Community | October 07, 2009 | 113 comments

Atheist clubs are springing up in American high schools

source: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/damianthompson/100012851/atheist-clubs-are-springing-up-in...

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"A “triumphalistic, self-righteous atheism” inspired by the work of Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris is winning a following among American young people, leading to “atheist clubs” in high schools, according to Cardinal Francis George of Chicago.

The cardinal, who is President of the US Catholic Bishops’ Conference, says that unbelief among young people is more than a question of stopping going to church: it is part of a fashionable “new atheism” which is every bit as intolerant as Christian fundamentalism.

The Cardinal agreed with Allen’s suggestion that that the atheism of Dawkins and Harris was “highly evangelical”:

“Yes it is, sure. Everybody has said that, and it’s true. It’s the mirror image of a kind of fundamentalism, because it’s very restrictive in its use of reason. It’s also very triumphalistic and self-righteous.”

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More at link. This article brought up several questions:

What do you think of "Atheist Clubs" in high schools?

Is atheism "fashionable"? (An assertion I've heard many times but really confuses me!)

Is the "new atheism" evangelical and intolerant, and is it the same as fundamentalist religious groups?
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113 comments // Atheist clubs are springing up in American high schools

  • UrbanGypsy
    • +1
      UrbanGypsy  

    • Awesome to hear. If they have a Catholic or Evangelical or Bible club, then I see nothing wrong with an Atheist club. Its good to see young people expressing their views by joining clubs...

      I wish I had hd one in my high school. I was too lazy to start one myself!

    • 2 years ago
  • jubal
    • +1
      jubal  

    • Up with Atheists, they will eventually save the world from religious bigotry. I fully support atheists and their clubs.

    • 2 years ago
  • Mudboy16
  • good_stuff
    • +1
      good_stuff  

    • One big difference between evangelicals and athiests is that evangelicals want the world to end and athiest want the world to get better. It is obvious enough when you look at their statements about what happens after death:

      Evangelicals - You athiests will rot in hell
      Athiests - You evangelicals will rot in the ground

      I tried to start a club at my school to bring attention to the cause, and show people that athiests aren't bad people and are probably the way of the future. I dind't pursue it too far past developing the acronym. It was a play on MADD, SADD, etc.

      H eathons and
      A thiests
      P roudly
      P roclaiming
      I ndependence

      Anyone who wants to start a club with my accronym should feel free. You will have to give credit to James Jr. , so that when this thing really takes off I can make lots of money on the suckers that still need to take moral guidance from someone else.

    • 2 years ago
  • hpseaton
  • PajamaDan
  • sgwhites
  • hpseaton
  • pandaman2105
  • unimatrix0
    • +1
      unimatrix0  

    • Good news!

      Triumphant, self righteous atheism sounds good to me. Out of the closet and into the light of day. Let us rid ourselves of ignorance and superstition once and for all.

    • 2 years ago
  • bailey78
  • hpseaton
  • curtisreed
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