Inside Whose Atheist Mind?
The following is a quick response I wrote to the author of a book who was excerpted on Fox News today: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2018/03/20/todays-atheists-are-bullies-and-are-doing-their-best-to-intimidate-rest-us-into-silence.html
Hello Anthony! My name is Ross Llewallyn. I'm the president of Sunday Assembly Atlanta, a secular community that takes the good stuff that churches do just without the God part. We have members from all over the spectrum of religiosity.
I read the excerpt from your book on Fox News and was pretty confused. There are absolutely those who follow the firebrand style of atheism, being loud and proud about their nonbelief and what it represents to them. But while calling nonbelievers like myself ignorant, you're revealing a significant amount of ignorance about the scope of the secular community.
I'm curious which atheists or members of the secular community you talked to, if you spoke to any at all, while writing a book on us. In the except on Fox News, you made a number of claims about facts that my community ignores or doesn't acknowledge. Did you search for discussions about "atheist dictators" or scientific achievements by the religious throughout history? Who specifically in the atheist community discredits scientific advancement on the basis of the religiosity of the discoverer?
Frankly, nothing in that excerpt is new to the nonreligious, and I think you may know that.
I'm a fan of reason and nuance. The excerpt did not project those values. But I approach you with an open palm to learn more about the process that went into your work describing atheism and to provide another perspective if you are so interested.
Last Sunday I gathered with about 50 other people to sing songs together, share the ups and downs in life, provide support to one another, learn, and have fun. It was our monthly Sunday Assembly. Over and over I hear from folks who find so much meaning in what we're doing; they find immense positivity and newfound community where there wasn't one before. People cry and hug and clap and laugh and ponder and help one another.
My atheism is not a hindrance to creating good in the world. I'd love to talk with you about that.
