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 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]]).

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]]).

Although the Brights Movement was not successful due to many people indicating the name of the campaign gave the impression of intellectual smugness, the publicly given rationale for the movement was that atheism needs a more bright/warm/cheerful/positive/inquisitive image.<ref>[http://www.theguardian.com/books/2003/jun/21/society.richarddawkins The future looks bright, by Richard Dawkins, The Guardian]</ref><ref>[ http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/12/opinion/the-bright-stuff.html The Bright Stuff], Daniel Dennett, ''The New York Times''</ref><ref>[http://www.csicop.org/specialarticles/show/not_too_bright/ Not Too “Bright"], ''Skeptical Enquirer'', Chris Mooney, October 15, 2003</ref> See also: [[Atheism and inspiration]].

Although the Brights Movement was not successful due to many people indicating the name of the campaign gave the impression of intellectual smugness, the publicly given rationale for the movement was that atheism needs a more bright/warm/cheerful/positive/inquisitive image.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/books/2003/jun/21/society.richarddawkins The future looks bright, by Richard Dawkins, The Guardian]</ref><ref>[ https://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/12/opinion/the-bright-stuff.html The Bright Stuff], Daniel Dennett, ''The New York Times''</ref><ref>[http://www.csicop.org/specialarticles/show/not_too_bright/ Not Too “Bright"], ''Skeptical Enquirer'', Chris Mooney, October 15, 2003</ref> See also: [[Atheism and inspiration]].

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>

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>

Contrary to what the Brights Movement website claims, Michael Shermer is no longer an "enthusiastic Bright", as he stated in 2003: "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>

Contrary to what the Brights Movement website claims, Michael Shermer is no longer an "enthusiastic Bright", as he stated in 2003: "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>

[[File:Hemant Mehta.jpg|thumbnail|right|225px|[[Hemant Mehta]] <br /><br />

[[File:Hemant Mehta.jpg|thumbnail|right|225px|[[Hemant Mehta]] <br /><br />

<small>(photo obtained from [http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hemant_Mehta.jpg Wikimedia Commons], see: [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en license agreement])</small>]]

<small>(photo obtained from [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hemant_Mehta.jpg Wikimedia Commons], see: [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en license agreement])</small>]]

== Hermant Mehta and his endorsement of the Brights Movement ==

== Hermant Mehta and his endorsement of the Brights Movement ==

== The Brights Movement lost its momentum and then petered out ==

== The Brights Movement lost its momentum and then petered out ==

After the Brights Movement failed to attract a significant following subsequent to their initial launch period and then petered out as a movement, the popular YouTube video maker [[Shockofgod]] mocked the movement and the movement's weak website traffic with a video entitled ''Atheism's future not bright at all''.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgHt7Wt3KMc Atheism's future not bright at all] by [[Shockofgod]]</ref>  See also: [[Global atheism|Decline of global atheism]] and [[Desecularization]]

After the Brights Movement failed to attract a significant following subsequent to their initial launch period and then petered out as a movement, the popular YouTube video maker [[Shockofgod]] mocked the movement and the movement's weak website traffic with a video entitled ''Atheism's future not bright at all''.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgHt7Wt3KMc Atheism's future not bright at all] by [[Shockofgod]]</ref>  See also: [[Global atheism|Decline of global atheism]] and [[Desecularization]]

== Gary Demar's criticism of the Brights Movement ==

== Gary Demar's criticism of the Brights Movement ==

*[http://www.the-brights.net/ The Brights' Net - Home Page]

*[http://www.the-brights.net/ The Brights' Net - Home Page]

*[http://www.the-brights.net/vision/essays/dennett_nyt_article.html The Bright Stuff] by [[Daniel Dennett]] in the ''[[New York Times]]'', July 12, 2003

*[http://www.the-brights.net/vision/essays/dennett_nyt_article.html The Bright Stuff] by [[Daniel Dennett]] in the ''[[New York Times]]'', July 12, 2003

*[http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.10/view.html?pg=2 Religion Be Damned" - Wired Magazine, October 2003] by [[Richard Dawkins]]   

*[https://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.10/view.html?pg=2 Religion Be Damned" - Wired Magazine, October 2003] by [[Richard Dawkins]]   

*[http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,12084,981412,00.html The Future Looks Bright] by [[Richard Dawkins]] in ''[[The Guardian]], June 21, 2003

*[http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,12084,981412,00.html The Future Looks Bright] by [[Richard Dawkins]] in ''[[The Guardian]], June 21, 2003