Tag Archives: Drew Westen

Duelist's Sword

The Freethinkers’ Political Textbook – Steel, Velvet, and the Honorable Duelist

Posted by on

Disagreements over how to challenge religious claims, confront religious practices, and relate to religious people are common in the freethinking community, sometimes becoming acrimonious and personal. This post seeks to use evidence to deconstruct the simplistic categories of “firebrand” and “diplomat”, opening the way for a more nuanced and accurate perception of what makes for an effective persuader: the honorable duelist. Continue reading →

Wall of Separation

The Freethinkers’ Political Textbook – Mr. Jefferson, Reframe that Wall!

Posted by on

The separation between church and state: perhaps no other issue unites the freethinking movement more readily. The newest of atheists, the most ardent Humanists, the freest freethinkers all support the idea that we should, as Christopher Hitchens put it – “build up that wall!” However, I believe that the language we use to frame this issue central to our movement could be much improved by a consideration of framing. Here I suggest how. Continue reading →

Passion

The Freethinkers’ Political Textbook – Go for the Gut

Posted by on

If we want to win in the marketplace of hearts and minds, we have to speak to hearts as well as minds. The choice freethinkers face is not between emotional appeals and rational appeals, but between effective appeals which intelligently harness human emotions, and ineffective appeals which do not. We need to go for the gut. Continue reading →