How Should I Call Out Nasty Atheists?

Last updated on: September 26, 2012 at 1:18 am by Leah Libresco

How Should I Call Out Nasty Atheists? 2012-09-26T01:18:26-04:00 Leah Libresco

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

In a post earlier today, I disagreed with the conclusions of Jen Fulwiler’s critique of Atheist Awareness Week, but there’s an element of truth in her article I want to acknowledge. There’s something exhausting and unpleasant about spending a lot of your writing/thinking time trying to argue with people you don’t respect. When you think of your job as smacking down morons, it hard to imagine you approach it with a spirit of charity, and it’s more than likely the contempt and arrogance you practice could spill over into other spheres of your life.

But atheists aren’t uniquely at risk for this kind of behavior. Political operatives and pundits often fall into the same trap. And, although everyone in my ideal line of work could stand to behave a lot better, it’s hard to remain patient and nuanced and kind when you debate with people who are irrational or nasty. I wouldn’t want to write a blog that primarily addressed fundamentalist evangelical beliefs or actions for many of the same reasons I would hate to spend all my time discussing politics with fans of Glen Beck; I’m sure it would be bad for me. It would be dispiriting and feed into some of my worst tendencies.

I can bow out, but someone needs to respond to these people; they’re too popular to be ignored. Taking on that job will definitely take a toll on your spirit, so I end up torn about how to respond to nasty or dismissive atheists. I have plenty of sympathy for the people who put themselves in the middle of a really unpleasant and necessary fight, but I don’t want their behavior to be admired or imitated by anyone else.

Talking about people martyring their own character for the sake of the cause or to keep back the barbarian hordes takes a bad situation and gives it a tragic, romantic quality that can be very attractive. That kind of rhetoric is very close to praising people for what we call “a willingness to get their hands dirty” but is really just the courage to do bad things.

I stick with calling out behavior I think is disrespectful or counterproductive and keep my sympathies private. If I were Christian, this is the kind of context in which I would like to pray for the offending person to rise above the stress and temptation of their circumstance, but, as an atheist, I don’t have a way to help these public figures I don’t know personally. I put my focus on the people I might reach, atheists who shouldn’t take this behavior as inspiration and Christians who should know it’s not indicative of us all.

I’d be interested in all of your thoughts on the best tack to take.

Atheism

Debate Tactics

sin-eaters/dirty hands

Previous Post

March 23, 2011

Proud to be Atheist?

Next Post

March 25, 2011 7 Quick Takes (3/25/11)

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 7 Quick Takes Apologetics Atheism Book Conversion Debate Tactics Debates Epistemology/Philosophy Housekeeping Ideological Turing Test Marriage Morality in Practice Parsing Catholicism Possibly Heretical Radio Reviews/Recommendations Sequence Index Spiritual Practice Uncategorized

Select a Month April 2017 March 2017 January 2017 December 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Blessed are the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and the meek. Where was this sermon delivered?

Select your answer to see how you score.

By the sea On a mountain In a synagogue In the temple