The atheist community (sometimes referred to as the skeptic community) is, it seems, like any other community: it has good people and bad people, and 50 shades of everything in between. The mistake many have made is to assume that, since they have broken free from their bonds of faith and religion (or were fortunate enough to not have been shackled in the first place), that they are automatically on the right track. That's simply not the case. One may escape from a prison, but where that person goes after the escape matters just as much, if not more. What's the point of breaking free from religious dogma just to become enslaved by a new set of prejudices? Seems obvious (to me, anyway), but that's what many who call themselves "atheist" have done.
Jen McCreight announced today that she is quitting blogging. Seems unlikely that she will be gone forever, or even for a terribly long time, but she is quitting nonetheless, and her reasons for quitting are "feelings of dread" associated with "a group of people out there devoted to hating [Jen], [her] friends, and even people [she's] just vaguely associated with." She can't take it any more, so she's bowing out, at least for a while.
Jen is a victim of the "Us vs. Them" mentality that has corrupted the atheist community. Of any group, one should expect differences of opinion to be tolerated, and challenged rationally and cordially within the atheist community. But even here such an expectation is naive and overly optimistic. I may think that Jen has (intentionally or otherwise) helped nurture the "Us vs. Them" attitude, but even so, she doesn't deserve to be treated so badly. Jen's a good person, an intelligent woman, and a force for good overall. The morons who have been harassing Jen are the same kinds of idiots who still leave horrible messages for Rebecca Watson on the initial video that started Elevatorgate.
Why should either of these women have to hear or read comments like:
Are we in Junior High again?
These comments were directed toward Rebecca Watson rather than Jen McCreight, but my point is that these clowns spewing hatred toward Rebecca are likely some of the same who have been attacking Jen. At the very least, both the Rebecca and Jen Haters share the same juvenile "I disagree with her so I don't like her so I should try to hurt her" mentality. "Us vs. Them." No matter what Rebecca Watson or Jen McCreight say, these people will be there to call them fat and ugly and stupid. No matter what, these doucheburgers will be there - hiding like cowards behind the veil of online anonymity - giving atheists everywhere a bad name.
— Dead-Logic
