A+

A short while back I heard about this new thing called "Atheism+".  I thought about writing about it, but kept putting it off.  Then I found this video and figured that's a good enough description for me.  I basically agree with everything this guy says throughout the whole video, and I think he puts it very well.  (Embedding is disabled for that video, so you need to click the link and watch it on YouTube.  I strongly recommend watching it.)  I also like what the Friendly Atheist had to say on the matter.

Atheism+ is, as Matt points out, basically secular humanism with the emphasis on atheism rather than on the social issues.  At least, that's how he sees it and how I see it.  So, it is atheism plus equal rights; atheism plus opposition to homophobia, racism, sexism, and any other kind of bigotry; atheism plus feminism; atheism plus skepticism.  As Matt says, if we see a problem, let's fix it.  That's how I see atheism+.  And I'm on board with that.  I'm quite progressive.  I think we should push for equality for all people, regardless of sex, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, or anything else.  I think we should expect men and women to be treated equally.

I suppose I'll just finish off by making my own list of changes that I would like to see, and that I personally feel should be included in "atheism+".

1. Equal rights for homosexuals--ability to legally marry and adopt children.
2. Equal pay.  Any two people with the same qualifications should receive the same pay, regardless of sex, race, or any other factor.
3. Abortion rights.  I don't believe anyone is more qualified than the host of a fetus to decide whether to carry the fetus full-term.
4. Personal space.  I think people should be allowed to have personal space and have that respected. I don't think it's appropriate for someone to sexually harass someone else, and I think people need to be sensitive toward other people and what they consider to be sexual harassment.  
5. Gender roles.  I think that gender roles are outdated, and that we need to stop thinking of "masculine" and "feminine" as a laundry list of things that "men" and "women" should exclusively participate in.  If someone wants to play football, they shouldn't need to be male.  If someone wants to bake, they shouldn't need to be female.  If someone wants to be male (or identifies as male), they shouldn't need to be born with a penis.  And so forth.
6. Bigotry.  I think we need to be more aware of how racism is still a problem, and make a conscious effort to achieve equality.  We easily let differences make us suspicious or afraid of other people, and an effort should be made to overcome that.
7. Skepticism.  I think that people should question things before believing them.  I can't say how many chain email's I've received warning me about some potential danger, only to look it up on Snopes and realize that it's bunk.  Check facts.  Look things up.  Don't pass on every bit of information you hear--make sure it's true first.  Doubt what you're told.  
8. Rationalism.  Emotions are a huge part of the human experience, and I think that's fine.  But, I also think that we need to make a more concerted effort to be objective.  Make your decisions based on logic and fact rather than emotion and prejudice.  Let logic and reason be your guides.