Well, a quick announcement: ~brights is back .
Now *SiriuslyBright33 and I, =Paw-BR are running the club.
So the doors are open again, I guess.


___________________________________


AFFILIATES



___________________________________



Members and Rules



___________________________________



WHAT?

This community is for those who live in the real world, be they atheists, secular humanists, freethinkers, skeptics or anyone else with a naturalistic worldview. A positive-sounding, stigma-free umbrella term was coined in 2003 to unite such people: Brights.


* A Bright is a person who has a naturalistic worldview.

* A Bright's worldview is free of supernatural and mystical elements.

* The ethics and actions of a Bright are based on a naturalistic worldview.


That's it: if you meet these criteria, you are a Bright.


___________________________________


WHY?

Atheists etc. have a bad reputation in today's overwhelmingly religious and superstitious society. More than 50% of Americans have a “negative” or “highly negative” view of people who do not believe in God. We are perceived as arrogant, joyless, narrow-minded and supercilious, and our opinions are neglected. Meanwhile, religion, new-ageism and so forth are in the ascendent. In this climate, it is important that we nonbelievers are able to feel positive about our worldview.

This new group will hopefully:

* Unite deviantART's Brights.

* Create and promote artwork which is atheistic, anti-[religious/superstitious/supernaturalist] or about science/nature. (Gratuitously offensive work may be rejected)

* Be a positive force in the dA community.

* Make atheists seem less evil!

* Make us all less depressed about the religious majority on dA.


___________________________________


RESOURCES

The Brights' Net
Brights Online
An Atheist Manifesto
American Atheists
Ex-Christians
The Atheism Directory
Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal
The Skeptic's Dictionary
The Skeptic's Annotated Bible
The Skeptic's Annotated Quran
The Skeptic's Annotated Book of Mormon

I don't have time, as you may have noticed, to give this group the attention it deserves. So unless anybody else wants to take it on, I'm effectively closing it for now.

There is still the excellent [link]

Toodle pip,

Sean.

Dear Brights,

I'm sorry that you haven't had an update since June. I know this reflects pretty badly on me so thanks for sticking around and submitting art (we have a bit of a backlog!). I'm a little less busy now, although my timetable still can't accommodate weekly updates, so unless any of you want to help out, journals are going to be a bit sporadic. If you do want to help out, please let me know!

Anyway, obviously too much stuff has happened since June for a complete news update, but if you hang around [link] for a while you'll pick most of it up.

Yours infideliously,

Sean.

New members


(Click here for complete member list)

If you would like to join us, please send a NOTE. Don't just watch us. It's creepy.



Dear Brights,

Well, I've nothing else to do so here's some more stuff.

= Particular relevance to the UK
= Particular relevance to the US

News

Clinton and others play the faith card. Tiresome.

Duke of Edinburgh worshipped as a God.

"Alternative" therapists stifle scientific criticism.

Catholic MPs forced to vote according to their religion rather than the interests of their constituents. Analysis: [link]

"Homophobic" Oxford college principal claims that 95% of us will go to hell unless we heed the message of the gospel. Analysis: [link]


Views and Analysis

[link] Tony Blair on Muslim integration (speech)

[link] Enlightening article on multiculturalism.

Comedy

[link] Jesus and Mo

[link] Rockefeller foundation poisons the American education system.



New members


(Click here for complete member list)


Cheerio,

Sean,
Oxford,
England.



This community is for those who live in the real world, be they atheists, secular humanists, freethinkers, skeptics or anyone else with a naturalistic worldview. A positive-sounding, stigma-free umbrella term was coined in 2003 to unite such people: Brights.


* A Bright is a person who has a naturalistic worldview

* A Bright's worldview is free of supernatural and mystical elements

* The ethics and actions of a Bright are based on a naturalistic worldview


That's it: if you meet these criteria, you are a Bright.




Freethinking people have a bad reputation in today's overwhelmingly religious and superstitious society. More than 50% of Americans have a “negative” or “highly negative” view of people who do not believe in God. We are perceived as arrogant, joyless, narrow-minded and supercilious, and our opinions are neglected. Meanwhile, fundamentalist religion, new-ageism and so forth are in the ascendent. In this climate, it is important that we nonbelievers are able to feel positive about our worldview.

This new group will hopefully:

* Unite deviantART's Brights

* Give them stuff to read.

* Create and promote artwork which is atheistic, anti-[religious/superstitious/supernaturalist] or about science/nature. (Gratuitously offensive work may be rejected)

* Be a positive force in the dA community

* Make atheists seem less evil!

* Make us all less depressed about the religious majority on dA





The Brights' Net
Brights Online
An Atheist Manifesto
American Atheists
Ex-Christians
The Atheism Directory
Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal
The Skeptic's Dictionary
The Skeptic's Annotated Bible
The Skeptic's Annotated Quran
The Skeptic's Annotated Book of Mormon
Stop Honour Killings

_______________________________

If you would like to join us, please send a NOTE. I don't have time to chase up everyone who adds the group to their friends!



Fair denizens of Brightopia,

I bring you glad tidings - my exams are over and we now have 102 members, which is lots. The newest are:



I had intended to update this journal yesterday but my laptop broke down. I'm now using a college computer which, being in the library, has no sound, so I can't really preview videos and things.

Here is a rather short update (I'm hungry! There'll be more later in the week, though):

News

[link] Thou shalt not base violent computer games inside My House.

[link] Somebody tries to jump into the Popemobile.

[link] 25% of Americans believe in evolution *and* creationism at the same time.

[link] Anti-Harry Potter teaching assistant claims unfair dismissal

[link] Creation Museum opens to the masses.

Views

[link] Sue Blackmore, always worth reading.

[link] Theo Hobson, rather less so.

And now, to supper.

Sean,
Oxford.



This community is for those who live in the real world, be they atheists, secular humanists, freethinkers, skeptics or anyone else with a naturalistic worldview. A positive-sounding, stigma-free umbrella term was coined in 2003 to unite such people: Brights.


* A Bright is a person who has a naturalistic worldview

* A Bright's worldview is free of supernatural and mystical elements

* The ethics and actions of a Bright are based on a naturalistic worldview


That's it: if you meet these criteria, you are a Bright.




Freethinking people have a bad reputation in today's overwhelmingly religious and superstitious society. More than 50% of Americans have a “negative” or “highly negative” view of people who do not believe in God. We are perceived as arrogant, joyless, narrow-minded and supercilious, and our opinions are neglected. Meanwhile, fundamentalist religion, new-ageism and so forth are in the ascendent. In this climate, it is important that we nonbelievers are able to feel positive about our worldview.

This new group will hopefully:

* Unite deviantART's Brights

* Create and promote artwork which is atheistic, anti-[religious/superstitious/supernaturalist] or about science/nature. (Gratuitously offensive work may be rejected)

* Be a positive force in the dA community

* Make atheists seem less evil!

* Make us all less depressed about the religious majority on dA




The Brights' Net
Brights Online
An Atheist Manifesto
American Atheists
Ex-Christians
The Atheism Directory
Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal
The Skeptic's Dictionary
The Skeptic's Annotated Bible
The Skeptic's Annotated Quran
The Skeptic's Annotated Book of Mormon

_______________________________