Richard Dawkins has a bright idea: Atheists are the new gays. Is he joking? Not at all. The bestselling author of The God Delusion has been suggesting for two years now that atheists can follow the example of gays. You see, gays have found a good name. Gays used to be called homosexual, but then they decided to pick a positive-sounding name like "gay." Suddenly the meaning of the term "gay" was entirely appropriated by homosexuals. Dawkins cited this example in advocating that atheists call themselves "brights." After all, atheist is a somewhat negative term because it defines itself by what it is opposed to. "Bright" sounds so much happier and, more important, smarter. "Bright" kind of reflects the high opinion that atheists have of their own intellectual abilities. Even the stupidest village atheist gets to pat himself on the back and place himself in the tradition of science and philosophy by calling himself a "bright."
Dawkins has also suggested that atheists, like gays, should come out of the closet. Well, what if they don't want to? I don't know if Dawkins would support "outing" atheists. Can an atheist "rights" group be far behind? Hate crimes laws to protect atheists? Affirmative action for unbelievers? An Atheist Annual Parade, complete with dancers and floats? Atheist History Month?
Honestly, I think the whole atheist-gay analogy is quite absurd. How bright is it for Dawkins to urge atheists to come out of the closet in the style of the all-American boy standing up on the dining table of his public high school and confessing that he is a homosexual? Dawkins, being British, doesn't seem to recognize that this would not win many popularity contests in America. And if Dawkins' public relations skills seem lacking in this area, they are positively abysmal when they come to building support for science. Remember that Dawkins is professor of the public understanding of science. He has a chair funded by a Microsoft multimillionaire. If I were that guy, I'd withdraw the support, not because I disagree with Dawkins, but because I think he is setting back the cause of science. Basically Dawkins is saying if you are religious, then science is your enemy. Either you choose God or you choose science. No wonder that so many Americans say they are opposed to evolution. They believe that evolution is atheism masquerading as science, and Dawkins confirms their suspicions. Indeed Dawkins takes the same position as the most ignorant fundamentalist: you can have Darwin or you can have the Bible but you can't have both.
Dawkins is in some ways a terrible representative for atheism, which I'm glad about because a bad cause deserves a bad leader. He is also a terrible advocate for science, which I'm sad about because science deserves all the support it can get.
Reader Comments ( Page 30 of 30)
436. THEISM and CRETINISM: MYTHICAL AND UNSCIENTIFIC.
http://www.talkorigins.org
Those who complain about homosexuality are just repressed homosexuals.
http://www.geocities.com/gallantcrow/denial.html
Knight_of_BAAWA at 9:42AM on Nov 13th 2007
437. doc, your intellect astounds me. How did you get so smrt?? What I really wonder is how you came to know my true life's calling.
All sarcasm aside, resorting to personal attacks in an argument is just the same as saying, 'I lose.' I could post my real occupation, name, and whatever else about myself here, but it is unimportant, and completely irrelevant to the discussion at hand. If you have nothing better to add to a debate or discussion other than personal attacks, I suggest you repeat the fifth grade.
clud at 10:54AM on Nov 13th 2007
438. Doc runs out of bullets after all his shots missed (never realizing he had blanks to begin with) and resorts to throwing the gun at you.
fabio at 12:34PM on Nov 13th 2007
439. This has nothing to do with Dinesh. I just thought that it's a great bit of news. Ed Early
This year Islam and Judaism's Holiest Holidays overlapped for 10 days. During this time:
Muslims racked up 397 dead bodies in 94 terror attacks in 10 countries.
Jews obtained their 159th Nobel Prize Winner.
Ed Early at 1:44PM on Nov 13th 2007
440. I understand that Keith Olberman named Mr. D'Souza
the worst person in the world. I disagree. I think Osama Bin Laden and Ann Coulter are worse. Mr. D'Souza is merely the stupidest. I've got news for you, Dinesh baby: Every clown running for office unfortunate enough to have an (R) by his or her name next year is vulnerable to defeat thanks to you alienating former convservatives such as myself. You've managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of the victory Republicans claimed with Reagan and no one is going to take you seriously for the next fifty years or until your buddies Duke Cunningham, Jeff Skilling, DeLay, Gonzalez, etc. finish their prison sentences, which ever happens last.
royhobbs at 2:15PM on Nov 13th 2007
441. According to Knight (435) “Those who complain about homosexuality are just repressed homosexuals.”
Using that same logic, those who complain about atheists are just repressed atheists and those who complain about Christians are just repressed Christians?
Go figure.
ray at 1:55AM on Nov 14th 2007
442. CRETINISM AND CHRISTIANITY: UNSCIENTIFIC AND MYTHICAL.
http://www.talkorigins.org
Knight_of_BAAWA at 9:46AM on Nov 14th 2007
443. Oh look--pathological liar ray has lied again. What a surprise!
Knight_of_BAAWA at 9:46AM on Nov 14th 2007
444. Why would atheists have to be the new gays, when homosexuality is ramoant amongst believers ??
Isnt that why so many "straight" men go to church in the first place ? isnt that whay so many priests and ministers like to touch lil boys ?? Isnt that why so many republicans are closet gays ??
I dont even think you can comprehend the mind if a humanist.. Its why "we" can be so arrogant.. we can see your fears, the fears fueled by belief in thing you cannot prove, which in turn leads to your insecurities..
I know it pisses you intellectual tyoes off to know that people actually live without the crap that floats arounds in your collective heads..
gay... lol.. peg all you wish..
Anthony Agarrat at 9:50PM on Nov 26th 2007
445. MJZimmer88,
I'm sure your "appology" and your appreciation of a dumb cartoon's take on a serious religion will prove to everyone how smart you are.
hyllaeria at 6:52PM on Dec 14th 2007