Some chilling strategies of Neo-atheists

Here’s a strategy:

Point to some negative consequence, single out a belief system or people group that you don’t particularly like, make a connection--no matter how tenuous--and suggest a solution.

Let’s see it applied using an example we’re all familiar with the Discovery Institute using (paging John West!):

Eugenics -> Darwinism -> Teach ID.

See how easy that is. Except what’s interesting is that the strategy is one that Regis Nicoll feels is one that is being used by the "neo-atheists" (yes, the usual suspects of Dawkins, Harris & Hitchens get hauled out). Nicoll, a Centurion of the Wilberforce Forum (whatever that means), feels that the bad old atheists are also using other strategies, including: Targeting the Young! Making Young Clones! Dissolving into a "Supermind"!

The irony of the end of his piece is apparently lost on Nicoll:

The conclusion of numerous studies complied by the Heritage Foundation, is that deep religious commitment is strongly associated with stable marriages and families, well-adjusted and better educated children, and lower incidences of domestic violence, divorce, crime, addictive behaviors and ex-offender recidivism.

Implied is that lack of religious commitment leads to all sorts of evils, as in

Bad stuff -> Atheism -> ??

He just forgot to finish his strategy.

Update: Ooooooh, it gets better. Nicoll has a blog. Read "Global Warming and the Culture of Death" and his defense of Antony Flew. Unfortunately, you have to join their little community to leave comments.

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Funny that someone felt compelled to make up a new name -- "neo-atheist."

What on this blue earth is a "neo-atheist" and how does that jive with a plain ole atheist-atheist?

It reminds one of terms like "neo-Nazi" which is likely the intent if the term has been coined by the Dark Ages Zealots. If it is a term they've been using, it ought never be used by those of conscience, reason and logic (i.e., us Enlightened Zealots).

By pxcampbell (not verified) on 10 Feb 2008 #permalink

I thought that taking a page comics for names would be a better tack. How about the Athiest League of America? (It has to be labeled as "...of America", all these things do - I think some marketing bod somewhere believes that if things are not labeled as American then no one in the US will possibly be tempted to invest interest or money in whatever it is they're trying to market. Possibly the American Athiest League of America, if you want to cram in a Dodgeball reference as well.)

I digress. However, think about it - as the Athiest League you'd get your own space station to hang out in, have chats with Batman and I can't think of a much better way to completely disable the loony-creationists attempts to communicate than to show them Dawkins et al in lycra bodysuits + pants on the outside...