Will a New Dawkins Foundation App Help Atheists Talk to Believers?

[rug]

By Alana Massey / October 14, 2016

Modern atheism has a PR problem.

For too long, the most outspoken non-believers have been antagonistic, bombastic, and sometimes profoundly embarrassing older white men. When they aren’t writing inflammatory books, these men interrupt people on talk shows and get into Twitter fights with teenagers. They model behaviors that seem to alienate their fellow non-believers as much, if not more so, than religious people.

There’s space for a more diplomatic approach. With that in mind, a new app called Atheos aims to help non-believers have friendly, thoughtful discussions with people of faith.

The app can be a bit silly, and its tone toward believers can be condescending. But Atheos appears to be part of a good-faith effort to inject civility into conversations between believers and non-believers. The app may not convince many people to become atheists. But that’s not the point. Instead, at best, Atheos is an instructive tool for non-believers to reflect on their own positions more critically and thoughtfully.

http://religiondispatches.org/atheos-review/

http://www.atheos-app.com/

[MisterP]

1. "the most outspoken non-believers have been antagonistic, bombastic, and sometimes profoundly

embarrassing older white men. When they aren’t writing inflammatory books, these men interrupt people on talk shows and get into Twitter fights with teenagers. They model behaviors that seem to alienate their fellow non-believers as much, if not more so, than religious people"
thank unGod that RICHARD DAWKINS is here to save us from all that!!!!

[rug]

2. The "Twitter fights with teenagers" remark is, naturally, linked.

http://fusion.net/story/237824/richard-dawkins-ahmed-mohamed-twitter/

[struggle4progress]

3. More conversations based on soundbites from an app! What an exciting prospect for everyone!