I've explained some of the signs and behaviors which might indicate that a person is falling into the trap of Uncle Tom Atheism, which involves making it easier for atheists to be discriminated against, hated, and otherwise oppressed in the name of Christian Supremacism. Avoiding the trap of Uncle Tom Atheism isn't just a matter of doing the exact opposite in each case, though, and many of the behaviors can seem completely innocuous or reasonable in isolation. Avoiding Uncle Tom Atheism requires some consciousness raising and attitude adjustment.
You might avoid Uncle Tom Atheism if you...
1. Treat Religions Like Other Ideologies, Belief Systems
The key means religious believers use to undermine criticism of their ideology is by getting people to think that religion is "special" and shouldn't be subjected to the same standards and expectations applied to other ideologies. It's important for atheists to refuse to accede to such demands and to instead be ever more direct in their application of the skeptical, critical, sociological, economic, psychological, and philosophical critiques which every other ideology, philosophy, and belief system may routinely be subjected to. Given its role in human culture there's an argument for subjecting religion to even more critical scrutiny than other ideologies, but we should at the very least ensure that it gets the same scrutiny.
2. Refuse to Accept that Religion or Theism Justify Any Special Privileges
Exempting religion from criticism helps ensure that religious institutions, people, and beliefs benefit from special privileges not available to others in society. These privileges range from the assumption that religious values are more important or more real than other values to relaxing rules or laws which religious institutions come into the picture. Atheists need to struggle against this because the privileging of one class or group above others is a key ingredient in every form of social, political, and economic oppression. It's not a coincidence that, in the West, Christians and Christian institutions have been behind such oppression. Whereas before it was privileging whites or men, today it's privileging religion generally.
3. Recognize that Morality & Justice can be More Important than Civility
Society wouldn't be able to function if people didn't adhere to minimum standards of
civility, but the value of this pales in comparison to the need for justice and basic morality. It's too easy for perpetrators of injustice and immorality to get away with more than they should by pretending that the un-civil outrage of their victims somehow disqualifies their complaints. On the internet, concern trolls pretend that aggressive criticism, invective, and
profanity should never be used, not even against those guilty of gross moral violations. There's a place for calm, civil, sober arguments but there's also a place for indignant outrage. When people behave immorally or spread immoral beliefs, don't be shy in your response.
4. Be Yourself, Because Bigots Will Always Find an Excuse
Some anti-atheist bigots have tried arguing that the so-called "
New Atheists" bring animus and discrimination down on atheists themselves because their criticisms of religion are too "militant" and "intolerant." This ridiculous argument reveals something important about bigots everywhere: no matter what the actual situation, they will always find some excuse to rationalize their bigotry. Even when they admit to being bigots, they won't admit that their bigotry is a product of their own irrational hate. Instead, they will find something "bad" about their targets and insist that this is the source of the problems. You will never be able to please a bigot and you shouldn't try; instead, you should just be yourself.
5. You Never Apologize for Being an Atheist or Hide Your Atheism
One of the best ways to ensure that atheists continue to be treated with suspicion and animus is for atheists to treat atheism like it's something to be ashamed or embarrassed about. Atheists who apologize for their atheism or who treat atheism like a dark, dirty secret help the cause of anti-atheist bigotry (including atheists with legitimate reason to fear reprisals, but they are in a no-win situation so it's fair if they choose to put personal safety first). There is nothing immoral, dirty, or shameful about not believing in any gods. You have nothing to apologize for or to be ashamed about. Atheism isn't exactly something to be proud of, either, but perhaps some misplaced pride is sometimes needed to counter the effects of bigotry.
6. You Can Criticize Atheists Without Having to Apologize for Them
Not every atheist is decent, rational, reasonable, skeptical, sensible, or moral. Even those who generally are those things won't be all the time. When it's appropriate, there's nothing wrong with being critical of such atheists or at least critical of their behavior, arguments, etc. What you shouldn't do is apologize for them â€" no matter what some atheist somewhere does, it's no reflection on you personally merely because you're both atheists. Apologizing for other atheists means accepting that the behavior of one atheist reflects on others and this, in turn, makes bigots feel more justified. Being an atheist doesn't mean being part of a club, organization, movement, or ideology which you assume any responsibility for.
7. Start Expecting Politicians to Treat You with Equal Dignity and Respect
People won't treat you with dignity and respect if you yourself don't think you deserve it and one of the sure ways of communicating this to others is not expect it. If you allow people to treat you like a doormat, then they will quickly learn that you
are a doormat. If you allow people to treat you with disrespect, they will quickly learn that even you don't think you deserve respect. The only way to avoid or break out of this cycle is to stand up and say in a loud, firm voice that you will be treated with the respect and dignity you deserve. If anyone refuses, don't sit back down and go quiet again. Walk out. Work to acquire power. Do
something to ensure that there are consequences.
8. Develop Enough Self-Respect to Treat Atheist Equality as Important
If you respect yourself, then the political equality of atheists will be important to you. It can't be the only thing you value, but in a democracy the political equality of everyone is the foundation and starting point of the system, which means that political inequality can undermine or even invalidate the rest of what happens. Civil Rights leaders didn't say "lets deal with Vietnam first, racial equality second." Gay activists didn't say "let's deal with the USSR first, equality second." If you sacrifice your own equality or the equality of others for "more important issues," those issues won't be dealt with in a manner that is sufficiently democratic. How valid will the process and results really be, then?
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