Tonight, I was involved in a perfect example of how....

[NightTrain]

...Christians who bitch and moan about "persecution" are completely full of shit. And it happened right here at DU!

On Saturday evening, some guy posted a thread titled something like, "A challenge to you athiests (sic)." The challenge was along the lines of, "Go to a graveyard at midnight, draw a pentagram, and invoke Satan. Hey, he doesn't exist, so what's the problem?"

I responded that the pentagram is *not* a satanic symbol, and that I have several Pagan friends who would consider his "challenge" a personal insult. I then created a copycat thread titled, "A challenge to you Christians," in which I wrote, "Try practicing your religion without shoving it down other people's throats. Betcha can't do it for more than a few hours!"

Within 20 minutes, my copycat thread was locked. The original "Challenge to Athiests (sic)" thread, however, was not.

Something to mention the next time a Christian DUer complains that he or she feels persecuted around here!

[lazarus]

1. well, it's been locked now

I was going to chime in that I've actually done that, on a dare.

Big deal.

I've also cursed god in a church, and was even thrown out of Westminster Abbey. :evilgrin:

No lighting bolts. Yet.

[progressoid]

3. HEATHEN!! HEATHEN!!

When I was a kid I remember nervously declaring under my breath, "there is no god" in our church. I had hoped there wouldn't be some sort of horror movie moment where hell opens up and swallows me in a whirlpool of fire and brimstone. Later, I laughed at how ridiculous my fear was (not to mention everything I had been taught).

[fshrink]

2. Hey! We don't want to lose votes! Especially since

from now on, we need twice the amount to get elected.

[trotsky]

4. Wish I had seen that thread!

Would have easily taken him up on the offer. I'll even go over and open up my closet late at night to look for the boogeyman!

[Beetwasher]

5. Me Too, I Even Break Mirrors Just On A Whim

I walk under ladders, let black cats walk in front of me, just for the fuck of it...How pathetic "I double dog dare you to draw a pentagram in a graveyard!"...How silly and immature...

[trotsky]

6. The sad and funny thing is...

a whole lot of religionists feel that even atheists secretly believe. We're just "mad" at their god or something. And because we secretly believe, we "know" that Satan is real too, and wouldn't dare do such a thing. :eyes:

[progressoid]

8. Ugh, it's crazy.

Then they go on about how atheism is a religion. :crazy:
They can't fathom how someone can exist without religion.

But wait a minute...now that I think about it. Maybe we could be a religion. And I'll run for Pope of Atheism. Sure, sure. And everyone can send me tithings so I can make sure your soul is saved by a god we don't believe in...er...um...something like that.

Lemme work out the details.

One thing is for certain, I'm going to need tax-exempt status, a TV program and a couple PACs to push our agenda. Start saving your money - I'm going to need a lot of it to get out the message of our Un-Lord.

(I accept PayPal)

[Az]

17. Its experential

There is an saying that has been floating around the net for some time. If you believed that elves caused rain then everytime it rained you would take it as evidence for elves. Its sort of like that.

We learn that others have the same sort of sense of self as we do. We never actually experience anothers perspective. But if someone tried to tell us that we were the only ones experiencing this sense of self we would say they were loopy.

A similar thing happens with believers. Its because the means by which we figure out that other people have minds doens't limit itself to people. We project identities onto everything until we learn better. The trouble becomes the old can't prove a negative issue.

We can break down a tree and see that it operates by natural laws. We can determine that there are not little gremlins or spirits inside it. We can find out how the weather works. We can unweave the rainbow. But we have not yet definitively unraveled the origin of the universe or the nature of the mind. These two gaps are where people get stuck. They have no answer that satisfies (them not us) and thus the identity they project lingers.

[Longhorn]

7. I open umbrellas in the house!

Am I brave, or what? :D

[Az]

16. We oughta get together with the skeptic group and do a Friday 13 event

Er... we probably are the skeptic group as well... but anyway.

CSICOP (IIRC) has an event every year whenever a Friday the 13th rolls around. They get together and do all the things you are not supposed to do. Break mirrors. Walk under ladders. Any superstition they can think of.

[Beetwasher]

19. I Forgot About That

I had heard about it, but I've never attended...

[Az]

9. The ultimate atheist dare

Most Christians think that all sins are fogiven through Jesus. They forget that there is one unforgivable sin. :evilgrin:

Mt.12:31-32 "Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come."
Mk.3:29 "But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation."
Lk.12:10 "But unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven."

Its a one way ticket to hell apparently to blaspheme the Holy Ghost (the big wuss).

[Beetwasher]

10. Details! I Need More Details! How Exactly Do You Blaspheme the Holy Ghost?

I never really understood what exactly the holy ghost is anyway? Is this what god turns into after he dies? Or Jesus? Or what? Ahhh, fuck the holy ghost! He's too fucking confusing anyway! What does he do? Walk around heaven rattling chains and going BOO!

How'd I do? Is that blasphemous?

I'd love to really give the holy ghost a good blaspheme now, just for the fuck of it! How do you moon the holy ghost? Do you think he'd get offended if I flipped him the bird? Is that blasphemous?

[trotsky]

11. The Holy Ghost can kiss my ass!

There, did I stamp my ticket? Woohoo!

[YankeyMCC]

12. Who is this Holy Ghost

and why is it stirring up trouble? I'll put the bastard in place if need be just point it out!

Oh...it's an imaginary ghost (er I guess that's redundant)...well that'll make it hard to kick it in the ass...er...does an imaginary ghost have an ass?


}(


(that ought to put me on the express lane heh?)

[Az]

13. In answer to your second to last question

Exodus
33:21 And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
33:22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:
33:23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

[lazarus]

14. God's gonna moon us?

[YankeyMCC]

15. ROTFLMAO!

[Beetwasher]

18. Ahh, But Where's The Part Where He Flips The Bird and Makes Fart Noises??

I'd pay a dollar to see that!

[immoderate]

20. The Holy Ghost is not like those other ghosts...

he's nice, especially to children. And he doesn't want to scare you. I saw a couple of movies about it.

--IMM

[YankeyMCC]

21. Casper?

[immoderate]

23. That's it! Casper, the Holy Ghost!

--IMM

[Biased Liberal Media]

22. Why is it that Xians equate Atheism with devil worship??

We don't believe in SHIT!!!

Geez....

[Az]

24. The logic works like this

We are against god. God exists. We of course know god exists. Because we reject god we must be in league with satan. Either that or satan has deluded us.

[Synnical]

25. Right, sure - like that line from "Usual Suspects"

The greatest trick the devil ever played was convincing the world he doesn't exist.

[Biased Liberal Media]

26. So stupid...isn't it??

Those who deduce us to satan worshippers are hypocritical and blind as hell.