This just in: we're "infantile".

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

Because we "define ourselves by what we're not".

Now go back to the back of the bus and stop oppressing Christians.

[backscatter712]

1. NOOOOO! NOT ANOTHER BILLBOARD!!! NOT SIGNS ON BUSSES!!!

THE 85% OF CHRISTIANS ARE BEING OPPRESSED!!!

[TZ]

2. and wanting believers to learn to accept and tolerate us on our own merits

is apparantly irrational because you know, its really horrible of us not to care about what others think.

[trotsky]

3. Isn't it frighteningly easy to see...

just how readily we were tortured, burned, hanged, stoned, etc.? These are self-proclaimed "liberal" believers who CLEARLY, if they had the power to do so, would gladly help tie us to the stake.

[laconicsax]

4. ...and have no trouble sleeping at night.

It's like that old quote:

"Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction."

Spoken by Mr. "It's safer to believe than not" himself.

[onager]

5. We're also infantile when...

We dare to quote Buy-bull verses extolling the omnipotence, omniscience and all-around chocolatey goodness of Gawd. And then ask where's the evidence to back up those claims.

e.g., stuff like "ask and it shall be given," "faith can move mountains" and "when two are gathered, ask and it shall" etc. etc. etc.

Whenever that subject comes up, the Professional Theologians barge in and explain that those are questions only a 6-yr-old would ask. And not a very smart 6-yr-old, either. "Grow up! God isn't a slot machine! Why would you think God can do anything?"

Well, maybe because it says so, right there in that Gawd-written, infallible holy book. And it says so in plain language, so I shouldn't need Martin Buber, Billy Graham, the Pope or Rick Warren to explain why it REALLY doesn't mean what it says, but some other "ephemeral" thing.

They play a game like that in New York City. It's called Three-Card Monte.

[laconicsax]

6. Not just that, but it's sophisticated theology when they read a passage literally.

[charlie]

7. One of our loyal opponents

said this on his site (it's a paraphrase, but accurate):

An easily provable God wouldn't be much of a God.

Obscure-is-sophisticated applies to more than text, apparently. Elusiveness is also a measure of a god's godliness. Who knows why.

I saw a YouTube poster make a funny suggestion. Start a new religion with this premise:

I worship the God who made your God.

Their arguments make the case for your God nicely, yours is just more meta.

(For "sophisticates" looking in: yes, it's been done before, eg, Gnostics and Marcionites did it to Yahweh. But no religion takes it to the Turtles Gods All the Way Down extreme. It's as viable as any other god proposition)

[laconicsax]

8. PM link plz?

Just the one to the paraphrase if you don't mind.

(I think I'm going to run with the gods all the way down idea.)

[Warpy]

9. Well, we all start off as atheists

and have to get fed all that religious propaganda as children, if not by our parents then by the world, in order to buy a word of it. In one very basic sense, I suppose failing to compartmentalize religious horseshit the way "sensible" people do is infantile.

The truth is that believers all know it's a load of horseshit, which is why they have to compartmentalize it all into a "don't question" part of their brains labeled "faith" on the remote chance the Sky Daddy exists and will pack them off to the inside of a volcano after they die, although it's unclear why that will be a problem since they won't have a body with them.

If only they didn't squirm so much when confronted by people who have the honesty and courage to say, "Yes, it's horseshit."

[realisticphish]

10. I think the biggest component

is the accepted fact of "a crisis of faith" and how "oh, everyone has that, but they realize the Truth eventually." This is also why they have sayings like "God works in mysterious ways" or "it is not for us to question."

[Warpy]

11. That's why it's compartmentalized off

in a little "don't ask any questions" ghetto area of the brain.

When they make those stupid statements, they're warning you (and themselves) not to trespass into that area.

[realisticphish]

12. good point

It's the rattler's tail. Why else do people tense up whenever you start to discuss religion? Because they're afraid that there will be criticism that they can't hand-wave away...

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

13. Oh, and "a bunch of pussies" too.

Although you probably missed that one -- didn't last long, eh?

[laconicsax]

14. Drat. Must have missed that one. n/t

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

15. Check your inbox. -nt

[laconicsax]

16. With that big red banner at the top, it's hard not to.

I know Skinner said the notification would be more prominent, but damn!

Thanks BTW.

[Goblinmonger]

17. Didn't see that, but they may want to check their ad homs.

Kind of odd that there are "a bunch of pussies" with the power to take down all religion and take over the world.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

18. This, too -- the attacks -- are compartmentalized.

Half of them diss our actions for being pathetic, futile, and ineffective; the other half, for bringing about the downfall of Christianity and, therefore, of Western civilization. You won't ever see an argument between the advocates of those two mutually-contradicting arguments. That would be counterproductive to the common goal of bashing atheists.

[and-justice-for-all]

19. LOL, we are not the one with imaginary friends....nt