Comments on: Anyone Watching Nightline?

By: John Pritzlaff

John Pritzlaff — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 04:53:20 +0000

I think when you put it in perspective, atheism is an extremely humble position, rather than an arrogant one.

By: Irregular Times: News Unfit for Print » Very First DNC Speaker Claims God Working for the Democrats

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:40:05 +0000

[...] entrepreneurial evangelical Rick Warren had the audacity to call atheists “arrogant” after his two-hour-long televised religious inquisition of the presidential candidates? Here we [...]

By: Spork

Spork — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:10:19 +0000

Richard Wade is absolutely right. These objections need to be made public somehow, as well as posed directly to the powers at Nightline and its carrying network (and its sponsors!), to have any meaning beyond soothing our own bruised egos.

But, but, but...that wouldn't be friendly. If you won't kick a repairman out of your home for trying to convert you, why would you ever *gasp* complain loudly, and publicly? It would be so rude.

By: ryot

ryot — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 01:53:59 +0000

I understand Richard’s point, but are e-mails really going to do anything? We’re talking about a Christian fundamentalist here, it’s theist policy to ignore and refuse to accept any criticism or opposition. I just want to know where the non-theist’s GLAAD or NAACP is? GLAAD can get the jackasses at Faux News to apologize for making fun of transgendered individuals (again), but is there no one to call people out on atheist bigotry?

By: David D.G.

David D.G. — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 22:16:13 +0000

Richard Wade is absolutely right. These objections need to be made public somehow, as well as posed directly to the powers at Nightline and its carrying network (and its sponsors!), to have any meaning beyond soothing our own bruised egos. That doesn’t mean that we necessarily should become as militant as the Phelps clan or anything, but it does mean that we have no hope of raising people’s consciousness and enlightening them if we talk only with those who are already enlightened.

~David D.G.

By: Richard Wade

Richard Wade — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:11:20 +0000

But when Rick Warren says something similar against atheists? You won’t hear anything about it.

Why will there not be an uproar over this?

Because being reason-based we're not prone to jihads, because there are relatively very few of us, because most of us don't give a shit anyway, but most of all because we disperse our objections rather than concentrate them where they might have an effect. Every one of the comments of outrage posted here is energy dispersed. Unless they are copied and sent to Rick Warren, to local newspapers and to civic leaders who might be sympathetic to his views as long as they can assume that no one will object, then all that venting was just that, venting. Expressed your anger on Friendly Atheist? Feel better? Okay, go back to sleep. Many of the comments here are incisive and powerful, but published only here they will do nothing. Outrage must go OUT. Out into the world where everyone can hear it rather than just inside our clubhouse to those who already share the feeling.

By: justin jm

justin jm — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:03:38 +0000

I still remember the Warren vs. Harris debate in Newsweek. Warren came across as condescending back then. I’m not surprised now. Frankly, it’s more difficult to find a religious apologist who wouldn’t say this kind of thing than one who would.

By: SnugglyBuffalo

SnugglyBuffalo — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:54:05 +0000

Seriously, I’ve never understood this singling out of atheists. Back in my Christian days, I would have gladly taken an atheist who believes in no god over someone who believed in the “wrong” god.

By: cipher

cipher — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:38:47 +0000

And what about a Buddhist? Technically, they’re atheists.

The tragedy is that Warren is really not that bad, by fundamentalist standards. There are far bigger bastards.

Something like that wouldn’t be said here in the UK, in fact, a couple of years ago, the London Mayor suggested that anyone believing in the afterlife should be barred from public office. “If politicians thought they had only this life, they would make a better fist of it.”

Europe is so much better than here (seriously – not sarcasm).

By: Polly

Polly — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:02:01 +0000

Warren said he could easily vote for a Jew.

Wait, is this his whole answer? If so, he didn’t really answer the question in its entirety.

Would he vote for a Muslim?

If he’s willing to vote for a hell-bound Jew, why not a hell-bound Muslim? Neither one believes in JC, after all. And what about polytheists or just plain old spiritualists?

And why single out atheists since his god lumps all non-xians in the same fiery bucket?