Here is part three in my ongoing series where I ask the men who are leaders in our community to speak out against the hate that has been directed at many of the vocal women in atheism, secularism and skepticism.

I am thrilled to present a comment from the President and Chief Executive Officer of CFI, Ronald A. Lindsay.

Ron speaks to the fact that this negativity is not only intended to silence women, in which it is disproportionally directed at, but that it is also damaging to the areas in cyberspace that our secular communities call home.

I will let him explain.

Ron’s comments after the jump.

From Ronald A. Lindsay:

Threats of violence should not be condoned, tolerated, or treated with indifference by anyone, let alone by those who call themselves humanists or freethinkers. The expression of a desire to hurt someone, rape someone, mutilate someone, or kill someone does not represent the articulation of a thought. Rather, such outbursts are no more than grunts, yelps, and shouts, intended to intimidate, not persuade. I am appalled by the number of “comments” I have seen that consist of such vile spasms of rage. They now litter the secular/skeptic cyberscape like so much rubbish. Unfortunately, like rubbish, they do have a noxious effect—an effect that can only worsen if they are permitted to accumulate. Hate-filled invective has been directed at many different people, male and female, but of late women have been disproportionately targeted. What is especially sad and disgusting about this trend is that some religious skeptics seem to be mimicking religious fundamentalists: they want to intimidate women into silence and submission. What’s the point of discarding the Bible or the Koran if you retain the misogyny sanctified therein? Members of the secular and skeptical communities should be distinguished by their respect for others, including those with whom they may disagree. Those who are incapable of treating others with decency and respect do not belong in our communities. To such individuals we should say with one voice: take your hate elsewhere. ~Ron Lindsay

Thank you so much for standing with us, Mr Lindsay and thank you for speaking out against hate. You can find out more about The Center for Inquiry here.

Prior posts in this series can be found by clicking the links below.

Speaking out against hate directed at women: David Silverman

Speaking out against hate directed at women: Dale McGowan

More to come.