tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63321854319324670132024-02-19T23:23:31.393-08:00Atheologically ThinkingAtheologically Thinking discusses current topics in Atheism, theology, ethics, and politics from an Atheistic Humanist perspective.Jonathan P. Figdorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15916349286928493002noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332185431932467013.post-29927178080393056542011-03-28T09:52:00.000-07:002011-03-28T10:22:44.683-07:00Why Should New Atheists Engage in Interfaith Service?<div style="background-color: transparent; "><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">As an avid reader of </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><a href="http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2011/03/what_is_this_interfaith_nonsen.php">Pharyngula</a></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">, </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><a href="http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/2011/you-mean-youre-not-going-to-throw-me-out/">Butterflies & Wheels</a></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">, and, of course, </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><a href="http://friendlyatheist.com/2011/03/21/interfaith-placation/">The Friendly Atheist</a></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">, I was surprised to see how much negative attention the idea of Interfaith Service generated last week. I’ve heard a lot of interesting reasons why Interfaith Service poses challenges to secular folks, but I wanted to share what I think are the overwhelming benefits of Interfaith Service. But instead of answering the relatively easy question of why </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Humanists</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> ought to engage in interfaith service, I want to answer a more interesting question: Why should </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">New Atheists</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> engage in Interfaith Service?</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span></div><blockquote><div style="background-color: transparent; "><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">1. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">It accomplishes service</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">. Who cares if we have to hijack someone’s religious delusions to compel them to help us build a park or feed the homeless? The point is, we get a park built and the homeless fed.</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; "><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap; "><div style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; white-space: normal; font-size: medium; "><span id="internal-source-marker_0.6090808534063399" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri; color: rgb(25, 17, 10); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">2. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri; color: rgb(25, 17, 10); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Doing Interfaith Service lets people know about Atheism</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri; color: rgb(25, 17, 10); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">. A lot of people who might consider themselves Atheists don’t even know that we exist. This helps raise our profile...</span></div></span></span></div></blockquote><div style="background-color: transparent; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap; "><div style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; white-space: normal; font-size: medium; "><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri; color: rgb(25, 17, 10); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; white-space: normal; font-size: medium; "><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri; color: rgb(25, 17, 10); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; white-space: normal; "><span style="font-family: Calibri; color: rgb(25, 17, 10); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; " ><b><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span><a href="http://friendlyatheist.com/2011/03/29/why-should-new-atheists-engage-in-interfaith-service/">Read the rest at The Friendly Atheist</a></b></span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; white-space: normal; font-size: medium; "><br /></div></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></div>Jonathan P. Figdorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15916349286928493002noreply@blogger.com2