The Atheism Plus "movement" -- good, bad, ugly?

[Coito ergo sum]

O.k., so this was mentioned in the Civil War Within Skepticism thread, but maybe it deserves its own discussion.

Now, the folks at Freethought Blogs, the "Blag Hag" (whose blog is phonetic play on the words "Fag Hag" - a woman who gets off on hanging around gay men) http://freethoughtblogs.com/blaghag/2012/08/atheism/ , Greta Christina http://freethoughtblogs.com/greta/2012/ ... r-atheism/ and others have started this movement called Atheism Plus. They say they are "atheists, plus [insert political belief X here]."

As such, they claim not to be dividing, but merely "improving" the atheist movement.

I oppose this in principle, because I think that Atheism + is deceptive and confusing. Humanism, Secular Humanism, and other such terms can be used when folks are joining a movement to advance particular political views, but atheism just means "not believing in gods."

To say they aren't dividing the movement is absolutely bone-chillingly ignorant on their part, IMHO. I mean - one segment of atheists are Objectivists. They have no place in the Atheism Plus movement, because they are the wrong kind of atheist. Any pro-Life atheist is not a real atheist in their mind. They are, no matter how they slice it, just creating a subset of atheists dedicated to certain political views. That's fine and all, but I wish they'd call themselves something else.

[Bella Fortuna]

but atheism just means "not believing in gods."

Exactly. Anything else amongst atheists is diverse and wide-ranging.

This looks to me like simply someone's list of pet hates. Which is fine - there are some important issues listed there. What I don't care for about using atheism as an umbrella for all this stuff is that if you don't want to subscribe to the crusade's context then you'll be painted as for all of those things, which is not the case.

[Clinton Huxley]

I'm in the Atheists Popular Front. They are just splitters.

[Coito ergo sum]

Yes, and what prompted this movement appears to be the desire to "run people out of the movement." Throughout Freethoughtblogs is the concept that they are the "leaders" of "the movement" and those folks, like libertarians, Randians, pro-Lifers, men's rights advocates, and anyone who doesn't recoil in horror when a woman is propositioned, aren't needed...

I guess I like the fact that they've decided to take the plunge and call it something different -- Atheist Plus -- i can, at least, say "I'm an atheist, but I'm not an Atheist Plus." And, I can only hope that their movement ends up having the same fate as the Brights movement. That whole idea was a monstrosity.

[Coito ergo sum]

I'm in the Atheists Popular Front. They are just splitters.

Is that the Peoples Front of Atheism?

[Clinton Huxley]

I'm in the Atheists Popular Front. They are just splitters.

Is that the Peoples Front of Atheism?

fuck off! We hate those guys!

[JacksSmirkingRevenge]

They seem to have that many agendas that they may as well just drop the 'atheist' tag and call themselves something else.

[Clinton Huxley]

I expect I will have to sit a test to get in

[JacksSmirkingRevenge]

I expect I will have to sit a test to get in

You'd better brush up on your 'Frothing at the mouth and denouncing people" skills.

[Clinton Huxley]

I expect I will have to sit a test to get in

You'd better brush up on your 'Frothing at the mouth and denouncing people" skills.

frothing I can do but my denouncing is a little rusty

[Clinton Huxley]

Its all terribly earnest.

[Animavore]

Or as I like to call it The Do As I Say Not As I Do Movement.

If I wanted a movement I'd take laxatives.

[Tero]

If there is anything political in atheism, it is to limit the moral restrictions of fundies.

But then we get into the definition of morals and cant agree.O

[Jaygray]

‘Atheism Plus’ sounds like an advertisement for new improved washing powder, and I would take any claims to its efficacy with the same truckload of salt I would use for any other piece of demographic marketing. I bet the name will fit on a T shirt wonderfully.

I would look twice at any idea with an FtB badge on it anyway, because as far as I am concerned they are totally discredited. Generalisation? Yep.

Also, if whoever has come up with this imagines that a doctrinaire approach to Atheism is anything other than abject silliness, then we are not exactly dealing with intellectual heavyweights.

However if they want their own train set to play with they’re welcome; it makes zero difference to me.

[Coito ergo sum]

I expect I will have to sit a test to get in

You'd better brush up on your 'Frothing at the mouth and denouncing people" skills.

frothing I can do but my denouncing is a little rusty

Well, I, for one, can't abide anyone who would let others remain full of nounce without taking swift and sure action.