So……. It’s back!? My obsession with this subject? Yes.

Ok. Right of the bat- if you’re new to this series, Hi. I am Ved Sunil. A friendly neighbourhood humanistic Atheist. I know there are a few people new to this whole “blogging” situation, but trust me- it’s fun! Plus its a grade booster (Why would you not want that?).

So, without further ado, esketit.

Historically, Atheists have been a cautious lot. That’s why you don’t see a very many of us in the books of history. Much like those who don’t conform well into the “conventional” or “old” concept of gender. Both communities have a sort of “coming out” moment- when you call yourself for what you are & finally accept the truth.

However, there are a few differences. While no one can “become gay”, one can “become an atheist”. Another difference is this- the LGBTQIA community most often, accepts people from many different backgrounds.

What do I mean by this? I mean that organized atheism & the atheistic community hasn’t been too open to people of colour, females & has a very strong tinge of Islamophobia. This became apparent to me when I saw that three innocent, bright, Muslim-American students were killed by someone of my community.

“Atheist” Stephen Hicks

The Students

The man was an outspoken atheist who criticised religion. Just like me. This led me to assess my own beliefs & put them under a microscopic level of scrutiny. The label of “immoral atheists” came back into my mind.

I believe that a majority of religions (especially the Abrahamic ones) are like a cancer. They are very hard to get rid of & in most cases, are benign. However, a few literalists (fundamentalists) who take their religious scriptures as the truth, verbatim have the symptoms of that tumor being malignant. They can spread to many others at a very fast pace & causes harm to the very body that keeps all of us all cohesive- our humanity.

Now does that mean I’m an Islamophobe? No. No one should be stopped from believing what they want to believe. You want to believe in the flying spaghetti monster? Go ahead. Achieve enlightenment through your deities noodly arms. Doesn’t make it true though. It’s still a belief not a fact. Much like Hicks belief that these innocent people were a threat to his beliefs & others, much like my belief that most religions are like a cancer. The issue of free-speech is very dear to me. The first amendment to the U.S constitution is by far the most important one & is the most valid due to the freedom it gives.

We, atheists like to say- “I don’t criticise Islam in particular, I criticise religion as a whole.” & that “Atheists don’t partake in violence, that’s a key religious mojo.” But the community & its leaders won’t call out the problems with Atheism.

Another problem would be diversity. As a brown atheist myself, I can attest to this. There have been many groups for black atheists who feel unwelcome in their community. Same is the case with brown atheists. Since mainstream Atheism doesn’t address the specific problems faced by us, we have to form separate groups.

On top of that, misogyny has been a key problem in organised, mainstream atheism. Many of my idols have been accused of it & one of them even blurred the line of consent during a sexual encounter. Specifically, we are talking about David Silverman.

This Guy

I was shocked. The blinds came off akin to when I realized god did not exist. Atheism had a big alt-right element to it. With the r/Atheism thread on Reddit, it becomes apparent.

I have no words for these problems except this- change. Change is what we need in the Atheistic community. We need to increase our outreach to diversify our ranks & add more diverse allies to the cause. We need to make a safe & inclusive environment for everyone, if we want to be recognised.

Moreover, even the slightest error in our community is a detriment to our cause. We are atheists. Often deemed as “immoral”, “morally bankrupt” & “depraved”. We need to hold ourselves to a higher standard than organised religion & account every little problem into our agenda for change.

The time of the old, stale, white, male atheism is gone. New Atheism 2.0 is in town.