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Anyone else bothered by Atheist orgs frequently using "reason" in their names?

Asked by Rsam (586points) October 21st, 2009

Here are some examples:

Big Apple Coalition of Reason
Church of Reality
The Reason Project
Rational Response Squad
Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science
Rationalist International
etc… etc…

I am an atheist myself and would, like these organizations, equally posit that much of religion is plain sillyness in its most innane, and horrifically destructive and prejudice at its worst.

However, to assert that your decision not to believe in a theistic entity somehow entails that you are thus “rational” or “reasoning” seems ludicrous and unable to withstand the test of history. Atheist are as adapt at “unreason” whatever that is as much as anyone else. For that matter, I haven’t been convinced that a “natural reason” exists prima facie, or by design.

Naming your organization “Rationalist International” or “The Coalition for Reason” makes a claim to tacit superiority and thus tribal warring for the minds of many—which, to my mind, is one of the chief symptoms of religion itself, and therefore, not of much use whatsoever.

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