What’s Gnu?

A while back I made my first and only contribution to Urban Dictionary with my definition of Gnu Atheism:

A term used by atheists online to ridicule the idea that there is such a thing as a “New Atheist.” Its origins are variously attributed to Ophelia Benson, Jerry Coyne and PZ Myers.

Those Gnu Atheists are so militant in their hatred of religion!

While on vacation in Merry Olde, I received letters from both Jerry Coyne and Ophelia Benson.  I was quite excited to be contacted by two of the stars of the non-believing blogosphere, one of them, Dr. Coyne, the author of “Why Evolution is True.”  That book helped me break free at last from the silliness called “theistic evolution.”

Unfortunately, they did not chase down this atheist rabbi to congratulate me on my blog’s erudition.  Rather, they sought to correct the record concerning the coinage of the term I defined for the Urban Dictionary.

“Gnu Atheism,” I have learned from them, was actually used for the first time in the comments section of Ophelia’s blog, Butterflies and Wheels by one Hamilton Jacobi (possibly undoubtedly a pseudonym).

As soon as I figure out how, I shall amend the entry.