RE: One Agnostic's View of the New Atheists
September 25, 2015 at 9:30 pm
(This post was last modified: September 25, 2015 at 9:33 pm by TheRocketSurgeon.)
That old "no atheists in foxholes" trope? REALLY!?!
That was a reporter, in WW2 in the Pacific, trying to distinguish himself, as they all do. The tone simply resonated with what Christians wanted to hear (Reporter Win!), so the trope stuck. It's possibly the most disrespectful thing you can say, not only to atheists in general (since it suggests we'll suddenly convert if we just get really close to death) but especially to the atheists who have been or are being shot at right now, in service to their country.
In other words, I don't care how that author calls himself. Agnostic, atheist, Satanist, or Christian. He's an asshole. And if he doesn't want his asshole pulled out and fed to him, he'd probably better not say what he wrote to these guys:
http://militaryatheists.org/atheists-in-foxholes/
By the way, I've been close to death numerous times since giving up Christianity, from crashing a motorcycle at over 140mph on a racetrack, to an emergency landing in a Cessna, to severe illness, to falling off a cliff face over 40' up, to actually being in a cancer ward... and not once did I ever cry out to God.
Not even tempted.
That was a reporter, in WW2 in the Pacific, trying to distinguish himself, as they all do. The tone simply resonated with what Christians wanted to hear (Reporter Win!), so the trope stuck. It's possibly the most disrespectful thing you can say, not only to atheists in general (since it suggests we'll suddenly convert if we just get really close to death) but especially to the atheists who have been or are being shot at right now, in service to their country.
In other words, I don't care how that author calls himself. Agnostic, atheist, Satanist, or Christian. He's an asshole. And if he doesn't want his asshole pulled out and fed to him, he'd probably better not say what he wrote to these guys:
http://militaryatheists.org/atheists-in-foxholes/
By the way, I've been close to death numerous times since giving up Christianity, from crashing a motorcycle at over 140mph on a racetrack, to an emergency landing in a Cessna, to severe illness, to falling off a cliff face over 40' up, to actually being in a cancer ward... and not once did I ever cry out to God.
Not even tempted.
A Christian told me: if you were saved you cant lose your salvation. you're sealed with the Holy Ghost
I replied: Can I refuse? Because I find the entire concept of vicarious blood sacrifice atonement to be morally abhorrent, the concept of holding flawed creatures permanently accountable for social misbehaviors and thought crimes to be morally abhorrent, and the concept of calling something "free" when it comes with the strings of subjugation and obedience perhaps the most morally abhorrent of all... and that's without even going into the history of justifying genocide, slavery, rape, misogyny, religious intolerance, and suppression of free speech which has been attributed by your own scriptures to your deity. I want a refund. I would burn happily rather than serve the monster you profess to love.
I replied: Can I refuse? Because I find the entire concept of vicarious blood sacrifice atonement to be morally abhorrent, the concept of holding flawed creatures permanently accountable for social misbehaviors and thought crimes to be morally abhorrent, and the concept of calling something "free" when it comes with the strings of subjugation and obedience perhaps the most morally abhorrent of all... and that's without even going into the history of justifying genocide, slavery, rape, misogyny, religious intolerance, and suppression of free speech which has been attributed by your own scriptures to your deity. I want a refund. I would burn happily rather than serve the monster you profess to love.
