It's ironic that an article about the GAC is classified as Religion and Spirituality.

Pericles: "I wish you unconfined joy - sorry, "powerfully exquisite joy" - when you attend the next Global Convention of Pretentious Tossers."

It's funny how many people calling themselves 'atheists' get all upset about the current power and popularity of the movement. It's almost as if they don't want to give up their minority position and the sense of persecution it gives them; rather like the hardcore feminists who are desperately trying to find ways to convince women that they're still oppressed.

I guess if your self-worth is tied up with being part of a neglected majority, it's hard to cope when that minority starts getting attention.

Jon J,

personally, the only reason I get "snarky" with the New Atheists is because they are shallow and conventional.
My position is not one of mere atheism, tokenism, but one of disenchantment and ideological critique which comprehends all the institutions that help to maintain the present order--including, apparently, the New Atheists.
Atheism has an honourable tradition of radicalism behind it, but you guys are trying to turn it into a bourgeois mode of sterilised thinking; that is, non-thinking--liberalism.
My atheism and your atheism are non sequitur. As far as I'm concerned the New Atheism is just another State Religion.

Yep, that's the problem, right there Jon J.

>>It's funny how many people calling themselves 'atheists' get all upset about the current power and popularity of the movement<<

I object to turning a perfectly respectable stance on the non-existence of a deity, into a friggin' "movement", together with figureheads, hierarchies, agendas, and the obligatory mass of fawning acolytes.

As for its "current power and popularity", I'll leave that for others to decide. But as with any endeavour, making the most noise is not a measure of anything, except the ability to make noise.

>>It's almost as if they don't want to give up their minority position and the sense of persecution it gives them; rather like the hardcore feminists who are desperately trying to find ways to convince women that they're still oppressed.<<

Now you are just being silly. What "minority position"? What "sense of persecution?" They're all in your imagination, fed by the same sense of self-importance that drives the David Nicholls Society.

>>I guess if your self-worth is tied up with being part of a neglected majority, it's hard to cope when that minority starts getting attention.<<

What neglected majority? What minority?

You're becoming incoherent.

I certainly don’t wish to interfere with the conversation but I was wondering if a closer look at the 2012 Global Atheist Convention – ‘A Celebration of Reason’ in retrospect would help those who seem to know all about it without having actually attended.

The AFA is beginning to upload presentations from the convention here: http://www.youtube.com/user/AtheistFoundation?feature=watch

We are all volunteers so putting together and uploading will happen over time. And no apologies to Pericles for me being first off the block. That is how is works. :)

There are hundreds of photos here:
http://atheistconvention.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=1d4ad3e74d189f2b08fda5bc1&id=da0fac5811&e=84392ce4d8

David

Ok kids, I know they aren't quite the same since they got popular, went mainstream and changed their name. And the lead guy who died was the best, better than the other guy. But I'm sure you can still enjoy some of their old stuff.

All these new teenybopper fans just don't understand their real depth do they?