Humanist fantasy and atheist fandom

[sqbr]

Within about twenty minutes of finding out about atheist_fandom I posted some thoughts about humanist fantasy that have been noodling around in my brain with all the discussion of religion in fandom. It's written for an atheist audience so I didn't bother justifying why I need the occasional antidote to religious fantasy, I'm a little worried it comes across as actively anti-religious which was not my intention.

It is raining! It hasn't rained here in a very long time, even by Western Australian standards. (EDIT: Wow. That was quite a storm! I lost power for a full day! Other people had flooding, golf ball size hailstones, the works!)

Comments

[furikku]

Yeah, I am AOK* with atheism; it's a valid reaction to the world and all. But I want people to be able to choose religion if that's their bag, and I've encountered a lot of atheists that are about as evangelical as some of the worst Xtian elements. :(

Part of the reason that Deus Really Ex Machina bugs me, I think, is that it's the opposite of how I was taught God works- there are miracles and all, but for the most part one can best see God's work in subtle things. (Well, that and I'm all about subtlety in storytelling, so yeah.)

* If puzzled and sad/disappointed, but that doesn't matter much!

[sqbr]

Oh, yes, my grandparents were evangelical atheists and gave my mum all sorts of crap about converting to Christianity, so I try really hard not to be like that myself.

I agree that Deus Ex Machina is generally a bad device. I guess when I say I like gods in fiction I like beings who are worshipped as gods, since that brings up all sorts of interesting theological issues, but not actual omnipotent Gods since they do warp the story. (Thus I enjoyed bits of Stargate, for all it's crapness)