This is a trend that makes me uneasy.
News from Friendly Atheist is that some Christians have developed a campaign modeled after Dawkins' "Out" Campaign.
So, now we have two sides, each wearing their own flags and wearing their own uniforms, each defining themselves by their opposition to the other.
If people are not careful - if they do not make a conscious effort to see how this develops, it is a type of situation that could get out of hand. Humans have a psychological disposition towards tribalism, with a tendency to be hostile towards opposing tribes. Saying that atheists are immune from this disposition is saying that atheists are not human.
This type of tribalism has come to be extremely destructive in different times in human history. It is something we need to be careful about.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Sides and Uniforms
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1 comment:
Interesting. I just started working on my own blog on this very subject. Hopefully it will be my last blog on the subject of atheism. Anyhow, I just dropped in to say good bye. I've finally purged myself of, um, I don't know, but anyhow, I'm done. Sorry for my prickly replies to your posts. I'd like to plead temporary insanity but I'm afriad it's here to stay. Good luck on the rest of your life.
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