I’m a conservative, I’ve never hidden that from anyone that either reads this blog or follows me on Twitter. That’s separate from my being an atheist. Atheist is who I am, everything else just happens to be what I currently believe politically, economically, and socially.
I think one of the mistakes those on the left make is placing all conservatives into a single basket. It’s like they believe they can read the mind of everyone and determine who they are simply through a label. The right makes the same mistake.
There are plenty of people on the left, atheists, that I truly admire. We may disagree on policies but where we find agreement is in our disagreed of religion, finding it poisonous to society in general and specifically in certain circumstances.
I don’t mind at all have a discussion/debate with those I know as liberals or progressives. I actually find the conversations to be stimulative and an opportunity for me to learn about views I may have originally disagreed with. I’m the conservative that allows for the fact that I may be wrong.
That’s okay with me. I’m not afraid to admit I’m wrong and if anything disturbs me, it’s those on both the left and right that refuse to do the same.
But politics should not influence anyone’s atheism.
The noun I use most frequently as an atheist is reason. I think it’s how most of us became atheists in the first place. Our reason overcame our religious beliefs.
There are those atheists however who continue to emote rather than think. I avoid them. They don’t provide anything to convince anyone. If anything, those same people only seem to reinforce the belief of the religious that atheism is nothing more than another religion.
So fellow atheists, of course you have the absolute right to any opinion, but maybe there’s a time to stop and think before expressing them.
Conservative Skeptic 
One comment. You wrote: “But politics should not influence anyone’s atheism.” I can’t decide whether my liberalism affects my atheism or not. It seems for me that one reinforces the other. Is there such a thing as a secular/humanist conservative?
LikeLike
I’m a secular conservative. Humanist? I’m not sure what that means as you can get varying descriptions as to what a humanist represents. I don’t, however, allow my other beliefs to influence my atheism. After all, atheism is simply a npn-belief in god(s). I am able to speak with atheists of different views because I don’t allow other issues to to separate us.
LikeLike
Good points. I’m no longer a believer, but I can’t be labeled politically. I am more conservative than liberal, but not in every issue. Atheism does not necessitate liberalism. One more note: I hate the word “necessitate.”
LikeLike
Hey mate, I happened across your site through WordPress’ Reader. I am an igtheist, but regarding policy concerns, I fall into the atheist camp since religious dogma and doctrine permeate governmental and jurisprudent systems, and I feel I have to take an activist position to eradicate them. More to the point, I am an ethical subjectivist insomuch as I believe there is no objective truth, ‘right’ (or rights), or reality.
My question is on what philosophical basis do you justify your conservative belief system (and how)?
Full disclosure: I am a self-proclaimed SJW, and, for me, this is purely an emotivist reaction.
LikeLike
“I think one of the mistakes those on the left make is placing all conservatives….” Some. Say some. And “one of”? How many are they making? So you are not one, but you got them all figured out? This is why the internet is such a mess. I do not think you intend to stereotype, but it sounds like it. Thus, you are doing the exact thing you are writing in opposition to. Except for that distraction. Nice.
LikeLike