I'm going tonight with my self-identified agnostic friend. Maybe by the end of the lecture he'll identify himself as an atheist. Perhaps I'll see some of you there tonight

BTW - here's Dawkins on MPR's Midmorning

minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/03/04/midmorning1/

So, what's the verdict, did we get your friend? lol.

Not quite yet, although I think he's starting to understand that atheism isn't necessarily based on a dogmatic belief system. He was impressed with Dawkins' lecture (understandably so) and he has requested to borrow my copy of The God Delusion. I think after our conversation we came to an understanding that we essentially share the same rationale, view and philosophy except he self-identifies as an agnostic and I identify as an atheist.
...you know, he says tomato and I say tomato (that works better when spoken rather than written)


Lately, when it comes up, I sometimes say that I'm a nontheist because it's much more inclusive and seems to describe atheists, agnostics, secular humanists, freethinkers and whatever other related identifiers are out there. I think all of the aforementioned groups recognize that all of the organized religions and their beliefs are a crock of hooey, and that's what really seems most important in this era of intermingling religious dogma and public policy.

You're more patient than I am... I used to have a patience for that sort of thing, but once I started to realize that you can say agnostic, humanist, etc and no one blinks an eye, but say atheist and you're a rapist/murderer/child molester, I really started to get it.

I used to think it didn't matter, and I am just starting to really resent the people who hide behind other 'names' for atheist, while letting people like me stand out front and get the brunt of it. I would want everyone to have courage and stop worrying so much about what other people think, but until the word atheist stops receiving the 'rage' reaction, we still have work to do.

I went and saw Dawkins. Good speech, but I got the worst blister from walking there from the parking garage.

Ended up having to get new shoes. There was a hard plastic part on the heel rubbing me. =(

I wish I would have brought a book to get signed. Oh well, I'm sure I would have gotten impatient and not waited in line.