Comment by Cara Coleen on October 27, 2012 at 11:14pm

Ha... I'm sure this'll reach 10 pages of comments quickly. As much as I consider myself feminist, or for women's rights, I was uncomfortable with this "movement". I watched and observed for a while, and then it turned really ugly. Worst of all, people with honest and constructive criticism were censored or berated. All sorts of new slurs were invented ("chill girl" & "sister punisher", to name a couple) which I felt was very childish, counterproductive, and *gasp* hypocritical. Also, wow... the man-hating reached epic proportions. It sooo very much bothered me that they really, really believe[d] that, if you disagreed, you were actually sexist and not merely expressing concern that maybe they were going too far, being too venomous, or divisive. They made enemies out of allies in an instant. Men who are for women's rights were ripped to shreds for thinking their "white privileged male" feelings were worthy of consideration.

Yeah. The problem is not that these people are for civil rights, but that they're so fucking mean and vicious about it... and they feel entitled to treat others the way they feel they've been treated by men. Sorry, two wrongs don't make a right, and being a jerk isn't going to win friends/allies. I'll be glad when the whole thing dissolves into oblivion and ceases to embarrass those who actually want a civil discourse about human rights and dignity.

Comment by Cara Coleen on October 27, 2012 at 11:15pm

(and I'll admit I feel hesitant to use the label "feminist" to describe myself because of the stigma... the one they're ironically reinforcing)

Comment by Obfuskation on October 27, 2012 at 11:31pm

I’ve been following the A+ bus wreck since it started.  While I was generally supportive of their stated purpose when they were new, I was critical of a of their name choice and an almost immediate exo-toxic attitude.

Now they seem to do little more than illicit eye-rolls, serve as the butt of jokes, and provide an example of how not to behave.  I have to admit that there is that tiny troll part of me that likes to stop by and read the A+ forums for the lulz and WTF moments, and hopes that their little fringe group hangs on for a while.  They’re way wackier than anything on television.

Comment by Gallup's Mirror on October 28, 2012 at 12:20am

The "Atheist Plus" nomenclature brings to mind the "Church of Christ, Scientist" sign posted on the church down the street from my house. The congregation craves the legitimacy of science so they staple it to an increasingly discredited Christ.

(Aside: That sign reminds me of a birthday gift Homer Simpson once gave to Marge: a bowling ball with the name 'Homer' engraved on it. But I digress.)

It looks like "Atheist Plus" was joined for similar reasons: to associate an unknown "Plus" ethos with the well-known cultural iconoclasticism of atheists. The words were safety-pinned together and there you have it.

I don't know much else about the group, so for now I'll reserve my opinion (on everything but the ill-advised name) although it doesn't sound promising.   

If you've just met me, and I self-identify as an atheist, you don't know anything at all about what I believe. You know exactly one thing I don't believe.  

Comment by Reggie on October 28, 2012 at 1:30am

I've been enjoying Greg Fish's blogs regarding the whole controversy surrounding the silliness that is Atheism Plus.  I'm just happy to see that many people weren't cowed into accepting the edicts of certain "celebrity" personalities within the community. Some of these skeptic and/or atheist "celebrities" pushing this stuff seem to be a little unbalanced.

Link to World of Weird Things blog:
http://worldofweirdthings.com/2012/10/24/because-it-turns-out-you-j...

Comment