Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Richard ∑wald on April 2, 2012 at 9:04pm

"John Lennon was killed by a christian freak... "

Correlation?

"What do you think is wise in my situation? Should I speak up, or shut up.."

Are you a celebrity?

Risk?

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Permalink Reply by Aria Royce on April 2, 2012 at 9:08pm

I thought I was asking the question. Let's say it's not me. It's anyone. Imagine a celebrity who is an atheist, should he or she shut up about beliefs when brought up, and not be aggressive about it? 

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Permalink Reply by Richard ∑wald on April 2, 2012 at 9:10pm

That all depends on whether they are a coward or not.

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Permalink Reply by Aria Royce on April 2, 2012 at 9:11pm

So if they speak up, and say let's say in grammys, that religion is a man-made bullshit and people should create their own fucking beliefs since religion is also man-made.. How would that affect that person's life?

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Permalink Reply by Richard ∑wald on April 2, 2012 at 10:00pm

Well, the whole, "religion is a man-made bullshit and people should create their own fucking beliefs since religion is also man-made." schpeel would probably convey to the general public that they were stupid.

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Permalink Reply by Jonathan Christie on April 3, 2012 at 4:44am

mm yeah, I reckon might be best to just be opinionated about it, like "Oh, you believe in god? ... good for you..." hahaha, might have an awkward silent moment though.

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Permalink Reply by Gila Guerilla on April 2, 2012 at 9:21pm

I like the way Ricky Gervais of the British version of The Office, (among other enterprises), handles it. He is an OK out atheist, and has been invited to host the Golden Globe Awards twice, and did the awards MC'ing successfully. You can find out about him by looking on YouTube and other video services.

Search with the key words 'Ricky Gervais' 'atheist' 'atheism' 'religion' etc. to find relevant material.

I reckon that being an OK and out atheist is a good thing for a celebrity to be, from the perspective of its influence on the image of atheists in general, and atheism as a valid world view.

Best of luck in your career, Aria.

G.G.

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Permalink Reply by Lorien on April 2, 2012 at 9:45pm

There are tons of out atheist celebrities.

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Permalink Reply by Jason Fleming on April 2, 2012 at 9:48pm

First of all, the best of luck to you with your future career. I always say aim for the stars and you might at least reach the clouds.

Anyway, Mark David Chapman is a mentally disturbed individual. He happened to latch onto religion which fueled his delusion and psychotic behavior. It could have just as easily been something else. The Bible didn't kill John Lennon any more than JD Salinger or the Catcher in the Rye. Religion didn't kill John Lennon as much as schizophrenia did.

As far as celebrity goes, if that is your greatest aim (or whomever concerned) and you want to be a middle of the road, harmless, appealing to the lowest common denominator entertainer, then you shouldn't attempt to be an atheist activist. Saying unpopular things will not make you popular.

If instead, you want to be a person of integrity, you should speak your mind regardless of public opinion or its consequences on your stardom. This will inevitably cost you fans, but you can't have everything. 

Ricky Gervais is a great example of a publically atheist celebrity . He makes no bones about his lack of belief and asserts it all the time. (I recommend "The Invention of Lying" for a light comedy with an atheistic message) He of course, is also unpopular because he goes out of his way to be offensive. His fan base is fiercely loyal, but somewhat of a niche audience. 

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Permalink Reply by Jonathan Christie on April 3, 2012 at 4:40am

Hmm, there's all ways risk involved...

Think of it this way, most the stars got to where they were thanks to there controversial beliefs and such, And if you could get peeps to look up to you because you cant see the reason for an all powerful being then great:)

There is also "the big bang theory" show, they have an atheist aspect and seem to do quite well.

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Permalink Reply by ChrisC on April 3, 2012 at 10:05am

I don't 100% agree with some of the comments on here so far.

"Integrity" is one thing, and is far more easily achieved in a private life. The complication of fame in this matter requires further discussion. With regards to being outspoken about your atheism, what are the risks? What are you likely to gain? I don't believe these have been properly covered so far.

Of course, you can have great success - Ricky Gervais, Tim Minchin, Penn and Teller, Stephen Fry, Jimmy Carr (in the UK) are all very successful popular figures who are outspoken about their atheism. It could well be that their views are a large part of the reason for their popularity - appealing to a growing crowd could be a smart choice.

On the other hand, the risks could include the loss of fans who would otherwise follow you. I would not worry so much about violence unless you came out spitting flames about theism, especially islam.

If it were me, I'd take Stephen Fry's approach to being an atheist celebrity - certainly be open and outspoken, but do not be crude. Intelligent, measured points of view are far easier to respect and may well be sooner listened to.

Best of luck with your career! I'll be looking out for you. :-D

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Permalink Reply by Jedi Wanderer on April 18, 2012 at 6:02pm

As a "musician and actress", I would check out Tim Minchin, if you haven't already. He makes his living as a musician/performer/atheist. Could be a great niche for you. But it is my impression that this wouldn't go over well in Turkey. Where do you perform?

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