View: Atheists should stop joking about Satan

[Ashendant]

It is sacrosanct to them, they are used to;

Exactly.

Tell them to Blow Jesus Out There Ass and let THEM wonder why ole jebus doesn't strike the blasphemer dead.

Perhaps, eventually, after a long time it will seep into that shit-encrusted organ they call a brain that their god never does much of anything.

Or worse, they hear that god wants them to strike the blasphemer

[DeistPaladin]

I posted on this before more broadly. Christians, particularly fundy Christians, have no sense of humor and don't seem to understand sarcasm. Saying you look forward to "Hell for the company" will provoke a screed on the horrors of Hell and how you shouldn't want to go there.

[NoMoreFaith]

Just to clarify. I don't particularly care if I offend them or not.

The view I explained above, is about promoting a false image which can cause harm to those whom already exist in fundamentalist societies.

Joke or not, there are those who are stupid enough to believe it, and worse spread it as fact to others.

[Doubting Thomas]

What you're saying is pretty much correct because few Christians have a sense of humor or can distinguish sarcasm on the internet. We do joke about eating babies, and while I hope that most people would be able to see that as pure satire, there are many who would take it seriously partially because they want to believe it's true.

But frankly, I really don't think that joking about worshiping Satan or not is going to help our standing in the fundamentalist or even mainstream Christian view, since most of them want to willingly lie about us worshiping Satan anyway. To the fundies, anything not worshiping their god is worshiping the devil. There is no middle ground with these people. They're so set in the "if you're not for us you're against us" mentality that even if all atheists volunteered in soup kitchens, donated half their money to the poor, and cured the problem of world hunger, they'd still claim that we were serving Satan.

[thesummerqueen]

I posted on this before more broadly. Christians, particularly fundy Christians, have no sense of humor and don't seem to understand sarcasm. Saying you look forward to "Hell for the company" will provoke a screed on the horrors of Hell and how you shouldn't want to go there.

Here's something I should further clarify:

My buddy Spall and I post blasphemous stuff all the time, and you'd be surprised at the number of people who publicly post faith-based things on social media...but privately tell heathens like us how funny we are.

I would hazard a guess that much of it is an outward image thing.

"God don't think stuff's funny." at least, that's what Bill Engvall's father told him.

[Erinome]

Personally, I idolize Satan as a fictional character. In fact, I just got done reading a great short story by our own Voltaire that made me idolize Satan (and Voltaire) even more. Satan is my hero. I don't give one shit how it makes atheism look when I joke about Satan, because I am not here on this earth to promote atheism, nor maintain the image of atheism.



I understand what you mean, but hail Satan, anyway.

[downbeatplumb]

Let me start by stating this is purely opinion, not a demand.

Atheists need to stop responding to obvious Fundamentalist Statements with jokes about worshiping Satan etc.

The issue I have with it is that statements like this, while clearly a joke, have a detrimental effect on Atheism as a whole.
Now, Atheism isn't really a movement, its a description of a state of belief, but to me, that does not absolve you of obligations to those that share your philosophical stance.

The point being, is that while you are mocking someones belief by parodying their views in opposite, is fine when dealing with a rational person.
However, when it comes to the fundamentalist christian or muslim, we are dealing with someone who takes their belief beyond seriously. It is sacrosanct to them, they are used to;

• Taking the written word literally
  
• May not be able to differentiate between satire and statement
  
• Overreact to mockery
  
• Quote Mine to prove all atheists are devil worshipers and spread further lies.
  

Now, you may ask why should you care what they think?

Fundamentalism tends to run in close knit communities rather than a prevailing individual response to a philosophical question, and within these communities there are bound to be those who are "closet atheist" and too scared to "reveal" their thoughts on the matter, especially where there is a prevailing view that all Atheists know about God, but deny him to worship Satan. While we know this is absurd, it most certainly isn't to the worst of the Fundamentalists and only support their world view, and propagate the hatred atheists are facing in many countries, which may not be so bad if there was less stigma and more education about atheism actually means, instead of the lies of the local religious leader.

I do think we have a responsibility to ensure that we promote education about the issue instead of supporting stereotypes. If only to ensure that there is less ammunition to use against those who wish to air their own free thoughts in stricter communities.

While it is an extreme example, but a moderate Muslim joking about bombs does immeasurable harm to Muslims around the globe by propagating a false stereotype that may be misinterpreted by those unable to differentiate between a joke and a statement of fact.

I don't demand anything of anyone, nor could I. Perhaps this is a non-issue, and may well be, but I feel distinctly uncomfortable when a raging fundamentalist is faced with several "devil worship" replies to a particularly stupid statement.
Sure, we don't like been told we're going to hell, but we know the sad rationale behind it, and it only harms our own stereotype of the fundamentalist, and you just know they will go running back to their community to tell them of the evildoers, while those whom have rationalized and reasoned a lack of belief have to keep their mouth shut, perhaps for the rest of their life.

Thoughts?

As long as we can still eat babies.

[Norfolk And Chance]

I don't take jokes about Satan (or religion) too seriously. Most of the time I laugh at them. Sometimes I think to myself, "Hey, I shouldn't be laughing. They're just making fun of my religion." But still, I can't help it.

Yes, because deep down you know that your religion is laughable.

Toodlepip!

[thesummerqueen]

I think rather it displays what strength of character you have if you can take a joke instead of getting offended.

[Erinome]

Yes, because deep down you know that your religion is laughable.

Toodlepip!

Now if you keep saying stuff like that, you're going to go and give atheism a bad name. It might not be thought of as a heroic and rewarding fundamentalist group of polite and shiny angels anymore. You might offend a religious person, and then they won't want to be an atheist. What if someone was thinking of becoming an atheist, and read your hilarious remark, and then decided to cling to their fantasies because from you they got the impression that atheists are funny people, who laugh and make jokes about things they don't even believe.

Way to trash our image, NAC.