Counterproductive Atheist Memes: Not Enough Lions

[rug]

May 30, 2015
Posted by Jack Vance at 10:55 AM

"What's wrong with the world today? Too many Christians and not enough lions." You have probably heard this or variations of this statement from various atheists online. It is one of the many anti-theistic memes which seem to circulate constantly on social media. And if you have not encountered this particular meme, you have undoubtedly seen many others about which much of what I have to say here might apply.

This particular meme about Christians and lions is not something I'd be inclined to promote. In fact, it strikes me as being counterproductive. But wait a minute! Don't those saying it have the right to do so? Absolutely, and I have no desire to take away their right to do so. When they say it, aren't they exercising their right to free expression? Yes, and they are certainly free to do this. But just because someone can say something does not mean they should say it. And just because I support the free expression of ideas does not mean that I must promote all ideas I encounter indiscriminately.

In this particular case, I wouldn't promote the meme because it is not an accurate reflection of how I feel. I have no interest in seeing my entire family and almost all of my friends killed by lions. Not only do I have no interest in seeing it, but I would be extremely upset if it were to happen. And since I don't hate people merely for being Christian, I can easily extend this beyond family, friends, and acquaintances. There are plenty of good Christians who I would not like to have killed by lions.

I do not characterize this particular meme as counterproductive merely because it is not an accurate reflection of how I feel about Christians. I'm not sure how its message is supposed to make anyone think or question their religious beliefs. The useful atheist and/or anti-theistic memes all seem to do this. They contain accurate statements and lead to deeper reflection in a way that this one doesn't. And there are many great ones out there that do this quite well.

http://www.atheistrev.com/2015/05/counterproductive-atheist-memes-not.html#ixzz3bwvT8TNs

[Cartoonist]

2. pathetic

A serious lack of humor here.

[beam me up scottie]

3. Hey what's more funny than mental illness?

Especially when you can use it to score points against those horrible atheists.

Nice behaviour from so-called tolerant religious people, eh Cartoonist?

[skepticscott]

8. Strange how our resident psychoscolds

never seem to weigh in on this when it's their fellow religionistas treating mental illness so cavalierly. Perish forbid that anyone would apply the label "deluded" to a religious believer, though. You-know-who would be all over that...

[beam me up scottie]

17. I noticed that too.

So much for the lectures about ad homs.

[Yorktown]

4. Since when are jokes supposed to be funny?

A guy writing one whole article on one gallows humor joke has far too much time on his hands.

And is -apparently- taken far too seriously. He should lighten up.

If only to run faster if he's faced with a lion

[rug]

6. Considering he's an atheist, he sholdn't worry.

[Yorktown]

10. Opinions are independent of who holds them

[rug]

11. No, facts are.

[Yorktown]

14. Both.

Ideas and facts.

[Yorktown]

15. Anyway, people don't 'hold' facts.

[Cartoonist]

18. A self-hating atheist

He has written similar articles in which he bashes atheists.

[rug]

20. "A self-hating atheist"?

Yes, that must be it.

[AlbertCat]

34. "A self-hating atheist"?

A lot of religious people are.

[rug]

43. That must be it.

[AlbertCat]

78. Sure it is!

Most people don't spend their every waking hour scouring the internet for anti-atheist or pro-Catholic articles. A huge amount of people go about their day....or week.... not giving god or religion a second thought. They certainly don't depend on it for anything for long stretches of time.... until asked, or some ritual comes up.

[rug]

103. I gess you missed the OP.

[AlbertCat]

109. I gess you missed the OP.

Nah.... Just ignored it.

It was pretty lame.

[rug]

136. It is very brave of yo to admit to reflexive posting.

[AlbertCat]

149. reflexive posting.

said the guy who posted 1565 posts in the last 90 days....

And your "get the last word in" postings come so fast you are leaving letters out of words

[rug]

150. It's usally a u.

[Warren Stupidity]

164. rug has a broken keyboard. Take pity on his typing.

Perhaps a go fund me page is in order.

[rug]

173. ASend me the details. I'll happily take your money.

[Jim__]

76. Sure, you know, like Chomsky is a self-hating Jew.

From an artice in the Guardian:

But the entire piece is infused with these standard personality caricatures that offer the reader an easy means of mocking, deriding and scorning Chomsky without having to confront a single fact he presents. And that's the point: as this 9-minute Guardian video excerpt about Iran and the Middle East from Chomsky's London speech demonstrates, he rationally but aggressively debunks destructive mainstream falsehoods that huge numbers of people are taught to tacitly embrace. But all of that can be, and is, ignored in favor of hating his "style", ridiculing his personality, and smearing him with horrible slurs ("self-hating Jew&quot .

[Lordquinton]

5. Something, something literalist

It's an underprivileged group venting.

[rug]

7. What group is that?

[Lordquinton]

9. It makes it hard to keep up discussions

When you forget the topic you posted about.

[Warren Stupidity]

12. Lions, amirite?

[rug]

13. Well let's see. An atheist criticizes a common atheist meme.

You make a cryptic, incoherent comment.

The group the OP criticizes is described in the first paragraph.

It makes it hard to keep up discussions when you forget to read the first paragraph.

[Warren Stupidity]

16. Don't you agree that there should be more lions?

[rug]

22. There's plenty of lyin going on.

Don't you agree, warren?

[Warren Stupidity]

36. well there is plenty of deflection, a form of lying.

Case in point, your response to my question. Or as you would say "QED".

Now back to the lions, an issue relevant to the topic of your op.
Wouldn't you agree that there should be more lions?

[rug]

44. And theres plenty of intentional obtuseness, a rather distasteful form of lying.

Case in point, your reply.

[Warren Stupidity]

47. Back to lions: should there be more lions?

[rug]

51. QED.

[Warren Stupidity]

53. It is a simple question rug. Relates directly to your op.

Why can't you answer it?

[rug]

59. Because it doesn't.

Why can't you see it?

Oh wait, you do, but prefer deflection. I get what the author means about counterproductive.

[Warren Stupidity]

73. Still can't answer the question: should there be more lions?

Oh and please re-read your op to figure out how it is pertinent.

[Lordquinton]

21. A catholic posts a(nother) article critical of atheists

The meme in question is from an opressed group blowing off steam. It's a common poking against privilege.

[rug]

23. And? Does the criticism of an offensive meme offend you?

Do you have a privilege against offense?

[Lordquinton]

29. You really dont understand your privilege

I hope someday you will, like your realization of your pope's bigotry.

[rug]

45. You don't understand privilege at all, including your own.

[Lordquinton]

84. I understand your lashing out again

Growth is hard. Is obviously touches a nerve with you, your privilege being brought to the front. Your "I'm rubber your glue" rerort shows that you're not thinking clearly here. Maybe step back and think about why you post so many articles about atheists, what about them threatens you? Why are you so offended by them?

[rug]

98. You are as good a polemicist as you are an analyst.

That is to say, not at all.

[Lordquinton]

106. It's ok, you're in a safe place

Just don't go too far in lashing out, someone might take offence where I'm able to shrug it off here.

[rug]

134. You shrug it off as well as a sponge sheds water.

It's ok, not everyone handles offense well.

[Lordquinton]

152. So you've demonstrated

You're practicly coming apart at the seams here.

[rug]

153. You're projecting.

[AlbertCat]

35. criticism of an offensive meme

Atheists didn't make up the untrue meme about feeding Christians to lions, y'know.


I wonder who did....hmmmmm......?

[rug]

135. Denial of reality is irrational, Albert.

[AlbertCat]

146. Denial of reality is irrational, Albert.

Do you think atheists did indeed make up those stories? That's what the post you are replying is talking about.

You should know that Christians were not fed to the lions like the stories made up that early Christians tell.
Then you won't embarrass yourself.....again.

Also.... try replying with something that indicates you understood..... however slightly.... the post you are replying to.

[beam me up scottie]

19. I love lions.

All big cats, really.

[MisterP]

24. wasn't that from "The Man in the High Castle"? a Bob Hope joke about Goering?

and Commodus--really?

[rug]

26. His father, Marcus Aurelius, wasn't stupid. He would never have said that.

[Cartoonist]

25. The author has it backwards

[rug]

27. Do you admire Diocletian?

[Cartoonist]

28. You're living in another world

One in which humor does not exist. I feel sorry for you.

[beam me up scottie]

31. I thought it was hilarious.

But no more cartoons for rug.

You'll get these back after you develop a sense of humour, young man!

[rug]

48. What other mass executions of religious groups do you find hilarious, bmus?

[Warren Stupidity]

55. You seem to be getting very upset about your op.

[rug]

60. You seem to be having difficulty reading people as well as words.

Shall I take it you're answering for bmus now?

[Warren Stupidity]

72. No this is a public message board

If you would like to have a private discussion you can use the "pm" function. Meanwhile everything you write here is open to anyone else to comment on. However if you find my comments upsetting, as you seem to, you can always put me on ignore. In your case that might be a good idea.

[rug]

77. No, Warren, ignore is your famous, alleged, tool.

How'd that work out for you?

[Warren Stupidity]

80. actually it was great. Thanks for asking.

But seriously, you should consider it. It might help you get through whatever it is you seem so upset about.

meanwhile how about lions? Do you think there should be more lions?

[hrmjustin]

81. Why did you stop using it?

[Warren Stupidity]

85. If a bear shits in the woods is it as funny as a fart in a space suit?

[hrmjustin]

87. No. Why did you take rug off ignore?

[Warren Stupidity]

91. Why won't Donald take that raccoon off his head?

[hrmjustin]

92. Oh i see, you never had him on ignore.

That is why you won't answer.

[Warren Stupidity]

93. yes that's it exactly. Your wizard powers are exceptional.

What a gnarly trap you wove. And alas I succumbed.

[hrmjustin]

95. yes it makes sense.

[rug]

101. Not nearly as upset as you.

There must be something about "counterproductive atheist meme" that you find unsettling.

[hrmjustin]

105. now we know he never had you on ignore.

[Warren Stupidity]

110. why is who I do or don't have on ignore so terribly important to you justin?

[hrmjustin]

112. Terribly important.

Don't flatter yourself Warren.

[Warren Stupidity]

113. Well you seem obsessed with it. You keep asking and asking and asking.

And then declare your investigation closed. If it isn't terribly important to you, why on earth do you keep going on about it?

By the way you need more rofls. One is never enough.

[hrmjustin]

114. You keep asking rug about lions. Why are you obsessed with lions?

[Warren Stupidity]

116. I love lions. Don't you?

Don't you think there should be more lions?

[hrmjustin]

117. Lions are good people.

[Warren Stupidity]

118. No seriously, lions are endangered and the world would be less beautiful

and wonderful without them. We need more lions. Is there some reason why neither you nor rug can agree that this is so obviously true?

[hrmjustin]

119. I have no problem with more lions. is that clear enough for you?

[Warren Stupidity]

120. What is the greatest threat to lions?

[hrmjustin]

121. People i assume. i am not an expert on lions.

[Warren Stupidity]

122. Overpopulation to be more precise.

So what is it that human society could best do to ensure that our planet's lion population survives and thrives?

[hrmjustin]

123. You tell me.

[Warren Stupidity]

124. Let's take this past Lions.

Overpopulation is not just driving the extinction of lions. It is driving catastrophic climate change, deforestation, pollution, and threatens the extinction of a lot more life forms than lions.

We need to first stabilize and then over the long term reduce the human population.

Any disagreement with that?

[hrmjustin]

125. Overpopulation is definitely a threat to the human race.

[Warren Stupidity]

126. Not just humans, Justin.

It is a manifest threat to a vast array of other life forms on the planet.

So do you disagree that we should stabilize and then reduce the human population?

[hrmjustin]

127. i think we should aim to reduce the population.

[Warren Stupidity]

128. Should that reduction be spread evenly across all of human society?

Including, for example, christians?

[hrmjustin]

129. I think Christians should aim to reduce the population.

[Warren Stupidity]

130. Inescapably you must agree "Too many Christians and not enough lions".

QED <--- hey rug note correct usage.

p.s. this is why your pal refused to answer the question.

[hrmjustin]

131. No sir and your attempt to get me to agree with you was cute but a waste if time.

[Warren Stupidity]

132. logic fail

You can believe you didn't agree but it is right there in black and white.

And again this is why rug cannot even answer the simple question about lions.

[hrmjustin]

157. Bull! The term is meant to say feed Christians to the lions.

[AtheistCrusader]

161. I read it more as a lament, than a directive. In any case, at least it's incredibly rare.

[Warren Stupidity]

162. You've agreed that more lions and fewer christians is a good thing.

You can't escape that Justin.

[hrmjustin]

166. Keep reaching Warren.

[Warren Stupidity]

168. Let us review:

WS: Don't you think there should be more lions?

J: Lions are good people.

WS: No seriously, lions are endangered and the world would be less beautiful and wonderful without them.
We need more lions. Is there some reason why neither you nor rug can agree that this is so obviously true?

J: I have no problem with more lions. is that clear enough for you?

WS: What is the greatest threat to lions?

J: People i assume. i am not an expert on lions.

WS: Overpopulation to be more precise.
So what is it that human society could best do to ensure that our planet's lion population survives and thrives?

J: You tell me.

WS: Let's take this past Lions.
Overpopulation is not just driving the extinction of lions. It is driving catastrophic climate change, deforestation, pollution, and threatens the extinction of a lot more life forms than lions.
We need to first stabilize and then over the long term reduce the human population.
Any disagreement with that?

J: Overpopulation is definitely a threat to the human race.

WS: Not just humans, Justin.
It is a manifest threat to a vast array of other life forms on the planet.
So do you disagree that we should stabilize and then reduce the human population?

J: i think we should aim to reduce the population.

WS: Should that reduction be spread evenly across all of human society?
Including, for example, christians?

J: I think Christians should aim to reduce the population.

More lions ... fewer Christians.

[hrmjustin]

169. You are putting too much energy into something i can see right through.

Don't waste your time.

[Warren Stupidity]

170. More Lions not a good thing? Fewer Christians not a good thing?

Which part of this are you retracting?

[hrmjustin]

171. Have a great day.

[Warren Stupidity]

172. been fine so far

[rug]

139. You've demonstrated you are inept at what precedes Quod Erat Demonstrandum.

[Warren Stupidity]

141. Oh you finally looked it up.

Good for you rug.

[rug]

144. QED

[Warren Stupidity]

154. And you still don't understand what it means. Sad. Very sad.

[rug]

176. I think your post demonstrates who does and who does not undertand it.

Ipse dixit ipso facto.

[Warren Stupidity]

178. It does. I even gave you a working example of correct usage.

Alas, you are unable to accept criticism, no matter how well intentioned.

Carry on.

[rug]

180. Assuming the criticism is accurate.

Here, you have managed to place two errors in the same sentence.

Alas, you are unable to accept criticism, no matter how well intentioned.

The latter error is the most indefensible.

[rug]

138. This post notwithstanding, I rarely reply to nonsense.

[Warren Stupidity]

142. So rug, do you agree that there should be more lions?

[rug]

143. See 138.

[Warren Stupidity]

147. Still no answer. Sad. Very sad.

[rug]

148. So you have the sadz, warren?

Last edited Wed Jun 3, 2015, 11:48 PM - Edit history (1)

[Warren Stupidity]

163. I do rug, I empathize for you. You are usually better than this.

But tell me about you and lions. What do you think? Should there be more lions?

[rug]

174. Did you not read 138? It's not very long.

[rug]

137. Maybe he'll annonce it in A&A the way he annonced he allegedly had me on ignore.

[Warren Stupidity]

155. You might consider using it.

It might make your experience here less awkward.

[rug]

175. Feeling the need to publicly announce an ignore list is what's awkward.

[Warren Stupidity]

182. poor rug. So misunderstood.

[rug]

184. poor warren. getting no traction.

[hrmjustin]

159. lol. truth be told ignore is boring.

But necessary for some here.

Since i am on mirt and forum hosting it is not really good for me.

[Warren Stupidity]

111. Really?

Now, about those lions. What do you think, should there be more lions?

[rug]

46. A dictator committing mass executions of a group lacks humor.

So, do you admire Diocletian?

[Cartoonist]

83. I can't help you

I'm sorry you lack a sense of humor and think my post is serious.

[rug]

99. I can't help you if you think political mrder of a religious group is humorous.

[Cartoonist]

115. Maybe this will help

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/black+humor

Do some research on black humor, you may cure your cluelessness.

Do you remember a TV show called Hogan's Heroes? They made comedy out of a German prisoner of war camp.

If you still don't get it, then you really are hopeless.

[rug]

133. Black humor or no, Hogan's Heroes was as stupid as My Mother the Car.

What else do you consider exemplars of humor, Mr Ed?

[Cartoonist]

151. The Life of Brian

Pure genius.

[Yorktown]

30. Is this drawing a counterproductive atheist meme?

Just trying to understand the demarcation between counterproductive meme and humor:

[immoderate]

32. So -- you don't think that line is funny?

--imm

[rug]

49. No. Nor would I find a line about Armenian genocide funny.

Do you?

[immoderate]

52. Context is important. "Too many Amenians..."

Doesn't have the same ring to it.

--imm

[rug]

57. Do you have a witty line about the Holocaust as well?

[immoderate]

62. It's not as funny as Armenians?

Kind of tests the limits of wittiness, though.

--imm

[phil89]

56. You support the RCC

how can you feign concern over atrocities when you support such an organization?

[rug]

58. Hmm, the Op is about counter-productive atheist memes, not counterproductive deflection.

I give you two posts before you type "child rapists".

[Lordquinton]

94. Except that actually happened

The whole lions thing? Well theres another thread you should read before you again embarass your self.

[rug]

96. So did mass murders of religious groups during the Roman Empire.

An event you apparently find amusing enough for an internet meme.

The only embarrassing thing is your ignorance of what you're defending.

[Lordquinton]

100. You are wrong

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1218202860

The whole lions and Christians thing never happened.

[rug]

102. "never happened"

[Lordquinton]

107. Yep

Kinda undrmines your poutrage. But it's ok, process this new information, the rage will pass.

[rug]

140. WARNING: The following link is not illustrated.

http://religion.princeton.edu/main/faculty/annemarie-luijendijk/Luijendijk,%20Papyri%20from%20the%20Great%20Persecution,%20JECS.pdf

[Lordquinton]

145. So you didn't read the link either

They covered that.

Christians spawned a whole genre of martyrdom fiction.

[struggle4progress]

177. Thanks: that was an interesting read

[guillaumeb]

33. I am a Christian. I thought the cartoon was very funny.

Not quite as funny as this, however:

[cbayer]

37. Meant to be funny but not funny. I agree with him.

Those that insist it is funny will not or can not understand why it is counterproductive. They are on a mission.

[Yorktown]

39. Please explain what counterproductive in this context means.

[AtheistCrusader]

38. What a total crock of fabricated horseshit.

Look at the garbage you post.

HTTPS://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=%22Too+many+christians+not+enough+lions%22

"About 539 results (0.35 seconds)"

Searching for matching image resulted in 161 hits.

Fucking fake ass fabricated outrage bullshit.
And then there's a book, "So many Christians, so few lions" which might be the origin of the meme, and it's by two guys I've never even heard of.

Run that search for some insulting shit like "there are no atheists in foxholes" and tell me how many fucking hits you get.

[Yorktown]

40. Atheists in Foxholes, in Cockpits, and on Ships

There are folks who never gave a thought about a 'god' when they faced death:

http://militaryatheists.org/atheists-in-foxholes/


But some reported the Flying Spaghetti Monster gave them the strength to recover from stress.

[AtheistCrusader]

41. He gives me strength pre-race before every marathon.

I know I am not worthy, but he doesn't mind.

[Yorktown]

42. Another wonderful testimonial of the many blessings of the Holy Flying Spaghetti Monster

Not worthy? You are too modest and self effacing.

You appear to be one of the chosen.

I tip my hat to you.

[SwankyXomb]

179. It's sad that our Pastafarian brothers and sisters

must face such heated persecution from the BARPists.

[Yorktown]

183. BARP = ABCD

Bronze Age Religions of Privilege
=
Age of Bronze Chosen Deisms

[rug]

50. Except it's posted repeatedly and frequently by many internet atheist "crusaders".

Read the article, AC. Do you think he's writing "fabricated horseshit"?

I won't comment on the uninformed screeds you regularly post.

[Warren Stupidity]

54. Did you not read Atheist Crusader's response?

Or did you just not understand it?

[rug]

61. Did you read the OP?

Or did you just not understand it?

[Warren Stupidity]

74. So it seems you didn't.

Now about lions. What do you think, should there be more lions?

[AtheistCrusader]

63. If it's getting posted so much, why the scant search results?

Calling me uninformed while you apparently can't even read my post, or click on the search link?

[rug]

64. I cannot speak for your Googlefu.

[AtheistCrusader]

66. It's a meme. Google can do image matching. There is no 'fu'.

That image is in fact, apparently not as prolific as the author would like the characterize.

I gave you the fucking search link, don't deflect by pretending it's hard to search for. That's just embarrassing.

[rug]

67. Yes, it is embarassing.

[AtheistCrusader]

69. So, you going to start checking these ridiculous hatchet jobs you post,

Or are you going to stop haranguing other posters for similar content, or what?

[rug]

71. Oh, get over yourself and your ridiculous characterizations.

You actually think the OP, written by an atheist at a site called "Atheist Revolution" is a hatchet job on atheists?

You're too easily offended.

[AtheistCrusader]

79. It is. 161 hits for that image on Google shows it for what it is.

Manufactured outrage.

[Lordquinton]

89. Did you

You just agreed your actions are embarrassing. Slow down man! You can't afford to slip up!

[rug]

97. Subtlety is not your strong suit.

[Lordquinton]

104. You're in no position to judge

However I agree with both of you, that was embarrassing.

[cbayer]

156. There are other, more popular, iterations of this.

Try : So Many Christians, So Few Lions

[AtheistCrusader]

160. That's 5130 hits, much less if I exclude the Christian book by the same name.

Both variants are used so little, Google and Bing can't offer an autocomplete suggestion as you type them in.

I make it to the first "t" in atheists, and Google suggests as its first result "there are no atheists in foxholes". (72,800 results) bing fingers it out on the "A".

"There are no atheist soup kitchens" returns 75.1k hits.

And you want me to believe that "so many Christians, so few lions" is some sort of rampant meme problem?

Not buying it.

Hey, I just tipped it over to 5131 hits though, so there's hope I guess

[cbayer]

165. The point is that it's a meme, popular or not, and that there are other memes.

Like, Religion Poisons Everything and Religion:Together We can Find a Cure and at least a dozen others I would bring up without even using the google. There is a problem and there are very negative memes out there.

This does not mean that there aren't counterproductive memes about atheists. There are.

I would like to see both side stop. This is not a contest between who has the most rampant meme problem. Why make it that?

[AtheistCrusader]

167. A meme is simply an idea, successful memes replicate because they are

True, or useful, or somehow resonate with a larger audience.

The paltry popularity of that lions meme could simply represent the general frustration some people feel with evangelical Christians interfering in things like same sex marriage.

But whatever the reason it resonates with its audience, it's a pitifully small audience compared to the vicious shit I offered in counterpoint.

(Together we can find the cure IS a much more popular meme at 13 million horse, but there's a lot of merchandising and indexing that doesn't represent actual humans sharing it, so the numbers are squishy compared to the lions or soup kitchens comparisons)

[hrmjustin]

65. I have had people say this to my face and meant it for real and in jest.

[AtheistCrusader]

68. Ok.

[Warren Stupidity]

75. I've seen people here tell other people that their religion is a farce.

[hrmjustin]

82. For years i have heard this about my religion.

Nothing new.

[Warren Stupidity]

86. Didn't your god demand that you turn the other cheek?

[hrmjustin]

88. I have never been good at obedience.

[AtheistCrusader]

90. Nor should you be.

Tyrants suck, whether they exist as real people or abstract ideas.

[rock]

70. Freedom of speech

Means the government doesn't have the right to stop you. It doesn't mean a thing about social consequences. So right on!

[mercuryblues]

108. why yes

when people ask an atheist what keeps them from murdering people if they don't fear the wrath of God, watch what so called Xtians are saying, like gays should be shot because it is an abomination, atheist better start believing or we are all going to perish in the next natural disaster and so on. Why yes, it is time to start bashing back. It's just too bad the people who need to learn something, refuse to.
Why is it not counter productive to Xtianity when a christian shoots up a church because they accept the GBLT community?

[cbayer]

158. It is very counterproductive to christianity when christian shoots up a church because

they accept the GLBT community.

Article about that kind of behavior are posted here all the time and understandably condemned by christians and non-christians alike.

But that doesn't mean that it happening in other contexts is not a problem. It doesn't have anything to do with the substance of this article.

[struggle4progress]

181. Supreme Court Upholds Little Caesar’s Right to Feed Christian Employees to Lions

The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that Roman-owned pizza chain Little Caesar’s was within its rights to place Christian employees in an arena and then unleash starved, vicious lions and lionesses upon them. The court cited religious freedom as its guiding principle ... Little Caesar’s argued that the persecution of Christians and the feeding of them to ravenous big cats was a “deeply held” religious belief, that the continued survival of the roughly 6,000 Christian employees, as well as the fact that they remained on company payroll, imposed a “substantial financial burden” on their religious liberty ... Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr, the author of the majority opinion, wrote: while it is debatable that some harm may come to any Christians fed to a lion or lioness, there is certainly demonstrable harm being done to these animals that are denied the tasty, nutrient-rich Christians that their diet requires. A Christian employee of the company, Ed Broyles, expressed dismay at the decision. “They’re gonna fuckin’ feed me to a motherfucking lion? But I only ever go to church on like Easter!” ...
http://www.atlbanana.com/supreme-court-upholds-little-caesars-right-to-feed-christian-employees-to-lions/