Re-igniting the Enlightenment

PZ Meyer has another interesting piece.

Do-nothing atheists and re-igniting the Enlightenment

The do-nothing atheists optimistically hope that everyone will evolve into a more enlightened form of religion, and unfortunately, will abstain from contumelious contention even when they are directly opposed by strongly held and patently absurd religious beliefs. I get the impression they'd instead want to fix a nice pot of tea and reassure the visiting evangelist that they can still find common cause in a conversation about the azaleas this spring. It's all so damned nice and buries all the argument under the sociable politesse that it makes my sublingual venom glands start to spasm. OK, sure, I'll join them both in a cup of tea and a little chit-chat, but let's not fool ourselves: this is not a step towards resolving conflicts, it's evading them. It's a delaying maneuver while the do-nothing atheist vaguely hopes progressive social forces draw people away from hellfire-and-brimstone religion, and the evangelical Christian enjoys a moment's conversation while his peers are actively proselytizing and influencing the political process in the background. At some point we must engage the fight.

...

The complement to the do-nothing atheist is, naturally enough, the activist atheist. The difference isn't that we're intolerant, or even that we have different beliefs about god and religion—it's that we'll unfurl a bold banner and stand uncompromisingly beneath it, state our differences loudly, and dare the others to contend with us. We do not aim to get along. Our goal is to strengthen others in our shared skepticism about religion and our positive affirmation of the power of reason and the sufficiency of the natural world, to challenge the long-held domination of supernatural and authoritarian thinking, and to change minds. Not to passively hope that others will eventually see the light, but to light that fire ourselves. Not to glimmer optimistically, but to incandesce ferociously. Where some hope the world will follow, some have to lead.

I do have a sympathetic leaning towards the more apathetic atheists, to be honest.

With so many issues before us, I do loathe to start, or continue, a conflict on yet another front. Especially when one finds themselves allied with religiously minded people on so many issues.

BUT when then do we have the conversation? When do we mete out the issues engage in the debate and challenge the old ideas and ways? For how long do we just bow and say religion is out of bounds?

NO. Their must be room in the salons, at the table, and in the discourse for this to.

It is time to strive again for Enlightenment.