Survival Arts: Quote of the Day

December 26, 2006

Quote of the Day

I think the hidden benefit of Islamic extremism is that it freed the atheists from their closets. The old mindset in the United States was that almost any religion was good, and atheism was bad. But since 9/11, atheism has moved above Islam in the rankings, at least in the minds of Christians and Jews in the United States.

Ask a deeply religious Christian if he’d rather live next to a bearded Muslim that may or may not be plotting a terror attack, or an atheist that may or may not show him how to set up a wireless network in his house. On the scale of prejudice, atheists don’t seem so bad lately.

Scott Adams, Dilbert.Blog, "Atheists: The New Gays"

Posted by Russell Whitaker at December 26, 2006 09:53 PM | TrackBack

Comments

With the publication of Richard Dawkins' new book and so forth, I would say that it is definitely easier in some places to say, out loud, that you are an atheist and not get a bad reaction. I guess it still depends on which part of the world you are in, though. In England, I would say that religion, at least amongst the supposedly Christian parts of the population, has been in steady decline, not so much because of an upswing in rationality, as in a sort of tiredness and growing cynicism about the state-backed church.
In the USA, I read that it is still difficult for an open atheist to go for political high office. In Europe, it does not matter much, except in the very Catholic parts. As for the rest of the world, it might be okay to be an atheist in say, Japan, possibly, but many other places are incredibly hostile to free-thinkers.

Posted by: Tom B on January 3, 2007 04:03 AM

I'm still not ready to wear a t-shirt that says "No God" in North Carolina.

It's a LOT of fun watching Dawkins get in the faithfull's faces.

Posted by: Curt Howland on January 9, 2007 05:43 PM

The tide is turning and it feels as though naturalism has a chance to really make headway against superstition for the first time I can remember.

Posted by: Thank goodness on January 26, 2007 10:16 AM

The tide is turning and it feels as though naturalism has a chance to really make headway against superstition for the first time I can remember.

Posted by: Alex on January 26, 2007 10:17 AM

Posted by: karl on July 30, 2007 09:12 AM

http://www.muralsplus.com/discus/messages/9/aviator-sun-glasses-173429.html
http://www.muralsplus.com/discus/messages/9/bolle-sun-glasses-173430.html
http://www.muralsplus.com/discus/messages/9/maui-jim-sun-glasses-173431.html
http://www.muralsplus.com/discus/messages/9/oakley-sun-glasses-173432.html
http://www.muralsplus.com/discus/messages/9/polarized-sun-glasses-173433.html
http://www.muralsplus.com/discus/messages/9/ray-ban-sun-glasses-173434.html
http://www.muralsplus.com/discus/messages/9/sun-glasses-hut-173435.html
http://www.lateralpuzzles.com/discus/messages/2928/Bath-and-body-works-coupon-18167.html
http://www.lateralpuzzles.com/discus/messages/2928/Bath-tub-liner-18168.html
http://www.lateralpuzzles.com/discus/messages/2928/Bath-tub-refinishing-18169.html
http://www.lateralpuzzles.com/discus/messages/2928/Bed-and-bath-beyond-com-18170.html
http://www.lateralpuzzles.com/discus/messages/2928/Bed-bath-and-beyond-bridal-registry-18171.html
http://www.lateralpuzzles.com/discus/messages/2928/Bed-bath-and-beyond-18172.html
http://www.thinkice.de/discus/messages/37/Bed-bath-and-beyond-coupon-21065.html
http://www.thinkice.de/discus/messages/37/Bed-bath-and-beyond-printable-coupon-21066.html
http://www.thinkice.de/discus/messages/37/Clawfoot-bath-tub-21067.html
http://www.thinkice.de/discus/messages/37/Kohler-bath-tub-21068.html
http://www.thinkice.de/discus/messages/37/Sitz-bath-21069.html

Posted by: karl on July 30, 2007 09:13 AM

[url=http://www.muralsplus.com/discus/messages/9/aviator-sun-glasses-173429.html]aviator sun glasses[/url] | [url=http://www.muralsplus.com/discus/messages/9/bolle-sun-glasses-173430.html]bolle sun glasses[/url] | [url=http://www.muralsplus.com/discus/messages/9/maui-jim-sun-glasses-173431.html]maui jim sun glasses[/url] | [url=http://www.muralsplus.com/discus/messages/9/oakley-sun-glasses-173432.html]oakley sun glasses[/url] | [url=http://www.muralsplus.com/discus/messages/9/polarized-sun-glasses-173433.html]polarized sun glasses[/url] | [url=http://www.muralsplus.com/discus/messages/9/ray-ban-sun-glasses-173434.html]ray ban sun glasses[/url] | [url=http://www.muralsplus.com/discus/messages/9/sun-glasses-hut-173435.html]sun glasses hut[/url] | [url=http://www.lateralpuzzles.com/discus/messages/2928/Bath-and-body-works-coupon-18167.html]Bath and body works coupon[/url] | [url=http://www.lateralpuzzles.com/discus/messages/2928/Bath-tub-liner-18168.html]Bath tub liner[/url] | [url=http://www.lateralpuzzles.com/discus/messages/2928/Bath-tub-refinishing-18169.html]Bath tub refinishing[/url] | [url=http://www.lateralpuzzles.com/discus/messages/2928/Bed-and-bath-beyond-com-18170.html]Bed and bath beyond com[/url] | [url=http://www.lateralpuzzles.com/discus/messages/2928/Bed-bath-and-beyond-bridal-registry-18171.html]Bed bath and beyond bridal registry[/url] | [url=http://www.lateralpuzzles.com/discus/messages/2928/Bed-bath-and-beyond-18172.html]Bed bath and beyond[/url] | [url=http://www.thinkice.de/discus/messages/37/Bed-bath-and-beyond-coupon-21065.html]Bed bath and beyond coupon[/url] | [url=http://www.thinkice.de/discus/messages/37/Bed-bath-and-beyond-printable-coupon-21066.html]Bed bath and beyond printable coupon [/url] | [url=http://www.thinkice.de/discus/messages/37/Clawfoot-bath-tub-21067.html]Clawfoot bath tub[/url] | [url=http://www.thinkice.de/discus/messages/37/Kohler-bath-tub-21068.html]Kohler bath tub[/url] | [url=http://www.thinkice.de/discus/messages/37/Sitz-bath-21069.html]Sitz bath[/url]

Posted by: karl on July 30, 2007 09:13 AM

Posted by: karl on July 30, 2007 09:39 AM

viagra online | buy phentermine | phentermine online | buy tramadol | buy viagra

Posted by: buy viagra on August 1, 2007 06:31 AM

"...or an atheist that may or may not show him how to set up a wireless network in his house..."

For the record, strong religious conviction doesn't equal technological illiteracy.

I have no qualms with atheism. I have friends who I learned were atheists long after I became friends with them.

Although people will probably not like me for saying this, I think that proponents of secularism would have an easier time getting their ideas across if they were a little nicer to religous peoples, and didnt talk down to them(I am speaking of the world at large, not the crazy, burn-in-hell christians, or the fanatic muslims).

By world at large, I mean the moderately religous, who make up most of the believers of religion. These people tend to get turned off by soundbites like these:

"If I could wave a magic wand and get rid of either rape or religion, I would not hesitate to get rid of religion."-Sam Harris

That still leaves rape. Eiether way, for better and for worse, I know that he is not a typical atheist.

Bottom line: I'm not saying I don't accept atheism, I have no issues with it. I just think you guys need to rethink how to sell this to the religous peoples of the world.

The Sam Harris quote can be found here:

http://www.thesunmagazine.org/issues/369/the_temple_of_reason?page=2

Posted by: zip on September 6, 2007 10:20 PM