1. Television evangelist Falwell dies at 73

Comment #41477 by smithnya on May 16, 2007 at 7:09 am

Hey fellas,

I'm not really saying Falwell's corpse, or the rhetoric, bigotry, hatred, and don't forget his Liberty "University," deserve respect. I'll admit, when I turned on MSNBC yesterday and found out he died, I gleefully yelled "Fuck yeah!" So I'm as guilty as everyone, if anything, of being an asshole. Again, this guy never has and never will deserve respect.

I do believe that we, as atheists, should do our best to rise above this kind of stuff; including myself. Let the Christian hate-mongers spread their venom in their typical way. We don't need to resort ad hominem attacks (remember Carl Sagan's Baloney Detection Kit in which he warns us against such attacks). We're too smart for that; we actually have critical thinking skills and rationality, unlike those unfortunate ones who find justification for their hate and venom in the "good" Book. We atheists, more than any group in the country, stand out of the crowd, precisely because we are so unique. Precisely because we are unique and nonconformist with the dogma of our current theocracy, we are hated and distrusted. The Bible did prize obedience over knowledge after all; thus, our natural need for knowledge automatically equates us with the mythical snake in the garden; a comparison that I welcome. We are not sheep like the rest of these religious ignorants, so let's not act like sheep and emulate their behaviour. In the tradition of Dawkins, Sagan, Harris, Hitchens, Onfray, Russell, etc., let's not attack the man, no matter what a waste of a human body he was, instead, let's go after his ideas. This corpse is worm food now, and we all know that. His legacy is gonna be hatred, bigotry, voluntary ignorance, and intolerance. His legacy is the thing we should go after, after all, much to my dismay, his legacy is what's gonna stick around way long after the worms have finished their meal, and that is what needs to be attacked.

2. Television evangelist Falwell dies at 73

Comment #41290 by smithnya on May 15, 2007 at 7:34 pm

You're right Dower. Again, I might sound a little too arrogant, but atheists are way above the junk the Falwell's, Robertson's, and Graham's of the world put forth. None of these guys deserve respect, but check out the poignancy of foxfire's post, and everyone can realize how far above these religious nuts atheists really are.

As much as I despise Falwell's beliefs and actions, I cannot help but feel somewhat sad:

He died without understanding the magnificence of life and the universe, without the need for an imaginary supernatural agent as first cause and directing entity.

He died before he recognized that humans with an innate (not chosen) minority sexual preference are people just like him, with hopes and dreams and loved ones.

He died before he could understand the damage he did and compensate for the hurt he caused people who had not ever harmed him or those he loved.

He died before learning that he could smile because there is no hell, not to mention the tenuous, mind-numbing prospect of an eternal heaven.

He left grieving people who loved him, who could not be with him when he died.

And so I can't help feeling somewhat sad....

3. Television evangelist Falwell dies at 73

Comment #41280 by smithnya on May 15, 2007 at 7:06 pm

While I do agree that rejoicing in someone's death is not acceptable

Why not? Why isn't it acceptable? When someone unquestionably evil dies, why is it wrong to rejoice in the fact? Had you been a Jew in Auschwitz, wouldn't you have rejoiced at the death of Hitler or Mengele?

Seriously, I respectfully ask you to consider that this idea we should always respect the dead is about as rational as the idea that we should always respect religion. If a person was a wicked son of a bitch in life and we pretend we're not happy when they die, I'd suggest there's a word for that: hypocrisy.

Check it out, I personally am relieved that Falwell is gone for good. In the end, his rhetoric fuels the fire, especially among those Christian fundamentalist. My one fear is that Christian fundamentalist are pretty much out to get us. If it were up to many of them, atheist would be expelled from the country lest they not be converted to their religion, and I believe Falwell would be only to happy to agree with that. I'm also afraid that atheists such as ourselves would be lowered to using smear tactics and character assassinations, much as we are submitted to by the Christian majority. You can call this a conceit if you wish, but I think that the fact that we are atheists, by definition, holds us to higher standards than the less fortunate ones who are too indoctrinated or dogmatic or simply too ignorant about science to embrace blind unsubstantiated faith. Is the world a better place now that Falwell is gone? Yes. Am I happy that he is gone? Yes. The guy's legacy is one of intolerance and bigotry; he indicted himself. Conservatives will be the first ones to call him an "innovator" or a "great man," but we all know better. In the end, and living in Bush's Theocracy, whose father was quoted saying, "...I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God," you can consider me an atheist who lives in the rather Christian and conservative state of Texas. Maybe more liberal states are more accepting, and as such, more inviting of secular values, but in a neighborhood in a city in Texas, expressing such values will invite people to go so far as to call you the Antichrist (I'm not kidding; there's a coworker of mine who's very convinced that I am indeed the Antichrist.) Personally, I can deal with that, but my children? They shouldn't have to be treated like that on account of his father's beliefs, or lack thereof. Anyways, we don't always have to agree, but we can respectfully disagree, after all, our atheism endows us with a great amount of rationality.

Thank you

4. The Creation Museum: Prepare to believe

Comment #41263 by smithnya on May 15, 2007 at 6:15 pm

Goodness gracious fellas, I wish I could find this funny, but it is so sad. I'm afraid that America is going the way of the Titanic with this current theocracy.

5. The Creation Museum: Prepare to believe

Comment #41256 by smithnya on May 15, 2007 at 5:34 pm

Lol, Creation Museum?! There you have it boys and girls; helping to teach another generation of kids to grow up to be complete ignorants and devoid of having the necessary critical thinking skills. Can't wait to see their Flintstones or Barney the purple dinosaur exhibits. I love America, and I have proudly served in the US Army, but is it just me or has this kind of pseudo-science, fundamentalist Christian junk made any one else think about moving somewhere else? Canada anyone?

6. Television evangelist Falwell dies at 73

Comment #41216 by smithnya on May 15, 2007 at 4:24 pm

It's sad that many of us, including myself, seem to be rejoicing in this persons death. Quite honestly, many of us feel we have wronged, marginalized, and suppressed by the current theocracy and Cristian majority. While I do agree that rejoicing in someone's death is not acceptable, give us a break. We're the least trusted group in this country, atheists I mean, and we can't help it but feel joy that such a hate-monger - one that equates atheists, homosexuals, single mothers, mothers who have had abortions, those who are not Christians, you get the point, with the devil - has permanently checked out of existence. One can only hope that his ideas and hate, and even his "Liberty University" follow him also.

7. Television evangelist Falwell dies at 73

Comment #41191 by smithnya on May 15, 2007 at 3:38 pm

In his favor:
1. Never busted for doing crystal meth with a gay prostitute while at the same time fighting against civil rights for homosexuals
2. Never caught with a prostitute
3. Never sent suggestive IMs to high school boys
4. Never accused of using donations as hush money to silence former lovers
5. Never caught by James Randi doing fake healings
6. While championing "family values", he didn't have an affair with another woman while his wife was dying of cancer

Totally insufferable, but at least he wasn't the most outrageous hypocrite among the lot of true believers on TV

LOL the operative words are "never" "caught" "busted" I wouldn't be surprised at all if he did all of the above.

8. Television evangelist Falwell dies at 73

Comment #41185 by smithnya on May 15, 2007 at 3:29 pm

It's too bad that this sorry little man is nothing more than worm food, and as such, he won't come to the nasty realization that there is no after-life. Be on the look out for Republicans to give high praises to this now dead fellow as the wonderful human being they think he was.

9. Hitchens, Sharpton and Faith

Comment #39431 by smithnya on May 10, 2007 at 3:39 pm

Wonderful book by Hitchens, and by all means, please go get a copy; you'll agree with me. I'm also reading a great book called Atheist Manifesto by the French author Michel Onfray which I also consider a must-have.

10. Atheists go on the political offensive in God-fearing US

Comment #37992 by smithnya on May 6, 2007 at 3:30 pm

Fellow American atheists, I think it is up to us to keep this trend of increasing secularism going. Please, if you can, join groups such as Secular Coalition for America and The Freedom from Religion Foundation. The more members these groups have the better job they can perform in lobbying for us and representing us in this theocracy of the United States.

11. Republican candidates range from ignorant to dishonest

Comment #37783 by smithnya on May 5, 2007 at 5:09 pm

Ha! Don't vote for Republicans?! I'm sorry guys but I don't see that happening, sadly I admit. I'm a Democrat and Atheist, and after the Bush theocracy comes to an end, I suspect that I'll be a Democrat for a very long time. Let's admit it guys: reason and critical thinking, that shown by the fact of evolution, don't have a place in America. Most of the people here, even very many Democrats, will be happy to say, at the very best, that god had a hand in evolution, and at the very worst that god concocted everything a la Genesis story. Yes indeed they will, while eating their "freedom fries" and supporting this damned losing war in Iraq, remember? The one we started fighting in the search for terrorists and weapons of mass destruction, but one we seem to be fighting now for "freedom'n liberty." Long gone are the days of Thomas Jefferson, and instead we are left with evolutionary holdbacks such as is George W. Bush.