Changes

The '''Brights Movement''' was started in 2003 by Paul Geisert and Mynga Futrell in 2003 in order to assist in the advocacy of a [[Naturalism|naturalistic worldview]].<ref>http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2843/is_2_28/ai_114090211/pg_1</ref><ref>http://www.the-brights.net/vision/faq.html#1</ref> The Brights movement had a media campaign and was announced in ''Wired'' magazine (by evolutionary biologist [[Richard Dawkins]]), ''Free Inquiry'' (by Richard Dawkins), and on the ''[[New York Times]]'' op-ed page (by the philosopher and atheist [[Daniel Dennett]]).<ref>http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2843/is_2_28/ai_114090211/pg_1</ref>  However, according to a 2004 ''Skeptical Enquirer'' article the movement the "Brights label reinforced a longstanding stereotype. [[Atheism|Atheists]] already have a terrible rap for being coldhearted [[Rationalism|rationalists]] who attend [[Mensa]] gatherings and dismiss religious believers as simple-minded fools."<ref>http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2843/is_2_28/ai_114090211/pg_3</ref> In October of 2003 in a article in ''[[the Guardian]]'' Dawkins associated being a "bright" with being an intellectual.<ref>http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,12084,981412,00.html</ref>

The '''Brights Movement''' was started in 2003 by Paul Geisert and Mynga Futrell in 2003 in order to assist in the advocacy of a [[Naturalism|naturalistic worldview]].<ref>http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2843/is_2_28/ai_114090211/pg_1</ref><ref>http://www.the-brights.net/vision/faq.html#1</ref> The Brights Movement is an internet constituency rather than a movement. The Brights movement had a media campaign and was announced in ''Wired'' magazine (by evolutionary biologist [[Richard Dawkins]]), ''Free Inquiry'' (by Richard Dawkins), and on the ''[[New York Times]]'' op-ed page (by the philosopher and atheist [[Daniel Dennett]]).<ref>http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2843/is_2_28/ai_114090211/pg_1</ref>  However, according to a 2004 ''Skeptical Enquirer'' article the movement the "Brights label reinforced a longstanding stereotype. [[Atheism|Atheists]] already have a terrible rap for being coldhearted [[Rationalism|rationalists]] who attend [[Mensa]] gatherings and dismiss religious believers as simple-minded fools."<ref>http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2843/is_2_28/ai_114090211/pg_3</ref> In October of 2003 in a article in ''[[the Guardian]]'' Dawkins associated being a "bright" with being an intellectual.<ref>http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,12084,981412,00.html</ref>

Notable skeptics and atheists may still embrace the Brights Movement and are listed as "Enthusiastic Brights" at the Brights Movement website.<ref>http://www.the-brights.net/people/enthusiastic/index.html</ref>  Examples of individuals listed as Brights are notable skeptics/atheists such as [[Richard Dawkins]], [[Daniel Dennett]], Margaret Downy, [[James Randi]], Mel Lipman, Bobbie Kirkhart, Herb Silverman, [[Michael Shermer]], Matt Cherry, and Babu Gogineni.<ref>http://www.the-brights.net/people/enthusiastic/index.html</ref> Michael Shermer may not be a "enthusiastic Bright", as he stated in 2003 the following: "However, when it became apparent to me that the vast majority of people most likely to fall under the "bright" rubric would not use the label, I became, well, skeptical that it would succeed. For the time being I continue calling myself a skeptic."<ref>http://www.sciscoop.com/story/2003/12/31/73740/169</ref>  Shermer also wrote regarding the Brights movement the following: "The reaction was swift and merciless—almost no one, including and especially nonbelievers, agnostics, atheists, humanists, and free thinkers, liked the name, insisting that its elitist implications, along with the natural [[antonym]] “dim,” would doom us as a movement."<ref>http://www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/05-01-05.html</ref>

Notable skeptics and atheists may still embrace the Brights Movement and are listed as "Enthusiastic Brights" at the Brights Movement website.<ref>http://www.the-brights.net/people/enthusiastic/index.html</ref>  Examples of individuals listed as Brights are notable skeptics/atheists such as [[Richard Dawkins]], [[Daniel Dennett]], Margaret Downy, [[James Randi]], Mel Lipman, Bobbie Kirkhart, Herb Silverman, [[Michael Shermer]], Matt Cherry, and Babu Gogineni.<ref>http://www.the-brights.net/people/enthusiastic/index.html</ref> Michael Shermer may not be a "enthusiastic Bright", as he stated in 2003 the following: "However, when it became apparent to me that the vast majority of people most likely to fall under the "bright" rubric would not use the label, I became, well, skeptical that it would succeed. For the time being I continue calling myself a skeptic."<ref>http://www.sciscoop.com/story/2003/12/31/73740/169</ref>  Shermer also wrote regarding the Brights movement the following: "The reaction was swift and merciless—almost no one, including and especially nonbelievers, agnostics, atheists, humanists, and free thinkers, liked the name, insisting that its elitist implications, along with the natural [[antonym]] “dim,” would doom us as a movement."<ref>http://www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/05-01-05.html</ref>