Notung wrote:
Yep, I've said it before but it bears repeating: I disagree with the idea that what EG did is always wrong (based on subjective interpersonal signals, etc), and I agree with Dawkins that this is a zero-bad incident, and the fact that the internet is discussing it like it's the more important issue facing women today is laughable when we consider the actual problems women face in the world. But that's fine - she's entitled to her opinion, so let's discuss it like adults. Then she writes The Privilege Delusion, which is a long personal attack on Dawkins, involving boycotting and shunning. I notice that if you criticise this move, you're a misogynist and an anti-feminist, apparently. So the problem is, we can't have a rational dogma-free discussion on at least one issue in 'the atheist community'.
That's what I'm fighting. They're entitled to their religion opinion, but please don't force it on me. Freedom from dogma is a cherished characteristic of the 'movement', so let's defend it with all that we have, in the best way possible. And that involves not sending stupid messages to Rebecca Watson that she can proudly display on her website.
If you were around during the Wally Smith affair you should remember that it's not only atheists that have an interest in inciting divisions amongst atheists. If a similar division opened up in, for example Catholicism, I suspect there would be a lot of atheists doing a little agent provocateur activity online, stirring the pot.
Prior to elevatorgate Watson had accumulated a lot of enemies that were not necessarily atheists. In fact Watsons 'atheism' never seemed that deep. She never really pushed for the SGU to adopt a strong atheistic approach, instead seemed to be content to stick with the safe skeptical topics of UFOs, ghosts etc. She did get into a lot of fights with anti-vaccination, homeopathy and other alt-med kooks.
And once she started talking about feminism she was bound to attract anti-feminist trolls.
Now some of these are bound to be atheists (just going by population statistics) but it is also likely that a lot were not atheists. They were just anti-feminists.
Did DPR Jones contradict Watson?
Well he certainly contradicted part of her previous stories (she wasn't, in fact, drinking for eight or ten hours in the bar before the incident - she was in someones hotel room about an hour previously, doing a live blog stream)
It is also interesting to note that Slymepitter AronRA has some information on this that he has kept quiet about so far.
The actual elevator incident, however, could still have happened (she returned to the bar and decided to call it a night at 4 AM.
As far as I know only one person has vouched for her side of the story, that idiot pharyngulite Rorscharch, who was there in the bar, although he might have gone to bed just before 4.
Considering the self delusional behavior of the typical Watson sycophant I still wonder if it could have been one of them who made the move (if a move actually happened at all - I'm beginning to sound like a Mythicist! - can we solve this one using Carriers Bayesian approach?)
It wouldnt surprise me in the slightest if Elevatorguy was revealed to be a Watson fan who has spent the past 18 months lambasting the rest of us for being misogynists!