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Reactions April 23, 2007

Posted by ocmpoma in : atheism , trackback

There have been a few reactions at ScienceBlogs to PZ’s post (and apparently one at Pandagon) comparing atheists and suffragettes:

Thoughts From Kansas talks about the Overton Window. Is it me, or isn’t that exactly what us mean atheists are trying to do? Am I missing something, or is Mr Rosenau?

Mixing Memory has an interesting read: an article from the 19th century which is all-too familiar.

And, Mike the Mad Biologist says it’s not suffragettes atheists need to think like, it’s Jews.

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Comments»

1. Josh Rosenau - 23 April 22:36

“trying to do” is a far cry from “doing.” I hope that piece demonstrates why I think that what “mean atheists” are actually doing is unlikely to have the desired effect.

2. ocmpoma - 23 April 23:56

Using the example of school vouchers, even as the window was shifted incrementally, there were proponents of vouchers still in existence. The principle of the window does not suggest that proponents of the politically impossible refrain from holding to their ultimate goal. So, as I’ve said before, some are working for the politically possible and doing so in a more commonly accepted manner, and others are pushing for ideas which are social outliers and doing so in a manner which is seen as, in PZ’s words, “uppity” — and we’ll need both methods to get what we want, just as those seeking to reform public schools need voices urging for the politically possible and other voices on the fringes — fringes which are, as they hope, to eventually become barely outliers themselves as the window shifts.