Truth, Fiction, and Losing Sight of What's Important

As an atheist, I don't care when religious types claim some interpretation of their faith is "not true." After all, this behavior has been with us since phenotypic diversity in Scotsmen [1].  We know very well what the speaker means.  X is something they don't like, and they don't want it associated with Y (usually themselves).  If for some reason an atheist took that claim literally, it should be a mere redundancy, eliciting the response "Yes, of course, that version too." However, some atheists have been taking the claim too seriously. And I find that I do care when atheists waste time combating this well known fallacy, and (more baffling to me) try to argue what interpretation should be considered a believer's "true" faith. This activity suggests they have lost sight of what is important, as it often undercuts efforts required to achieve real, secular gains. Current events have made this a relevant issue to discuss, as it raises (to my mind) a moral question for atheists operating as public intellectuals.

Reset the Net to actualize freedom of thought by securing privacy

I just found out about a campaign starting today, June 5th, called Reset the Net.  It's a bit late (in the day) to get everything set up on my site in time but it is something I want to recognize and encourage.  Unlike most campaigns it is not about asking you to send in money for someone else to fix a problem.  It is about all of us taking a moment to protect that which is most dear to us: our privacy.  

Ending mass surveillance by governments can be achieved through the electoral process, by voting in dedicated representatives to executive, legislative, and judicial offices.  But before we get to enjoy the fruits of that lengthy process, there is something else we can do here and now.  Users and developers of the internet (at all levels) can begin securing the spaces they control, plugging the leaks that government agencies exploit in their misguided attempt to save us by monitoring everything we do.