# Ask Maudlin Murray O'Hair (the American Atheists guy) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 9, 2003, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-maudlin-murray-ohair-the-american-atheists-guy/153876 "2003-02-09T13:07:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-maudlin-murray-ohair-the-american-atheists-guy/153876/1 "2003-02-09T13:07:02Z")
Eradicating ignorance begins with eradicating religion. No great thinker in history has ever been religious. No great culture has ever concerned itself with religion. And no modern scientist of any significance is religious. That’s because science has demonstrated convincingly that there is no [nonsense reference deleted]. American Atheists represents all atheists, including the cowards who call themselves “agnostics” and “soft atheists”. You can ask me what atheists think because we speak for all of them, and I speak for all of us. And while I am an equal opportunity hand-stabber, make no mistake that I’m gunning for the [nonsense reference deleted]ians. If you quote the Bible to me, I will puke on your shoes. I’m not here to talk about nonsense. “Of all the systems of religion that ever were invented, there is none more derogatory to the [nonsense reference deleted], more unedifying to man, more repugnant to reason, and more contradictory in itself than this thing called [nonsense reference deleted]ianity.” — Thomas Paine ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-maudlin-murray-ohair-the-american-atheists-guy/153876/2 "2003-02-09T13:18:30Z")
Is there some context for this, **Lib**? You’re pitting someone that was murdered eight years ago? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-maudlin-murray-ohair-the-american-atheists-guy/153876/3 "2003-02-09T13:24:48Z")
It’s only fair that since there is a Jack Chick guy speaking for the [nonsense reference deleted]ians, there should be a rational guy speaking for the atheists. Is it not? Or is what you are doing here nothing more than the persecution that we suffer on a daily basis? Religious people are given Carte Blanche to spout their lies and fraud. But people like you are always trying to shut up those of us who believe in our brains. Consider your hand to be stabbed. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-maudlin-murray-ohair-the-american-atheists-guy/153876/4 "2003-02-09T13:32:08Z")
Okay, just so as we’re clear on who [Madalyn Murray O’Hair](http://crimemagazine.com/ohair.htm) was. Practically a saint, er, I mean, a paragon of virtue. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-maudlin-murray-ohair-the-american-atheists-guy/153876/5 "2003-02-09T13:42:10Z")
That article is a vile piece of slander. Her remark about nuns, for example, is lifted entirely out of context. She never insulted nuns. It is not our practice to insult nuns despite the fact that nuns are pathetic sexually frustrated religion whores. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-maudlin-murray-ohair-the-american-atheists-guy/153876/6 "2003-02-09T13:46:07Z")
Okay, here’s an easy one: “Why? Because, or why not?” ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-maudlin-murray-ohair-the-american-atheists-guy/153876/7 "2003-02-09T13:50:38Z")
I (we, you, everyone who matters) do not recognize the need for any [nonsense reference deleted] to explain why. It’s sufficiently explained by science. So the answer to your question is: The Singularity. ---
**Author:** ![THespos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@THespos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/THespos)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-maudlin-murray-ohair-the-american-atheists-guy/153876/8 "2003-02-09T13:51:38Z")
Okay, now I’m REALLY confused. Context, please? Hook a brother up. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-maudlin-murray-ohair-the-american-atheists-guy/153876/9 "2003-02-09T13:53:49Z")
QUESTION: What did you do with the money, Maddy? 😃 :wally ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-maudlin-murray-ohair-the-american-atheists-guy/153876/10 "2003-02-09T13:55:23Z")
I am an athiest and I have NO CLUE what point you are trying to make here. I realize that praying for a revelation won’t help. 🙂 I guess you’re gonna have to dumb it down for the likes of me. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-maudlin-murray-ohair-the-american-atheists-guy/153876/11 "2003-02-09T13:56:57Z")
Why do atheists need a [context](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=161812) to express our views? Do people run into a church and demand the context of what the liar is saying at the pulpit? That is exactly the sort of double-standard that we seek to eliminate. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-maudlin-murray-ohair-the-american-atheists-guy/153876/12 "2003-02-09T13:58:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor \* > \*\*QUESTION: What did you do with the money, Maddy? 😃 :wally \*\* Slanderous and baseless charges!! Please adhere to the topic at hand. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-maudlin-murray-ohair-the-american-atheists-guy/153876/13 "2003-02-09T14:00:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Libertarian \* > \*\*Slanderous and baseless charges!! Please adhere to the topic at hand. \*\* Methinks someone is drunk… What was the topic, exactly? ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-maudlin-murray-ohair-the-american-atheists-guy/153876/14 "2003-02-09T14:00:46Z")
Yeah, **Lib** , I don’t think this one’s going to work. People on both sides of the fence can’t work it out. Why not start again as “Ask the in-your-face athiest guy”, or “Ask **Cisco** ”? ---
**Author:** ![THespos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@THespos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/THespos)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-maudlin-murray-ohair-the-american-atheists-guy/153876/15 "2003-02-09T14:03:11Z")
Ah…I get it now. :: sheathes sword :: Dammit, **Libertarian** , ya gotta link those parody threads, lest we get all worked up for nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-maudlin-murray-ohair-the-american-atheists-guy/153876/16 "2003-02-09T14:05:26Z")
Parody!? Oh, sure. When someone is Bob the Jack Chick guy, and spouts a bunch of nonsense about imaginary sky pixies, it’s okay. And everyone can understand what’s going on. But when a rational person espouses rational views, everyone is suddenly deaf, dumb, and blind. Especially dumb. It just ain’t fair! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-maudlin-murray-ohair-the-american-atheists-guy/153876/17 "2003-02-09T14:13:38Z")
We’re all just a bit slow, **Lib**. A different thread title would have helped. Plus the link that you’re supposed to put in. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-maudlin-murray-ohair-the-american-atheists-guy/153876/18 "2003-02-09T14:22:47Z")
But it isn’t a parody! Why can’t I do what Diogenes did — assume the proto-identity of a popular figure, and have a joke thread? Why does mine have to be a parody of his? Why isn’t every rant then not a parody of some other rant? ---
**Author:** ![Kantalooppi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a5b964/32.png) [@Kantalooppi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kantalooppi)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-maudlin-murray-ohair-the-american-atheists-guy/153876/19 "2003-02-09T14:26:09Z")
Um, wasn’t Madalyn Murray O’Hair a woman? ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-maudlin-murray-ohair-the-american-atheists-guy/153876/20 "2003-02-09T14:28:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Libertarian \* > \*\*Why isn’t every rant then not a parody of some other rant? \*\* Ya know, if I could have read that while I was staring at a mirror and wearing my silvered sunglasses, I’d just have to admit that the guy I nearly saw standing behind me would be able to explain everything… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-maudlin-murray-ohair-the-american-atheists-guy/153876.md?page=2)