The New Atheists

It seems strange to count myself among the class of so-called "new atheists."

I've been an atheist all my adult life. And though it is a negatively-defined word, atheism is about so much more to me than just denying someone's religion; it's a way of looking at the world that is life-affirming, astonishing and ultimately fulfilling.

I've been content for most of my life to just console myself with the deep inner satisfaction that comes from a reason-based understanding of our world and ourselves, but I have been compelled to action by the recent madness in the global body politic.

Faith-based war, global jihad, intelligent design, "abstinence-only" sex education, stem cell research. These are not just trivial matters. They're not even as "trivial" as mounting the ten commandments on a courthouse which, at the end of the day, doesn't rob anyone of education or health or kill anyone.

I've come to realize over the past few years that tackling each of these issues in isolation is like playing whack-a-mole. You cover the same ground a lot.

Instead, it is time to attack the very foundational framework of these and other odious social toxins: unreason, mostly in the form of religious faith but also in the form of knee-jerk patriotism and leader worship of all kinds.

That's what this blog is about. It's a "me too" from one among many, meant to encourage many, many more.

-Jason Shankel
non-believer