![\"\"](\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/_b7Eh98KJ_qI\/TU-3Ztw4JWI\/AAAAAAAABQk\/yBdVn5znA48\/s1600\/dictionary+atheism.jpg\")
<\/a><\/div>\nI\u2019m not normally a fan of P.Z. Myers<\/a>, since, although I appreciate his pro-education, pro-science activism, his\u00a0agent\u00a0provocateur<\/em>\u00a0shtick tends to be grossly offensive<\/a> for the sake of being offensive<\/a>. \u00a0His deliberate\u00a0sacrileges\u00a0make it impossible for him to have any positive impact on religious people, and, if his\u00a0demonstrations\u00a0are intended to stir up atheists, he\u2019s catering to the lowest denominators of distrust and anger. \u00a0It\u2019s poisonous for everyone involved.<\/p>\n So with those rather large caveats, and keeping in mind that I haven\u2019t changed my general opinion of him, I want to give Myers credit where it\u2019s due<\/a>. \u00a0While speaking in Montreal, Myers drew the ire of some atheists when he started ragging on \u2018dictionary atheists.\u2019 In response to complaints, he expanded his critique<\/a>:<\/p>\n \u201cDictionary Atheists<\/strong>. Boy, I really do hate these guys. You\u2019ve got a discussion going, talking about why you\u2019re an atheist, or what atheism should mean to the community, or some such topic that is dealing with our ideas and society, and some smug wanker comes along and announces that \u201cAtheism means you lack a belief in gods. Nothing more. Quit trying to add meaning to the term.\u201d As if atheism can only be some platonic ideal floating in virtual space with no connections to anything else; as if atheists are people who have attained a zen-like ideal, their minds a void, containing nothing but atheism, which itself is nothing. Dumbasses\u2026 Hurrah! \u00a0As you may remember, I feel really strongly<\/em>\u00a0that atheists need to put up or shut up when it comes to their own moral beliefs. \u00a0(I\u2019ve talked about it here more<\/a> than<\/a> once<\/a>). \u00a0Defending \u2018dictionary atheism\u2019 is a waste of time. \u00a0Unless dictionary atheists are only troubled by religion inasmuch as they think it is inaccurate (as homeopathy is false), they have plenty of moral critiques of the consequences of religion, not just its foundations. \u00a0It\u2019s worth talking about them, especially since some branches of the a\/theism debate (historical Jesus particularly) are hard to judge as a layperson<\/a>. \u00a0Moral questions are universally accessible. \u00a0As many other problems as I have with P.Z. Myers, I\u2019m glad a big-name atheist is calling out dictionary atheists and others.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve only been following P.Z. Myer for about half a year, so if anyone knows his writing better, can you do me a mitzvah? \u00a0Does he talk about his values in detail or with a philosophical bent anywhere? \u00a0I know he hates dualism (sigh) but I\u2019m not sure if his\u00a0commitment\u00a0to empiricism represents the whole of his set of positive values. \u00a0Anyone have a link for me?<\/p>\n I\u2019m not normally a fan of P.Z. Myers, since, although I appreciate his pro-education, pro-science activism, his\u00a0agent\u00a0provocateur\u00a0shtick tends to be grossly offensive for the sake of being offensive. \u00a0His deliberate\u00a0sacrileges\u00a0make it impossible for him to have any positive impact on religious people, and, if his\u00a0demonstrations\u00a0are intended to stir up atheists, he\u2019s catering to the lowest […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":127,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[54,214],"class_list":["post-227","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-atheism","tag-atheism-is-boring","tag-pz-myers"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nIn that Montreal talk, I explained that there is more to my atheism than simple denial of one claim; it\u2019s actually based on a scientific attitude that values evidence and reason, that rejects claims resting solely on authority, and that encourages deeper exploration of the world. My atheism is not solely a negative claim about gods, but is based on a whole set of positive values that I will emphasize when talking about atheism. That denial of god thing? It\u2019s a consequence, not a cause.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n