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atheists are too often presented as a handful of extremists bishop bashing and serious discussion with the religious becomes impossible. How can I fix it? The Guardian Weekend Open, Julian Baggini presented his 12 rules for pagans

In recent years, atheists have become more confident and open in the articulation and defense of our wickedness in the public square. Much has been gained by this. There is now greater awareness of the reasonableness of a naturalistic point of view of the world, and some of the unwarranted deference to religion has been removed, exposing them to critical scrutiny if necessary.

Unfortunately, however, in a culture that tends to focus on the differences in the broad sense, the most extremist and most strident, the "moderate center" was set aside for this debate. There is an overwhelming perception of bias, and the feeling that the discussions have sunk into a dead end vitiated by the same old tired arguments to be repeated time and again by the protagonists who are receiving more and more entrenched.

is time, therefore, for those of us who are tired of the current situation to try to change the direction of our public discussions about atheism in areas where more progress and a real dialogue is possible. To do this, we need to rethink what it means atheism and how to present it. The so-called "new atheism" may put us on the map, but in the public imagination, which amounts to little more than a caricature of Richard Dawkins, who is not an accurate representation of ground that many of us occupy. Now we need something more.

This manifesto is an attempt to point to the next phase of atheism participation in public discourse. There is a list of doctrines that people are invited to sign, but a set of suggestions to give direction to the debate and discussion. It is not an attempt to describe precisely what all atheists have in common. It is rather an attempt to prescribe the best form of atheism should be.

Why are infidels

has long been recognized that the term "atheist" connotes useless. It was too dark and associations as defined negatively against what opposes, this is not what it represents. "Humanist" is an alternative, but humanists are a subset of atheists who have a formal organization and a set of beliefs that atheists do not share much. Whatever the intentions of those who adopt the label "rationalist" and "brilliant" both suffer from being too self-satisfied, complacent, meaning that others are irrational or poorly lit.

If we want an alternative, we must look to other groups who have made derisive nicknames, such as homosexuals, Methodists and Quakers. We need a name that shows that we do not think too highly of ourselves. This is not a point significant: atheism is facing the human condition with honesty, and the need to recognize our absurd, weakness and stupidity, not only our capacity for creativity, intelligence, the love and compassion. "Heathen" answers this ambition. We are pagans because we have not been saved by God and because, in the absence of divine revelation, which are in many respects very bright. The main difference between us and religion is that we know this is true of us all, but I think it is for them.

pagans are naturalists

heathen are nothing more than non-believers, we believe that many things well. More importantly, we believe in naturalism: the natural world is all there and there is no intentional body, knowing that creates or manages. The natural world may hold many mysteries and dimensions are not yet, but we have no reason to believe they are something like heaven, divinities and supernatural spiritual worlds that characterized the religious beliefs of the history. Many believers deny the "supernatural" label, but if you're willing to give up beliefs, as in the reality of a divine person, miracles, resurrection or life after death, are not naturalists.

Our first commitment is to truth

Although we think a lot about what works and which does not exist, it is not reaching conclusions based on our worldview. This foundation is the desire to see the world as true as we can, with our rational faculties as best we can, based on the best evidence we have. This is where our main commitment is not, the conclusions they reach. Therefore, we are ready to accept the possibility that we are wrong. It also means that we respect and have much in common with people who come to very different conclusions, but they have an equal respect for truth, reason and evidence. A pagan has more in common with a sincere and rational, researcher of religious truth that the atheist, whose lack of belief is undeniable, and it has become undeniable.

We regard science, not scientism

Science pagan place in high regard, humans are the most effective ways have been developed to achieve a true understanding of the real nature of the world based on reason and evidence. If a conflict of beliefs with science, then no matter how much I appreciate it, science must prevail. This is why religious beliefs are most opposed to those who question the scientific knowledge, such as young earth creationism.

However, this does not make us scientist. Scientism is the belief that science is the only way to obtain true knowledge of the world, and everything must be understood through the prism of science or anything. There scientist atheists, pagans, but are not among them. Science is limited in what it can contribute to our understanding of who we are and how we live, because many of the most important facts of human life emerge only at a level of description in which science is dumb. The story, for example, may ultimately depend on nothing but the movement of atoms, but you can not understand the Battle of Hastings by examining the interactions between fermions and bosons. Love can depend on nothing but the physical output of the neurons, but everyone tries to understand that under these conditions does not know what love means.

Science can make life difficult for us. For example, it may compromise certain beliefs about free will that many atheists were on the basis of giving dignity and autonomy of our species.

Gentiles, to properly respectful of science, but also aware of its limitations. Science is our Bible. The last word in everything

reason that the value

something precious but fragile

We are convinced, not dogmatic

modesty of heathen on the power of reason and the certainty of its conclusions should not be confused with a shrug agnosticism. We have a very high degree of confidence in the truth of our naturalistic worldview. However, non-dogmatic to say that. Be open to error and change our mind does not mean we lack conviction that we are right. Strength of belief is not the same as the rigidity of dogma.