one less god than a Christian

[juldea]

Just had to share this one: "It has been pointed out that most believers are atheistic with respect to rival pantheons, and that an atheist merely believes in one less god than a Christian."

From one of the comments to this rather good read: An Athiest Manifesto

Comments

[juldea.livejournal.com]

I'd go with vitriolic for that particular article, yes (I'm unfamiliar with the site as a whole.) I don't think I agree with you for "ridiculous" though. It's not like his points are all invalid. He's just... fed up with having to make them. ;)

[tpau]

his points are valid in their meaning, but get invalidated in the way he presents them. it is all too inflamatory i suppose. i gave up on page 2, i couldn't read anymore

[juldea.livejournal.com]

I find that interesting, when you're looking for people to talk to about religion but you can't handle someone speaking passionately about their ideas...

[tpau]

yes... i jsut can't take hims seriously though. but on the othe hand i prefer this sort of interaction in person. i don't know it jsut strikes me that he is writign to get peopel angry at him, not jsut to make them understandhim...

[juldea.livejournal.com]

I don't at all get the impression that he is attempting to "get people angry at him." I think that HE is angry. Quite different.

[tpau]

oh i get htat he is angry... but his writing reads... liekhe wants to provoke a fight

[juldea.livejournal.com]

He's trying to provoke people to THINK...

[tpau]

except i doubt he will. generally epopel don't liekbiegn called stupid,a nd that is what he does... he does nto phrase his points in a way that would make peopelthink, or understand, or even try do either. he phrases his points in a way that tends to jsut make peopel too pissed off at him to think at all.

[juldea.livejournal.com]

I don't disagree with you that his words have the effect of pissing people off. I just disagree that he's TRYING to do that.

[siderea]

Really? I thought it was wonderful and very moving. He says very plainly some things that You're Not Supposed To Say because of, bluntly, Christian privilege in this country, so they're pretty shocking to hear (e.g. "They died talking to their imaginary friend." and his contention that at least the fundamentalists show an intellectual honesty the religious moderates don't.) So it's "rude" in the sense you're never supposed to say those thing. But those things are how people like me see the world. It's OK -- more than OK -- for Christians to talk about Jesus, being saved, sin, etc. in public, but for atheists to even say these things out loud is forbidden. It is a very unjust double standard.