Atheism+ was (is) more about bringing social issues into the discussion, rather than focusing solely on godlessness. It was trying to be more intersectional to bring in women, trans people, gay people, groups that historically were not welcome in predominantly white and male atheist spaces.
Atheism becomes more powerful when it can make allies. Together, we stand.
Unfortunately the dudebro contingent was … unhappy with that.
I am not talking about supporting women, trans / gay rights etc. That is perfectly fine, and it was not that. Like I said I was an avid follower of that site and I saw the toxicity take hold. Myers increasingly used unhinged, defamatory hate speech and followers would dogpile anyone who defied the group think or cast doubt on his utterances. It was genuinely authoritarian and cult-like, that they were the superior ones, they were Atheism+ or sometimes “New Atheism”, that anyone else was fair game for the worst smears. Luckily his obnoxiousness became so hard to ignore that he basically ostracized himself into irrelevance.
No I wasn’t but I witnessed it. I saw people banned for arbitrary and unfair reasons. I saw Myers declare that anyone who didn’t believe exactly what he did was a troll. I saw the vile accusations and slurs and supporters shit on people who cast doubt on these accusations and slurs. Difference of opinion was not a thing to be countenanced. Atheist groups got fed up with it and some even released statements to that effect. So his marginalization and atheism+ was self inflicted and well deserved.
I think that’s a mischaracterization.
Atheism+ was (is) more about bringing social issues into the discussion, rather than focusing solely on godlessness. It was trying to be more intersectional to bring in women, trans people, gay people, groups that historically were not welcome in predominantly white and male atheist spaces.
Atheism becomes more powerful when it can make allies. Together, we stand.
Unfortunately the dudebro contingent was … unhappy with that.
A slymepitter, you have discovered.
I am not talking about supporting women, trans / gay rights etc. That is perfectly fine, and it was not that. Like I said I was an avid follower of that site and I saw the toxicity take hold. Myers increasingly used unhinged, defamatory hate speech and followers would dogpile anyone who defied the group think or cast doubt on his utterances. It was genuinely authoritarian and cult-like, that they were the superior ones, they were Atheism+ or sometimes “New Atheism”, that anyone else was fair game for the worst smears. Luckily his obnoxiousness became so hard to ignore that he basically ostracized himself into irrelevance.
I was also on Pharyngula back then and had an entirely different experience. Did you find yourself among the dogpiled?
PZ mostly does spider posts these days.
No I wasn’t but I witnessed it. I saw people banned for arbitrary and unfair reasons. I saw Myers declare that anyone who didn’t believe exactly what he did was a troll. I saw the vile accusations and slurs and supporters shit on people who cast doubt on these accusations and slurs. Difference of opinion was not a thing to be countenanced. Atheist groups got fed up with it and some even released statements to that effect. So his marginalization and atheism+ was self inflicted and well deserved.