First, we had Rabbi Gellman writing about “angry atheists”. Now we have Rabbi Shafram who thinks we are little better than hit men for the Mafia:
…the notion that there is no higher authority than nature is precisely what enables the vast majority of the killers, rapists and thieves who populate the nightly news.
Utter bullshit. Anyone with a passing knowledge of the news knows that the greatest motivation to kill, rape and steal comes not from atheism, but from religion. Religion will kill you for just about everything under the sun — your race, your religion, your choice of partners, your parents religion, your leader’s religion, your diet, your clothing, your activities and so on and so forth.
The simple fact is that if we want to find where the killers, rapists and thieves are the best place to start is in the temples, the synagogues, the mosques and the churches. If we need a reason to kill, rape and steal we need to look no further than the most convenient holy book. If we need someone to get our back about our killing, raping and stealing, we need look no further than the holy men who run the buildings, write the books and give their blessing to the killing, raping and stealing.
However, that would have required that the Rabbi look further than the end of his nose, which he obviously did not as he knows nothing about atheism despite his claim to have atheistic friends. If he did, he would know that atheism is a negation of theism (not to be confused with any specific religion). It does not address morality, ethics or any branch of science.
Of course, no anti-atheist piece would be complete without:
the world has also seen unimaginable evil perhaps its greatest share from men who professed no belief in divinity at all, whose motivations were entirely secular in nature. Adolph Hitler was no believer in G-d. Nor was Joseph Stalin. Nor Pol Pot. Together, though, the trio was responsible for the murders of tens of millions of human beings. They pursued their dreams as atheists…
Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot Oh My!
Of the three, one was a Christian (Hitler) who thought he was doing the “Lord’s work” per his own words. The other two were at least skeptics. How does that indict atheism? Does the Rabbi have any proof that Stalin and Pol Pot intentionally targeted religious people for being religious? If not, then he has to give up the atheism=bloody purges shtick. I won’t hold my breath.
And just in case the atheist reader is starting to think the Rabbi might have a problem with atheists:
Some of my best friends, okay, one or two, are atheists.
The ole I know I just said something awfully bigoted about Group X but look! My bestest friend in the whole world is a member of Group X! I cannot be a bigot! No! No! No! Quit looking at me like that! You big meanie! I am going to tell my momma! Wah, Mooommmmmyyyy!!!!!”
Do people really fall for this shtick?
Especially in light of:
Stranded on a desert island, I would prefer the company of any of them to Osama.
But if my choice of island partner were between two strangers about whom I know only that one believes there is no higher reason for human life and the other that there is, I know which one I’d choose.
Yep, the one that would kill you, gut you and cook you for their dogs dinner because you not only rejected the Messiah, but also killed him!
And I think Professor Zizek might make the same choice.
If he has a brain, if you were on the island also he would take one look and start swimming you asshole.
