New Atheists Are Neither a Minority nor Heirs of the Civil Rights Movement

[rug]

Posted: 03/ 8/2012 5:13 pm
Nathalie Rothschild.Freelance writer; Correspondent, spiked

For some Americans, atheism is clearly an emotional issue. A HuffPost piece I wrote this week about so-called "New Atheists" who urge fellow God-deniers to "come out" provoked a slew of comments in public fora and in private e-mails. Many seem offended, irritated and outraged by my comments. Some accused me of being an "agent of religion."

In short, I argued that the idea that closet-atheists need to be coaxed out into the open and that they need to claim the right to rally together as proud non-believers comes across as a self-victimising project inspired by identity politics and therapeutic thinking more than secular principles. I questioned whether atheists really are an oppressed minority in America and concluded that the Reason Rally taking place in Washington, D.C. later this month is not worth coming out for.

Among the comments were some emotional reactions as well as interesting anecdotes that gave me a better understanding of why some atheists feel the need to identify as a minority and rally together on the National Mall. Many asked me to respond so here are my comments on the most repeated points made by my detractors.

Atheists are the most hated minority in America, didn't you know?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nathalie-rothschild/new-atheists-are-not-an-oppressed-minority_b_1331079.html

[EvolveOrConvolve]

1. Nathalie Rothschild is an asshole

She's pretty good at building strawmen then beating the shit out of them, all the while saying "see how SMART I am?" Anyone who argues against civil rights marches is probably not only an asshole, but a world-class asshole.

[rug]

2. Is this why you're calling her an asshole?

"When New Atheists compare themselves to black civil-rights activists and to gay-rights activists (that's what all the talk of "coming out" is about), this is a way of showing that they are oppressed and shunned and that their "struggle" is unquestionably a morally correct one.

"Well, there are undoubtedly true and very unfortunate cases of atheist kids being bullied in school or adults being nervous of going against the grain of the religious communities they live in. Luckily, though, people who don't believe in God are not facing the repression and discrimination in America today that blacks once did.

"Atheists are not denied the right to vote, receive education, work or use public transport. They are not subjected to state violence. The Reason Rally participants do not have to fear the police showing up with batons, attack dogs and water cannons, as did happen when black people gathered to demand their rights in the 1950s and '60s. In short, New Atheists are no heirs of Martin Luther King, and the Reason Rally bears no resemblance to the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. It seems pretty obvious."

[EvolveOrConvolve]

4. Nathalie Rothschild is an asshole

A world-class asshole.

[rug]

7. A well-reasoned response.

[EvolveOrConvolve]

8. Doesn't take much reasoning to call an asshole an asshole

She's an asshole.

[rug]

9. Can't say that's persuasive.

[EvolveOrConvolve]

11. Wasn't trying to be persuasive

My intent was to inform rather than to persuade. She's an asshole.

[onager]

10. A European asshole, no less.

Rothschild grew up in that hotbed of Fundamentalism, Sweden.

Then she emigrated to that other well-known theocratic hellhole, Britain.

She doesn't know jack-shit about American religious mania. Apparently she missed the recent fatwas emanating from Rick "Rabid" Santorum, the death threats against atheist Jessica Ahlquist, etc. etc.

IOW, a typical web anti-atheist commentator - too lazy to Google and too cement-headed to read anything that might contradict her stereotypes.

Here's a good response to her at Friendly Atheist:

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2012/03/06/nathalie-rothschild-is-wrong-the-reason-rally-is-worth-attending/

[longship]

3. Straw man after straw man

Rubbish article. Really pissed me off.

Ms. Rothschild, I recommend that you stay away from the Reason Rally. Then you don't have to worry about it.

Meanwhile our community will continue to make the arguments we have been making.

You, Madame, are part of the problem.

[HockeyMom]

5. Catholic School made me an athiest

The beginnngs were as a 15 year old mostly on the BC issue. The icing on the cake was with my tubal pregnancy. My life was disposable. A DOOMED EMBRYO was worth more than me. That pushed me over the edge.

[Jim__]

6. "The billboard wars in America between religious people and atheists seem pretty childish ..."

I have to agree with that.

[2ndAmForComputers]

12. Wait, more than 50% of people are atheists?

That's news to me.