How is this helping? When will people learn that all this aggression and shouting won’t change anyone’s mind and that it’s much better to just calm down and bite your tongue and think about peace and a sunlit meadow rather than go around saying things and handing out leaflets? Nobody’s mind was ever changed by someone saying something, so why won’t they take their clothes off and pose for photographs instead?
Christians who believe their faith is “under attack” in Britain have launched a “Not Ashamed Day” campaign.
Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey claimed Christians of “deep faith” faced discrimination.
Campaigners say a mounting number of cases of workers being disciplined over their beliefs show Christianity is being “airbrushed” from UK society.
What strident shrill nonsense, and divisive, too. It’s shocking that these people refuse to work with secularists and atheists to achieve common goals, and instead stubbornly insist on saying what they think. Well, no good deed goes unpunished.
Christian Concern has also highlighted the fact that Catholic adoption agencies no longer have the right to refuse gay couples as prospective adoptive parents.
And they no longer have the right to own slaves, or burn witches, or invade the Holy Land. Times change. But they mustn’t rock the boat, because we all have to work together, so they should please please please stop talking and let someone who is an expert in communication do it. Otherwise everything will fall apart tomorrow at the latest.
Comments
24 responses to “Extremist militant extremists speak out”
You don’t hear Jews in the UK whining about being under attack, do you? Hence why this is a non-story.
I was going to post a comment on that article, but there are over 700 comments so far…
Nearly perfectly put, Ophelia. The only thing wrong is the identity of the author. It should have been coming from a real accomodationist Christian (let’s get that idea meming its way out there), just like the worst criticism of us comes from people who allegedly have no more religious beliefs than we do.
I know, Stewart, but it wasn’t, and I wanted to go all parodic on their asses, so I had to make do with what I had.
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Jake Preece and Rational Humanist, Ophelia Benson. Ophelia Benson said: Extremist militant extremists speak out http://dlvr.it/9YGSb […]
But they still won’t let women be priests.
But Ophelia, there’s no hypocrisy here. The BBC just didn’t quote Lord Carey in full.
Snort!
Always has been, always will be.
You know, this is a very real PR dilemma for us. If you don’t look at the absolutes (that we are in the minority compared to them and they have public privileges we don’t) and instead compare the direction each side has been going in, it doesn’t look so rosy for us. We’ve gone from being invisible, hurting no one because we were afraid even to be seen, to raising our voices for equality and disparaging what they hold dear. We have to be dealt with and that is a burden that was almost non-existent in the past. Whereas they have improved vastly, they don’t even burn people at the stake anymore. How much nicer than that can one get?
By the way, if anyone ever feels their (gnu) atheist anger flagging, just look at Megyn Kelly vs. David Silverman (one of several possible links: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4QfSp5neoU). I don’t think Ophelia’s linked to it yet, but it’s actually very appropriate to this post, because there’s so little difference between Megyn Kelly and Lord Carey.
‘Twould warm my heart, except that I recognize feeling intimidated as a treasured form of intimidation, a sort of soft STFU.
Will no one rid us of this turbulent priest?
I always find it amusing how the faithful reacts to criticisms directed towards his/her faith –
“You’re attacking us!”
“We are being persecuted!”
“You’re Islamophobic!”
And what happens when you just shush and let them practice their faith?
“Do you realize that unless you accept Jesus you’re going straight to hell?”
“Die infidel, die!”
But what do I know?
@ #11,
yes,
The ‘Islamophobia’ campaign has been successful,it’s not surprising Christians have their own version.
This one time, I was at a conference about religion and these totally nasty religious people came up to to poor little atheist me, and starting shouting and swearing in my face. With harps. True story.
That’s the ticket.
They are fighting back because they are scared and they know we are winning. And we Gnu Atheists will win because we are right, and God is on our side. No, wait, can someone explain it to me again…..
:-)
Glendon, you should start a blog. Call it “You’re not being very helpful” or something like that.
I known how Gary McFarlane feels. As a card carrying geek I frequently feel intimidated from expressing my faith publicly. I mean, I try try to talk about the important stuff like Stark Trek or Doctor Who or classless inter-domain routing and people’s eyes glaze over and they try to change the subject. I’m being oppressed I tell ya’.
@Stewart,
I watched the video and I must say, David Silverman does a good job of explaining things whilst being heckled throughout. This contrarian style of journalism by Megyn Kelly–who does not appear to take this news item seriously–gives the appearance that she is the sceptic or the default position. Although I don’t blame Megyn Kelly for her style–which is more about doing her job–it would have been more objective to have had a representative opposing the billboard there whilst Megyn Kelly moderated.
I can see that the underlying point of the billboard was to raise the critical mass of ‘out’ atheists in America, that Professor Dawkins has talked about so much. Whether it is actually has the effect, I do not know. But if it does, then I am fully in support of such billboards.
@Tea – I thought about logging in with multiple names to reply to you with swearing (same link back tho!) but that’s just too lame. Even for a joke. Still, I always have Tom Johnson to thank for the best insult EVAR to be hurled at me: “epitome of mindsluttery”. That’s just beautiful.
Egbert, you do actually hear about Jews being under attack in Britain if you know whom to read (try normblog). But unlike the Former Archbishop, who made his announcement on the steps of the House of Lords without a glimmer of self-awareness or irony, Jewish people tend to talk about things like synagogues being vandalised, anti-Semitic comments being thrown in their faces, and rallies that claim to support peace in the Middle East but where protestors express solidarity with “Death to Israel” banners. You know, actual threats against Jews.
Glendon, that is a truly beautiful insult. I wish someone would say that to me. They tend to leave the “mind” part out, though. Must be ’cause I’m a lady.
Which raises the question, why don’t we have one?
“You atheiphobe!”
Or perhaps “gnuophobe” would be better…
An objective list of what they’re not ashamed of would be a useful counter. In Canada the Anglican Church is in a great deal of difficulty because of the damage to its finances from the compensation it’s had to pay to victims of its abuse. I take it Lord C. ain’t ashamed of that, either.
Nope, doesn’t work. Something more gnuanced.