capnkirk

I have been an atheist for longer than most of you have been alive, so I have grown beyond the rage and rebellion against religion that permeates athiesm in general and atheist activism in particular. From that perspective, I would like to offer some insight that can lead to something entirely different in the world of atheist activism:

Let go of your hostility, or at least rechannel it. How?

ON OFFENSE:

By realizing that it is the party in power that WILL set the agenda, discovering what issues you DO share common views on, and focusing your efforts on making progress in THOSE areas! When the party in power changes, you realign yourselves in support of the issues you have in common with THAT party!

This strategy has the advantage of keeping your agenda for progress connected to the reins of power by coopting the power of the party who has it at the time!

ON DEFENSE:

Use the advantage gained by your ongoing support (time & $$) for those issues that you and whatever congressman (let's use that term for now to signify ANY elected official at any level of govt) agree on to also lobby against those issues he may support, but you oppose (or vice versa). When his opposition is weak, sometimes you can get him to roll over.

Activism's aim is to change social conditions thru influencing the political process in your favor. Politics makes strange bedfellows, so "sleep with" whoever can be induced/seduced to add his political weight to your "common" goals, regardless of what party he affiliates himself with. If you want power, befriend/beguile the powerful.

So, with the GOP in power at the federal level, what issues do we have in common with them?
Limiting the power of government, perhaps.

While I personally oppose their anti-abortion stance (essentially up to the point where a fetus is capable of surviving outside the womb), I won't support the so-called partial-birth abortion procedure.

While the Democrats lay claim to being the party that champions individual rights, they have more accurately been the party of group rights, with the GOP being the party of individual rights.

Rather than immediately attacking the preceding suggestions of areas where athiests might find issues that Republicans can support, it would be much more constructive to offer up some of your own.

The theme is: HOW CAN WE EXPLOIT THE PARTY IN POWER TO FURTHER OUR AGENDA!

Our Strategic concept is: We win on OFFENSE by being FOR things. Being FOR something draws support and increases your momentum. We resort to DEFENSE only to avoid defeat, because it focuses on being AGAINST things. Being AGAINST something creates opposition on both sides, and can do no more than decrease your opponent's momentum.

Now Go for it!

(edited to correct typo's.)

admice

Thanks for the advice Cap'n. I think it makes sense, but what additional (or specific?) actions can one take to change things? I'm reconsidering getting a Psych PhD and considering law.

Krieger

1. We are atheists, not athiests.

2. You should learn more about how the political system works in America.

Grad Student Humanist

Ah, so you actually think the GOP is serious about wanting to limit government?

If so you might be able to explain why the GOP is intent on expanding the power of government willy-nillly as long as it's done in support of their reactionary social agenda: prohibiting drugs, gambling, prostitution, pornography.

Not to mention that even if the GOP were serious about limiting the government, the GOP is also the party that wants to restrict the rights of women to get an abortion, eliminate social programs, and eliminate the wall between church and state. So no compromise is going to work.

capnkirk

I invited YOU to offer CONSTRUCTIVE ideas of your own. I asked you NOT to waste everybody's time attacking some initial trial balloons that I offered. I challenged you to find issues that the GOP (since they ARE the party currently in power) supports that further OUR agenda. You thus far, you are zero for three, and have in the process that your hostility is more important for you to own than to join in an effort to try to actually DO something!

As you have just now so graciously demonstrated, that kind of attitude is the bane of atheist activism.

Toto

The GOP is a "big tent" and not a monolith. You can find a Republican that you agree with, but that might not mean much in terms of GOP policies.

The GOP has a libertarian faction that most of us would be relatively comfortable with on social issues.

Unfortunately, Bush took power via a coalition of groups that were united by their conservative religious and social agenda, and it's hard to fit atheism into that.

Rusting Car Bumper

possibly.

This of course means that wisdom does not necessarily come with age.

Your discussion of "party", "agenda" and "power" suggest that you believe that atheists need more of a political focus.

I argue that we need more of a social focus. I suggest that our problems, poor image and subsequent disrespect come from the fact that we do not have a positive and active social image. What my neighbor thinks is more important than what my congressman thinks.

Now please don't read a false dichotomy into this. I used the terms "more of a" and I did not use either-or language.

One key to gaining religious tolerance (and IMO the main key) is to change the image of believers and further change the activities of atheist groups to be more socially minded.

DC

capnkirk

:notworthy Please pardon my temporary dyslexia.

capnkirk

Thanks for your insight. I heartily agree that we have a poor (and inaccurate) public image.

There is no dichotomy here at all! In support, I would posit:

1. that we need BOTH foci...and
2. that both foci are highly interactive and interdependent.

I would take issue, though, on the key to gaining religious tolerance. We can never hope to gain religious tolerance until we are willing to OFFER it! What better way to disarm the argument that atheists are "out to kill God" than to express our willingness to tolerate (note: I didn't say accept) their god(s). That will be a monumental internal educational feat, because even on this site, atheist intolerance of religion is pervasive. (Every time I have even suggested that we have some growing of our own to do, I get inundated with hate mail.)

But, being bipeds, we progress by standing on one foot and stepping with the other, so I have chosen this focus to start with, hoping just to make a little bitty step.

Daggah

I'm sorry, but the GOP in no way, shape, or form supports limiting the power of government.

And we will not gain tolerance from the social conservatives by letting them walk all over us. I'm sorry, but that's just not the way things work.