Observations and inanities by a second-shift assistant supervisor in the Puppy-Grinding division of the Evil Atheist Conspiracy® (our motto: "Sure it's cruel, but think of the jobs!"), your host, Brent Rasmussen.
Enlightenment.
Let's see if we can start a meme (which I didn't realize was a term coined by Dawkins - all the better)...
I tried something on a limited basis last year at Christmas: giving small, high-quality flashlights (such as these). Why? Because I liked the subtle symbolism of the gift. A good, small flashlight can stay on your key ring and always be there to help you out when you need it. It isn't the only tool you need, but can help you find your way in the dark, relieve fear, locate lost items, figure out what you need to. Not unlike the ability to actually think rationally, reason your way through the darkness.
The period we know as The Enlightenment brought about many changes, not the least of which was the notion that government should be divorced from religion. That rational thought should be what governs man, not superstious nonsense. As an atheist - perhaps even moreso as a secularist - this is central to my attitude about the rising chorus of those who would see the symbols and tenets of Christianity imposed via the force of law, or at least with the tacit support of the government.
There has been a lot of talk in the blogosphere about an "atheism symbol", with people looking to express their non-belief in some way readily understandable. My suggestion is that we should adopt the humble flashlight for this task: it is a man-made artifact, the product of technological civilization; it can always be with you; and it quite literally "enlightens" your world view, harkening back to Kant, Paine, Galileo and Newton (to name just a few).
Thoughts? Because rational discourse is the way of progress...
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Bad idea
for two reasons that I can think of.
1) You're talking about making a symbol for atheism. That will only encourage the people who think atheism is a religion. The reason I say this is because flocking to an emblem is something religious people do, whereas free thinkers don't really need something to tie the herd together.
2) It may be just my opinion, but something that lights the darkness, like a lamp or a flashlight, has two sides. It may bring light to the darkness, symbolizing the triumph of knowledge over the darkness of the mind. It also symbolizes the fear humans have of the unknown. Clinging to their small pools of light, unwilling to venture into the darkness. Such people eventually destroy the darkness they cannot understand in order to quell their fears and tell themselves they are mighty and righteous.
I've done this
Wal-mart has a dandy aluminum LED flashlight that uses one AAA and shines really bright - last year I gave one to several people just because they were really cool and only $6 each. I carry one with me everywhere but not on my keys because that would be harder to handle. I'm in audiovisual/computer support and always crawling around under tables or poking my head into consoles and need to use it on average a couple times a day. I don't like flashlights that use anything but AAA or AA, by the way.
Another gift I like to give is a little folding magnifying glass - usually to kids. I spent my childhood carrying one and a 10X folding lupe, looking at bugs and leaves and fossils and machinery and every other damn thing I could think of.
The idea of tying these gifts to enlightenment is a good one.
How about...
...a lantern instead?
I think the image of a lantern is a bit more distinguished, it sort of has that old fashioned elegance. I think that goes better with atheism, since the lantern and the concept of atheism have both been around for centuries.
Plus, a lantern illuminates all that is around it, where as a flashlight only illuminates in one direction.
Thoughts?
Yes, but ...
I can't imagine carrying around a lantern on my key chain and actually be able to use it. Not that a lantern isn't a fine symbol, but an LED flashlight is a great 21st century symbol that compliments the idea of rational discourse and enlightenment. Which, as Jim points out, have been around awhile.
Any twelve people who can't get themselves out of jury duty are not my peers.
______________________
Claybow
Check it out
I stated my case more fully here
Well, really, any metaphor...
...for 'light' works, and with a lantern symbol you do get the whole Diogenes tie-in as well. So it's not at all a bad symbol, such as it is.
But as Claybow says below, the notion of using a LED flashlight was sort of integral to my suggestion of a meme - they are damned useful, emblematic of technology & science, and so forth. It's an easy and inexpensive (or, given some of the high-end lights out there, ranging to very expensive) gift to give, and the connection can be made overt or left subtle. Once we establish in people's minds the connection between such flashlights and atheism/rationalism, then no one will be able to look at a LED flashlight in quite the same way, again - the whole intent of the meme.
Besides, if we get away from flame-powered light sources, it also gets away from a lot of religious iconography (Burning Bush, et cetera).
Jim Downey
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Like Science Fiction? Read my novel, Communion of Dreams, for free.
Light Switch
A couple of years ago I bought a wall plate for a lightswitch that's labeled "Atheism" (with a white background) on the top and "Theism" (with a black background) on the bottom. That would be a nice addition to your flashlights :)
I like it.
I don't necessarily get all the nuances of what a meme is or how it propogates, but I do get the idea of the flashlight. There are so many cool things you could do in the giving of flashlights. The flashlight as a symbol of enlightenment is perfect for any person or group that is trying to reduce predjudice, open dialog, or advocating for change. It's another way to create "teachable moments" in any number of situations.
Any twelve people who can't get themselves out of jury duty are not my peers.
______________________
Claybow
Oh, I did that...
I did that a few years ago as token gifts for the team I work for... we don't really do a formal gift exchange, so we find little trinkets and cool things to pass around. If you're on a budget, look on Ebay for the tiny black LED keychain lights that they sell for ten dollars or so a dozen. (They also sell them in a UV version that you can use to find pet ooopses on your carpet.) Reminds me, I need some more...
Hmm... interesting
Oooh, I was checking into these, and you can get them imprinted. Obvious in retrospect. I suppose that if we could ever agree on an atheist logo, it would be perfect. The Brights logo, as a flashlight imprint, would unfortunately look less like a message and more like a decoration.
[geek]
LUMOS!! (ha, ha, ha)
[/geek]