I call it bullshit because the reaction is completely out of touch with reality. These fascists destroy lives and kill people, but never is there a greater outrage than when an impolite atheist goes and makes one of them cry.

I’m willing to bet that more Christians have been upset by the Blasphemy Challenge than those upset about the beatings and rapes that took place under one of their roofs.

It’s just absurd, you know?

Yeah, I agree with you that the whole dispute is bullshit. Mills, a wonderful self-promoter, pulled off a great publicity stunt, and some in our community (you and I included) bit.

I don’t think, though, that atheists need to guard against attacking one another. There’s no reason why we must speak in a unified voice, since we’re not following any set of commands from on high. I get outraged when an atheist worries about how our words and actions look to the people who have been using political systems for thousands of years to ram their supernaturalism down our throats.

I’m not a friendly atheist. Any friendliness I manifest is completely unrelated to my atheism. I’m not interested in being charming in the hopes that my personality will help me spread the non-gospel. I don’t care what my neighbors believe. In fact, my atheism would be an entirely private matter were it not threatened every day by governmental intrusion. Under the Nazis, a smiling Jew was treated no differently than an angry one. Friendliness didn’t end slavery; it didn’t give women the vote; it didn’t end segregation; it didn’t work against Joe McCarthy and HUAC. And it won’t end the attempts by the world’s godpushers to pick my pockets, wash my brain, and bomb my cities.

With that rant — giving me the space for which I thank you — I end my comments in the super-pooper-scooper debate. I will now return to my regularly scheduled deprogramming.

Sorry about the problems posting. I think it was something about that theme as it’s been a pain in the backside from the get go. I’m going to have to do some tinkering with it before putting it back up.

As to the dispute, I think it’s bullshit. Of course, I think anything that gets Frank Walton’s seal of approval is bullshit, but I’m a bit biased against that little shit.

I’d caution against slamming Hemant and other atheists who share his opinion though. It’s something they (theists) have done for a long time - getting us to fight each other over dumb shit like this video or the title of Richard Dawkins book (OMG!!! He put DELUSION right there in the title! Mean Atheist! Mean! All you nice atheists better clutch some pearls or I’m going to cry! Cry, I say! )

Hemant, the Friendly Atheist, has joined the fray, criticizing this post. Since I agree with just about everything you say here, I left him a reply, which I’ve copied here for your enjoyment.

Cut the not-holier than thou stuff, Hemant. David Mills was having some good clean-up fun.

By the way, I’m not convinced that was a little girl’s laughter in the background. What evidence do you have to jump to that conclusion. Maybe it was a girlish adult?

Anyway, why must all atheists act as a friendly bloc? Some of us find the ideas in the bible offensive. If Mills had cleaned up shit with a copy of Mein Kampf, would that be OK? Or would you be afraid that we’d offend some Nazis?

I don’t see any reason why we need to look for acceptance from the godiots. That’s not to say that we have to go out of our way to be insulting. But, please, let’s not act offended if one of us states his or her case using strong language, verbal or symbolic. All our discourse doesn’t have to be effective in terms of getting “our message” across. Some of us don’t even have a message; we just want the godpushers to keep their voodoo out of public affairs. Sometimes, it’s just fun — or necessary — to blow off steam. Being nice may get you invited to parties, but it won’t convince any supernaturalists that their sky buddy makes no sense.

So as of now, I’m going to start using a new term: an Uncle Jeez. That’s an atheist who kowtows to the religious.

Don’t be one.

Keep up the good work.