The particular neckbeardy, fedora wearing, Sam Harris listening trend of atheism was a pretty clear reaction to the evangelical psychosis of the Bush administration.
Other geriatrics here can attest that the character of Christianity at the time was way different than it is now. These days, the fascists are more “culturally Christian” and avoid overt bible apologism. But back in the day, these people were constantly on TV spewing young earth creationism and other shit, and they were largely taken seriously. It’s hard to believe now how much time was spent “debating” evolution back then. The atheist backlash at least affected discourse aesthetically for some time, making these views laughable, which deplatformed a lot of evangelicals or made them hide their power levels on TV.
Some argue that this brand of atheism justifies imperialism. It does so really only in theory. There really is no material basis for atheists in the US to justify an invasion anywhere in the world. The truth is that Christianity is still a far more powerful force for imperialism. Bush said that God told him to invade Iraq. I don’t see any president saying anytime soon that the US needs to secularize a country through force.
If fundamentalist and political religiosity were defeated, then belligerent atheism would dissolve, but the reverse is not true.
Overall, it really does seem like people over emphasize this group of internet no-lifers because of the cultural cringe they manifested.
Tangentially related, but I just remembered everyone flying flags on their car windows after 9/11. So fucking cringe.
Reactionary Christianity is back on an upswing right now. There needs to be a counter.
Nu-atheism is just weaponized white privilege and ultimately is not effective. So we need a new way. Is more or less what I mentioned to say
I didn’t say they’d become comrades or less hateful or selfish.
What I mean is that atheism would cease to be an identity that these people rally behind. They would certainly be assholes in other ways.
Like you say, the athiesm thing is a veneer to justify the violence they benefit from (when directed at enemy nations).
As you say, we’re getting rhetorical, and I’m mostly agreeing with you, but I didn’t say if religion completely disappeared. I said fundamentalist and political religion.
Which is to say, there wouldn’t be a reason to unify behind athiesm as a political identity anymore.
Atheism is deeply enmeshed with empiricism. Atheism is, more than anything else, the position that no evidence for any supernatural entity or phenomena exists. In the absence of religious belief and superstition people would go right on believing in an empirically observable universe devoid of magic.
Just as someone who was around during that time and very conscious of the atheism thing, they absolutely were justifying invasion. Sure they acted appalled at Bush saying god told him to go to war, but they also spent a lot of time talking about how fundamental Islam was a threat to Western enlightenment. When you have Hitchens giving speeches saying that Muslims are dangerous and they have mushroom clouds on their Jihad flags during a time when wacky Christians are leading their own holy war, it’s kinda helping them.
The reddit atheist / tumblr sjw split and it’s consequences have been a disaster for the human race
Honestly… It seems like hexbear has created a synthesis of these things lol. The contradiction has been resolved.
Edit: /s
Come on, after getting dogpiled in that Barry thread because you made a joke and everyone took you seriously, you’re gonna give me shit for this?
It’s cool that you think my post is bad, but it’s not my fault I’m not funny.
