Ed has a great post replying to a hilariously absurd one by John Loftus wondering what the Freethought blogs “mission statement” is. That question is swiftly answered: there ain’t one.
Ed points out a certain confusion.
On the one hand, if several FTBers agree on a subject and each write about it expressing a similar perspective, that’s bad and it’s obviously all orchestrated behind the scenes; on the other hand, when we disagree we’re drowning each other out and undermining atheism in the process.
Don’t I know it. I’ve just seen a little knot of people on Twitter agreeing with each other that FTB thinks as one and is horribly messily anarchic. If I’ve seen it once I’ve seen it a million times: someone saying “this one FTB blog said something bad; FTB is bad terrible horrible awful.” Apparently what one FTB blogger says, we all say. We’re One Big Giant Robot, with multiple limbs but only one brain. But also anarchic. Bastards!
It’s what they all say — accommodationists, religionists, male chauvinists — they all want to put the “opposition” in a single box and burn it. Their problem is that, because they think in terms of boxes, they can’t deal with free thinkers: there has to be a party line, there has to be a central dogma, otherwise what do “they” stand for? Stupidity still rules, and it’s hard to argue with stupidity.
So say we all, I gather.
The Hive Mind™ is generating Deep Rifts™.
The drowning out of slected voices is proof that the hivemind is in full force!
I like it, i like the agreements, i like the disagreements, i must like, several of the blogs,this one especially, keeping me up late every night and most importantly I’ve learned a lot of stuff an’ a whole bunch of different topics. If only i could remember it better. Particularly my login details.
Ooo! I know! It’s like a giant robot made up of other, littler robots which can fly off and attack separately, but when you put them together, it’s, like, totally awesome in the climactic battle with the rubbery monster at the end! I totally saw this one sometime in the 80s, I think! Is this gonna be a good remake? I like the cast, so far, anyway…
(/Or I’m stretching the metaphor pointlessly far for–admittedly limited–comic effect. But either way, fun was had.)
How does the essentialism not get them into more trouble? I mean, I suppose the essential characteristic of freethinkers is *not agreeing with other people just because they have Authorities*. Or mission statements. Whatever.
“Freethought” and “Mission Statement” don’t sit well together.
The phrase “Mission Statement” makes me feel slightly sick
I would think the diversity of thought at FTB would be obvious to any reasonable person. Also different blogs attract very different followers. This and Maryam Namazie’s are my favourite. I tend to stay away from Pharyngula, because Myers attracts a core of followers who have this sort of far left hove mind ethos.
Heads up, Rebekah: many of Ophelia’s regulars are regulars at Pharyngula as well. Including (if I’m counting aright) at least 6 of the 9 people who’ve commented here so far (myself included).
Now if ya’ll will excuse me, I must dash to get my unit of the hive mind seen to. Apparently my love for cats, willingness to forgive Chris Mooney and Gelato Man, and contempt for Greta Christina’s elitist culinary hipsterism have generated an error signal somewhere in Hive Central.
Aha! Freefromthought it is!
Robots have brainzes? (Stop drooling over my shoulder, Zombie Jesus. Shoo! Shoo!)
As are all robots when they short circuit.
(This is all very embarrassing.)
Stacey, did you count me, I discovered all these blogs, via PZ, so it might have been 7 out of nine.
David, no I didn’t–in my defense I was pretty sure I’d seen you on Pharyngula but since David is a fairly common name I just used “at least” to cover my ass! 😉
Stacy, you sound a bit defensive. I never suggested that all or even most regulars fit that profile. Myers does make a show of his anti-racist politics and accordingly attracts a certain type of far left commentariat that seem pretty hostile to differing opinions. Those are the sort that consider criticism of Islam to be a form of ‘imperialism’ or ‘racism’, whom one can also find attacking fellow non-believers in the comments of any Guardian CiF or Huffington Post article on Islam. I have read Butterflies & Wheels on and off for years, precisely because Ms. Benson argues against that sort of politicised shielding of Islam (and have seen her rebut some of the very commenters I have in mind).
There’s probably a “silent majority” of Pharyngulites here. I’ve read Pharyngula religiously (*ahem*) since before ScienceBlogs, but almost never comment there anymore.
I can never remember my login details, by the time ive retreived them , ive forgotten what i was going to say, so rarely comment over there, or any of the login required blogs, but i do read loads of them.