3 Comments

Ray Ingles
March 13th, 2012 | 10:26 am

Liebowitz’s piece is ill-informed in several ways. As to the main point, the billboards themselves, they don’t represent the views of all atheists. But the idea that they are unnecessarily “incendiary” is silly.

There were the ones in Iowa and Ohio, that simply said “Don’t believe in God? You’re not alone.” Essentially, they just said ‘more than one atheist exists’ and yet there were threats of violence.

Most recently, Justin Vacula decided to try a test. He tried to run a bus ad that simply had one word – “Atheists” – and the websites of two local atheist groups. It was rejected. Apparently the only way for atheists to not be offensive is to not make their presence known at all?

But there are other inaccuracies. For example, anyone who’d read Dawkins’ “The God Delusion” wasn’t surprised by his recently-quoted statements – he said the same thing in the book. The ‘excitement’ was almost entirely on the theist side, since it didn’t fit the “atheist = ‘militant’ atheist” stereotype.

Blake
March 13th, 2012 | 11:14 am

For example, anyone who’d read Dawkins’ “The God Delusion”

Yeah, clearly nobody’s trying to paint religious people as delusional or anything /snark

The only thing all atheists share in common is their rejection of religion. When you’re defining yourselves solely in terms of your resentment toward rival belief systems, then whether you’re being hateful or merely negative is only a matter of degree.

It’s easy to say what isn’t, and to ridicule others’ beliefs. But if you want to be taken as a positive force, you should define yourself according to what you believe in a positive sense, not just knocking down and tearing down others’ beliefs.

Ray Ingles
March 13th, 2012 | 11:54 am

Blake –


It’s easy to say what isn’t, and to ridicule others’ beliefs.

Climate-change and evolution denialists have certainly found it so, yes.

But if something is wrong, as in factually incorrect, then it’s no sin – and indeed a service – to point out that it’s wrong.

if you want to be taken as a positive force, you should define yourself according to what you believe in a positive sense

Of course, a lot of atheists do. Mostly they value truth, and giving credence only to what can actually be known. Examining claims to see if they can be demonstrated and backed up.