There are millions of atheists and agnostics of Muslim heritage. How should we define or classify these individuals-- as heretics? Ex-Muslims? "Nothing?"

I suggest we call them Humanistic Muslims. Picture this: a sect of Muslims who are proud of their great culture and civilization which dates back fifteen centuries and beyond, who read Muslim religious texts as great human literature, and who come together in inspiring, service-oriented communities called Mosques; but who openly affirm evolution, secularism, and universal human equality regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, or religious background.

Picture a proudly self-identifying Muslim affirming the notion that only human beings, not a deity, can determine what makes an ethical and moral life. To some, this may seem like a series of oxymorons, one stranger or more offensive than the next. But I’d suggest that if we can imagine it, we might discover a path towards peace and real dialogue among religions, cultures, and civilizations.

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In this quote, Sally and Jon identify a classic example of the way in which Christopher Hitchens’s approach to religion goes far beyond atheism and is really better understood as anti-theism.

While atheism is the lack of belief in any god, anti-theism means actively seeking out the worst aspects of faith in god and portraying them as representative of all religion. Anti-theism seeks to shame and embarrass people away from religion, browbeating them about the stupidity of belief in a bellicose god.

Anti-theists are often brilliant scientific thinkers. The ones I know tend to be passionately ethical in their personal lives. And as in the case of Hitchens, they can be ferociously eloquent. So why hasn’t anti-theism ever gained any real political or social power?

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As a Humanist, I technically don't identify as "religious." But I was proud to join the National Religious Campaign Against Torture.

I recommend that atheists, agnostics, and the non-religious support the NRCAT's efforts to define torture as a moral issue, and as an evil for which we must not stand. In fact, we should support it passionately and join in its efforts enthusiastically. Let's sign NRCAT’s "Torture is a Moral Issue" statement en masse, support its efforts to influence public policy, and encourage our Humanist and atheist organizations to join its religious congregations in screening the film "The Ghosts of Abu Ghraib."

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