Women Atheists

[JamesG]

I think there is some value to debates though. When I was a Christian  I saw a youtube link to a hitchens debate titled Atheist loses debate. It pulled  me in because I wanted to see how to argue against non-Christians. when  it was over I really  had  some questions that contributed to my deconversion.

[pandora]

I think it is the testosterone or something... the need to assert dominance and control.  Women, generally speaking, are more tolerant of others' views on sensitive subjects like religion and the existence of God.  We are out here, happily atheist/humanist/freethinking, we just don't see it as a worthwhile hobby to try and convince others we're right about God or degrade others for being religious.  (Now, on other topics, we will certainly argue until the cows come home. ) Personally, I prefer to just state reasoned opinions on whatever issue without bringing the whole god/no-god thing into it all.  Fewer people are alienated that way.

[pandora]

Some women can be very logical.  I've met some women who could do logic way better than I can.  They were levels beyond me.  However it seems like a higher percentage of men are interested in that sort of thing then women.

 

I like the way Keira Knightly does atheism.  She will make a sound bite every once in a while and then she goes right back to living her life and doing her job.  There are so many things more important that worrying about religious belief.

 

Other celebrity atheists (many of whom are women):

http://www.newser.com/story/168802/31-celebrity-atheists.html

It has little to do with being logical or illogical and more to do with the perceived usefulness of debate.  It's mental masturbation more than anything.

[mymistake]

Maybe women are smart enough to understand that very little truly comes of a debate. Winning or losing says nothing about  the real truth. Rather, it is a contest, much like boxing, wrestling or running.  There is usually a winner and a loser. In many cases a winner or loser can't be agreed upon. And knowing how to utilize emotions with the audience on any issue is more often effective than facts and logic.

 

In most public debates I've seen, the audience is almost entirely split between the two sides. So there is little or no neutrality. Further, a big weakness in debates is that there is nobody to disclose to the audience the truth when an irrefutable fact has been misrepresented. When  a lie is disputed by the opposing party the dispute merely counts as argument and can be accepted or rejected. 

 

The "truth" about an issue is more likely to be arrived at by parties putting there heads together in a common purpose, and then critiqued by equally qualified persons, like a peer review board. The problem is it is much more difficult to get an audience at this kind of presentation.    bill

 

 

You kind of touch on it here but the main problem with debates is that so many people confuse logic with influence.  Success at one is usually failure at the other and vice versa.  The exception is when you are trying to influence academics.  When the audience has the right training then logic is influence.  It's unfortunate that we don't provide the right training sooner because then some of our voters might not allow themselves to be so easily fooled.

[♦ Fuego ♦]

Lacy Green on Youtube is one outspoken (smokin' hot) atheist. But much of her postings have nothing to do with that.

[Fweethawt]

I think its cuz boys have knowledge cuz they go to college.

And girls are from Jupiter and they're just stupider.

[mymistake]

 

Some women can be very logical.  I've met some women who could do logic way better than I can.  They were levels beyond me.  However it seems like a higher percentage of men are interested in that sort of thing then women.

 

I like the way Keira Knightly does atheism.  She will make a sound bite every once in a while and then she goes right back to living her life and doing her job.  There are so many things more important that worrying about religious belief.

 

Other celebrity atheists (many of whom are women):

http://www.newser.com/story/168802/31-celebrity-atheists.html

It has little to do with being logical or illogical and more to do with the perceived usefulness of debate.  It's mental masturbation more than anything.

 

 

Well I have learned a lot from debates.  I find them very useful.  If I can't defend a position that usually means I am missing something and I need to investigate.  Sometimes I find that I had something completely wrong.  Very useful indeed.  Debates also helped me deconvert from Christianity.  When I could offer up the same question to Christian after Christian and none of them could find any evidence that would shed any light that slowly convinced me that maybe there isn't any such thing.

[Darklady]

 

 

Some women can be very logical.  I've met some women who could do logic way better than I can.  They were levels beyond me.  However it seems like a higher percentage of men are interested in that sort of thing then women.

 

I like the way Keira Knightly does atheism.  She will make a sound bite every once in a while and then she goes right back to living her life and doing her job.  There are so many things more important that worrying about religious belief.

 

Other celebrity atheists (many of whom are women):

http://www.newser.com/story/168802/31-celebrity-atheists.html

It has little to do with being logical or illogical and more to do with the perceived usefulness of debate.  It's mental masturbation more than anything.

 

 

Well I have learned a lot from debates.  I find them very useful.  If I can't defend a position that usually means I am missing something and I need to investigate.  Sometimes I find that I had something completely wrong.  Very useful indeed.  Debates also helped me deconvert from Christianity.  When I could offer up the same question to Christian after Christian and none of them could find any evidence that would shed any light that slowly convinced me that maybe there isn't any such thing.

 

 

I agree, I have listened to many now, and are familiar with the main arguments that I can argue on line knowing what  Im doing.  There are not that many arguments for gods.

[Darklady]

Prehaps I wasn't that clear, I know there are a lot of women doing things, Godless Bitches, the Atheists experience etc, as well as a number of blogs, and yea, its all good,

 

I was really focusing on the formal debates, the ones put on by universities, etc but I will keep looking,

 

thanks for the replies, this is a issue, we need the female hitchens, dawkins etc, those that can get up and put the likes of WLC in their place.

[ExXex]

I feel the same, I'd love to see a Miss Dawkins type figure. These female atheist groups are great and probably is a good start where female future leading atheists can sprout from having gained the confidence of getting their voices heard- but its still confined to a 'woman' box - I don't want to hear these female voices because they're female per-se, more because there's a skewed gender balance at the main point of public contact that needs addressing.

[Darklady]

I feel the same, I'd love to see a Miss Dawkins type figure. These female atheist groups are great and probably is a good start where female future leading atheists can sprout from having gained the confidence of getting their voices heard- but its still confined to a 'woman' box - I don't want to hear these female voices because they're female per-se, more because there's a skewed gender balance at the main point of public contact that needs addressing.

 

That seems to be the case. Even i tend to discuss gender issues more than the no god issue. Maybe its time to refocus.

[RipVanWinkle]

I have no doubt that there are many women out there who are capable of debating on the level of Hitchens and the like. 

 

As to the value of debates, If the audience is open-minded they are helpful. I've never been to one involving god v. atheism at which the audience was not divided almost exclusively between pro-god and pro atheism. But perhaps I was merely assuming that to be the case. With open-minded audiences I think debates WOULD be helpful. However, I still think it would be very helpful to have a way of informing the audience of irrefutable facts which have been misrepresented during the debate. That has happened a lot in presidential debates.    bill

[Darklady]

I have no doubt that there are many women out there who are capable of debating on the level of Hitchens and the like. 

 

As to the value of debates, If the audience is open-minded they are helpful. I've never been to one involving god v. atheism at which the audience was not divided almost exclusively between pro-god and pro atheism. But perhaps I was merely assuming that to be the case. With open-minded audiences I think debates WOULD be helpful. However, I still think it would be very helpful to have a way of informing the audience of irrefutable facts which have been misrepresented during the debate. That has happened a lot in presidential debates.    bill

These days debates end up on line, and what i do and i expect others have done, is go through them looking at the argument and finding the counter arguments. Good way to get into it.

[BendyLine]

Atheist bitches  (Tracy Harris and co.)

Godless Bitches is one of my favorite atheist podcasts. I almost like it more than The Atheist Experience. Tracie Harris is brilliant; I love her angry rants. I feel like she keeps a better handle on her emotions than, say, Matt Dillahunty or Jeff Dee (who are awesome too in their own way, but sometimes get a little "angry" for my tastes). 

 

http://godlessbitches.podbean.com

[Sybaris]

My SIL is an Atheist and she would have no business operating a podium because just like most Christians she can't give you a rational reason for her belief.

 

Would she be considered a "functional" Atheist?

[seeker001]

I've never read her books, but I came across this. Totally going on my reading list. 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annie_Besant

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1425

[R. S. Martin]

In my experience, women aren't generally wired for debate and philosophical musings. I don't think women are less likely to be atheists, but they usually don't make an issue out of it and don't enjoy arguing the point. Men like to pontificate.

 

Is that one of your tongue-in-cheek quips? You must not know me. Or the woman on the keentalks someone posted that I just listened to. I couldn't find a name for her but I suggest you wouldn't want to find yourself on her wrong side. She pontificated alright.