There is No Atheist Community, No Atheist Movement

[cleanhippie]

I want to briefly make the case that there is no atheist community. There are only atheist communities. There is likewise no atheist movement. There is only an atheist momentum. Atheists do not even share the same goals. Again, briefly, because my time is limited, here goes.

A community must have agreed upon leaders but atheists do not have any universally recognized leaders. If you think otherwise then name one. Sam Harris is an agnostic who has been criticized by atheists for his defense of a science based morality and for defending torturing Muslim militants. Christopher Hitchens unfortunately, is dead. But he was criticized by atheists for his defense of Israel. Dawkins is being boycotted by some atheists for a really insensitive and sexist comment. Michael Shermer is criticized for defending capitalism and being somewhat supportive of Ayn Rand. We all know about Paul Kurtz’s unfortunate ousting from CFI (something I don’t care to take sides on). We choose our leaders and we don’t always agree on who they are. We belong to atheist groups and there are many to choose from. A community must have shared understandings, shared goals, and a shared focus, but we do not all share these things. We don’t even agree on whether there should be a secular society, as evidenced by Bruce Sheiman’s book An Atheist Defends Religion: Why Humanity is Better Off with Religion Than Without It.

We are split into accomodationists and confrontationists, activists and academics, politically minded and scientifically minded atheists, debunkers and those who are largely apathetic. Most atheists don’t even bother with atheist communities at all. Others choose their particular communities and support the ones thought of as doing what is important, and they are different for each one of us. Unfortunately, atheist communities act much like churches do, with a struggle for power and influence.

There is no atheist community and no atheist movement. We only have a momentum. This means no one speaks for all atheists. I personally find it appalling when one particular community of atheists think that THEY represent all atheists in a movement that does not exist behind a chosen leader that not all atheists accept and use that power to ostracize and demean other atheists outside that particular community. I am all about treating other atheists as human beings respectfully as much as possible. I can be and am a conciliator who hopes we can all work together when we share the same goals. I embrace all approaches. We need each other and every perspective. When an atheist outside of our chosen community is ignorant there is no reason to blast him into oblivion. We should merely inform him. We need to treat others with respect and dignity as much as possible.

I have already experienced church in my life and it’s not pretty.

http://freethoughtblogs.com/loftus/2012/01/13/there-is-no-atheist-community-no-atheist-movement/

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Interesting points.

[_ed_]

1. Obvious points

I view my atheism the same way I view acupuncture, alchemy, blood-letting, fairies, trolls, ghosts, and astrology. These are all beliefs without a shred of evidence. The difference is that there is a word for those who have examined the evidence in favor of a supernatural god or gods and found such evidence wholly lacking: atheism. There is no similar word for people who have done the same evaluation for alchemy or trolls.

Atheism is the only logical conclusion based on the available facts and evidence. So is concluding that acupuncure has no medical benefit or that alchemy does not produce the chemical results that they claim.

The underlying issue is rational inquiry versus faith or belief.

[backscatter712]

2. Organizing atheists is like herding cats.

You'd end up with the People's Front of Atheism ranting about the Atheist People's Front.

[GliderGuider]

3. Shhh! Who said you could mention the Schism in public like that?

The Evil Atheist Conspiracy does not exist. Nor does the Conspiracy of Evil Atheists!

No second warning will be given.
The Authorities Have Been Notified.

Yours truthily,
The Knights of BAAWA
(Bad-Ass Atheists With Attitude)

[darkstar3]

6. What about the Popular front?

+1

[backscatter712]

14. He's over there...

SPLITTER!!!

[Starboard Tack]

15. You obviously have not seen the documentary film "Troll Hunter"

If you had, you wouldn't be including trolls in you list of phantasmagoria.
Regarding acupuncture, you will find that the NIH, WHO and NHS all find it have proven validity.

[_ed_]

16. Are you serious?

The Troll Hunter was fake: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Troll_Hunter

I'd love to see the studies you cite from the NIH, WHO, and NHS "proving" the "validity" of acupuncture.

This NIH?

"According to the 1997 NIH consensus statement on acupuncture:

Despite considerable efforts to understand the anatomy and physiology of the "acupuncture points", the definition and characterization of these points remains controversial. Even more elusive is the basis of some of the key traditional Eastern medical concepts such as the circulation of Qi, the meridian system, and the five phases theory, which are difficult to reconcile with contemporary biomedical information but continue to play an important role in the evaluation of patients and the formulation of treatment in acupuncture."

"The National Council Against Health Fraud stated in 1990 that acupuncture’s “theory and practice are based on primitive and fanciful concepts of health and disease that bear no relationship to present scientific knowledge.”"

"In 1997, the American Medical Association Council on Scientific Affairs stated:

Critics contend that acupuncturists, including many traditionally trained physicians, merely stick needles in patients as a way to offer another form of treatment for which they can be reimbursed, since many insurance companies will do so. Critical reviews of acupuncture summarized by Hafner and others conclude that no evidence exists that acupuncture affects the course of any disease...Much of the information currently known about these therapies makes it clear that many have not been shown to be efficacious. Well-designed, stringently controlled research should be done to evaluate the efficacy of alternative therapies."

[Starboard Tack]

17. Of course I'm not serious. But it is a fun movie, goofy as it is.

Regarding acupuncture, you might want to check these links. Research has progressed some since the last millennium.

This is a government NIH website
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/acupuncture/

According to the World Health Organization the following are diseases, symptoms or conditions for which acupuncture has been proved-through controlled trials-to be an effective treatment:

Adverse reactions to radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy
Allergic rhinitis (including hay fever)
Biliary colic
Depression (including depressive neurosis and depression following stroke)
Dysentery, acute bacillary
Dysmenorrhoea, primary
Epigastralgia, acute (in peptic ulcer, acute and chronic gastritis, and gastrospasm)
Facial pain (including craniomandibular disorders)
Headache
Hypertension, essential
Hypotension, primary
Induction of labour
Knee pain
Leukopenia
Low back pain
Malposition of fetus, correction of
Morning sickness
Nausea and vomiting
Neck pain
Pain in dentistry (including dental pain and temporomandibular dysfunction)
Periarthritis of shoulder
Postoperative pain
Renal colic
Rheumatoid arthritis
Sciatica
Sprain
Stroke
Tennis elbow
http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/en/d/Js4926e/5.html

And the UK's NHS now pays for acupuncture treatment.
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/acupuncture/Pages/Introduction.aspx

[humblebum]

4. Well, go figure.

http://www.atheistalliance.org/

[laconicsax]

5. LOL!

[cleanhippie]

7. Use your other way of knowing to try and get the point.

Or don't. But whatever you do, please, don't change a thing.

[laconicsax]

8. I love how the first sentence of your post was clearly not read.

I want to briefly make the case that there is no atheist community. There are only atheist communities.

[humblebum]

9. There is no religious community. Only religious communities.

I read it quite thoroughly, and am emphasizing the half-truth of it. The AAI is an alliance of communities as stated on their website.

&feature=player_embedded#!

[onager]

10. We're improving our propaganda, just for you...

(stalin)

[humblebum]

12. You said it, not me. nt

[onager]

13. Right, I forgot you're a literalist...

[rexcat]

11. Did you expect...

anything more?