Project Reason is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation devoted to spreading scientific knowledge and secular values in society. The foundation draws on the talents of prominent and creative thinkers in a wide range of disciplines to encourage critical thinking and erode the influence of dogmatism, superstition, and bigotry in our world.
I floated an idea on the forum a little while ago, using a blank white button as an atheism pin. The original post is here:
I won’t go over the reasons again to use a blank white button, you can read them below, and the quite positive responses too. I have been following the various writers and leaders and although I applaud them all I thought Sam Harris would like this idea most, and it’s the kind of thing that just might ignite if he suggested it. Pure white button with no affiliation. Here it is, there’s even a picture of it…
This could be a good TRP campaign, like the scarlet letter over at Dawkins, and the TRP could sell them to make some money to support itself and it’s projects. Just need Sam to wear one and talk it up some.
Not like it matters, because the odds of anybody encountering anybody else wearing blank white pins are infinitesimal, outside of planned gatherings of like-minded individuals, but there are already maybe just a handful of people out there wearing blank white pins to identify with an idea. It’s taken from Grant Morrison’s The Invisibles, an early ‘90s postmodern comic book. But the idea these people associate with the blank white pin, which is given to potential Invisibles upon recruiting them, is similarly a belief in nothing. Not necessarily Atheism, but a belief in nothing, or nothing in particular, at least.
Not like it matters, because the odds of anybody encountering anybody else wearing blank white pins are infinitesimal, outside of planned gatherings of like-minded individuals, but there are already maybe just a handful of people out there wearing blank white pins to identify with an idea. It’s taken from Grant Morrison’s The Invisibles, an early ‘90s postmodern comic book. But the idea these people associate with the blank white pin, which is given to potential Invisibles upon recruiting them, is similarly a belief in nothing. Not necessarily Atheism, but a belief in nothing, or nothing in particular, at least.
A sociopolitical or philosophical ideology (a sub-culture group) should easily overcome a fan group for “ownership” of a given symbol (particularly a sub-fan group—might be a bit different if it were a symbol for all comic fans or something like that), unless the sub-culture is very small or very quiet, and that just ain’t the way New Atheists roll, man.
To include Christians in the campaign, we could suggest that they take one of their own buttons, like JESUS SAVES, and paint over it with white. This would symbolize becoming like a little child again, before they heard about Jesus, or knew what any of it meant. It certainly doesn’t symbolize being dumb, or blank - just untrammeled. Baptism by button.
To include Christians in the campaign, we could suggest that they take one of their own buttons, like JESUS SAVES, and paint over it with white. This would symbolize becoming like a little child again, before they heard about Jesus, or knew what any of it meant. It certainly doesn’t symbolize being dumb, or blank - just untrammeled. Baptism by button.
Jack Zodiac said: “Not like it matters, because the odds of anybody encountering anybody else wearing blank white pins are infinitesimal, outside of planned gatherings of like-minded individuals, ...” ——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
You misunderstand. I didn’t have in mind any sort of secret society, where atheists surreptitious identify themselves to other atheists, like a secret handshake. On the contrary, the button wouldn’t be to communicate with other atheists, but with anyone. “What’s that button mean?” ...and you can answer any way you want, even avoid it completely if the situation isn’t right. But it lends itself particularly well to any of the rock solid but non-offensive arguments that Sam Harris makes so well. I am likely to postulate “atheism is a belief like not collecting stamps is a hobby.”
This is why I thought that it matched Sam’s style and perspective, and if he were to wear one, the empty buttons may become popular (and potentially an income source for the Reason Project). I suppose, in theory, if they became very popular they might become another in-your-face statement; but that’s unlikely to happen soon, sadly. In the meantime it’ll be a mild presence and a potential conversation starter.
And the nice thing, it works just the same if I’m the only one who wears one, and if I’m the only one who even knows about it.
I’d like to comment also on the possibility someone raised above that it might be misunderstood as supporting white racism. That gave me pause, as I initially had presented the idea as a “pure white” button, not thinking of that issue. Clearly, atheism should not be associated with a particular race. White is absence of subtractive color, and black is the absence of additive color. So either would work as well.
So Sam’s adopted the white pin idea for the forum icon ... any idea if he’s going to market any pins or other shite since he’s been given the green light and obviously approves of the idea?
<this is what I’d like to put on my all-colors-of-the-spectrum button.
