From: J Corbally (icorb@indigo.ie)
Date: Tue Jan 22 2002 - 17:49:31 MST
>Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2002 18:59:52 -0600
>From: "Randy Smith" <randysmith101@hotmail.com>
>Subject: Re: I Want To Disbelieve
> >From: "Clint O'Dell" <clint@freethoughtradio.com>
> >Reply-To: extropians@extropy.org
> >To: <extropians@extropy.org>
> >Subject: I Want To Disbelieve
> >Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2002 19:03:10 -0500
> >
> >This article was printed in Portfolio Weekly (January 22nd issue) and
> >written by D.D. Delaney.
> >
> >I Want To Disbelieve
> >
> >PAT ROBERTSON, take note. A young man has come to Virginia Beach with a
> >mission to make the world safe for atheists and free-thinking secular
> >humanists, and his organizational model is the Christian Coalition.
> >
> >Clint O'Dell is just getting started, but, like Pat before him, he hopes to
> >go far. He has a vision of a global Atheist Coalition, with its own
> >broadcasting system, charities, and a political agenda to defeat
> >faith-based
> >legislative initiatives and elect atheists to high office.
> >
> >Describing himself, at 23, as "the youngest atheist activist there is,"
>There are younger--Micah White, for instance....but who cares?
I'm not sure there are many in the various atheist communitites who are of
his age. Not in leading roles, anyways.
> >O'Dell believes there is an atheist awakening dawning in America.
> >
> >I'm hoping to pick up (that) slow-moving ball," he says, "put it in a
> >cannon, strike a match, and set off that cannon."
>That is going to be MIGHTY slow mover...but we ahve to start somewhere.
It does seem to have picked up recently. The results of a recent study
showing that "non-believers" were a larger portion of the U.S. population
than previously thought may help some (estimated at 37 Million, IIRC).
> >
> >In partnership with like-minded Lauren Floyd of Chesapeake, he has put out
> >a
> >call for all doubters, skeptics, and non-believers to attend the first
> >meeting of Freethinkers and Atheists of Virginia on Sunday, Jan. 27, from
> >1-3 p.m. in the auditorium of the Virginia Beach Central Library.
> >
> >The organization's purpose, O'Dell says, is to achieve legitimacy for
> >atheism and "to promote secular values." Membership is open to "anyone who
> >is for helping to make America become more secular."
> >
> >"We have no idea" how many people might turn out for the first meeting,
> >says
> >Floyd, who, at 43, is O'Dell's senior partner in the start-up. "Getting
> >atheists to join a group is kind of like trying to herd cats. They're
> >typically individualists, suspicious of any organized group."
>Atheists have been the subject iof a few studies; one recent one said that
>atheists were by nature less dependent on other people. So therefore they
>are not joiners; therefore they do not organize....
True, but then look at this list, and >Humanism/Extropianism in
general. I'd wager the greater percentage here are non-believers. People
here have been speaking of others here as "family", myself included.
I don't think atheists are particularly bad "joiners". I think they need a
very good idea to rally behind, and compelling reason to do it, which are
perhaps things that haven't been available in the past. Also, there seems
to be something of a self-reinforced "don't ask, don't tell" policy in the
non-believeing community, where people see it as unwise or unimportant to
be openly non-believing. After all, no Christian would think twice about
professing his faith. Atheists in some places, need to stop and think
about it.
I wonder if 9/11 has something to do with this "atheist awakening", if such
in fact exists? Perhaps the religious resurgence resulting has stepped on
a few too many infidel toes?
James...
>_________________________________________________________________
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"If you can't take a little bloody nose, maybe you ought to go back home and
crawl under your bed. It's not safe out here. It's wondrous, with treasures
to satiate desires both subtle and gross. But it's not for the timid."
-Q, Star Trek:TNG episode 'Q Who'
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