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February 12, 2012 at 11:46 am 
Al Stefanelli “We keep on being told that religion, whatever its imperfections, at least instills morality. On every side, there is conclusive evidence that the contrary is the case and that faith causes people to be more mean, more selfish, and perhaps above all, more stupid.” ― Christopher Hitchens
This has been a busy week for my inbox with respect to hate mail. Most of it comes from religious wackos, as you would expect. However, I get a good amount of it from some of my fellow unbelievers about my rather polemic approach to dealing with religious extremists. Some of them tell me that my method of activism does more damage than good, and that my attitude does not engender in said wackos a desire and willingness for them to listen to our side of the discussion.
Well, they are right about the “not engendering a desire and willingness to listen” part. What many of them fail to understand is the immensity of the fuck that I do not give about their opinions. When it comes to religious extremists, there is generally no other way to communicate with them. Look, I interact very successfully with mainstream believers all day long. My family consists of Christians, Muslims, Jews, Deists and even a Buddhist or two and most of them are just as equally fed up with these denizens of douchebaggery as the rest of us are.
Getting What You Give…
There is no diplomacy with the extreme religious right. They have no interest in making any concessions toward coexistence, or opening up a dialog. In fact, their vitriolic behavior at just having to be in the presence of an atheist is no secret, and thus warrants my undiplomatic, intolerant finger-pointing. Besides, I am not out to win a Nobel Peace prize, nor am I out to make friends with anyone who holds a firm belief that I should be summarily executed. Yeah, I know, I’m strange that way… What can I say?
They deserve zero consideration, because they have only one interest – world domination, and atheists have no place in their plans. Thus, I don’t give one, single iota of credibility to their beliefs and I will continue to make it my mission in life to make it as difficult as I possibly can for them to be perceived as anywhere near resembling normal people.
I’ve said it before, and I will repeat it here. They are dangerous, ignorant, uneducated, hate-filled, narrow-minded, bigoted, intolerant, self-righteous douchebags that have been brainwashed into believing that committing some of the most horrific acts of inhumanity toward their fellow men, women and children are the want, will and desire of their sick, twisted, perverted, megalomaniac of a deity.
If you’re a believer, don’t get pissed off at me for the description you just read about your god. Get pissed at the fuckwits whose behavior represents your god as such. I don’t reason that god exists, so it makes no difference to me, either way.
Don’t Let Me Stop You…
So, to my fellow atheists who feel the need to email your thoughts about how I should shut the fuck up, lay low and “live and let live,” you can keep sending me those emails. Go ahead and continue berating me for my choice of words and accusing me of being just as much of a fundamentalist as those I rail against. I usually delete them, but you never know, you might find your words in my next book.
Thing is, I have a lot of support from a lot of people in a lot of places. These people are just as sick and tired of the sanctimonious religious bullshit that is vomited forth from the maws of all those small-minded moronic shitweasels whose only talent is to stand on their soap boxes with a bible in one hand, a cross in the other and little more than a small collection of misfiring neurons rattling around in their otherwise empty heads.
Forget Hank’s Ass…
Those who think that these asshats deserve to be treated diplomatically or with any tolerance for their beliefs, or who think that their points of view even deserve to be included as equal in any sense of the word with rational, reasonable discourse are hereby invited to collectively kiss my atheist ass.
Posted in 
You could take a leaf from PZ’s book and post the Emails as “I have Email”. Your commentaters can then help answer them
Yeah I really don’t understand people who are all up in arms that somebody they largely agree with is being a little too outspoken. And FWIW, there is anti-theistic rhetoric that I don’t like and/or that I think goes too far (not very much of it though; I’m pretty close to the extreme end of the spectrum). So what do I do? I ignore it! Duh. A diversity of voices is the only way to enact social change. You need the whole spectrum, from nice accommodating voices, to angry take-no-prisoners never-be-mollified extremists. We all give voice to where our comfort level is. What’s so hard about that??
My sentiments exactly.
Many different voices taking varying approaches are necessary to overcome the resistance of religion.
I express my thoughts with a different tone from Al’s but he often inspires me as to what to say. The same message communicated one way will through to a person while said another way, it won’t. Some will heed forceful rhetoric while others require gentler coaxing. No one way works on all people. So, go for it and don’t look back.
It’s one thing to discuss gods and religions with various goddists who have an interest in honest discourse. But the instant I’m threatened with Hell for not believing in a sadistic bully or I’m asked if I’ve ever heard of Jesus, then I know the goddist is in proselytizing mode. Nope, I’m not going to be proselytized at and I’ll say so in no uncertain terms. If you don’t like it, that’s your problem, not mine.
Then there’s the extremists Al talked about. These folks not only think I’m going to Hell but want to speed my journey to there. I’m supposed to play nice with these assholes? Fuck that noise.
I am a big fan of this blog. I don’t often leave comments but on this occasion I feel compelled to put in my two cents:
Don’t let the bullies get away with it.
Thanks Al.
Love your blog. Keep up the good work!
Yours is one of the blogs I regularly check on Freethought blogs. I love all the different voices in one spot.
I find the accomodationists expect different behavior than they prescribe. They lecture endlessly about being nice to the religious in tones and terms that are very not nice. They exemplify the saying of “Do what I say not what I do.”
Be polite? To people that think I should be stoned to death, just for being who I am? Fuck that. I’m with you 100%.
I remain amazed that omnipotent beings need fallible, weak humans to do their bidding. It is as if the omnipotent one does not exist. Too bad that the
devotedilliterate have not read Matthew 7.Indeed.
Personally, I pretty much have to be polite in my everyday life. Every day I have to use words to communicate with real people and those people communicate back. Politeness is nice when you’re just pottering around day to day existing. It also helps my poor anxiety-riddled brain meats from turning me into a wobbling jelly spouting word salad when I’m trying to put forward a point!
The second, however, someone stops being polite, the gloves must come off. When does someone stop being polite?
- When they lie about something important, or try to impose their personal feelings upon others as truth
- When they denigrate others simply for acting perfectly normally and naturally
- When they become angry or threatening in the face of rational discussion rather than consider alternate viewpoints
- When their own smug superiority lets them claim that you just don’t understand, that you’re somehow less intelligent/informed/able to understand than they are, all because they have a ‘feeling’ that they’re correct
Et cetera.
It’s impossible, therefore, for a religious fundamentalist to be polite unless they keep silent and inactive on religious matters. I think most of us agree that they don’t or can’t do so. Respond how you must to get the truth heard – it’s all we can do when presented with that kind of rigid, destructive thinking.
I agree 200%. Maybe 300%.
In fact, I found your take on the matter to be very insightful: fundamentalists hate those people who accept to be what they are, because they cannot themselves stand the idea of being what they really are. Hence, they are forever striving to become something else, usually through the strict adherence to an infinitude of sadomasochistic rules.
Dangerous people indeed. I commend Al for not faltering under the pressure of the accomodationist lot. There is just too much at stake to worry about politeness and good manners.
Thankyou, and I’m glad you agree! I’m naturally an incredibly timid sort, but even I can’t stand by and let these people spout the sort of dangerous rubbish that they do in the public sphere to applause and cheers.
I’ve always held the hypothesis that fundamentalist religiosity is a deeply jealousy-based system – that a lot of their more virulently hateful practices are actually fuelled by things being “unfair” than morally wrong! For example, atheism or homosexuality.
If I, as an atheist, were to strike up a normal, polite conversation with a religious fundamentalist, it might go swimmingly well – nice, funny, we could laugh and be happy and joke about until the cows came home until someone brought up religious belief. The second they find out I’m atheistic, they will immediately be hit by a sense that I should not be as happy and normal as I appear to be. They believe so strongly that their happiness depends on strict adherence to some “divine” moral code that the image of a happy, successful, socially normal atheist causes deep, seething feelings of jealousy. Cognitive dissonance is a powerful force in a childlike mind.
“It’s not fair, I follow all the rules to the letter. They break the rules simply by existing and they’re rewarded with happiness!”
Simple, pure and honest jealousy. Cognitive dissonance without adequate reasoning ability to make the next logical jump to the conclusion that the rules are unneccessary causes immediate anger, akin to a toddler throwing a tantrum because they want something inappropriate. It’s funny how similar the reactions of an upset religious/spiritual person and a small child are, sadly, and odd also how similar the response must be in order to communicate effectively.
It’s just my little hypothesis, but I’ve not found a case to really challenge it just yet. I’d love to have some input from other people
(also, sorry! Bit of a tangent there. Naughty brain.)
I your “little” hypothesis hits the nail on the head. It must indeed be frustrating for a fearful, guilt-ridden fundamentalist to learn that their suffering brings no tangible rewards, and they surely know at the back of their minds that the rewards of an afterlife are uncertain at best.
I’d just add that probably all of us have experienced that feeling in other contexts. For example, at school we might have worked for ages on a project and got a lower mark than the bright classmate who did it in a couple of hours.
Learning that the universe is not fair is a tough lesson to swallow.
Indeed! Jealousy is felt by everyone and often for good reasons. I’d even argue that religious jealousy is a good reason, psychologically speaking. If their beliefs were based in fact, it would indeed be unfair!
In reality, it’s just another nail in the coffin of belief
That should read “I think your…”, of course.
Al, I couldn’t agree more.
Al, you know very well that I support you completely and always will, regardless of what -anyone- says. You are brilliant, succinct, and to the point of what the world needs to hear. It has been reigned far too long by BFT and men who would be gods on earth.
Ramen!
Ok. love your posts, read them every day (at least), you have heard this.
BUT!
Hurt myself laughing with ‘What many of them fail to understand is the immensity of the fuck that I do not give about their opinions.’
Thanks, you made my month
Yes, that was hilarious. I’ll steal it for sure.
Hey, you’re doing it right.
Need I say it? Let ‘em have it, Al!! Both barrels!! Being “polite” with these guys is a complete waste of time. They don’t need to be handled like fine china … more like disgusting heaps of bullshit!
Just another “Ramen, Brother!”
Politeness and respect are two-way streets. People who are into forced pregnancy, abstinence only sex “education,” and creationism, are anything but polite or respectful. Their ideas have been amply demonstrated to be completely, utterly and irredeemably false. The fact that they continue to not only cling to them in their own personal lives but insist that we all be forced to adhere to such utter bullshit is the utmost in impoliteness and disrespect.
So fuck ‘em. Metaphorically. Hard.
I’ve been having this debate for a few days now.
I posted a link to an article about Christians leaving messages on the FOX News website threatening an atheist with rape, murder and deportation. A friend reposted it, but then the thread turned into a debate about how I may or may not have implied that ALL Christians are haters. With many random bible quotes thrown in, to prove how True Christianity doesn’t promote violence, yada, yada, yada.
To me, it’s the same as people discussing a race related lynching, and thinking it’s a good time to point out that some Blacks pull the Race Card. Or the clothing choices of a rape victim, etcetera. I want to just yell “Your timing sucks!”
You want to discuss clothing choices? Go ahead, but let’s be very clear who is the perpetrater here: the rabid Christians, the white lynchers, the rapist.
When I read about how people like me should be raped and murdered, I don’t want to hear how I might have forgotten to be completely perfect in my choice of words. Because the fact is, even if it’s true, nothing, and I mean nothing, justifies the violence and hurt I am being threatened with.
Thanks for that article. I needed that.
These same christians will condemn muslims for not denouncing the violence by religious terrorists in the name of islam.
Why do the same rules not apply to them? They defend the christian extremists threatening murder, rape, and other abuse in the name of christianity. If they were honest, or slightly rational, they would realize that they are also defending the indefensible.
A god of love? Used to preach hatred?
Is there no understanding of irony?
.
Monolithic ignorance requires little effort to sustain itself.
Additionally, defense mechanisms such as denial, identification, projection, repression, rationalization, scapegoating, sublimination and wishful thinking kick-in when it is pointed out to some that their ignorance, bigotry and bias is inhibiting intelligence and rational reasoning.
In other words, Al, you’re succeeding…your writing is triggering emotions making people experience uncomfortable cognitive affects because they are thinking – for maybe the first time!
Fuckin-A, Al…you should wear those nasty emails like a badge of honor!
I, for one, wish you would stop sugar-coating things and come out and say what you really mean…
/snark
Well Uncle Al you know Im proud of the way you tell the quislings and collaborators…sorry accomodationists….to FECK OFF! Let them snow you with their mealy mouthed cries of “dont be a dick”….so what.
Al you are a master wordsmith….whereas Im the sort of smith thats good for making horseshoes you are the skilled artisan who hammers out wrought iron finials on the anvil of truth.
Keep it up Uncle….there are many more horses yet to shoe.
I must take issue with your description of God as a “sick, twisted, perverted, megalomaniac of a deity.”
You forgot “vindictive” and “sadistic”.
There is no good reason to respond to hatred with the politeness of Pollyanna.
Some people tell me that they love what I write. I tell them that is only because they have not read enough of it.
If we are writing to be nice, we are not telling the truth.
If we are not offending people, then we are not telling the truth.
Keep up the good work.
.
Totally agree Al. No need at all to play nice with these fundies.
good piece. it’s been 11months and i’m the first comment-damn! i’d like to read the rest of the research.
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I don’t mind at all, Mario.