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== Pretentious monikers ==

== Pretentious monikers ==

 

Atheists have also given themselves pretentious monikers such as freethinker, rationalist and "bright". See also: [[Brights Movement]]

Atheists have also given themselves pretentious monikers such as freethinker, rationalist and "bright". See also: [[Brights Movement]]

The ABC News.com commentator John Allen Paulos remarked of the “brights” campaign, “I don’t think a degree in public relations is needed to expect that many people will construe the term as smug, ridiculous, and arrogant.”<ref>[http://www.csicop.org/specialarticles/show/not_too_bright/ Not Too “Bright"], ''Skeptical Enquirer'', Chris Mooney, October 15, 2003</ref> The Brights Movement largely came about because the label "atheist" has such a bad reputation. The atheist Sam Harris has said concerning the label of atheist, "It's right next to child molester as a designation." (See also: [[Views on atheists]] and [[Atheism and social outcasts]]).<ref>http://newsinitiative.org/story/2007/06/19/interview_with_an_atheist</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 ABC News.com commentator John Allen Paulos remarked of the “brights” campaign, “I don’t think a degree in public relations is needed to expect that many people will construe the term as smug, ridiculous, and arrogant.”<ref>[http://www.csicop.org/specialarticles/show/not_too_bright/ Not Too “Bright"], ''Skeptical Enquirer'', Chris Mooney, October 15, 2003</ref> The Brights Movement largely came about because the label "atheist" has such a bad reputation. The atheist Sam Harris has said concerning the label of atheist, "It's right next to child molester as a designation." (See also: [[Views on atheists]] and [[Atheism and social outcasts]]).<ref>http://newsinitiative.org/story/2007/06/19/interview_with_an_atheist</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 atheists/skeptics 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 who are listed as "Enthusiastic Brights" are atheists/skeptics such as [[Richard Dawkins]], [[Daniel Dennett]], [[A.C. Grayling]], [[Penn Jillette]], [[Penn and Teller|Raymond Joseph Teller]], Steven Pinker, [[James Randi]], [[Michael Shermer]], [[Hemant Menta]], Margaret Downy, Mel Lipman, Bobbie Kirkhart, Herb Silverman, Matt Cherry and Babu Gogineni.<ref>[http://www.the-brights.net/people/enthusiastic/index.html "Enthusiastic Brights" listed at Brights Movement website]</ref>  

Notable atheists/skeptics 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 who are listed as "Enthusiastic Brights" are atheists/skeptics such as [[Richard Dawkins]], [[Daniel Dennett]], [[A.C. Grayling]], [[Penn Jillette]], [[Penn and Teller|Raymond Joseph Teller]], Steven Pinker, [[James Randi]], [[Michael Shermer]], [[Hemant Menta]], Margaret Downy, Mel Lipman, Bobbie Kirkhart, Herb Silverman, Matt Cherry and Babu Gogineni.<ref>[http://www.the-brights.net/people/enthusiastic/index.html "Enthusiastic Brights" listed at Brights Movement website]</ref>