Not what you say but how you say it!

A new movement is appearing in what is sometimes called 'the atheist community' in spite of the fact that it is no more a community than a group of non-stamp-collectors.  Atheism+ is causing quite a stir and it is tempting to wonder what all the fuss is about.

Apparently the movement stands for these values:  

• Care about social justice,
• Support women’s rights,
• Protest racism,
• Fight homophobia and transphobia,
• Use critical thinking and skepticism.

Not many of us would disagree with those, although I would personally change the second to say "Support human rights" which, unless I'm mistaken, includes all women and does not discriminate against the often pilloried white, middle aged male demographic.

Richard Carrier goes on - and believe me he really can go on - in a blog post** at Free Thought Blogs, to expand on those values to include

• Reasonableness, compassion, and integrity

And then in the (frequently offensive and far from compassionate) replies to the comments on that blog post he says:

Do you reject any of the values stated in my article? If so, which ones, and why?
If not, in what way aren’t you a part of Atheism+ movement?
Either you reject some basic human values here, or you are irrationally denying what you are, like someone who said they were sure there was no god but aren’t an atheist. As if they didn’t understand how words work.
So which is it? Are you ... [editorial yawn! I've heard enough.] . . .[basically, with us or against us]
Be honest and say.

OK - I for one will be honest and say.  I don't reject any of those 'basic human values' but I don't want anything to do with Atheism+.

Why not?  You only have to listen to the vituperative outpourings of Richard Carrier and some of his colleagues to realise that compassion is not in their nature at all.

As my mother always told me, "Its not what you say but how you say it!".

More on this topic tomorrow.

See also:
Which Atheism plus is the right one?
Atheism is not a religion, but perhaps Atheism+ IS!
The Watson inconsistency and the real outrage!



Small note:  I was actually planning to buy one of Richard Carrier's books about the Christ Myth theory.  Having read his blog, I have almost been converted back to believing in Jesus!  (Not quite!)

**Smaller note: I refer to http://freethoughtblogs.com/carrier/archives/2207/ but refuse to make this address a hyperlink, as they do not deserve to have their Google ranking increased - however marginally - by my criticism!