Atheist Extremism

Proficiently in advance the margin media arranged that skepticism was excellence probing and begin to assessment on a "new skepticism," nonconformist bloggers were discussing the unpaid tone of nonconformist spoken language. This freshening has intensified, becoming one of the hot topics within our rising community. How marauding ought to atheists be in opposing religion? If we become too marauding, don't we run the unplanned of becoming the very fundamentalists we oppose? In this post, I behest dissect the hazard of "nonconformist bias," whether it is manageable, and how we would acknowledge it.

I am goodbye to start with the hypothesis that is is at least amount manageable for atheists to become too assertive/aggressive/militant/extreme in their views and or behavior. If you clash with this, try to restrain tastefulness until the end of the post. At all potency this glance over equal, and what are we to phone such an atheist?

Fundamentalist or Militant Atheism

The primary moniker with which we can enthusiastically allocation is that of "fundamentalist nonconformist." It is considerably find not guilty to me that give to can be no such thing as nonconformist fundamentalism, and I behest refer you to my past post on this selflessness. In a nutshell, church fundamentalism is about study to a delicate doctrine, skepticism has no doctrine, and as a result, give to can be no fundamentalist skepticism. For better on fundamentalist skepticism, I generate you to read this post at The One Afterward Aldacron or this post at The Uncredible Hallq.

"Militant skepticism" is seemingly the luxury greatest extent beguiling moniker recycled to detail bestow atheists. Is it any better viable than "fundamentalist atheism?" It key appears so, but give to are at least amount two troubles with this expression. Surpass, militancy is just about eternally recycled to detail a style of behavior rather than a standstill. And so, "advanced Christian" or "advanced Muslim" conjures the image of someone who engages in advanced acts. Explode, "advanced" implies lack of control. The same as The Uncredible Hallq searched Google for these stipulation, he found that they were recycled principal to describe community or groups gripped in lack of control. This inadequately panic any group of American atheists I've encountered.

Skeptic Bias

I propose that "nonconformist bias" is the moniker we possess been seeking. It carries no basic of study to a delicate doctrine, and it does not signify lack of control. But what does it mean, and what would an nonconformist extremist glance over like?

The nonconformist extremist would squeeze views which would be leisurely area of high pressure by greatest extent members of the nonconformist community. In the function of any other type of extremist, an nonconformist extremist would be mad. This ridiculousness would be brazen in addition to cognitive errors such as (and not short-range to) the following:

* Overgeneralization - Painting grandiose conclusions based on lonely examples (e.g., "Equally one Christian does whatever thing bad, all Christians are bad.").
* Dichotomous Intellect - Framing the world in stipulation of absolutes defective acknowledging intense gradations (e.g., "Atheists are smart; believers are meaningless.").

* Disqualifying the Helpful - Rejecting certain experiences as somehow not with in order to prevent one's distrustful view of some group (e.g., "Christians may ration a lot to honor but decently to good deed their move of indoctrination.").

Honest ridiculousness, the nonconformist extremist would defense his or her indicate by selectively focusing on grasp sign equally ignoring or explaining away differing sign. Attempts to dilemma his or her worldview would be veteran as species attacks and would inflexible area of high pressure positions. Such an unrelated would form an turbulent impulsive attachment to his or her standstill which would defeat that entitlement by sign and ponder.

I possess not encountered multitude atheists equal this, but I possess come spanning a few. I don't undergo they are manhood, but I do undergo they plunk. In the function of extremists of other brands, they possess slothful intelligence and plunk vulgarly to declare a standstill they may no longer be overpowering to intonation.

Keep information that what I possess described inside bears suddenly comparison to Harris, Dawkins, or other well-known atheists accused of such as too area of high pressure. These well-known authors to voice poignant opinions, but they are opinions with which the utter most people of nonconformist consent and opinions which are supported with the exercise of ponder.

Tags: nonconformist, skepticism, religion, bias, church bias, nonconformist extremismCopyright (c) 2013 Skeptic Achievement.