawkins really wrote that?

[SoFarEast]

"When [you] turned?" What, did an atheist bite you on the neck?

Turned against religion. Geez!!

Becoming an atheist only fixes one of the things you are wrong about.

Yeah, well I'm saying that too. When did I oppose that? When!!

I'd be interested to see links to any of this hate speech you have if encountered from atheists before, if you can find any.

I don't have links. I don't store what I've read so sorry I can't produce them here.

I can't tell you it's there. I've had a friend from a lower caste (if you're familiar with the term) feel unwelcome and made to feel unintelligent. A good friend of mine had her number taken for future meetings and then once the number was passed around had messages sent to her like "Atheism means uninhibited sex, so spread your legs" and a few cock pictures sent to her. There's more and more. Now considering the importance I've seen given to definitions, I don't know if this is hate speech. This constitutes hateful behavior in my opinion.

[Alex K]

While there are issues in the anglophone world, India seems to be a very special can of worms when it comes to misogyny, eh?

[robvalue]

Well, considering what I've just learned in the last half hour, I can fully believe what you are saying. It's absolutely disgusting and I don't know what is the matter with the world. That kind of behaviour is wholly unacceptable.

It seems we had trouble communicating, and for that I apologize. You came across to me like some of the fake people we sometimes get who are pretending to be atheists.

I don't know, what can we do about it? Is there any kind of petition going round or something? I'm shocked to my core.