Updated comment policy

It's been a long time since I've had to deal with an influx of commenters from off-site, so here are the updated rules:

1) Don't be a dick. Attack ideas, not people.

2) No one who has earned an Order of the Molly is allowed to comment under that name.

3) No one calling themselves Justicar or Integralmath is allowed to comment under that name.

4) Real names are vastly more likely to get published. Own your shit.

5) Rules 2-4 exist to protect Rule 1. You don't have to like it.

6) All comments are moderated. If you write something insulting, or boring, or fail to back up claims with facts, your comment might get posted, but don't count on it.

#AtheismPlus vs. #Skepticism

The founders of A+ have claimed that skepticism will be one of their foundational principles. Let's look at what happens when one of the A+ advocates is challenged to provide facts to back up their paranoid claims:

What I love about this exchange is how fully it recapitulates so many of my experiences talking to A-plussers. 

Me: I am skeptical about some of your claims.
Them: What, you doubt that [given form of bigotry] is real?
Me: No, just this one hyperbolic claim that you made, right here.
Them: BLOCKED.

Wow, just wow. This right here is why some skeptics doubt whether plussers are a plus to our movement.

Friday Fishbait — Anti-Darwin Fish

It's been awhile since I've posted a fish, but this one was too good to pass up.

Cannot say that I really blame Christians for defacing our logos defacing their Logos. 

Penultimate post on #AtheismPlus

Okay, yeah, so yesterday's post was a bit inflammatory and I get why some of you think it's just stirring the proverbial shit-pot. What possible point can there be in building a blacklist like that, complete with a mix of allegations spanning the entire spectrum from truth to half-truth to defamation?

Here's the point: Exclusionism is at the heart of the A+ movement. The most fundamental idea of A+ is to purge themselves of misogynists, racists, and other such privilege defenders and deniers, so as to allow others to be more comfortably included. I do not completely disagree with this approach. Some people are so irretrievably damaged (by circumstances quite beyond their control) that their personality has been warped beyond the possibility of learning to empathize with the Other. If someone comes into our spaces using sexist or racist or ableist slurs, we are justified in taking them out. However, we are also justified in talking them down, and I'd much prefer trying that approach first. Sometimes, there is a fundamental misunderstanding that just needs a bit of clearing up.

This latter approach doesn't seem to be much of a live option for the leaders of A+, who are so quick to detect wrongdoing (mostly sexism) that yesterday's list consists primarily of people who are on record for equality of the sexes, but have somehow failed to tow the line on some particular finer point of feminist theory or else failed to agree completely with the hard core of either FtB or Skepchick. In the mind of A+, disagreement with the leadership implies disagreement with their goals and values, which in turn implies some form of incurable bigotry or hatred.

Let me be perfectly clear on this: You can agree wholeheartedly with the goals and values of A+ while disagreeing with the leadership and their execution of the mission. This is so obvious that I shouldn't have to create an analogy, but just for the sake of clarity, consider this: The passengers on the Titanic all agreed with the clearly stated goals and destination of that voyage, but at some point they came to have legitimate doubts about those in charge of the ship.

#AtheismPlus - A Provisional Blacklist

It's not yet clear whether Atheism+ will turn out to be a growth movement or just another bright flash in the pan, but in the name of progress (the properly progressivist kind of progress) I'm going to propose a list of people who are clearly unworthy of breathing the same air as Greg Laden and thus unfit for the inclusion in this new project. This list will consist of real names only, because Lord only knows (by which I mean no one really knows) who all those hateful anons really are.

• D.J. Grothe (allegedly covered up alleged sex crimes)
• Richard Dawkins (Dear Muslima...)
• Sam Harris (racist shit stain) 
• Christopher Hitchens (sexist warmonger)
• Daniel Dennett (part of the problem)
• Abbie Smith (for obvious reasons)
• Justin Griffith (briefly supported Abbie)
• Harriet Hall (wears misogynist t-shirts)
• Justin Vacula (vacuous shitbag troll)
• Franc Hoggle (misogynist asshole)
• Jeremy Stangroom (misogynist asshole)
• Tony Ryan (misogynist asshole)
• Russel Blackford (hyperskeptic)
• Paula Kirby (convicted Godwin)
• Michael Payton (convicted MRA)
• Michael Shermer (jokes about ladyparts, admitted libertarian)
• Penn Jillette (climate change skeptic, admitted libertarian)
• Mallorie Nasrallah (confessed chill girl)
• Phil Mason (AHP skeptic)
• Maria Maltseva (gaslighted Greg Laden)
• Ed Clint (opposed the status quo)
• John Loftus (opposed the status quo)
• Kristina Hansen (mind-searingly vicious bully)

This is a living document. If you have more persona non grata (or crimes against the priesthood) to add to the list, please let me know in the comments.

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EDIT: Had to promote Kristina Hansen up from the comments section, on account of Ophelia's recent comments. Greetings, fellow FtB readers, and thanks for visiting my humble corner of cyberspace. If you can leave a comment without telling anyone to do unspeakable things to themselves with a porcupine, please have a go. (9/11/2012)

10 Commandments of #AtheismPlus

Since we've been in the mood for proposing new rules for the new movement, I've come up with my own list. It's not intended to be serious, unless you really want some of these rules implemented, in which case we can discuss that one seriously. Maybe.

1. Thou Shalt Have No Gods. Only the lords and ladies of Blog’s Highest Spheres are worthy of worship.
   
2. Thou shalt not question the values nor the priesthood of #AtheismPlus, nor retweeth those who do.
   
3. Thou shall not bring false jewellery as an offering, nor wear it upon thy bosom; neither shall thou grabbeth the ass.
   
4. Thou shall honour thy FtB and thy Skepchick, with one tenth of all thine page-views and mouse-clicks.
   
5. Thou shalt not creep, nor shall thou do that which seemeth creepy unto others.
   
6. Thou shalt not fail to stick the flounce.
   
7. Thou shalt purge the subhuman sewer dwellers, douche-bags, privilege-defenders and misogynists from amongst the congregation.
   
8. Thou shalt check thy privilege. If thou contends with one less privileged than thyself, thou shall yield the field posthaste.
   
9. Thou shalt always feed the trolls. Everything they say and do is perfectly serious and probably meant as a personal threat.
   
10. Kneel before P-Zod. Failing that, at least bow before Blag Hag.