Everyone knows the likes of Dawkins and Hitchens and Harris. But before they got on the radar of theists, and were mostly known only in atheist circles, a movement was taking place back in the mid to late 90s. Reginald Finley (AKA) The Infidel Guy and his friend Jake started the former Atheist Network. Sure many of you know this, but this is more for our newer and younger atheists.
Reggie gave voice to many on his own radio network including Robert Price and Brian Sapient who went on to create Rational Responders. The famous atheists we all know of, and all the unknown atheists, and all the seemingly limitless atheist facebook pages and websites, owe Reggie a huge dept of gratitude. We are all standing on his shoulders.
https://www.facebook.com/theinfidelguy (https://www.facebook.com/theinfidelguy)
For those with FB accounts, shoot on over and thank him for giving you a voice.
And also thank Brian Sapient both here and on twitter.
http://www.rationalresponders.com/do_yo ... rs_reunion (http://www.rationalresponders.com/do_you_use_twitter_i_sent_tweet_out_today_about_rrs_reunion)
If one were to write a history book on atheists, these two are must include.
And Reggie also created this website.
Thanks, Reggie!
Yes, we owe him a dept. of gratitude! The Infidel Guy really got the ball rolling. Thanks Reggie and others that helped! :-D Solitary
Even though I think Austin Cline is a butt-head, he had some early work with About.. prior to that there were several chat and forum communities. "About" was one (they dropped the chat room several years ago) and Everywhere Chat was another. I finally got on the internet around 95 and those were the only two communities I could find at that time.
AOL chatroom- God is a Myth
Its where I really confirmed that I was an atheist.
My thanks to Reggie. I would also like to thank the mods and staff here as well. And thanks to Brian37 for starting this post.
Damn, I sound like I won an Oscar or something. #-o
Quote from: "aitm"Even though I think Austin Cline is a butt-head, he had some early work with About.. prior to that there were several chat and forum communities. "About" was one (they dropped the chat room several years ago) and Everywhere Chat was another. I finally got on the internet around 95 and those were the only two communities I could find at that time.
Alt.atheism (on Usenet) was around at least as far back as 1994.
Quote from: "LikelyToBreak"My thanks to Reggie. I would also like to thank the mods and staff here as well. And thanks to Brian37 for starting this post.
Damn, I sound like I won an Oscar or something. #-o
YOU LIKE ME YOU REALLY LIKE ME!
Seriously THANKS to the founding fathers of atheism. Without them all I would have is religion. That sucks.
Quote from: "Brian37"YOU LIKE ME YOU REALLY LIKE ME!
Don't push it, bucko. [-X
No no no, stromboli, I was poking fun of this,
QuoteLikelyToBreak wrote:
My thanks to Reggie. I would also like to thank the mods and staff here as well. And thanks to Brian37 for starting this post.
Damn, I sound like I won an Oscar or something.
As if they wanted to add "YOU LIKE ME YOU REALLY LIKE ME"
No one likes me, I am an ABBA fan.
There are actually many Atheist roots in the Internet. I'm not sure about the guy you posted about, I know he has been involved in running various networks for Atheists, but I would consider myself an "unknown Atheist" and the only gratitude I would say I owe the guy is making this website. It is impossible to represent all Atheists and there are other websites where Atheists go in droves.
Quote from: "frosty"There are actually many Atheist roots in the Internet. I'm not sure about the guy you posted about, I know he has been involved in running various networks for Atheists, but I would consider myself an "unknown Atheist" and the only gratitude I would say I owe the guy is making this website. It is impossible to represent all Atheists and there are other websites where Atheists go in droves.
Not denying that.
But he stood out, morso than most back then. Of course people go to other websites now, there are more choices now then there were then.
Reggie is black, as we all know. I'm not saying that he is a pioneer because of his color, but blacks at the outset were not quick to take up the gauntlet, so to speak. He was "out there" in a real way with podcasts and online critiques that meant he was often a target for theists in a big way. Give the man credit for guts, if nothing else.
The history of arheism goes back much further than the internet. It's more open here, but hardly began here.
Atheism is something that expands past racial and national boundaries and even past the boundaries of time.
Just as much as I'm sure there are tons of black Atheists out there, I'm sure back then before the 20th century there was a lot of Atheists as well. We don't know about them though because there was no mass media back then and everyone who lived in that time and before it tend to be big mysteries as far as we're concerned.
Although Atheists perhaps in general tend to be mysteries, it's impossible to find out exactly how many Atheists there are due to cultural issues, as well as the fact that not everybody who is an Atheist defines themselves as being an Atheist. There are probably scores of Atheists that have absolutely no intention of announcing their Atheism, or going on any Atheist related Internet sites, and that's because they don't care. Some do, others don't.
Quote from: "frosty"Atheism is something that expands past racial and national boundaries and even past the boundaries of time.
Just as much as I'm sure there are tons of black Atheists out there, I'm sure back then before the 20th century there was a lot of Atheists as well. We don't know about them though because there was no mass media back then and everyone who lived in that time and before it tend to be big mysteries as far as we're concerned.
Although Atheists perhaps in general tend to be mysteries, it's impossible to find out exactly how many Atheists there are due to cultural issues, as well as the fact that not everybody who is an Atheist defines themselves as being an Atheist. There are probably scores of Atheists that have absolutely no intention of announcing their Atheism, or going on any Atheist related Internet sites, and that's because they don't care. Some do, others don't.
Atheists have always existed, that is not the point of this thread. I am talking about our current ebb which started in the late 90s. The only issue now is can atheists keep this up and make it grow even bigger.
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