Pie Palace

A couple of years back I wrote a javascript version of a quasi-diagnostic test used to help diagnose Asperger syndrome. I wrote it for a lark: I was working with peeps that were socially awkward (like me), and I wanted to play with javascript. I stuck it on this blog and forgot about it.

Today I noticed a link from Common Sense Atheism pissing on some god-botherer’s ebook. It turns out that my AQ test has been tramping around the intertubes and is now moonlighting in theist/freethinker debates.

The apple falls close to the tree.

When OC Transpo tried to prevent atheist ads from appearing on buses, I started thinking a bit more about my philosophy. I’m an atheist. In general, I have no problem with religion, as long as people don’t use it as a weapon against others (that’s a shout-out to you al Qaeda! And you too, Jerry), or as an excuse to harm themselves (I’m looking at you, Jehovah’s Witnesses). So, as an atheist, I thought I’d start reading what other atheists had to say.

And I got bored.

There are plenty of atheist blogs out there, but they spend a lot of time talking about religion. Like 99.9% of their time. I don’t get it. Consider how far women’s magazines would have gotten if they spent all their time talking about how lame men are. Or where Sports Illustrated would be if every issue was “Chess sucks!” Or if Playboy was full of pictures of naked guys, just to show how ugly men are.

I’m an atheist. If you want me to read your blog, stop writing about religion.

I ended up emailing Ebon, who posts to Daylight Atheism. I asked him why there was so much religion on his blog. In response, he wrote back:

First is the trivial answer: [...] I keep a cache of posts that I wrote some time earlier and can release at my convenience, so the site doesn’t go dark for too long. Since these stored posts have to be timeless, many of them are about philosophical or theological topics rather than current events. [...] I think it helps to be a knowledgeable and well-equipped atheist, and I find human culture fascinating no matter how it manifests itself.

Second, and maybe more importantly: While I do write about positive atheism and humanism as often as possible, I want to maintain a balance. And one thing I’ve found is that posts which pick a fight, or disassemble an argument, often get more hits and more attention than posts which promote atheism as a positive worldview. [...] That’s not something I’m thrilled about, but that’s how it is. I don’t want my site to be all arguing all the time, but to keep things lively, it does help to stir the pot on occasion.

(I’ve abridged his response – I’ll post the whole thing in the comments)

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy reading his Contributions of Freethinkers series, and some of the other posts up there. But I just don’t care about the fiddly bits of Christianity, and how demonstrably wrong they are.

I hope this is a phase in the growth of atheism. Many posters to these blogs talk about “deconversion”¹ or how they decided that religion wasn’t for them. My hope is that these are first generation atheists who are reacting against their upbringing, and that their kids will be able to be atheists who don’t care about religion, and are able to write blogs that can talk about atheism itself.

It’s too bad. I enjoy my atheism because it doesn’t force me into anything. I enjoy being able to construct my own morality. I enjoy being ethically responsible to myself. I’d like to see what my fellow atheists think about their newfound world view. I’d love to know what society would be like if atheism was the dominant philosophy. It’s a pity that I haven’t been able to find a blog that scratches that itch.

1. For a well written deconversion story, take a look at Confessions of an Atheist. (back)

Today is the day that Ottawa city council votes on whether atheist bus ads should be allowed on OC Transpo’s property. For those who haven’t been following this tempest in a teapot, the ads feature the sacrelicious message “There probably is no god, so relax and enjoy life,” and the alleged controversy comes from OC Transpo staff disallowing the ads. Ironically, the religious leaders interviewed on CBC and in the Citizen don’t seem to care about the ads.

So why should they be allowed?

First, this is a freedom of speech issue. Bus ads promoting various philosophies have appeared on OC Transpo property for as long as I’ve been in Ottawa. In 2004 we had the Alpha Campaign, trying to convince wayward christians to return to the fold (while offering backhanded insults to athiests). More recently there have been ads for SupremeMaster.net, a weirdly amorphous (if seemingly harmless) eastern-inspired cryptoreligion. Our bus company must not be allowed to prevent specific philosophies from entering public discourse.¹

Second, the ads are not offensive. The ads have seemingly been disallowed because the statement “there probably is no god” is offensive to some group. We’re never told who that group is. Nor has anyone publicly grieved. It’s as if OC Transpo is holding a protest, but forgot to tell anyone to show up.

Third, the ads are affirming. Atheists don’t have much of a support group – we don’t have an annual athiest party; we don’t get together to talk about how important our values are; nor do we hijack political parties. As such, atheists don’t get to see each other very much. It’s pretty easy to feel like the only one of your kind. Add to that the overt religious references in our society², and it’s pretty easy to start feeling like you’re all alone. Just hearing about the atheist bus ads in London made me feel good – not because I really like the ads, but because I’m reminded that other people share my philosophy, and that I’m not alone.

Here’s hoping that City Council does the right thing.

1. Do you really want an organization that can’t manage to negotiate with its own employees to act as an arbiter on the marketplace of ideas? (back)
2. • semi-mandatory prayer in schools,
   • religion on TV,
   • pervading evangelical Christianity since 9/11,
   • occasional attempts at conversion
   (back)

According to the Citizen, bus ads stating “There’s probably no god. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life” are being planned for Ottawa. You can donate to their purchase at atheistbus.ca or the Freethought Association of Canada websites.