The big criticism I hear about the New Wave of atheism is that we’re all so damn angry. I had not noticed this myself, but maybe it’s because I’m on the inside looking out. The prominent atheists I see on television don’t seem particularly angry. Richard Dawkins comes across as pleasantly English, and Christopher Hitchens appears drunk and belligerent, but in a fun way. (I’m not saying he is drunk. But he does, on occasion, come across that way.) But I wouldn’t describe it as angry.
Then I read Atheists and Anger on Greta Christina’s Blog. I found it through a link on Pharyngula. Turns out, we atheists have a lot to be angry about.
I recommend the article because it is a list that should ring true not just for atheists, but really anyone who lays claim to rational, progressive thinking. I subscribed to the blog’s feed, as well, because Greta Christina seems like one fascinating individual. Check it out.
You know what the Atheist Movement needs, and maybe they have this. They need a poster boy (or girl). Somebody like Mother Theresa who goes out and does really nice, apparently selfless stuff so that the Athiests can do trot his old bones out like the Christians do with Mother Theresa when asked about their tendency towards good.
It needs to be some person who lives a life of high profile poverty serving leppers gruel or something…somebody who goes on camera and says “I’m only doing it for the glory of Humanity.” or some such.
By the way, my services as a PR person for the Atheist Movement are currently for hire. I charge $125 per hour.
In other news, I’m finally adding stuff to my Blog.
Hmm. Atheist saints. Interesting. Anyone have any nominees for beatification?
Totally. Right now I think most folks are suspicious of Atheism cuz they think “Assy” is the default setting for humans. Without some external moral compass, they stick with the Assy default. Moments when people are assy are unsurprising and expected, while moments of Good are, to the religious folks, attributable to the religion.
So there needs to be a poster-boy for how good the individual moral compass can be. Bono is too damn rich to be a good poster-boy. It needs to be a real schmoe…some doofus who doesn’t mind living a life of poverty.