I am not sure if anyone here is aware of the org Atheists for Liberty (AFL). I generally support their efforts, but am irritated with how they act like they are the only atheists countering the left.
They recently interviewed David Silverman, former president of American Atheists, and he told Thomas Sheedy, president of AFL, that he is “the only one fighting the fight.”
I thought this was petty of Silverman to say, and for Sheedy to nod along to, as they are aware of Republican Atheists. I have also recommended AFL to reach out to Jillian in the past.
I commented in opposition to the interview on YouTube. I mentioned RA and Jillian Becker of The Atheist Conservative.
Also, I don’t know if you’re familiar with him, there’s also Carl Benjamin who’s also a bit right leaning and also an Atheist (his YouTube name is Sargon of Akkad) is also fighting this.
Note, they also often associate themselves with conservativism, but I really view them as leftists that are butt hurt because they were canceled.
Silverman is a board member of AFL. While president of American Atheists, David Silverman was a supporter of Women’s March and attended, AA was also a partner with Women’s March. Their other board member Peter Boghossian is a leftist, but happens to counter cancel culture.
So while I do appreciate their efforts in countering cancel culture, I would say they are far from being representatives of “conservative” atheists.
Boghossian is another atheist who has snuffed Republican Atheists. I reached out to him a few years back and mentioned I support his efforts of countering the left-wing control happening on campuses. In a later interview he said no atheist organization supports him. I had to call him out and say Republican Atheists supported you!
Well done, Ell! You are a fighter to be reckoned with. Thank you for mentioning me and The Atheist Conservative.
Your organization and mine are steadily ignored by conservatives, Republicans, and atheists. The first two because we are atheists, and the last because we are either or both of the first two. It is good to force them to notice us.
I have spoken with Thomas Sheedy (president of Atheists for Liberty) in the past and listened to him a bit in interviews. He is enamored with the “old” atheist activism around 2010. He was a recognized activist by Secular Student Alliance, attended Reason Rally in 2012 in D.C., etc. He envisioned himself having a career as an atheist activist, but that fell apart when leftists turned existing atheist orgs into a circus (more of circus than what they already were, anyway).
So it seems that is the crux of AFL. It is not really about conservativism, or atheist conservatives for that matter, it seems to be a method for Sheedy to prop his name up and his former comrades that have been canceled.
I mention this because AFL is well funded. They have tabled at TPUSA’s annual conference, CPAC twice, and a few other conferences. They have met Dave Rubin and have been promoted by him on Twitter, interviewed by a number of conservative podcasts. So they are going around acting like they are the only org speaking up for conservative atheists to give them an edge.
If they were really authentic I would think they would be mentioning other atheist orgs countering the left to embolden their cause. Unfortunate they do not do so when they have a foot in the door at expensive conferences. But that is often the case when an org is well funded, someone is pulling their strings. I have asked who is funding them, Thomas didn’t answer.
I am not sure how to check for individual donors. They have gone out of their way to promote Michael Shermer, so I am assuming the bulk of their funding is from him.
