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A billboard pretty much made of awesome.
How you take the rotten carcass of religion to even a more repugnant level? Mix in the sham-psychology of positive affirmations and the greedy notions of robber baron capitalism. Mix this these foul artifacts together and you have what is known as the Prosperity Gospel. We are not here today to get into what the PG is all about and how frakked-up it is and the damage it is doing to the US.
Nope.
We are here to observe a christian who understood the ways of the world and let his faith (partially)inform, but not force his decisions. Here’s the quote.
“[..] the first truth is that the liberty of democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of power to a point where it becomes stronger than the democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is Fascism – ownership of Government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. The second truth of liberty is that the liberty of a democracy is not safe if its business system does not provide employment and produce and distribute goods in such a way to sustain an acceptable standard of living. “
Wow. I’m sure this individual would be quickly branded a communist traitor or a godless socialist by the standards of what passes for ‘debate’ in the US. Care to guess who said the above?
Yeah, so there was a time when you could be christain and rational, all at the same time. I pine for those times.
Ah yes, knowledge and the pursuit of education. Thank you for being so brave Malala.
Oh you know what happens, the doorbell on Sunday morning, the feeling of dread when you open the door and find someone who is going to attempt to show you ‘the way’ and save your soul and all of the other assorted delusional religious nonsense that gets peddled before adequate coffee consumption. I’ve had a few give and takes with people, but nothing approaching the beauty of this wonderful exchange between a god-bot and an atheist. Many thanks to the Feminist Hiveind for hosting this version of the article.
[A version of this post originally appeared at perrystreetpalace.]
I had a conversation with a Jehovah’s Witness named Bill. He had taken the trouble to trek all the way to my door, just to save my nonexistent soul. Of course I did not allow him entry: as it was a pleasant day, we conversed with the door propped open. It was only a few short years ago that such visits would (and did) instantly result in a slammed door and simultaneous shouts of “No thanks, not interested!” (and in one case “How about you get the fuck out of here right now or I’ll call the police!”). But no more. I’ve been considering what has changed between then and now — and it is certainly not the Jehovah’s Witnesses. But we’ll get to that in a moment.
BILL: I was just admiring these steps here. They look really nice.
IRIS: Thank you. We’ve been doing a lot of renovations. What can I do for you?
BILL: Oh! I’m sorry! I’m just reaching out to the neighbors here, and I know everybody has their own thoughts about religion and that’s fine, that’s great. But what we like to do is offer folks who may not be as familiar with the bible as they’d like to be, some resources and information.
IRIS: Well I’m pretty familiar with the bible.
BILL: That’s good! Are you a Christian?
IRIS: No, I’m an atheist. Because I actually read the bible.*
BILL: [pauses.] Wait. I’m not getting the connection you’re making. How is you’re being an atheist connected to…so, you say you read the bible?
IRIS: Yes, I’ve read the bible. And even if the stories in it are true — which they aren’t — the god depicted in that book is a horrible monster. Since I’m a good person I cannot in good conscience respect, much less worship it.
BILL: So you’re saying…
IRIS: I’m saying the god of the bible is a petty, jealous, genocidal tyrant that condones and regularly engages in the wanton slaughter of innocent people. I’m saying the doctrine of vicarious atonement is evil, and that the belief in an afterlife is a dangerous delusion. I’m saying the bible is completely and utterly contemptuous of women, and because I’m a decent, moral person, I cannot recommend it as any kind of guide to morality.
BILL: Well, I think people misunderstand a lot of what the bible really says. You know, about women, for instance —
IRIS: I couldn’t agree more! People actually think the bible is not contemptuous of women — I was raised a Christian, and I used to think so myself. And then I read the bible, and saw what was actually in it.
BILL: Well I think the problem is that people misinterpret what the bible actually says, or they understand it but they don’t live according to what it says. They do bad things. In other words they’re hypocrites.
IRIS: Well I think that problem is easily explained: that humans create gods in their own image — petty, jealous, nasty, tyrannical — and not the other way around.
BILL: You think god didn’t create people, that people created gods?
IRIS: Yes, exactly. Lots of them. And the Christian god is no exception.
BILL: And you got that from reading the bible?
IRIS: Pretty much, yeah. A lot of people have become atheists after reading the bible. I’m really not that unusual.
BILL: Really. Huh.
IRIS: Oh, yes. That’s why I highly recommend reading it.
BILL: Well, it’s been good talking to you. I have to say I really enjoyed our conversation today.
IRIS: Me too! Hey, what’s your name?
BILL: It’s Bill.
IRIS: [holds out her hand, he shakes it.] I’m Iris. Very nice to meet you. Thanks for stopping by — enjoy your day!And then I yanked him inside and I ate him.
Yes, I know we atheists are infamous for feasting on roasted babies, but I’ll let you in on a little secret: nothing tastes better to a godless heathen than a skewered, well-cooked, fiery-hot godbot. This d00d was way too bland. Where was all the fire and brimstone? The talk of Satan, the threats of hell and damnation? Where was the typical response to my feminist objections to Christian theology: that god loves women, and he has a Very Special role for them in which they will find salvation, great joy, glory, freedom and happiness, and all they have to do is be completely, 100% submissive to men?
How disappointing.
[…]
There is more commentary on FHM, but I was cheering as I read the exchange between these two fine individuals. I hope to be as quick on my feet when presented with an opportunity to debate the deluded. :)
The loons are in overdrive in the United States and as a general rule the farther south one goes the loonier it gets. Rick Perry is prime example of the the cringe inducing, bile forming sectarian yahoo’s that ooze out of the woodwork and somehow gain political power. Darkmatter2525 illustrates quite nicely how the wyrm of religious zealotry is destroying the secular, rational basis of society.
Hymns suck. And I don’t just mean in moral or rational sense, though they definitely suck in those areas as well. I mean musically. They are absolutely wretched. As a fledgeling choral singer, I’m aware of some wonderfully fantastic religious based pieces that are beautiful to listen to and sing, filled with ludicrous immorality though they may be. But those pieces aren’t for the congregation. They are much to difficult and stimulating. No. The order of the day is simplicity and monotony to lull the brain to sleep, priming it for whatever indoctrinated message pasted nakedly across the song. Repetitive droning is key to drilling ugly ideas into the poor minds of parishioners. Of course, if you don’t buy into the B.S, then all you get is a hellishly dull experience that you wouldn’t call ‘music’ even at your most cynical.
If you haven’t checked out the godless comedy of Mitchell and Webb yet, I highly recommend you do so. Today’s viewing, from Series 4:Episode 3, according to David of Mitchell, presents a satirical look at not only the plodding tediousness of hymns, but also the inherent offensiveness of religion, no matter how happy a face they try to draw on it.
In our name, let us mock.
My cynical atheist soul just went a few shades darker because of this.
“The advertising pitch says it all: “Put some Ham in MoHAMed.”
Jihawg Ammunition, based in Dalton Gardens, Idaho, has recently begun selling bullets laced with a pork coating, promising “patriot” gun owners that the bullets “will strike fear into the hearts of those bent upon hate, violence and murder.”
Consumption of pork is forbidden in Islam. The idea behind the bullets is that a Muslim hit by them would be desecrated and unable to go to heaven.”
*singing along with Bon Jovi * “Shot with a pork bullet and who’s to blame, you give humans a bad name. ”
*clears throat* – Enjoy the 80’s hair rock-out, its the happiest part of this post.
Welcome to the world in 2013. In our supposedly advanced state of civilization we have the merchants of death selling ammunition that have been coated with pork(!). The selling point being that this is Anti-Muslim ammunition, and as we well know, Muslims are known for their terrorism and hatred of bacon. Thus, even if we just wound terrorists with our bacon bullets we’re fucking him/her over because then they can’t go to heaven because they have been contaminated by the evilz pork.
Checkmate, my Muslim terrorist friends. Check-frakking-mate.
Sweet merciful spaghetti-monster, why does the bat-shite crazy come so densely backed on a Saturday morning? I’m not even fully awake. Trying to wade through how insipid this story and make sense of the awful is like trying to spread butter on your toast with the buttocks of a cat, a no-win situation for all involved. Never the less, we shall forge ahead through the thick chaparral of inanity as best we can.
Contrary to what the US news media likes to write, Muslims as a rule, are not terrorists and do not deserve the terrorist label in the first place. When we pejoratively label another human being we begin the process of making them less human and thus, to our primitive minds easier to irrationally hate. Dehumanizing people invariably leads to tragedy: see any war/genocide. And yet, we have in this shining example of xenophobia exactly the case I’m arguing against.
Putting some Ham in Mohammad – as if a bullet laced with pork will make you any more dead. Feh!
Only from a society that is full to the bursting point with nonsensical religious thought can Anti-Muslim pork bullets become an reality. These bullets exist because the fairy tale notion of heaven is so firmly implanted in the psyche of much of the United States. Ruining heaven for your enemies doesn’t win any extra points (well maybe ones rewarded for delusional behaviour), it only antagonizes them further making the pursuit of peaceable relations that much more difficult. Peace time pork bullets don’t sell very well either, so lets not count on our ‘defense industries’ to help this sad state of affairs.
The terrible worm of religion is cackling with glee when in promulgates ignorant fearful bullshite like pork bullets.
We must remember, Bacon is our friend and must never be used in anger.
bleatmop
Mystro
Dead Wild Roses 
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