Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson: Atheism Analogous to Discussion on "Non-Golfing"

Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson recently confirmed himself as agnostic and distanced himself from atheism. Whilst I respect his position, centred on the fact he concentrates his time as a scientist and an educator, I found it somewhat careless to equate atheism to discussions on "not-skiing" or "non-golfing".

If the majority of human beings spent every day praying to the gods of golf; Waging war based on who's golf swing was the righteous technique; Condemning non-believers of their precious thwack to an eternity of pain, then gatherings of people who understood this to be nonsense would surely be reasonable.

Atheism is indeed a somewhat superfluous label. It shouldn't be necessary to define someone as an "ist" for essentially thinking straight and with reason. Yet, here we are, in an overwhelming minority of human beings. And as such we have a duty to coalesce and discuss the ubiquitous preaching of nonsense and all of the ills that result.

Someone of Neil deGrasse's profile, and a free-thinking scientist, should be more careful when deforming the term atheist simply because he is slightly perturbed of an uninvited label.

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Comment by Mabel on May 9, 2012 at 3:12pm: That's a good point but I can't think of a better way he could have put it, considering his position. Can you?

Comment by Simon Kneale on May 9, 2012 at 8:30pm: I think some a little less derisory that doesn't provide ammunition to the pious. For me it shows a lack of respect to a movement which is trying to promote free-thinking and reason (as he claims). It's a trite comparison often used by the religious to defame atheism.

He could have restricted his explanation to his dislike of labels and his agnosticism.

Comment by Mabel on May 10, 2012 at 7:15pm: He could have restricted his explanation to his dislike of labels and his agnosticism.

@ Simon - I think he added the non golfer comment because he believes the majority of people that claim a faith don't live the life, and don't take it any more seriously than their golf game, even if they get out of shape if someone says there is no god.

I don't think the majority of people who claim to have a faith, give much thought about heaven and hell, until they get to the age where they start examining such things more closely because they start to understand their own death is an unstoppable, approaching event.

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