Observations and inanities by a second-shift assistant supervisor in the Puppy-Grinding division of the Evil Atheist Conspiracy® (our motto: "Sure it's cruel, but think of the jobs!"), your host, Brent Rasmussen.
It's not just America.
When bullets whiz overhead, there are no atheists in foxholes. What the bitter, bloviating brights fail to realize is that the whole world's a foxhole nowadays, and that their upthrust swollen heads make a better target for our mortal enemies -- religion's cancers and other, secular but equally totalitarian triumphalists -- than those humbly bowed in gratitude for mankind's loftiest ideals and supplication for the courage to defend them.
That's the closing 'graf from a newspaper column in the Canadian publication The National Post by columnist Barbara Kay. Read it, if you need to jump-start your outrage this morning.
Among many other things, Kay complains about the term 'brights', adopted by some atheists. It's not a term I care for, either, since I think that increasing our separation from others is a strategic error. But therein lies the main problem I have with the column - she is essentially saying that us godless heathens are trying to play the victim card, and that we should just shut up and accept the dominance of religion within our culture like we did back in the good ol' days. Kay doesn't want to even know that we exist. In fact, as you can see in the quote above, she doesn't really think that we *do* exist, because no real human can actually be an atheist in this day and age, what with us all being in foxholes and whatnot.
Um, Kay, why do you think that the whole world is foxhole, anyway? It wouldn't happen to have anything to do with religion, now, would it?
Jim Downey
(Via this very good diary on dKos, where there is also some interesting discussion.)
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whaddya expect from the NP?
The NATIONAL POST is Canada's conservative/Tory rag, so that kind of bilge is to be expected as a matter of course. Though they are more of a minority in Canada, conservative religious nutjobs also live in the Great White North. Unfortunately, the PM is now a conservative, and more pro-Bush than his liberal predecessor.
atheists in foxholes
A very good friend that was a sergeant in the Korean War saw heavy action frequently while there. He told me that during battles he was in, that badly wounded men rarely called on god to help them But they did, almost always, call for their mother.
The victim card
Being in a majority religious country like the Philippines (Christians mostly, Muslims, some Buddhists), our atheists here are probably feeling mighty oppressed, if not actually, certainly 'intellectually.' I supposed theyre more prone to play the victim card. I remember having a [cyber] conversation with an atheist in a forum like this who complained that in a public event--the Philippine Blog Awards--a priest led a prayer. Needless to say, he was offended. If I remember right, he said he was offended that the organizers assumed all the people there were Christian and he felt excluded--I havent heard of the same complaint from the Muslims and Buddhists who mightve been there, and probably were. So I said, 'But it was a prayer. Did you really want to be included? For you the priest might as well have been reciting Humpty Dumpty.' I thought he was overreacting. What do you think? Was I wrong?
The Atheist's Prayer
I see what you are saying. Personally, whenever a prayer (of whatever flavor) is offered and I am forced to sit quietly through it, I am not "offended". More irritated than anything else I suppose. But I am a polite person and I understand that folks place a lot of emphasis on the ritualistic aspects of any gathering of people. If they want to start the thing off with a prayer, go for it.
Now, if it is a government-sponsored or endorsed event, and the government picks the person that is going to be praying, then writes the prayer for them, and forces everyone to bow their heads (I dunno, with policeman brandishing weapons or something), THEN I would be offended.
At a private event like a blogger's awards show, I think that I would very STRONGLY try and get the organizers to allow me to offer the prayer. Heh. Then I would offer an invocation that'd drive home the point that prayers at events where not everyone is the same religion is a silly, silly thing to do.
That'd be fun.
Hi, Brent:
Hopefully you've read enough of my logs here to trust I try to interact in a productive way. I hope, then, you'll take my question exactly as I mean it--as a genuine one and not leading. What is your view on the fact that the Constitutional Convention was begun by prayer each day at the vote of the members themselves?
I fully understand the value of the First Amendment (and Second while we're at it!), but it at least seems that the Framers themselves had no compunction about God being part of the nation's DNA. Where would you head with this? Thanks~
-Col.
Bobby Knight on prayer
Maybe it's hard for Jeg and others to understand because they are used to always being in the majority. Perhaps atheists like myself are extra sensitive to things like prayer before public events because we feel like our beliefs don't matter. If Jeg could walk in my shoes for just a day, I think he would be much more understanding. We have to see god on our money, on our pledge, on tv, in newspapers, in politics, on bilboards, etcetra. God is everywhere. It seems like the whole world has to put god in my face and tell me I am wrong all day every day. Sometimes I just get sick of it and finally complain. We might want to complain about everything all day, but we hold it in. Finally, Jeg's friend complians about one event and it's a big deal to Jeg.
Okay, sorry....that was my rant for the day. I've calmed down now. I feel better after letting it out. The public prayer thing reminded me of my days as an athlete. Before every single friggin football game, soccer game, wrestling match and so on, the coach alway had to lead the team in prayer. I just stood there and stared at the ground quiety and respectfully. I must have had to deal with that nonsense a thousand times.
On a lighter note, here is a funny quote from Bob Knight. When asked by a reporter why his team doesn't pray before basketball games Coach Knight said "because god doesn't give a damn about college basketball!" Classic.
I hear you
I hear you, Dirk. And youre right. It's difficult for me to know what it's like for an atheist. Although I do know what it's like to have a minority view --my views on traditional Christian beliefs have crossed over into heresy territory--I can't know what atheists feel like especially when religion is everywhere.
But his complaint wasnt such a big deal to me. I just wanted to point out to him what I thought was a logical flaw in the complaint. But of course as youve pointed out, this isnt about that and goes much deeper.
What the?
I stopped reading after this, "I daresay deist Albert Einstein would raise a shaggy eyebrow at being so characterized. But he's not alone: About half of scientists believe in God, and they are dismissed as Uncle Toms by the swaggering brights."
Einstein was a deist?
Then, it is true that one can consider scientists who believe in god to be Uncle Toms, except that Uncle Tom was probably smarter.
Bernarda...
...I've read your post several times and still am not sure I rightly understand you. Could you help me? I don't think you mean that if Einstein believed in God then he was more stupid than some Uncle Tom, but your words can be read that way.
Enlighten me.
-Col.