I was reading this condescending article by Stephen Prothero that, as usual, chastises the New Atheists for being so danged rude, and I thought I’d have to take time to slap him around a bit. His point is that the reason we’re so rude is that we’re all arrogant white men, and if only we had more women around, we’d be more sensitive and sweet and nice and gentle, and although he doesn’t say it directly, we’d probably also have more lace doilies and wouldn’t cuss so much.
I’m spared the effort, since Amanda Marcotte, godless firebrand and possessor of two X chromosomes in every cell, has rudely pointed out that a) it’s insulting to insinuate that women are going to be more tolerant of nonsense, and b) niceness isn’t a factor in resolving truth claims, anyway.
There are a fair number of outspoken women active in atheism, and none of them are the kind of genteel belles Prothero seems to be imagining he can push around. Ophelia Benson? Greta Christina? Maybe I should introduce him to my daughter for a good disemboweling.