Saturday, September 19, 2009

Atheist Blogroll member 983

Gremlin.net joins the Atheist Blogroll on September 19, 2009. It is our 983 member.

I spent some time looking around Gremlin.net. It has an odd feel. The author uses an older format and only shows one post at a time on the main page. Plus the font is white on black. It takes me back to my first year of blogging.

I read Equal Opportunity to get a feel for the content.

Someone else asked what I've been wondering for a while: Why Don't Atheists Rant about Judaism? And it's not a bad question. Though it might be a bad answer.

My preliminary answer is in the comments for the entry, along with a few followup comments here and there. So far, that's the only entry I've commented on, since I only just found out it existed: I'd followed a link autoposted by GlobalAtheist at twitter.com and pornadoed my way to ProudAtheists.WordPress.com somehow, finding that post.

In reading this article I am reminded that I do not agree with or even like a lot of the blogs that make up our blogroll. That’s ok. We have the full spectrum to choose from. That is the point.

I don’t agree with Gremlin.net’s wrongheaded position on the protection of special classes.  I could use the same excuse he puts forth, but I choose not to. For example, my people (the Irish) did not immigrate to America until after slavery was abolished, therefore, it could be argued that the whole history of slavery could washed from my pale white hands. Only it does not work that way. The white race victimized the black race for centuries. Claiming a pass because my ancestors were dirt poor potato farmers does not absolve me of the larger societal wrong.  I recognize that what happened engendered hatred and injustice and that it is my duty as a human being to make sure this too fades into the distant past. We don’t get there by washing our hands, we get there by getting them dirty.

As for the question, Why don't atheist rant about Judaism? My answer is simple, they are not on my radar. Why? Part of it is cultural. I was raised a Christian. I know Christianity. Part of the reason is cultural. I don’t know any Jews. I’ve known a few Jews, but they have passed out of my life. That is the problem, with no Jewish friends, I do not follow Jewish news, except of the international train wreck known as Israel and Palestine.

Shoot… I think I just went on a rant.

Technorati Tags: ,