Richard Dawkins lied about the Algerian boxer, then lied about Facebook censoring him

[u/ghhewh]

https://www.friendlyatheist.com/p/richard-dawkins-lied-about-the-algerian

[u/[deleted]]

The guy who made a generation of middle schoolers insufferable.

[u/dweeb93 → u/[deleted]]

Literally me, I was an insufferable atheist when I was 14 lol. I'm past that now.

[u/pulkwheesle → u/dweeb93]

I don't think it's the atheists who were insufferable, but the theocratic fascists who were/are trying to take away women's rights and LGBTQ rights. I just feel like way too much criticism is directed at a few atheists who say something 'cringe,' and not enough at the deranged lunatics trying to destroy secular democracy and who are speaking in tongues.

But it is sad to see people like Dawkins becoming anti-trans morons.

[u/SuspiciousUsername88 → u/pulkwheesle]

I just feel like way too much criticism is directed at a few atheists who say something 'cringe'

To be fair we're not talking about some random redditor here, we're talking about someone who shapes the minds and worldview of millions of random redditors. And as an atheist myself, I'm not on board with handwaving away bad things because "the other side" is bad too. That's how communities and movements are allowed to rot from the inside

[u/pulkwheesle → u/SuspiciousUsername88]

I'm not even talking about people like Dawkins, but how there's a trend of referring to atheists in general as 'le Reddit atheists' or 'cringe.'

[u/Zerce → u/pulkwheesle]

To be fair, this is probably the wrong site to be on to avoid accusations of "Reddit atheist"

[u/pulkwheesle → u/Zerce]

Yeah, but there's nothing similar happening to theists. There's not some trend/meme where people say, 'Wow, you expressed your religious views in public? Haha, what a cringe Reddit theist!' Our culture has been so deeply influenced and infiltrated by religion that people don't even see the hypocrisy.

The vast majority of people who identify as agnostics are actually just atheists, but are afraid to admit it. There is a massive anti-atheist bias still.

[u/Zerce → u/pulkwheesle]

Yeah, but there's nothing similar happening to theists.

I remember "Jesus freaks" being a term back in the day, but maybe I'm old.

[u/MarsOptimusMaximus → u/SuspiciousUsername88]

Except the only one doing any handwaving is you. One side says, "Don't believe in things that have no evidence." and the other says, "Believe in my God or we'll refuse you access to this adoption center." But because society is so lathered with religious rhetoric, you perceive the few who voice their disbelief as being just as bad as the people who try to enforce their belief.

[u/SuspiciousUsername88 → u/MarsOptimusMaximus]

One side says, "Don't believe in things that have no evidence."

... Are you saying transphobia, even against people who aren't even transgender, is evidence-based?

[u/MarsOptimusMaximus → u/SuspiciousUsername88]

Fuck you talkin bout

[u/FourteenTwenty-Seven → u/SuspiciousUsername88]

Where'd you get that idea? Please don't engage in bad faith.

[u/SuspiciousUsername88 → u/FourteenTwenty-Seven]

We're literally talking about a prominent atheist who engaged in transphobia, so it seems relevant

[u/FourteenTwenty-Seven → u/SuspiciousUsername88]

Accusing people of saying things they're clearly not saying is never relevant. It's arguing in bad faith - so don't do it.

[u/SuspiciousUsername88 → u/FourteenTwenty-Seven]

Fair enough, what are you trying to say?

[u/FourteenTwenty-Seven → u/SuspiciousUsername88]

They were saying that the atheists arguing against religion were only seen as insufferable because religion is so ingrained in scociety. They're talking about whether loud atheists are cringe for being loud athiests - not for all their other takes (some of those obviously are cringe, to say the least).

[u/SuspiciousUsername88 → u/FourteenTwenty-Seven]

That's an awful lot of claims that went unsaid

[u/p00bix → u/pulkwheesle]

The mostly online "New Atheist"/"skeptic" subculture of the early 2010s, of which Dawkins was arguably the most central figure, was one of the main points of origin for 'SJW'-bashing and Gamergate, both of which Dawkins himself participated in and encouraged.

[u/aphasic_bean → u/pulkwheesle]

The problem is when "rationality and superior facts" becomes a stand-in for thinking.

I think this is why a lot of these guys ended up as right wing grifters, their audiences never really cared much about the arguments themselves, just being more right than other people. Dawkins is basically a TV preacher.

[u/pulkwheesle → u/[deleted]]

The vast majority of people attacking women's and LGBTQ rights are religious. Atheists can be bigots as well, but, for example, around 90% of atheists/agnostics are pro-choice. Not many groups can boast numbers like that.