Paved With Good Intentions

While I really like the idea of Richard Dawkins's OUT campaign, I have to admit that I am not too happy with the symbol he has chosen for it. Yes, I understand, it's the scarlet letter, and in a lot of ways, being an public atheist can lead to similar pariah treatment as being adulterous Hester Prynne.

I understand that's likely what is being got at. However, I don't like the scarlet letter as the galvanizing symbol for atheism. First and foremost, it is Puritan adultery punishment to me. And beyond that, it's the symbol for an immoral action, and the ignorant already associate atheism with immorality, no need to help that link along, especially when most atheists are highly ethical people who already fight the opinion that morality is impossible without religion. Not to mention that the shirts aren't clear on the meaning of said scarlet letter. It's just the letter and the generic "OUT campaign" website, which somewhat paints the picture of some immoral GLBT swingers club (I must admit that the phrase out campaign brings to mind GLBT issues in my mind).

So basically, it's a confusing shirt with a hateful symbol of immorality on it. Not exactly great press. Dawkins can appropriate it and twist it all he likes, but that's not going to change what most people are going to think when they see a scarlet letter and the word OUT campaign (adultery + gay). Yes, literarily it really stands for, and is used in speech as, a term for becoming a pariah, but it always has that seedy undertone. I don't want that further incorrectly associated with atheism.

If you really wanted to have a true OUT campaign wherein we all stood up and said, "we don't believe in God," lets at least get a shirt that communicates the idea that we are atheist/agnostic and we are just normal people, none of this flashy, literary, *wink*wink* appropriating of an immoral symbol, unclear bullshit. You don't get respect or standing by making secret codes. I can't exactly think of something better, but you need something clear, humanizing, and noncombative. In my opinion, these shirts and the symbol don't fit any of these requirements. It personally strikes me as a bit smug, which is not a big friend winner. It also feels hollow to me for some reason, akin to a publicity stunt.

I like the idea, I really do, but I hate the symbol chosen. I refuse to support something so careless as to not really take into account what that symbol is going to mean to a lot of people when they see it.

I'm also annoyed by all the bloggers complaining that the campaign isn't getting as much support as it should, that if all atheists would stand up and speak out, things would change for the better as we all stood in solidarity. This whole thing is so slapdash and pushy that I personally don't care for it. There are also people who have their own reasons to want to pass, as they are likely living in an area where they could legitimately become a pariah or lose job opportunities, or something silly. Coming out in this manner is highly personal, and I support a person doing it when they feel safe and ready. Perhaps they'd like to come out without the aid of a shirt, on their own terms. We don't need to start attacking one another's personal choices.

ETA: I found the opinion on the campaign here also very interesting. My own non-belief isn't something I dwell on, all the blogging and blog-reading notwithstanding. It's just a part of me. I think the campaign is trying to do a lot more things, like present atheist as humans too, and try to move forward from there... it just isn't doing it very well.