# Religious people who are being dicks in the Christopher Hitchens thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 16, 2011, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religious-people-who-are-being-dicks-in-the-christopher-hitchens-thread/606413 "2011-12-16T15:19:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religious-people-who-are-being-dicks-in-the-christopher-hitchens-thread/606413/181 "2011-12-17T16:40:33Z")
Religious people acting like religious people. Alert the media. In that thread, they once again prove that, for many religious people, religion is not about making yourself a better person… it’s about letting yourself feel superior to others. Behavior like in that thread should result in us either pointing and laughing, or completely ignoring. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religious-people-who-are-being-dicks-in-the-christopher-hitchens-thread/606413/182 "2011-12-17T16:49:42Z")
> [@Anamorphic](#): > > … it’s about letting yourself feel superior to others. I’ll remember that next time somebody brings up “the invisible pink unicorn” or “the flying spaghetti monster”. If there is one thing that should be known about me on this board is that I can not stand hypocrisy.. ---
**Author:** ![Nancarrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@Nancarrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nancarrow)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religious-people-who-are-being-dicks-in-the-christopher-hitchens-thread/606413/183 "2011-12-17T17:03:38Z")
> [@A Monkey With a Gun](#): > > I’ll remember that next time somebody brings up “the invisible pink unicorn” or “the flying spaghetti monster”. > > If there is one thing that should be known about me on this board is that I can not stand hypocrisy.. Yeah, atheists bring up ‘the invisible pink unicorn’ to make themselves feel superior. It couldn’t be to try to show theists what their beliefs look like from the outside. God you can be dense sometimes. +1 for the materialism quip though. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religious-people-who-are-being-dicks-in-the-christopher-hitchens-thread/606413/184 "2011-12-17T17:03:46Z")
> [@A Monkey With a Gun](#): > > I’ll remember that next time somebody brings up “the invisible pink unicorn” or “the flying spaghetti monster”. > > If there is one thing that should be known about me on this board is that I can not stand hypocrisy.. You can’t stand it so much you’ll manufacture it!!!111 Monkey-boy, have a seat. You’re not a paragon of integrity and intelligence. You’re a dipshit on a message board. Calm down. Let go of the poop and pick the fleas off your nut-hair. There-there. It will all be better. Have a banana. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religious-people-who-are-being-dicks-in-the-christopher-hitchens-thread/606413/185 "2011-12-17T17:18:02Z")
“Time spent arguing with the faithful is, oddly enough, almost never wasted.” - Christopher Hitchens ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religious-people-who-are-being-dicks-in-the-christopher-hitchens-thread/606413/186 "2011-12-17T17:41:49Z")
> [@A Monkey With a Gun](#): > > I’ll remember that next time somebody brings up “the invisible pink unicorn” or “the flying spaghetti monster”. > > If there is one thing that should be known about me on this board is that I can not stand hypocrisy.. Yes, and when you hear people randomly saying things like that in non-debate religious conversations, walking into a religious service uninvited and bringing up the flying spaghetti monster, walking up to priests out and about and letting them know that their beliefs are equivalent to worshipping an invisible pink unicorn, posting in a thread about the death of a known religious figure and saying, “Well, I hope he realized how silly his beliefs were before he died”, carrying atheist signs outside churches and synagogues… then yes, you are right, those people are every bit as bad as the religious people I was talking about. Absolutely. Sure, there are atheists who are assholes, just as there are assholes in any group you could possibly imagine. But I’m guessing that’s not when you hear those phrases, for the most part. I’m gonna go out on a limb and guess that you mostly hear it in response to being told we’re evil, silly, wrong, going to hell, etc. Or, in other words, in response to the exact behavior I was talking about. Is it hypocritical to say these things in response to it? Maybe. I don’t think so, because it’s a defense, not a random feeling of superiority. But I can understand the argument. But if the religious would leave non-believers alone, and stop trying to influence law and policy with their beliefs, you’d hear very little from most atheists. There’d be very little reason for them to be vocal about their non-beliefs. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religious-people-who-are-being-dicks-in-the-christopher-hitchens-thread/606413/187 "2011-12-17T17:45:09Z")
> [@A Monkey With a Gun](#): > > “Time spent arguing with the faithful is, oddly enough, almost never wasted.” > > - Christopher Hitchens Well, of course! You may not win the argument, but you cannot lose. Which is why it is a stupid argument, and fit only for people who like to argue for its own sake. ---
**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:** [December 17, 2011, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religious-people-who-are-being-dicks-in-the-christopher-hitchens-thread/606413/188 "2011-12-17T17:54:11Z")
> [@Nancarrow](#): > > Yeah, atheists bring up ‘the invisible pink unicorn’ to make themselves feel superior. Not always to make themselves feel superior, but rather to make those who believe in God to feel inferior. > [@Nancarrow](#): > > It couldn’t be to try to show theists what their beliefs look like from the outside. The invisible pink unicorn can be a tool to further debate about the existence or not of a god. It can also be used to ridicule and disparage. It’s not only one or the other. In my experience, it is far more used to mock than educate. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religious-people-who-are-being-dicks-in-the-christopher-hitchens-thread/606413/189 "2011-12-17T17:58:56Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Well, of course! You may not win the argument, but you cannot lose. Which is why it is a stupid argument, and fit only for people who like to argue for its own sake. 😕 Doesn’t everybody? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religious-people-who-are-being-dicks-in-the-christopher-hitchens-thread/606413/190 "2011-12-17T18:00:02Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > Not always to make themselves feel superior, but rather to make those who believe in God to feel inferior. The invisible pink unicorn can be a tool to further debate about the existence or not of a god. It can also be used to ridicule and disparage. It’s not only one or the other. In my experience, it is far more used to mock than educate. YMMV. Then let’s go instead with the Flying Spaghetti Monster. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religious-people-who-are-being-dicks-in-the-christopher-hitchens-thread/606413/191 "2011-12-17T18:06:25Z")
If you want to be viewed as an intolerant, religiously bigoted dick, that’s cool with me. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religious-people-who-are-being-dicks-in-the-christopher-hitchens-thread/606413/192 "2011-12-17T19:09:52Z")
> [@Bonematter](#): > > Before you mock faith you should know the differences. Theres a big deference between Zues and Christ Such as? Please explain the differences to a nonChristian as to why he should believe in the divinity of Christ but not in that of Zeus. I’ll tell you in advance that quoting bible verses isn’t going to suffice. > [@](#): > > And for all those Atheist out there Who dont believe for what ever reason Give God a chance try him before you knock him and if you tried Him before try again. But after that we can stop, right? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religious-people-who-are-being-dicks-in-the-christopher-hitchens-thread/606413/193 "2011-12-17T19:17:38Z")
> [@A Monkey With a Gun](#): > > I’ll remember that next time somebody brings up “the invisible pink unicorn” or “the flying spaghetti monster”. > > If there is one thing that should be known about me on this board is that I can not stand hypocrisy.. So how do you respond to people who ask for a comparison of God and Zeus? Zeus is no mockery like unicorns or spaghetti - he was quite sincerely worshiped by millions of people for hundreds of years in a place that arguably also established the principles of western democracy (more so if you include the Romans and their Zeus-analog, Jupiter), so Zeus isn’t something one can just shrug off and still claim honesty. I can get _choosing_ to ignore Zeus (or writing him off as a sign of the misleading power of Satan, or something), but that’s only a self-comforting stance, not a rational one. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religious-people-who-are-being-dicks-in-the-christopher-hitchens-thread/606413/194 "2011-12-17T19:18:16Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > From the POV of any Christian, someone dying without knowing God is a tragedy, not a victory, and I took both comments to be expressions of genuine compassion and not gloating. From the POV of any athiest, someone dying after devoting their life to a myth is a tragedy, not a victory. Would you want me to post that sentiment in someone’s RIP thread? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religious-people-who-are-being-dicks-in-the-christopher-hitchens-thread/606413/195 "2011-12-17T19:26:33Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > 😕 Doesn’t everybody? Oh, heck no. I know some sincerely religious people who wouldn’t dream of it, being smart enough to know that no such argument is worthwhile. My mind is clear on the subject, of course there is no God, the whole notion is ridiculous. My soul calmly and silently disagrees. I try not to let that bother me, with great success so far. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religious-people-who-are-being-dicks-in-the-christopher-hitchens-thread/606413/196 "2011-12-17T19:35:13Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > So how do you respond to people who ask for a comparison of God and Zeus? I tell them that those two are both avatars of Vishnu and they should shut the fuck up and stop mocking anybody’s belief system. Shit. Maybe worldwide atheism is Ragnorok. Poor Odin. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religious-people-who-are-being-dicks-in-the-christopher-hitchens-thread/606413/197 "2011-12-17T19:40:00Z")
> [@A Monkey With a Gun](#): > > I tell them that those two are both avatars of Vishnu and they should shut the fuck up and stop mocking anybody’s belief system. > > Shit. Maybe worldwide atheism is Ragnorok. > > Poor Odin. Zeus would rape a monkey if he had a chance… Oh shit, I understand now. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religious-people-who-are-being-dicks-in-the-christopher-hitchens-thread/606413/198 "2011-12-17T19:40:19Z")
> [@A Monkey With a Gun](#): > > Shit. Maybe worldwide atheism is Ragnorok. > > Poor Odin. That’s OK - he turns a blind eye to it. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religious-people-who-are-being-dicks-in-the-christopher-hitchens-thread/606413/199 "2011-12-17T19:43:58Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > That’s OK - he turns a blind eye to it. > > Regards, > Shodan “That really gets my goat.” —Thor, sitting in an empty chariot. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religious-people-who-are-being-dicks-in-the-christopher-hitchens-thread/606413/200 "2011-12-17T19:44:26Z")
The Norse gods, for the most part, were belligerent, aggressive and hyper. Though one was low-key. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religious-people-who-are-being-dicks-in-the-christopher-hitchens-thread/606413.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religious-people-who-are-being-dicks-in-the-christopher-hitchens-thread/606413.md?page=11)