[lbo-talk] Last Supper, in a leather harness

[John Thornton]

ravi wrote:
> On 28 Sep, 2007, at 15:33 PM, Doug Henwood wrote:
>   
>> Since atheists are the most disparaged "religious" group in the U.S.
>> - polling well below Muslims and queers - I don't see why the
>> nonreligious are supposed to be so solicitous of the feelings of the
>> religious. At least in the U.S. They're the dominant group, and they
>> should be nice to us.
>>
>>     
>
> Only if grouping by religious belief has some impact on social order,  
> power relationships, ability to realise one's potential, etc, etc.  
> The truth is more probably that atheism is a luxury of over-educated  
> comparatively wealthy intellectual brats, while religion is the last  
> resort of the poor and the working classes. I would wager that there  
> is even today a significant portion of the "religious" who think of  
> god or go to church for a moment of peace and comfort, to hope for a  
> second for some relief, some higher order, meaning, purpose. They  
> don't dominate much when it comes to atheists (especially the non-gay  
> white male variety, which also happens to be the group that claims to  
> speak for the entire clan -- hence my reference to Hitchens and  
> Dawkins, and you might as well throw in Dennett).
>
> 	--ravi

Is this tongue-in-cheek? Based on your previous writings I guess it is 
but you wouldn't know it from this post.
I don't know if Hitchens, Dennett, Dawkins claim they speak for the 
entire clan. I didn't get that from Dawkins or Hitchens books 
specifically on atheism but maybe I missed something.
I also don't know what their sexual orientation or skin color has to do 
with anything in this light.
Certainly race and gender color our perspective of a great many things 
but to consider it instrumental in forming opinions of this nature seems 
a bit much.
Your attempts are sarcasm are difficult to discern via email which is 
not altogether friendly to that method of communication.
Even if tongue-in-cheek you do seem to have more animosity directed 
toward those of Dawkins ilk than would seem warranted.
I'll take the atheists over the superstitious in most instances.

John Thornton