Tag » Bigotry

Bigotry is prejudice, but specifically intolerant prejudice.

You’re not helping

Posted , by Indiana, under Freethought

I’ve been busy helping my dad bring his music career into the 21st century, so I’m going to offer this old post I wrote. It was originally a Diaspora* post made after yet another complaint about atheists who speak out. Recent events have brought an old issue back up, and I posted an old Diaspora* post in anticipation of writing about them. That older post references and links to the previous version of this post, but unfortunately, you cannot view it unless you’re on the Diaspora* network. So, for completeness, I am reposting it here.

When people started fighting the evils of racism, there were inevitably those who claimed they were above both sides of the debate. They condemned those who were racist. But then they also condemned those who spoke out against the racists, calling them “uppity”, and accusing them of merely wanting to reverse the racism rather than ending it. (more…)

There are more than two options

Posted , by Indiana, under Freethought

Sometimes it’s like I’m speaking a different language to other atheist activists. I say, “do not tolerate religion where it does not belong, but be strategic about how you respond to it”, and they hear, “we have to accommodate religion, or pander to it, to achieve our goals”. It’s hard to react to seeing your point totally misinterpreted like this with any response other than a facepalm. (more…)

Bigotry, and not getting it

Posted , by Indiana, under Freethought

By some twist of probability, there seems to be a flood of overreaction to imagined bigotry by freethinkers in the news recently. I took Atheist Revolution author vjack to task over it last week, and this week it’s Friendly Atheist Hemant Mehta chiding Saskatoon resident Ashu Solo for flipping out over a prayer at a municipal awards dinner. (more…)

The best weapon against a religious crackpot is their own mouth

Posted , by Indiana, under Freethought

Yesterday, I took blogger vjack to task for an article at Atheist Revolution titled Recognizing Bigotry. My response, titled Recognizing bigotry is trickier than you think chided vjack for zir sloppy argument. But while zir argument may have been sloppy, zir intentions were good, right? That is, while dismissing Anne Graham Hotz as a bigot for the reasons given were wrong, dismissing her as a bigot – assuming one could reasonably show she is – isn’t wrong, right? (more…)