There are a number of Atheist organizations out there, working to promote atheism and try to protect the rights of atheists. Some of them are good, such as the Freedom From Religion Foundation, others are more problematic, and some are outright horrible.
In the latter group, falls Atheists for Liberty, a right-winged organization which participates in CPAC, and have David P. Silverman as the advisory board chair.
As their pinned tweet shows, they are proud of both of these things.
If there is any doubt about how horrible, the organization is, on the whole, just take a look at the books they promote, and the words they use to sell them.
This is nearly a literal who’s who of horrible people connected to atheism (some more of these can be found in the organization’s board of advisors)
Looking at the Atheists for Liberty’s website, I was not surprised to see that their major cause right now, is to allow atheist to get exemptions from the vaccine mandate. They couch it in the argument that allowing religious exemptions only, is discriminatory towards atheists, but instead of trying to get the religious exemptions removed, they are instead trying to get them expanded, showing that they are supporting the anti-vaxers.
Atheists for Liberty writes on their website:
Vaccine Mandate Equality Project
Atheists for Liberty has a firm stance on vaccine mandates: Atheists musts be treated equally. Across this nation, atheists, like our client/member Patrick Wilmers who are opposed to the Covid Vaccine, are being fired, while their religious counterparts are being allowed to stay because of “religious exemptions”. This policy writ large, as promoted by the US Government, effectively thins atheists from the workforce while allowing religious people to stay. It’s religious discrimination and it’s illegal.
Left unchallenged, it would set nationwide precedent – we would effectively lose a right – the right to equal treatment – and it would surely be used against us in the future as precedent for even more erosion.
We simply cannot stand and let our rights be reduced under the guise of safety. Civil rights still count, even and especially in difficult times. Atheists for Liberty ALONE (so far) is working to defend equal protection under the law for atheists with regards to vaccine mandates. We seek plaintiffs, lawyers, and your financial support for this important effort.
On the surface, it might seem like a reasonable stance that it is discriminatory to allow for religious exemptions, but not secular ones, but the right remedy would be to work for the removal of religious exemptions, not for allowing atheists to not be vaccinated when holding jobs as nurses or working together with other people in large companies. This probably explains why Atheists for Liberty are “ALONE” in working for this.
One of the Atheists for Liberty people at CPAC, was transbigot and Trump-fan Arielle Scarcella, who is actively promoting anti-vax propaganda by retweeting it
All in all, it is pretty clear that Atheists for Liberty are anti-vax, but I guess that is hardly surprising for a group that have notorious bigot and anti-vax promoter, James Lindsay on it’s board of advisors.
Thanks for the scoop on what the other side is up to, as nasty as it tastes to swallow. I’m amused their logo first made me think of the United Methodist Church. My biggest problem with these guys is the fascism – they’re rich and connected with lobbyists, actually do have some political leverage our side doesn’t.
My second biggest problem is that they are pretty good at “owning” atheism – making it seem like it’s their sole remit, disappearing anyone decent from the image of what atheism is. This article alone, this slight glance at them, makes me wanna flick my own atheism into the trashcan in disgust. Very annoying, and as they pride themselves on being noisome, congratulations are in order?
Wait free thought blog? Yet you criticize and attack anyone who isn’t a Biden blowing moron? Yeah hate to break it to you but no one likes 5$ gas a horrible economy and being the laughing stock of the world. Fk Biden and his followers they should be arrested
@1: That reaction you describe? ALL of that is their intent: co-opt the label, divide atheists, and make them look as bad as their longstanding negative stereotype of atheists.
Mathew, you seem to be rather confused. Nowhere did I say anything about Biden in this post. I am all for people criticizing Biden for the right reasons. He is hardly as progressive as many people would like, though he is more progressive than a lot of people believe – especially when it comes to his appointments.
Also, I got news for you – $5 gas a gallon has been the reality in my home country for as long as I can remember, and most of us are quite satisfied about it, since it reduces the car usage. Also, the US was the laughing stock of the world under Trump, not under Biden. Under Biden, relations between the US and most of the rest of the world has normalized.
As a member of the organization I can tell you without any reservation that the organization is not “anti-vax” in regards to the COVID-19 vaccine. The organization wants people to have the right to chose what’s good for their health and their body. Full stop. These sort of silly lies are not becoming.
Liam, if you want to convince me that the organization isn’t anti-vax, you’d be better of not using the same tired rhetoric tricks as all other anti-vaxers. People not taking life-saving vaccines is not choosing “what’s good for their health and their body”.