Interesting essay. Excerpt: A widely popular advocate for science -- on TV talk shows http://youtu.be/JLTCy75j-Sw, popular comedies http://youtu.be/F3DlNZRAlms, and in DC comics http://youtu.be/uZYLN_Ouu5U, on YouTube http://youtu.be/CbIZU8cQWXc, now his own TV show http://youtu.be/kBTd9--9VMI, at his day job at the Hayden Planetarium http://youtu.be/4KRZQQ_eICo, and seemingly anywhere else he goes http://youtu.be/KeJoVeKSsyA-- Neil deGrasse Tyson is by far America's most famous scientist. And he's been particularly popular with those who see science as triumphant over religion. To the point that they feel a certain sense of ownership.
This became especailly evident last year. Wikipedia editors wouldn't let Tyson change his entry to say he wasn't an atheist http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1l2faq/til_neil_degrasse_tyson_tried_updating_wikipedia/ and then when he did speak publicly and disavowed atheism, some atheists were very upset. Hemant Mehta said Tyson "just doesn't get it http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2012/04/25/when-did-neil-degrasse-tyson-start-using-the-arguments-of-christian-apologists/,"; and accused him of buying the bad arguments of Christian apologists. Jacob Fortin called Tyson an intellectual coward http://www.thegoodatheist.net/2012/04/28/neil-degrasse-tyson-gets-bitchslapped/. Noah Lugeons said Tyson was being dishonest http://scathingatheist.com/2011/05/30/is-neil-degrasse-tyson-an-atheist/. Russell Glasser said he was needlessly belittling the movement http://freethoughtblogs.com/axp/tag/neil-degrasse-tyson/. Tyson is unmoved. He's not a part of that movement, and doesn't want to be claimed. He doesn't call himself an atheist and doesn't want to be called one either. That doesn't mean he should be mistaken for a theist, however. Asked directly about the existence of God, Tyson told the hosts of Rationally Speaking, "I remain unconvinced by any claims anyone has ever made about the existence or the power of a divine force operating in the universe." To him, however, remaining unconvinced is not the same thing as being an atheist. Read more: http://danielsilliman.blogspot.de/2014/03/how-atheist-movement-lost-americas-most.html#more http://danielsilliman.blogspot.de/2014/03/how-atheist-movement-lost-americas-most.html#more
