Both of these articles on what About.com’s Austin Cline calls “Uncle Tom Atheism” are of importance to those concerned with atheist rights, whether you agree with his views or not.
Are you truly committed to equality, liberty, and liberation for all atheists or are you more of an “Uncle Tom” atheist? Would you turn your back on working for real equality in exchange for a few scraps from the tables of religious theists so you can pretend you’re being treated as an equal? Would you support increased privileges for Christians in the hope that a few of those privileges might drip down to benefit you personally? You might, and without even realizing it.
I’ve explained some of the signs and behaviors which might indicate that a person is falling into the trap of Uncle Tom Atheism, which means making it easier for atheists to be discriminated against, hated, and otherwise oppressed in the name of Christian Supremacism. Avoiding the trap of Uncle Tom Atheism isn’t just a matter of doing the exact opposite in each case, though, and so many of the behaviors can appear completely innocuous or reasonable on their own. Avoiding Uncle Tom Atheism requires some consciousness raising and attitude adjustment.
