Was the New Atheism Movement a Failed Crisis Cult

[CynthiaCypher]

I'm glad that the New Atheist movement got involved in public discussion. I also think New Atheist is a bad description. Anyway you didn't quote any references from so-called New Atheists about any of the claims you made about them.

In the US, non-religious people now account for 20% of people, and up to over one third in some states and among younger people. This is way up from just ten years ago. I think books, speeches, debates, and other things on the topics, are good.

It's okay to criticize religion, like any other idea or worldview.

"I began writing this book on September 12, 2001. Many friends read and commented on a long essay that I produced in those first weeks of collective grief and stupefaction, and that text became the basis for this book." Sam Harris on The End of Faith

He admits that his book The End of Faith, the inaugural text of the New Atheist movement admits that he wrote it in reaction to a crisis.

You want me to quote whole books? The whole metanarrative constructed in such books as the New Atheist have written is quite simple:

Religion blows things up, religion is bad.

Science helps people, science is good.

Religion stops science from helping people, religion is bad, science is good!

Religion divides people, religion bad.

Religion keeps people dumb, science teaches people to be smart, religion bad, science is smart.

Atheism is smart because atheism don't like religion, atheism is good, religion is bad.

You see this narrative in works of Harris, Hitchens and Dawkins. It pretty much looks like demonizing to me, anytime you externalize evil, you are demonizing.

But it just isn't the demonizing or the scapegoating that make it a crisis cult, it was a crisis cult because it was in reaction to a crisis.

 

[CynthiaCypher]

I was under the impression that New Atheism began in the 1990s.

The defining tomes of the movement were not published until after 2001. It was only after the events of 9/11 did the "Four Horsemen" of the movement rode forward.

 

[IHaveTheGift]

but also blamed for keeping scientific progress at bay thus hindering humankind from advancing.

What a huge pack of nonsense, (non saying who ever I am quoting agrees with that quote, just using it and not referring to them in general)

The only thing that most religious people will agree on, is that abortion is wrong and I hardly claim that killing life, advances us in science.

 

[Willamena]

The defining tomes of the movement were not published until after 2001. It was only after the events of 9/11 did the "Four Horsemen" of the movement rode forward.

And the timing wasn't coincidental?

 

[CynthiaCypher]

And the timing wasn't coincidental?

Not according to Hitchens and Harris, they admitted that they wrote their books in response to 9/11.

 

[IHaveTheGift]

Evidently, "organization" is the part that does not compute.

I can not speak for all atheists, but in every single case of things debated that David Silverman represents, they tend to agree with him and defend him...
But still claim there is no organization present that represents atheism.

Oddly, they do the same thing with people such as Richard Dawkins, claim he doesn't speak for them, but defend everything he says

Atheism = a lack of belief and nothing more
Who are they trying to fool?
Themselves?

I am sorry for this, but in the two years I have been debating atheists online and reading up on all their websites I am very much confident that the new atheism is actually (Anti)Theism.
To me it seems they cant admit it, because then they make pure hypocrites of themselves.

 

[Revoltingest]

I never even notice the "New Atheism".
Everyone I know still practices old atheism

 

[steeltoes]

Silverman is president of an orginization that has 2,200 members.

 

[steeltoes]

I can not speak for all atheists, but in every single case of things debated that David Silverman represents, they tend to agree with him and defend him...
But still claim there is no organization present that represents atheism.

Oddly, they do the same thing with people such as Richard Dawkins, claim he doesn't speak for them, but defend everything he says

Atheism = a lack of belief and nothing more
Who are they trying to fool?
Themselves?

I am sorry for this, but in the two years I have been debating atheists online and reading up on all their websites I am very much confident that the new atheism is actually (Anti)Theism.
To me it seems they cant admit it, because then they make pure hypocrites of themselves.

Is keeping creationism out of science class anti-theism?

 

[CynthiaCypher]

I never even notice the "New Atheism".
Everyone I know still practices old atheism

Well to quote someone very famous: You cannot put new wine into old wineskins.

Of course you would like the old atheism best...it's because you are an old wineskin

 

[freethinker44]

The defining tomes of the movement were not published until after 2001. It was only after the events of 9/11 did the "Four Horsemen" of the movement rode forward.

Dawkins has been doing it since the 80's.

[youtube]Nwew5gHoh3E[/youtube]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nwew5gHoh3E

 

[Revoltingest]

Well to quote someone very famous: You cannot put new wine into old wineskins.
Of course you would like the old atheism best...it's because you are an old wineskin

Even the young wineskins I know practice that old timey atheism.

 

[IHaveTheGift]

Silverman is president of an orginization that has 2,200 members.

who cares, haven't met an atheist yet that disagrees with their "causes"
And I spend 24/7 on the web.
Dont even know a atheist in real life that disagrees with them.


If you are atheist and do disagree with David Silverman, would love to hear about it :sarcastic

 

[AmbiguousGuy]

"I began writing this book on September 12, 2001. Many friends read and commented on a long essay that I produced in those first weeks of collective grief and stupefaction, and that text became the basis for this book." Sam Harris on The End of Faith

He admits that his book The End of Faith, the inaugural text of the New Atheist movement admits that he wrote it in reaction to a crisis.

You just can't get over those bogeyman atheists, so it seems. Do they populate your nightmares?

 

[IHaveTheGift]

Is keeping creationism out of science class anti-theism?

Stawman and irrelevant to what I said

 

[CynthiaCypher]

Dawkins has been doing it since the 80's.

[youtube]Nwew5gHoh3E[/youtube]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nwew5gHoh3E

And? What of it? He is being an instructor in the '80's? Oh what a shock!

He did not become a household name with until he published The God Delusion.

 

[freethinker44]

who cares, haven't met an atheist yet that disagrees with their "causes"
And I spend 24/7 on the web.
Dont even know a atheist in real life that disagrees with them.


If you are atheist and do disagree with David Silverman, would love to hear about it :sarcastic

I have met a lot of atheists who disagree with their billboard and public monument "causes". There has even been a few threads on here about them, some atheists agree and some disagree. It's actually kind of stereotypical for atheists to disagree with each other. It has been said getting atheists to organize is like trying to herd cats.

 

[AmbiguousGuy]

And? What of it? He is being an instructor in the '80's? Oh what a shock!

He did not become a household name with until he published The God Delusion.

I hate to break it to you, but Dawkins ain't a household name.

In fact, it it weren't for you constantly bashing him (in his absence, of course), lots of people around here would have no idea who he is.

 

[Gjallarhorn]

So this would be 0 for...3? 4? It's hard to keep track of all these sensationalist drama-llama threads of yours.

 

[CynthiaCypher]

Even the young wineskins I know practice that old timey atheism.

Now give me that old time atheism
Give me that old time atheism
Give me that old time atheism
And it's good enough for me

It was good enough for Stalin
It was good enough for Stalin
It was good enough for Stalin
And it is good enough for me.