Ricky Gervais tweets #ActuallyDoSomethingForOklahoma

[Psykhronic]

I'm glad your experience is the only one that matters.

[Dena]

I went to Moore a couple days after the storms. I saw countless numbers of churches out there helping out. Didn't see any atheist groups, unfortunately.

Jus' sayin...

First ~ there are a lot less atheists than Christians so it wouldn't be surprising to find a church group when they are ALL over the place.

Secondly ~ Atheism is a lack of belief that gods exist. How on earth would you know if anyone helping out is an atheist? You don't. They could be a part of many groups that give aid. Heck, they could be a part of the church group!

[Doubting Thomas]

You mean the American Red Cross wasn't there? I find that hard to believe. While they're not an atheist group, they are a non-religious based aid organization.

[Minimalist]

Or FEMA?

Or perhaps P-U is simply full of shit?

[Clueless Morgan]

Secondly ~ Atheism is a lack of belief that gods exist. How on earth would you know if anyone helping out is an atheist? You don't. They could be a part of many groups that give aid. Heck, they could be a part of the church group!

^-- That. It's not, after all, like all atheists go around with huge tattoos on their foreheads proclaiming "I'm an atheist and I'm doing good!" Some are more than happy to go around telling people they're an atheist, others either can't, some don't have an inclination to, and others don't see the point.

I volunteer for an organization that raises money for several children's charities in my area and I've never gone around telling everyone how I'm an atheist and I'm volunteering for this charity - on the one hand I live in a city where very few people would care that I'm an atheist and on the other I'm there to raise money for a bunch of kids not to self-promote. I very well could be doing a disservice to the idea of atheists-doing-good but I honestly don't know how I would or could go about bringing the topic up as nobody in the four years I've volunteered for this charity has ever discussed their motivations for volunteering - I suppose I assume we're all there to have fun because this charity is a lot of fun to volunteer for.

Bottom line to me is that you shouldn't automatically assume that every volunteer for a chairty activity or relief group is made up entirely of religious people. Atheists are out there doing good, some of us are just quiet about it.

[Pandas United]

Haha, don't get all riled up people. I was simply making the point that thinking religious people just sit on the sideline and pray when someone needs a helping hand is complete bush league. Numerous churches in my city were up and rallying people for sending support and raising money the night of the storms. I was just giving you guys a taste of your own medicine regarding the first page of posts. Of course I think there were atheists out there helping out as well.

Try looking at the good people do. I know religious people are seen as "enemies" amongst the new atheists (hence the commonly used "anti-theist" derogatory term), but perhaps you can put down your biases for a little bit and see all the good religious folk and organizations do for this world.

[Psykhronic]

Religious people and organizations are a mixed bag. They do help in times of need, but that is not the only time they are present and affecting those around them. And when they DO give the whole "I'll pray for you/please pray for others" mantra from a distance, they're not doing much. That being said, I do not consider the religious to be my enemy and atheists to automatically be my friends - nor am I a "new atheist".

[Tonus]

Try looking at the good people do. I know religious people are seen as "enemies" amongst the new atheists (hence the commonly used "anti-theist" derogatory term), but perhaps you can put down your biases for a little bit and see all the good religious folk and organizations do for this world.

I think it's more accurate to say that religion is seen as the enemy by many atheists. Gervais was, as far as I can tell, needling those people who respond to a crisis by offering prayers in place of making a real effort to help. Hey, not everyone can afford to send money to charities or relief efforts and not everyone can hop on a plane or in a car and head over to help directly. But pretending that you contributed something when all you did was talk to yourself for a minute is insulting to those in need. It's like that old joke where someone needs help and cries out "can I get a hand here?" and everyone around begins to applaud.