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April 1, 2006
America Hotbed of Atheism?
Madeleine Bunting is a wobbly writer -- not, on merit, worth the space I've devoted to her. Nonetheless, she has a way, as she lurches about, of stumbling upon some interesting issues. 
Another point that I'm intrigued by in her recent piece in the Guardian is this claim that America has become the site of a death match between hardline atheists and creationists. Britain, in her view, must avoid "American-style false dichotomies between faith and science." American style!
Americans are well aware that they possess an oversupply of exuberant creationists. But the United States -- not Europe -- as a hotbed of extreme atheism! Gosh.
Could there be something to this -- perhaps the result of an equal and opposite reaction to those creationists and their buddies on the religious right? Or is Bunting, once again, just not looking where she's going.
Posted by Mitchell Stephens at April 1, 2006 12:19 PM
Comments
I've certainly become more outspoken and militant in my atheism as Christianity in this country has become more fundamentalist and arrogant. As long as they were able to observe the gentlemen's agreement that religion was a private matter and had no place in the public marketplace, nor in the courts, nor in the public schools, then I was willing to observe that same agreement. But when the politicians and the media start spouting piety as if piety were the normative attitude, I feel compelled to counter with impiety. When they make it a battle between religiosity and secularity, I'm joining up with the secularists, and I'll fight as hard as I'm able.
Posted by: Richard Blumberg at April 1, 2006 2:26 PM
I'm in absolute agreement with Richard Blumberg's comment.
Posted by: Dayv at April 3, 2006 6:43 PM
