# "Athiests Need to Just Shut Up"
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-need-to-just-shut-up/391204
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [February 7, 2007, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-need-to-just-shut-up/391204 "2007-02-07T14:30:15Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 6
### Author:  [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2007, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-need-to-just-shut-up/391204/101 "2007-02-07T22:13:06Z")
[QUOTE=Lightnin’]
You don’t get it, do you? _That’s not the point of this thread._
_Yes_, the government eventually steps in and sets things right… but in the meantime, we’ve got the persecuted majority, such as the panel the OP started the damn thread with, telling us that we should just shut up and take it. “Don’t rock the boat, 'cause if you do, you deserve everything you’ve got coming to you because you’re trying to stop us from worshiping”.
Are you seriously unable to see how shows like that episode of Paula Zahn can piss us off? Tell you what- try this: imagine if she’d done a segment called “Why are Jews so Reviled”… and didn’t have a single Jew on her show to refute the “Well, if they’d just stop talking about being Jewish, we’d all get along just fine” conclusion.
[/QUOTE]
Recall that this subset of the thread stems from the “their prayer in our schools” statement made upthread. I was merely pointing out that for the most part organized prayer is not allowed in public schools. That’s it. If it shows up, it should be pushed out. I think it’s terrible that atheists should be discrimnated against in any way, but also don’t see why atheists are suprised that theism is so prevalent – given that an overwhelming percentage of the population in the US believs in God. Repeat: discrimination against atheists = bad. atheist who wants to live a life in the US and never hear a word about God = stupid.
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### Author:  [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2007, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-need-to-just-shut-up/391204/102 "2007-02-07T22:23:57Z")
[QUOTE=whole bean]
I think you might overestimate your intelligence. At least your posts concerning the establishment clause belie your claimed mental superiority. Then again perhaps you’re just not that well versed on the topic. Still so, an intelligent person would know to keep his or her mouth shut, were that the case.
[/QUOTE]
Well, considering how loudly the religionists bray 24/7 I’d say my point regarding their ignorance and stupidity has been proven then, if we go by your criteria.
And I, at least, know how to spell “populace,” and know that there’s a difference between that word and “populous.” Funny how ignorance doesn’t seem to prevent ANYONE from spouting off, isn’t it?
Also note that I have never suggested you should just shut up, which is after all the whole thrust of this thread, whereas you have just suggested I do so. Again, if an atheist dares to make her viewpoint known it’s all about how we should just shut up…
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### Author:  [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2007, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-need-to-just-shut-up/391204/103 "2007-02-07T22:26:41Z")
[QUOTE=whole bean]
I don’t expect you to even consider them. That’s not the point. But were you to mock me for something I believe and don’t expect you to believe, you wouldn’t count me among your friends.
[/QUOTE]
And if your way of making friends is “just roll over and take it”, I think I’ll pass.
Wow, we can agree. I have a warm fuzzy. Praise Hera!
-Joe
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### Author:  [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2007, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-need-to-just-shut-up/391204/104 "2007-02-07T22:37:17Z")
[QUOTE=SmartAleq]
Well, considering how loudly the religionists bray 24/7 I’d say my point regarding their ignorance and stupidity has been proven then, if we go by your criteria.
And I, at least, know how to spell “populace,” and know that there’s a difference between that word and “populous.” Funny how ignorance doesn’t seem to prevent ANYONE from spouting off, isn’t it?
Also note that I have never suggested you should just shut up, which is after all the whole thrust of this thread, whereas you have just suggested I do so. Again, if an atheist dares to make her viewpoint known it’s all about how we should just shut up…
[/QUOTE]
Show me where in this thread I have told you or any other atheist to shut up. Show me where in this thread I have implied that you or any other atheist should shut up. You can’t, and you won’t. Now, in addition to being arrogant, you are also quite possibly a liar.
What’s funny is that the spelling of a word is your chosen counter-attack to my pointing to your ignorance of constitutional law (that is ignorance for a know-it-all genius). A spelling mistake? Really? That’s the best you have? “At least I know how to spell populace” is indeed the rejoinder to end all rejoinders. Now, I truly do have cause to question your self-proclaimed mental superiority. Your words belie your claimed intellect. At least you know how to spell populace, indeed.
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### Author:  [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2007, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-need-to-just-shut-up/391204/105 "2007-02-07T22:43:24Z")
[QUOTE=Merijeek]
And if your way of making friends is “just roll over and take it”, I think I’ll pass.
Wow, we can agree. I have a warm fuzzy. Praise Hera!
-Joe
[/QUOTE]
Who said anything about rolling over and taking it. In fact, a plain reading of my thread would indicate that I would not roll over and take your insults, notwithstanding your clear intellectual superiority, being an atheist and all. In reality, I have no idea what the religious affiliations, or lack thereof, most of my friends and acquaintances keep. It’s not important to me. Were someone to proselytize, I would be offended. Were they to criticize my faith, I would likewise be offended. Still, were I not religious, I would not complaint that I can’t seem to escape the Christmas season in the mall, nor would I begrudge someone the opportunity to preach his beliefs from a street corner. I do not support government endorsement of religion, but I understand that in a largely religious society, religion is a visible component.
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### Author:  [@lowbrass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lowbrass)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2007, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-need-to-just-shut-up/391204/106 "2007-02-07T22:46:42Z")
So the video was taking WAY too long to load and I gave up. Is “Atheists need to just shut up”, a comment that a newscaster made on the video, in response to the story about the horrible treatment the atheist family was getting in that one town?
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### Author:  [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2007, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-need-to-just-shut-up/391204/107 "2007-02-07T22:53:37Z")
Well, the atheists sure are ranting vociferously in this thread.
I think they need to just shut up.
😃
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### Author:  [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2007, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-need-to-just-shut-up/391204/108 "2007-02-07T23:05:52Z")
[QUOTE=SmartAleq]
Also note that I have never suggested you should just shut up, which is after all the whole thrust of this thread, whereas you have just suggested I do so. Again, if an atheist dares to make her viewpoint known it’s all about how we should just shut up…
[/QUOTE]
I think the atheist viewpoint deserves to be aired, and atheists should feel as free as religious folk to chime in on any topics, religious, secular, or other.
You, specifically, **SmartAleq** , should shut up until you’ve learned to read for comprehension.
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### Author:  [@Hamadryad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamadryad)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2007, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-need-to-just-shut-up/391204/109 "2007-02-07T23:11:54Z")
[QUOTE=lowbrass]
So the video was taking WAY too long to load and I gave up. Is “Atheists need to just shut up”, a comment that a newscaster made on the video, in response to the story about the horrible treatment the atheist family was getting in that one town?
[/QUOTE]
[Here’s the transcript of the show](http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0701/31/pzn.01.html); atheist segment starts …well, I had to hit “page down” 16-17 times to get to it. A couple of highlights:
> [@](#):
>
> HUNTER: What does an atheist believe? Nothing. I think this is such a ridiculous story. Are we not going to take “In God We Trust” off of our dollars? Are we going to not say “one nation under God?” When does it end? We took prayer out of schools. What more do they want?
>
> ZAHN: Are any of you going to defend them here tonight?
>
> SCHLUSSEL: No, I agree with her 100 percent. I think that the real discrimination is atheists against Americans who are religious. Listen, we are a Christian nation. I’m not a Christian. I’m Jewish, but I recognize we’re a Christian country and freedom of religion doesn’t mean freedom from religion. And the problem is that, you have these atheists selectively I believe attacking Christianity. You had a case in California where school children were forced to dress as Muslims and learn from the Koran. In Michigan they’re saying high school (INAUDIBLE) in high school where they say Muslim prayers at the football games, public high school, (INAUDIBLE) in high school. You don’t see atheists complaining about that. I really believe that they are the ones who are the intolerant ones against Christians.
Some more!
> [@](#):
>
> HUNTER: They don’t have a good - marketing. If they had hallmark cards, maybe they wouldn’t feel so left out. We have Christmas cards. We have Kwanza cards now. Maybe they need to get some atheist cards and get that whole ball rolling so more people can get involved with what they’re doing. I think they need to shut up and let people do what they do. No, I think they need to shut up about it.
>
> SMITH: I don’t think they need to shut up. The reason why I don’t think they need to shut up is because there’s a whole bunch of people in this world that we can look at and say they need to shut up and they certainly don’t. You got everybody fighting for their own individual cause. This is their cause. We might not like it. I don’t agree with it at all, but they do have a right.
>
> HUNTER: I think they need to shut up about crying wolf all the time and saying that they’re being imposed upon. I personally think that they should never have taken prayer out of schools. I would rather there be some morality in schools. But they did that because an atheist went to court and said their child – don’t pray (INAUDIBLE).
>
> SCHLUSSEL: And what about this obnoxious Michael Newdow, who went all the way to the Supreme Court for his child, the child doesn’t know what’s going on, to try and get under God taken out of the pledge of allegiance. They are on the attack. It’s obnoxious and they do need to shut up.
And what the hell; one more:
> [@](#):
>
> ZAHN: Can you explain to me where you feel the assault? When 97 percent of the folks in this country claim to worship some kind of God, the 1 to 3 percent of this population that doesn’t believe in God, who are they hurting?
>
> HUNTER: Eight to 12 percent. (INAUDIBLE) They’re not hurting anyone. I personally don’t have a problem with an atheist. Believe or don’t believe what you want. Don’t impose upon my right to want to have prayer in schools, to want to say the pledge of allegiance, to want to honor my God. Don’t infringe upon that right.
>
> SMITH: When they want to take - when they want to take God out of the pledge of allegiance or whatever, this is what I’m saying. They’re saying, OK, that’s Christian. What if you’re a Muslim? What if you’re someone of a different belief?
>
> SCHLUSSEL: This is a Christian country.
>
> SMITH: I understand that, but what they’re saying is how can – if we’re inclusionary, why can’t we include all that and we’re not. That’s my point.
>
> SCHLUSSEL: (INAUDIBLE) Look where there are more atheists and where they’ve lost God, where the church is not that strong. Europe is becoming Islamist. It’s fast falling and intolerance is increasing. That’s the one reason our country has not become like Europe because we have strong Christians and because atheists are not strong. And I think that’s a good thing.
Now, this is nothing like the whole show, or the whole segment … but it’s not misrepresentative. Go ahead and read the whole thing.
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### Author:  [@jakeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jakeline)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2007, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-need-to-just-shut-up/391204/110 "2007-02-07T23:15:09Z")
[QUOTE=whole bean]
In reality, I have no idea what the religious affiliations, or lack thereof, most of my friends and acquaintances keep. It’s not important to me. \*\*Were someone to proselytize, I would be offended. \*\*Were they to criticize my faith, I would likewise be offended. Still, were I not religious, I would not complaint that I can’t seem to escape the Christmas season in the mall, **nor would I begrudge someone the opportunity to preach his beliefs from a street corner.**
[/QUOTE]
Sorry for a minor hijack here, but I’m confused. You’re offended by someone proselytizing to you, but you are okay with folks preaching their beliefs on a street corner? What’s the difference in your mind?
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### Author:  [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2007, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-need-to-just-shut-up/391204/111 "2007-02-07T23:18:59Z")
[QUOTE=SmartAleq]
A) My friends not only laugh like hyenas when I go after stupid religious idiots, they’re right there making up their own jokes. My friends are smart enough to realize that sharing a nominal religious belief with a moron does not reflect on them any more than sharing a shoe size. It also doesn’t hurt that I know the bible better than probably 90% of the christians out there and use it regularly to refute and rebuke ignorant religionists.
B) If being able to accurately identify and label shit as shit makes me arrogant then I am more than proud to claim the label.
C) I’ve found that a good slap across the face, metaphorically speaking, is an excellent tool to snap otherwise sensible people out of a hysterical mindset and focus them on reality. I’d only be an asshole about insulting stupidity if I then cavilled at someone else insulting mine. Stupidity of every kind, be it religious, secular, or any other kind should be mercilessly mocked and insulted, because it’s the only way to let the stupid know that not everyone values and enables yahooism. In a country where reality tv makes obscene amounts of money, it’s necessary to draw the line and refuse to tolerate ignorance and the dissemination thereof.
D) I am smarter than crazy christians. Sorry if truth hurts, but there it is.
As has been pointed out upthread, I don’t have any rules that require me to be nice about anything. Stupidity irritates me, stupidity wielding power infuriates me and if I feel like it I’ll be just as abrasive as I like. If you don’t like my tactics, you are more than welcome not to use them–your choice. See, I’m a live & let live type…
[/QUOTE]
😃 God, you’re an idiot.
---
### Author:  [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2007, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-need-to-just-shut-up/391204/112 "2007-02-07T23:37:49Z")
What a bunch of hooey. Paula Zahn has a panel of three \*believers \* discussing how atheists should “behave.”
Some ‘balance’ there, Paula. Fuck them and the horse they rode in on.
Fact is, I believe there’s lots to be gained if people like Richard Dawkins, George H Smith, James Randi, Judith Hayes or even someone like George Carlin, were given on-air time to debate religion with whomever the faithful choose. Never mind making books such as Carl Sagan’s “The Demon Haunted World” mandatory reading in high-school – if only for teaching the value of critical-thinking skills. A bit of Bertrand Russel wouldn’t hurt either.
I wonder, why are the theists so afraid of atheists “coming out of the closet”? Could it be because they don’t have an empirical leg to stand on?
I, like many others in this thread, have had to put up with all sorts of religious indoctrination since practically, berth, so why not give our childen – as I’ve given mine – the “other side of the story” and let them decide for themselves?
Oh, I know! Your nation might just become as secular as those evil Europeans! And lordy knows you wouldn’t want that to happen! Scary thought.
FWIW, I too deny the Holy Spirit. Sorry, you’ll just have to take my word for it for now – gave my webcam to my kid and rigging-up my hi-eight is too much of a hassle for said nonsense.
-
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### Author:  [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2007, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-need-to-just-shut-up/391204/113 "2007-02-07T23:43:40Z")
[QUOTE=RedFury]
I wonder, why are the theists so afraid of atheists “coming out of the closet”? Could it be because they don’t have an empirical leg to stand on?
[/QUOTE]
Nah. Mathematicians don’t either, and it doesn’t bother them. Frankly, if I were using empiricism to make any statement about God or anything else nonphysical, I’d just stay in the closet so everybody didn’t think I was stupid.
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### Author:  [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2007, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-need-to-just-shut-up/391204/114 "2007-02-08T00:16:54Z")
[QUOTE=RedFury]
I, like many others in this thread, have had to put up with all sorts of religious indoctrination since practically, berth…
[/QUOTE]
I, for one, support the seperation of Church and stateroom.
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### Author:  [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2007, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-need-to-just-shut-up/391204/115 "2007-02-08T00:32:27Z")
That Stephen A. Smith, noted blowhard sports commentator from ES frickin’ PN came off as the most reasonable person in the segment in entirely telling. You’re right, **RedFury** , someone like George Carlin would have demolished them.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2007, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-need-to-just-shut-up/391204/116 "2007-02-08T02:17:43Z")
The claim that this is a Christian nation won’t hold up by examining the intent of the founding fathers, so of course they rely on the _ad populum_ argument that our citizens are overwhelmingly Christian. That doesn’t make us Christian in any way that should matter legally, but it is nonetheless very telling. For example, the CNN report above mentioned that there were at least 3 million atheists in the U.S. I recall also that pornography is a 6 billion dollar-a-year industry. Therefore each atheist is spending $2,000 per year on porn!
As the old saying goes, “There are no atheists in fox holes.” And no Christians in whore houses. Which do you suppose there are more of?
This is not a Christian nation, and nobody really wants it to be. They just want to be able to boss people around.
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### Author:  [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2007, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-need-to-just-shut-up/391204/117 "2007-02-08T02:59:17Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny Angel]
For example, the CNN report above mentioned that there were at least 3 million atheists in the U.S. I recall also that pornography is a 6 billion dollar-a-year industry. Therefore each atheist is spending $2,000 per year on porn!
[/QUOTE]
Someones’s getting my share of the porn!
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### Author:  [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2007, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-need-to-just-shut-up/391204/118 "2007-02-08T03:20:04Z")
[QUOTE=Bill Door]
Someones’s getting my share of the porn!
[/QUOTE]
You’ll just have to make your own then.
Hey, isn’t that sort of entrepreneurial industriousness the American Way?
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### Author:  [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2007, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-need-to-just-shut-up/391204/119 "2007-02-08T03:37:28Z")
[QUOTE=EddyTeddyFreddy]
You’ll just have to make your own then.
Hey, isn’t that sort of entrepreneurial industriousness the American Way?
[/QUOTE]
You’re right! I’ll make my own porn! With hookers and blackjack!
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### Author:  [@Hamadryad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamadryad)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2007, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-need-to-just-shut-up/391204/120 "2007-02-08T03:47:57Z")
Hey hey, [Debbie Schlussel has a blog post](http://www.debbieschlussel.com/archives/2007/02/when_atheists_a.html) about this brou-ha-ha.
> [@](#):
>
> I don’t mind receiving the atheist hate mail, since I know that in a few years, many of these same people will either be Muslim extremists (redundant) or helping the country fall further in its fight against the creep of Islamic imposition on America . . . or both.
My goodness, what a lovely soul she has.
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