# I pit the atheism threads **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 19, 2007, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-atheism-threads/388582 "2007-01-19T13:50:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2007, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-atheism-threads/388582/21 "2007-01-20T00:07:45Z")
[QUOTE=Eve] South Park, doing an _anti-atheist show?_ Shocked, I tell you, I’m _shocked_. [/QUOTE] Although Parker and Stone say they are not atheists themselves, I didn’t see the show as anti-atheism. I saw it more as a jab at public atheists such as Richard Dawkins (who was satrized in the episode) who believe that atheism is the solution to all the problems in the world. (Dawkins has a printable poster of a picture of the World Trade Center with the Lennon-penned line “Imagine no religion” above it, apparently implying that if there was no religion and thus no radical Muslims, the WTC would still be standing.) ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2007, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-atheism-threads/388582/22 "2007-01-20T00:10:03Z")
This thread is an Abomonation unto Nuggan 😉 (sorry, couldn’t resist) ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2007, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-atheism-threads/388582/23 "2007-01-20T00:11:35Z")
[QUOTE=mobo85] Not all people who choose not to believe in God refer to themselves as atheists. Some call themselves free-thinkers, secular humanists, agnostics, etc. There was a episode of _South Park_ last year where Cartman froze himself in time and ended up waking up into the future where all religion had been eliminated. Had the religious conflicts ended? No, because all of the groups of atheists were fighting each other over what to call themselves. I don’t think that’s too far off. [/QUOTE] Well, it is in the sense that no atheist I’ve ever known has cared enough about it to threaten violence over the issue. Sectarian disputes in religions tend to be critical issues of theology which are often considered to be of the upmost life or death moral or immoral importance, but among non-believers, at best the debates are over semantics or sometimes tactics. Most non-believers I’ve known in the end don’t really care that much about what to call things in the final analysis anyway The reason “atheism” is a bone of contention has less to do with the ultimate importance of using that particular word, and more because all the different terms used are generally elements of a lot of grand confusion, obfuscation, and often just a means for theists to equivocate when they label us. South Park generally strives for a false equivalence out of, basically, laziness. ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2007, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-atheism-threads/388582/24 "2007-01-20T00:13:26Z")
[QUOTE=mobo85] I saw it more as a jab at public atheists such as Richard Dawkins (who was satrized in the episode) who believe that atheism is the solution to all the problems in the world. [/quote] Which, of course, is a quite bold lie about his position. > [@](#): > > (Dawkins has a printable poster of a picture of the World Trade Center with the Lennon-penned line “Imagine no religion” above it, apparently implying that if there was no religion and thus no radical Muslims, the WTC would still be standing.) Yeah, what a totally crazy idea THAT is. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2007, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-atheism-threads/388582/25 "2007-01-20T00:31:19Z")
[QUOTE=Apos] Which, of course, is a quite bold lie about his position. [/QUOTE] You’re right- those are my words. Instead of saying Dawkins belives that “atheism is the solution to all the problems in the world,” I should have said he believes that the world would be better off as a whole without religion. What I am trying to say is that the beliefs of Dawkins are different of the beliefs of, say, the late Madeline Murray O’Hair, just as the beliefs of Billy Graham are different of those of Pat Robertson. They’re both members of the same religion (or lack thereof, in the case of Dawkins and O’Hair), but both believe the same things differently. The good thing about America and most western countries is that, unlike the Middle East, differing opinions don’t go to war. They use words. But if everyone was an athiest, they would not agree on everything either. As **Apos** says, the warring atheists would probably not fight on the battlefield, but with words, just as fundamentalists Christians believe any form of Christianity other than their own is an abomination towards God. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2007, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-atheism-threads/388582/26 "2007-01-20T00:53:26Z")
I have the perfect solution for you, **Slithy** A good friend of mine, when I asked if he was religious, said a few years ago “I’m an Apathetic.” I thought it was great and even used it on some Jehovah’s Witnesses when they asked my religion. The woman said “I don’t think I know that one…” ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2007, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-atheism-threads/388582/27 "2007-01-20T01:01:11Z")
[QUOTE=Cisco] Your OP is just barely coherent. [/QUOTE] Sweet vindication! “A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything” I hear that one a lot. But how can I fall if I’m not standing? Actually, I sit a lot. Am I still in danger? _“Oh, he’ll slump for anything.”_ I see bumper stickers “Real Men Love Jesus,” and “My Karma ran over your Dogma.” I have no such messages, but only my ad-valorem tax tags, which proclaim “I would rather spend $220 a year on extra ice cream, but you guys have the guns and radios” ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2007, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-atheism-threads/388582/28 "2007-01-20T01:03:55Z")
You think it’s bad being an atheist, try being a theist. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2007, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-atheism-threads/388582/29 "2007-01-20T01:04:29Z")
[QUOTE=Slithy Tove] Instead of calling myself an Atheist, I’ll just say “oh, I’m not anything,” as if saying “no thank you, I’m not hungry.” when offered a hydrox cookie. (I’ll let you know how well this works out. I’m skeptical, but it’s worth a shot). [/QUOTE] It works well for me. Around here I’ll usually say I’m an atheist, but IRL I usually just say I don’t have any religious inclinations or something like that. If someone is really interested, I don’t have any problem saying I’m an atheist, but I don’t feel any need to challenge the religious beliefs of my friends. Most people are religious. I’m not. What’s the next question? ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2007, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-atheism-threads/388582/30 "2007-01-20T01:22:38Z")
[QUOTE=Voyager] I’m a member of the EAC (Evil Atheists Conspiracy) myself. Not that the EAC exists. [/QUOTE] The first rule of the EAC … ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2007, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-atheism-threads/388582/31 "2007-01-20T01:23:05Z")
I see your point, **John,** but I also see your location: South Bay (um, Boston, San Francisco?) well, either way - now look at mine. Sure, we all hate the pseudo intellectual\* anti-religion bore who ruins every cocktail party. But down here, any atheist who isn’t heavily in the closet, to the extent of church attendance (with the customary 10% tithe) for appearance sake, is seen as being the same level of incivility. _“Oh he’s just rude to get attention - couldn’t he just keep it to himself?”_ \*not that I’m knocking pseudo-intellectualism in and of itself. Give us pseudo intellectuals credit: unlike you natural intellectuals to whom it comes so effortlessly, we phonies have to put in an honest days work. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2007, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-atheism-threads/388582/32 "2007-01-20T01:44:26Z")
[QUOTE=mobo85] You’re right- those are my words. Instead of saying Dawkins belives that “atheism is the solution to all the problems in the world,” I should have said he believes that the world would be better off as a whole without religion. What I am trying to say is that the beliefs of Dawkins are different of the beliefs of, say, the late Madeline Murray O’Hair, just as the beliefs of Billy Graham are different of those of Pat Robertson. They’re both members of the same religion (or lack thereof, in the case of Dawkins and O’Hair), but both believe the same things differently. [/quote] Or don’t believe in the same things the same. :rolleyes: > [@](#): > > The good thing about America and most western countries is that, unlike the Middle East, differing opinions don’t go to war. They use words. But if everyone was an athiest, they would not agree on everything either. As **Apos** says, the warring atheists would probably not fight on the battlefield, but with words, just as fundamentalists Christians believe any form of Christianity other than their own is an abomination towards God. If everyone were atheists, I’m sure that they’d find lots of things to kill each other about - but none of them would have anything to do with supernatural deities. if by some chance, however, everyone was an atheist through the exercise of reason, not because of social pressure or because their parents were, then we might have a better society. But that would come from having a population who was skeptical about everything, not because of atheism. Do I believe that will ever happen? Nope. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2007, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-atheism-threads/388582/33 "2007-01-20T02:12:19Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] You think it’s bad being an atheist, try being a theist. [/QUOTE] Ah, so it _is_ a conscious choice, then. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2007, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-atheism-threads/388582/34 "2007-01-20T02:23:06Z")
**Slithy Tove** , you are my kind of atheist! I tried praying for you once, but God kept interrupting my train of thought with **Slithy WHO?..I don’t know anybody named ‘Slithy’!..What kind of name is that for a human being?..A lizard, maybe…Come back when you have the right name.** Pax ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2007, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-atheism-threads/388582/35 "2007-01-20T02:28:35Z")
[QUOTE=mobo85] Although Parker and Stone say they are not atheists themselves . . . [/QUOTE] And a good thing they’re not! We don’t want the hateful bastards. Problem with being an atheist, we can’t chuck people out on their ears. [QUOTE=mobo85] (Dawkins has a printable poster of a picture of the World Trade Center with the Lennon-penned line “Imagine no religion” above it, apparently implying that if there was no religion and thus no radical Muslims, the WTC would still be standing.) [/QUOTE] As, indeed, it bloody well _would_. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2007, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-atheism-threads/388582/36 "2007-01-20T02:46:31Z")
[QUOTE=Eve] And a good thing they’re not! We don’t want the hateful bastards. Problem with being an atheist, we can’t chuck people out on their ears. [/QUOTE] You loved them when they were making fun of everyone else. To me that says “what they’re saying has always been hateful, but I never cared until it applied to _me_”, and it says it pretty thinly veiled. Do you always have to be so vocal about it? ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2007, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-atheism-threads/388582/37 "2007-01-20T02:53:28Z")
[QUOTE=Eve] And a good thing they’re not! We don’t want the hateful bastards. Problem with being an atheist, we can’t chuck people out on their ears. [/QUOTE] See? You did find one useful thing from religion: **excommunication**!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2007, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-atheism-threads/388582/38 "2007-01-20T03:08:25Z")
[QUOTE=Slithy Tove] I see your point, **John,** but I also see your location: South Bay (um, Boston, San Francisco?) well, either way - now look at mine. [/QUOTE] 😃 San Fran. But I’ve lived all over, some in the south. I guess is just depends on how confrontational you want to get. Perhaps it might be best in your case to say you just don’t talk about religion. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2007, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-atheism-threads/388582/39 "2007-01-20T03:17:22Z")
[QUOTE=Cisco] You loved them when they were making fun of everyone else. To me that says “what they’re saying has always been hateful, but I never cared until it applied to _me_”, and it says it pretty thinly veiled. [/QUOTE] Just like Bill Donohue and L. Brent Bozell! (I bet they laughed their asses off at that Mormon one, dum dum dum dum dum) ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2007, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-atheism-threads/388582/40 "2007-01-20T04:37:54Z")
Whenever the subject comes up I just say quite firmly and in a level tone of voice, “I’m not a Christian” and leave it at that. Very few people dare to ask me “well, what are you then?” I think they just assume I’m some kind of very reformed Jew or something like–it’s the fact that I’m willing to be very distinct about not belonging to the Church Of Your Choice that makes most people figure they ought to just leave me alone. I’ve considered telling people that I’m a devotee of Ba’al or Marduk, or perhaps a Zoroastrian, but then I’d have to tell them all about the baby sacrifices and such–I’m just too lazy to be that creative for such an uncritical audience. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-atheism-threads/388582.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-atheism-threads/388582.md?page=3)