Atheists: I sense a growing rationalist tide ...?

Question

how do we work together to promote rational thought in an effort to prevent the world from being blown apart by religious zealots?

I'm really serious! When I think of what a nuclear bomb in the hands of a religious zealot means, it scares the hell out of me (literally!).

Mark: But NKorea has its own communist religion called juche (really!). They've just diefied Kim Jong Il and his father. That's no more rational than any other religion and I don't know any atheists who would disagree!

Gazoo: Couldn't agree more with you. I just don't know if "one on one" will achieve results soon enough. The time bomb is ticking.

Answer 1

Join a local group. Atheists, in general, are harder to herd than cats. However, there are many local groups you can join to participate in activism.

In the DC area, I'm a member of the Beltway Atheists, Washington Area Secular Humanists, and other groups.

Answer 2

We continue to foster open-minded, objective discussion like (some of the) ones that go on here. Talk to people around you - just remember not to force your beliefs on them. Change of mind cannot be forced. Also, further your own education on the subjects that are most often debated (proof or disproof of the existence of god, intelligent design, etc) as well as on religious doctrine, so that you can have smart, well-founded reasons to arge your point.
Just don't get in people's faces about what you think... that hurts far more than it helps.
Don't become the guy with the bomb.

Answer 3

I have been an atheist for 30 years. I also think that something is going on.

I am not sure a big organized effort would be the way to go. We scare Christians bad enough and I don't know that looking like we have some big agenda. I think it is a lot more effective one on one.

Answer 4

I keep thinking about this all the time, and I think the only thing to do is target passing on our knowledge to the "moderate" Christians , especially those that do not attend church. The fundies are impossible to get to. They do bible study twice a week AND they attend church; that type of brainwashing is impossible to counteract by now.

Answer 5

Well I expect that like me, you're living in the west. We can educate our own children - and should make aggressive attempts to stop them being brain washed. Schools need to teach children how to think, and concern themselves less on meaningless facts that they'll forget within months of leaving school.

Problem is we can't do much about the education in countries like Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Iran. I think we need to stop pretending that religion is entitled to respect.

It makes me feel ill to think about all the comments about free will and democracy in the wake of the danish cartoon insanity was whispered while the sorry and regret for the offense of Muslims was loud. What pain? What offense? People were burnt to death over those cartoons - Christians in Nigeria who had nothing to do with them. They called for the Danish government to apologise - for what? They didn't publish them.

I really feel like making a cartoon with offensive images of Mohammed just because its my right to.

Answer 6

Join The Brights, or your local Secular Society is a good idea. You don't need to be atheist to join either of these groups.

Answer 7

you'd have to start by getting the religious zealots out of political power in all the country's they've overtaken.

p.s. To nondescript, lmfao. I'm so using that quote. "Atheists are harder to herd than cats". That made my day.

Answer 8

I am a Christian and I am scared to death of religious zealots. I am also scared to death of Atheists like Kim Kong II. He is a Zealot of another order

Answer 9

Join your local atheist community. Become vocal on church/state issues. Write your senator. Most importantly, just be patient.

Answer 10

yes it seems to be catching on a small bit... perhaps because we are finally rejecting the idea that it is rude to talk about religion and politics (define: irony)