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UTI Associate blogger Jim Downey is a former newspaper columnist and also writes at the Daily Kos under the handle Shadan7. "I'm the fat old man of the crowd (well, make that middle-aged and overweight). My life's arc has been colorful in some odd and delightful ways, and though by most conventional standards I'm not 'successful', I've mostly enjoyed the ride. I now keep busy writing, playing with my dog, and as a book & document conservator in private practice."

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UTI associate blogger Paul Fidalgo is an actor, musician, and writer with a background in political media, communications, and research. He holds a master's degree in political management from George Washington University, and blogs on atheism in American culture. He blogs at Examiner.com as the DC Secularism Examiner, and maintains two blogs, Near Earth Object, a blog of several overlapping magisteria including political satire and his own musical work; and Bloc Raisonneur, specifically concerning atheists' precarious place in American politics and culture. Paul's music can be purchased for mere pennies at Amie St.

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UTI Associate blogger Rick Ulrey comes to UTI by way of the Marine Corps: "I'm 31 and I earn my living fixing computers. I served 6 years in the Marine Corps and consider myself a liberal libertarian with conservative leanings. I am a firm believer that the world would be a better place if people took responsibility for themselves and their actions. As you can see from the picture I love food. That's me eating a banana fritter in Australia with a nice cup of coffee. I love to cook and my other hobbies include hiking, camping, reading and on and offline gaming."

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UTI co-blogger and friend DarkSyde has this to say about himself: "I'm in my 40s, I work out a lot, I'm a personal trainer as a hobby, I've worked mainly as an investment advisor, stocks and bonds. I've done quite a bit of sky diving. I live a few miles from the Space Center in Florida. I have a strong background in math and physics and I'm an active advocate for Evolution in the Evolution vs. Creationism issue."

Satan and the NSA

Submitted by Paul Fidalgo on February 16, 2009 - 2:54pm.

Our good friend Jake Jones the Evangelical Examiner, in a piece explaining what he calls the "Angry Atheist Syndrome" with his usual wit and depth of understanding, actually gives us a valuable insight into the bureaucratic workings of the next world:

Greedy prayers always go unanswered. If a greedy prayer is answered, then we must ask the tough question; "did the answered prayer come from God or Satan"? More than likely, Satan had something to do with it.

Holy crap! If Satan is answering a lot of prayers intended for God Himself, you know what that means, don't you?

Satan has wiretapping clearance.

So learn from Avon Barksdale's crew, folks, and use code next time you chat with the Almighty.

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Wow.

Submitted by Hank Fox on February 17, 2009 - 12:31am.

I think I'm pretty good at picking up on subtle nuances in writing and speaking, and this guy is more than a little mean-spirited in his approach. You can see down in the comments he actually spends time making fun of and condescending to some of the commenters. Jeez.

I commented:

Jake: Some of us atheists are prone to appear angry to you nice Christians because we dislike being treated like we don't exist by all you ostensibly sweet, loving people.

“What an unhappy bunch they must be.”

Could you possibly be more condescending? I don’t see how.

Drop you back in history a couple of decades and I imagine you'd be writing about "Angry Negro Syndrome," or "Angry Jew Syndrome." The tone-deaf quality of your writing would be the same as you blithely dismissed the legitimacy of the feelings and complaints each group expressed.

I’m guessing someone like you would find a find a minority outgroup to take shots at — those weak ones who are safe to make fun of, or to hate — in every period of history.

This post of mine

Submitted by Siamang (not verified) on February 17, 2009 - 8:42am.

This post of mine disappeared from that other site last night. I'll try reposting it there, but here it is:

Aw, Hank. I can't believe you let this old goat get yours.

Some people spend their short time on this planet building bridges, and some erecting walls. Our friend Jake Jones here is just a wall-builder. He can't possibly see how someone could honestly and simply believe a different thing from what he believes, and so he lashes out, looking for a response.

Sometimes it helps to hit bullies back, and I see some other atheists have tried that tack. But I think it's kind of pointless with someone who really likes the walls he's building between people. He's acting like he'd like other Christians to act: hostile, condescending and, frankly, to be a wall-builder between people.

I think that we can just stand up and say the truth: Jake Jones is not an atheist, and so he doesn't speak for or provide anything other than a hostile picture of us and what we believe. If anyone is interested in talking to actual atheists and get that info from the horse's mouth, then please visit Unscrewing the Inscrutable or Friendly Atheist and the folks there will answer your questions thoughtfully and with as much friendliness and grace and respect as you show us.

Gman, one of my main complaints about the Bible is that it is humorless. Jesus himself is never shown to laugh. When God laughs it is angry and scornful.

It's all deadly serious stuff. Lighten up. You and I both ain't getting off this planet alive. Best to breathe in the fresh air, and let your heart be light. Enough with the brimstone and doom and gloom. Enough with the fairy-stories and bogeymen from iron-age mythology.

Lighten up and laugh once in awhile. bitter condemnations and learn to dance in the light of your own flickering candle. Yours and mine are going out at the same rate, but mine burns with a joy unmeasured, I quite assure you. While you go around telling people they don't feel joy! What a small life! Is that what you're wasting your time doing!?! Go climb a tree with a child! Go dance with your wife! Live in the blessed light, don't sit around spreading darkness and building the kind of walls that Jake likes.

Jake! God bless you buddy. I hope there is a God for you, though I don't believe in such hocus-pocus. Here's hoping He's not as narrow a keyhole as you make Him out to be. May you find some peace in your life that you don't have to lash out at others for attention. People are just people, you know? You and I still have to share this planet.

There are people building bridges instead of walls, friend. Find them.

Disappointing

Submitted by Hank Fox on February 17, 2009 - 4:37pm.

I actually saw your post over there, and thought it was good stuff. I commented that it was interesting that comments with contrary views weren't being deleted, as they typically are on Christian sites ... and now I see they ARE sometimes deleting comments. Disappointing.

I posted it again and it

Submitted by Siamang (not verified) on February 17, 2009 - 9:45pm.

I posted it again and it seems to have stuck for now.

I don't know if anyone's reading that site though, except that one guy who seems to have a problem with ALL CAPS, run-on sentences, bible quotes and a lack of paragraph breaks.

Oh shit. I think I just described all of internet Jesusdom.

Anyway.

Cheers.

I take it back... they

Submitted by Siamang (not verified) on February 17, 2009 - 9:50pm.

I take it back... they deleted it again!!!

LOL!

Christians. They never ever get that censorship doesn't work.

Yeah, now they're outright

Submitted by Siamang (not verified) on February 18, 2009 - 11:27pm.

Yeah, now they're outright censoring me for complaining that I was censored. And presumably for advocating being a bridge-builder between people rather than a wall-builder.

Figures. Intellectual dishonesty and Christianity go hand in hand

So funny.

Submitted by Crystal D. (not verified) on February 16, 2009 - 6:26pm.

I consider myself a militant atheist, and I'm just not angry at all. I mean, like any animal, I get a little crabby if I'm cornered by someone or something, but I'm pretty pleasant and even-tempered...

Love that greedy prayers go to Satan. There's always an answer for everything that way, which must work out very well for people.