I've been over the following several times but someone on twitter called me a "religtard" so I feel especially confident, like I've leveled up, in addressing a common refrain he used to the effect that no atheist ever killed in the name of God. Apologies if you've heard this before.
If a 100% atheist country invades a 100% Muslim country, slaughters millions and takes their diamonds, stating "Islam is evil and scary" as their rationale, were any atheists responsible for mass-killing? Not according to New Atheist math. As long as you don't say "in the name of the no-God," not only is atheism not responsible, atheists aren't either. By the law (fallacy) of no True Scotsman, they weren't acting AS atheists. This transparent tribalism is exactly the kind regularly used by god religions. Atheists are the good guys by definition, a classic ingroup scam. Of course in this example, the atheists are imperialists using a bullshit rationalization, using language to turn murder into heroism.
Maybe Stalin killed "in the name of communism." Maybe Hitler killed "in the name of nationalism." What did Charles Manson kill in the name of? What did Teddy Roosevelt kill in the name of? Why would you take what people say about their own motives at face value? People killed before god religion, they'll kill after god religion. God is one tool in the human "rationalization of killing and thieving" kit. The difference between cause and rationalization eludes people whose tribalist interests require they not understand this difference and that they not understand the actual causes pushing humans actions and world events.
4 comments:
New-atheists eliminate all other variables and focus on stated religious intention by individuals as the actual data point. They will point to an imam declaring jihad as an argument for the evil inherent in religion while ignoring all data showing this imam and his followers have endured incredible destruction, marginalization and dehumanizing military occupation.
It fucking drives me crazy the the new-atheists have reverted to the old classic of anti-theism. The appeal to reason and how we would all be living in a rational Star Trek meritocracy if it wasn't for these barbaric and naive beliefs is utter bullshit. It all serves a tribalism rhetoric centered around an us versus them mentality that makes it very easy to overlook the actual STATED intentions behind anti-imperialist movements.
Sometimes I think the new-atheists are the ultimate double-agents. They are so much closer to the extreme conservative almost xenophobic side of the political spectrum then they are to the left.
One more thing...do you believe it's simply a matter of branding on the new-atheist's side? In other words, as closeted reactionary fuckwads, they are simply engaging in identity politics attacking religion?
It seems to me that this is a refuge for the small-minded as it allows them to feed their sense of superiority and completely ignore (diminish/overlook) any in-depth analysis of complex issues.
All good points. Yeah I think there's a bit of a rationalization of exploitation vacuum what with God getting his ass kicked by modernity. New Atheists cover the whole western dominance status quo spectrum. I know British atheist who likes UKIP and Alex Jones and thinks the refugee crisis is an ISIS plan. I also know plenty of Feel the Bern atheists who think Sam Harris is pretty slick.
Post a Comment