Rastronomicals asked about my claim to be a card carrying atheist. I figured I'd go ahead and post the card here to remove all doubt. Feel free to print this card out and use it as you wish. It looks especially authoritative if you laminate it.
Gray, my memory isn't what it used to be. I also keep a card full of phone numbers to my family and friends because if I ever lose my cell phone, there is no chance at all I will remember these numbers.
Gosh, the second piece of atheist news this quarter. . . .
While I'm definitely not on board with any frightened Christian throwing the sign in the handiest ditch, I'm also not sure why this atheist group felt compelled to make a sign in the first place.
Or make one that's so confrontational.
Even as an atheist, I happen to like Christmas because of the pretty lights and the fact that everyone's just a little nicer to each other for three weeks outta the year. What the far religious right says in this case is absolutely true: the holiday HAS been pretty much bleached of spiritual content.
And the little that remains, bothers me as a strong-willed nonbeliever with the courage of his convictions not at all.
South of me in the Florida Keys is John Pennekamp State Park. It's mostly underwater, people go snorkelling and scuba diving there. Anyway, some clown going way back before the place was even a State Park had fashioned a sculpture of Jesus and dropped it in 30 feet of water.
About 20 years ago, a group of atheists down here had decided that the Jesus statue in the State park violated the separation of church and state. And they made all kinds of noise about getting the thing dredged up and removed.
Never happened, but I guess the moral of the story is that even atheists can act irrationally.
You'll get no argument from me that atheists are just as incapable of irrational acts as anyone else. I looked at the sign you linked to an my immediate thought was to wonder who, exactly, was going to have their minds changed by this. I have the same reaction to Christian bumper stickers or even to political bumper stickers. Does anyone drive down the road, get stuck in traffic behind an SUV with a "Got God?" bumper sticker, and suddenly burst into prayer and weeping to invite the Lord into their lives? Similarly, I can't believe anyone going to go to the park to see the Christmas display is going to pass by the "religion is myth" sign and suddenly think, "Dang! I had no idea!"
That's cute. Is that so you can remind yourself if you forget?
ReplyDeleteAnd here I was expecting some pithy quote from the Humanist Manifesto ...
ReplyDeleteGray, my memory isn't what it used to be. I also keep a card full of phone numbers to my family and friends because if I ever lose my cell phone, there is no chance at all I will remember these numbers.
ReplyDeleteLoren, pith won't get you free coffee.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/12/05/atheists.christmas/index.html
ReplyDeleteGosh, the second piece of atheist news this quarter. . . .
While I'm definitely not on board with any frightened Christian throwing the sign in the handiest ditch, I'm also not sure why this atheist group felt compelled to make a sign in the first place.
Or make one that's so confrontational.
Even as an atheist, I happen to like Christmas because of the pretty lights and the fact that everyone's just a little nicer to each other for three weeks outta the year. What the far religious right says in this case is absolutely true: the holiday HAS been pretty much bleached of spiritual content.
And the little that remains, bothers me as a strong-willed nonbeliever with the courage of his convictions not at all.
South of me in the Florida Keys is John Pennekamp State Park. It's mostly underwater, people go snorkelling and scuba diving there. Anyway, some clown going way back before the place was even a State Park had fashioned a sculpture of Jesus and dropped it in 30 feet of water.
About 20 years ago, a group of atheists down here had decided that the Jesus statue in the State park violated the separation of church and state. And they made all kinds of noise about getting the thing dredged up and removed.
Never happened, but I guess the moral of the story is that even atheists can act irrationally.
Let's try that CNN url again
ReplyDeleteBe sure my inability to post a simple link is causing me no end of embarassment.
ReplyDeleteAt this point I'd probably be better off just writing the whole thing off as a bad deal, but I kind of feel obligated to keep trying.
How about this?
Ras,
ReplyDeleteYou'll get no argument from me that atheists are just as incapable of irrational acts as anyone else. I looked at the sign you linked to an my immediate thought was to wonder who, exactly, was going to have their minds changed by this. I have the same reaction to Christian bumper stickers or even to political bumper stickers. Does anyone drive down the road, get stuck in traffic behind an SUV with a "Got God?" bumper sticker, and suddenly burst into prayer and weeping to invite the Lord into their lives? Similarly, I can't believe anyone going to go to the park to see the Christmas display is going to pass by the "religion is myth" sign and suddenly think, "Dang! I had no idea!"