I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO WEAR

This is an edited form of a post I placed on a forum I participate in. The forum is discussing the Out Campaign: if you click on the big, red ‘A’, you’ll see what that’s about. I was basically commenting on this and similar comments that were made regarding the wearing of a symbol to identify you as an atheist:

“There are also atheists who are unwilling to find common ground with theists. Atheists who feel embattled and defensive, aggressively describe the wearing of these T-shirts as some sort of symbolic extended middle finger gesture to theists, implying that if we're not all with them, we're against them. Not all are doing this, by any means … but more than enough of them to make me balk at the idea of being associated with them.

This is just one of the things that concerns me with regard to this whole notion of parading atheism as one unified voice against religion. We as atheists are certainly not all united in our rationale and motivation for opposing religion, nor in our methods.”

No, but we are all atheists. In the face of belief, we are united in our disbelief. This does not make us sheep forming another dogmatic institution. Disbelief can only exist in opposition to belief. As that belief crumbles, as it surely (?) must, disbelief will cease to have meaning. You cannot rally around a blank banner.

We are simply pronouncing our pride in one aspect of our character, whether by our actions or the symbols with which we decorate ourselves, and providing an example for others who are still in the closet that ATHEISM IS NOTHING TO HIDE. Our open minds unite us on this issue, and will divide us on many many others. But, when we do disagree, it will be for genuine reasons, not out of some superstitious rationale, and isn’t that the whole point?

For some a t-shirt maybe nothing more than a ‘middle-finger’, for others it can be a statement that they are not afraid, others may put themselves at risk for wearing it, others... well, there are as many reasons to wear a t-shirt as there are not to. But, if we remain invisible, how will others know we are out there? Unlike victims of racism or sexism, and like homosexuals, atheists can hide, which is why our voice is yet to be heard on a political level. But hiding isn’t really the only issue: we are atheists, but we cannot represent atheism or choose how it is to be represented. There isn’t really anything to represent, except that we are, as everyone, people. We don’t all listen to same music or take sugar in our tea.

Due to the behaviour of some, or many, negative connotations may become attached to symbols of atheism and, therefore, atheism itself. This may again deter people from coming out and releasing themselves. One could argue that the negative connotations are already there, which is why so many of us are, or have been, quiet in the face of religion and the religious. But if many us of are seen, and seen as normal people doing everyday things, barriers may come down even more quickly. No doubt many people will be abused and/or physically attacked as a result of displaying their badge of atheism. Others may get defensive and reinforce their barriers but, at the risk of sounding judgemental, isn’t it more likely to be theists doing the constructing? But, what the hell, this will only highlight their intolerance and/or aggression to others more reason-minded, just as imprisoning a school-teacher for naming a bear Muhammad highlights the ridiculousness of Islamic ‘teaching’. It is this ridiculousness that will (I hope) hasten religion’s decline, not aggressively anti-religious actions that will only serve to strengthen and unite the superstitious.

I am a person, who is also an atheist. I don’t want to fight, but I don’t want to hide this aspect of who I am. In terms of who I am as well, it means nothing – I am who I am. It only takes on any meaning through a theist’s eyes, and if we hide, it is their meaning to control.