Answers in Genesis has begun a goofy little campaign called I AM NOT ASHAMED — they’re apparently collecting videos of people declaring their shameless adoration of Jesus. Ho hum. All I can say is that they should be deeply embarrassed to endorse something so absurd.
They use a little unfortunate language, though.
WE WANTED A MESSAGE THAT WOULD OFFER A CLEAR CALL TO CHRISTIANS AROUND THE WORLD TO STAND UNASHAMEDLY AND UNCOMPROMISINGLY ON THE BIBLE.
Happy Jihad’s House of Pancakes is willing to oblige. You too can send in photos of yourself standing unashamedly on a Bible — you don’t even have to wipe your feet.
Bonus points if you get your Muslim friends to slap the Bible with their shoes?
Here I stand! I can do no other!
Tee hee.
It’s a shame that when people say “I love Jesus”, they really mean “I love the bible”. If you want the manlove of Jesus then go ahead, but this is nothing more than a wedge tactic to push the moderates away from a reasonable* position and into the intellectual land of nuttery.
*relatively speaking
That reminds me of the threads on RR, “what will you do in heaven?” “what will your job be in heaven?” etc. The way those people talk gets into deep fantasy time, in a seriously creepy way.
So, they’re not ashamed of adoring Jesus. That’s grand. I’d be more impressed by a “We’re ashamed we’ve been immoral liars for Jesus” campaign.
@4: That gives me an idea. I should start a religion where the bad people are forced to work minimum wage service jobs for all the good people for eternity without a two week vacation or any benefits.
That would be hell.
Well obviously there needs to be a counter-campaign to I AM NOT ASHAMED with the slogan MORE’S THE PITY.
warning, not for the fainthearted!
Let’s up the ante, shall we? I stand on the Koran, the Bhagavad Gita, the Bible, and The God Delusion – barefoot.
http://i39.tinypic.com/2me5t29.png
So, Jadehawk, you had your trusty nazi zombie from outer space come over, stand on a book, and then offered him a beer he can’t taste. I’m not impressed.
Kobra, there’s nothing to compare with retail hell. Not a bad idea. :)
There are times (few and far between) when it is good that people are sloppy with the language! This post also made me realise – with a large slice of smugness – that I don’t even have a bible amongst my extensive book collection, nor a koran for that matter! The closest would be a dog-eared paperback translation of Homer’s Iliad…
Well, I’m disappointed. When I saw the name of the blog I thought they’d at least be standing on a Bible short stack.
I’d do it, but I’m damned if I can find a babble to stand on in my house…
Since they are so short in both stature and in mind, maybe they should at least prop up being vertically challenged by standing on a lot of bibles?
Not that it would help much, but at least the bibles are put to some positive use for a change.
I’m glad to see MikeTheInfidel keeps his toenails trimmed. If only Jadehawk would do the same.
@13 Didn’t the offer you a bible? You were so sure you didn’t need one, but now it’s clear that atheists need a bible.
Posted by: newton.phil Author Profile Page | March 21, 2010 4:57 AM
What about Also sprach Zarathustra?
Their online bible project might need a bit of balance. Who is on for sending in vids of the less lovey dovey verses.
If this isn’t evidence of the declining standing and respectability of Christianity I don’t know what would be.
Hats of to AiG for making me feel a bit better about the world!
Ha! Take that Biblical literalists!
kalox #18 said:
Their online bible project might need a bit of balance.
Hey, when all you have is a pocket paperback King James Version, you need a bit of balance just to stand on the Bible!
(I only have that because I needed to write a couple chapters about a fundie preacher in my unpublished sf novel.)
How courageous of them to openly admit their conformity to our culture’s dominant religious paradigm. Next they can work on encouraging heterosexual couples to bravely hold hands in public.
The fact that they’re feeling pressure from certain quarters that they should feel ashamed and need to rebel against that notion is actually a good thing. It means some cultural pressure is getting to them, and that incudes the unrelenting scorn and ridicule from places like this.
Assuming, of course, that they are really feeling pressure, and that this isn’t just another example of their self-indulgent persecution complex.
Christian Fundamentalism. A movement properly self so called in the early 20th century, not an appellation conferred by journalists (like Muslim fundamentalism).
It was always the reaction against modernism and evolution. Not the “simple” faith which is forever lost (if it ever really existed).
Watch the slideshow they’ve got going on there. At one point, there’s a blurb that says:
Today, I am not ashamed has evolved into a full fledged etc etc.
Can I get a LOL?
I’d have a little more respect for these hypocrites if they actually read the book they claim to believe in. It’s the actual literal words from the Ruler of the Universe! But they rarely read more than a verse or two. I’m half-convinced that Fred Phelps is the only TRUE CHRISTIAN, at least among the evangelicals and fundies. He’s obviously read the book and is trying to put it into practice (God help us).
Some day Christians will be able to declare their beliefs openly and freely without fear… and perhaps even someday begin to band together, to congregate, and even build tall pointy buildings on nearly every fucking street corner in every city in America. And then openly, proudly run for public office. Perhaps even the Presidency.
Until that day however Christians will have to hide like the tiny persecuted minority that they are.
Geez, where am I going to get a Babble in Seattle? The library? There are a couple of Repugnicant houses on my block that probably have one, but they’re not going to lend it to ME. Even if they give them away free at Mars Hill Redneck Church (which I doubt), I’d sooner be seen going into the Lusty Lady (or Rick’s for that matter).
Turnout of this project is definitely going to be reduced by the fact that those of us most likely to want to play the game are the least likely to be equipped for it. I guess I’ll print the first page of Genesis and the first page of whatever’s the first book of the NT and put each on a stack of printer paper.
OT: Please, Seattlites, ALWAYS use the full name: Mars Hill Redneck Church. Don’t let those people pretend they’re hipsters just ’cause they have guitar music and a pastor with a fauxhawk. If you go to that church, you’re a redneck trapped in a city and a century you fear.
Golly gee, it takes such courage to call yourself a member of the majority religion of the United States, variants of which are practiced by the President and VP, as well as most of the legislative and judicial branch. Or to practice a variant that one of the two major political parties has spent the past several decades courting, to the point where it defines their stance on several major issues.
At least if some of these people were living in the Middle East, I could at least note they are taking more of a risk.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/Argama/Bender_laugh.jpg
Poor oppressed Christians. I’m sure they pray that someday a professing Christian will be elected president of the United States.
They are also encouraging people to “post their passage”. I was sorely tempted to take them up on the offer …
Yeah, those dingbats have a lot to be ashamed about, as some of us have documented.
Stuff like this for example.
Seriously. We have never had a president who was “their kind” of Christian, thought we’ve had some who pandered to them like crazy.
Reagan was big on astrology (which is of the devil), and GWB was a member of the United Methodist Church (a proudly liberal denomination).
When I noticed that my email was bursting with images, I thought to myself, “I bet PZ did a post.” We’re going to do a lovely display of atheists standing uncompromisingly-est with unashamitude on holy books during the upcoming “Blog Against Theocracy” on April 2-4, a great cause that I’m sure your readership (pharyngulae?) can support.
Thanks again!
HJ
They have lots of Bibles to stand on, that’s for sure.
New Yorker:
SK @ 29,
go to a local motel, make some story about guests coming from out of town and ask to see a room. Borrow the Gideon Bible to be found there.
I wonder how much outrage there would be if there were Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist (etc.) Gideons practicing in the U.S.
Blast it! I have a bible, but it’s not with me and I’m on vacation so I can’t get it. Nor do I know where my camera is. But I did stand on a Bagvad Gita, a God Delusion, a copy of Arabian Nights (closest thing I have to a Koran) and books of Greek and Norse mythology. I’m unashamederest than all of you!
If you really need a Bible then call the local Mormon church. They’ll send a couple of young men (called, confusingly enough, “elders”) to your house. Talk to them for an hour and ask for a Bible. You’ll also get a Book of Mormon but you can chuck that as soon as the elders leave.
I do not have a bible, nor am I going to buy one (annual sale of bibles half billion dollars!? THAT WOULD FEED A LOT OF POOR PEOPLE ASSHOLES), but I could shuffle on down to the local Barnes and Noble, go to the fiction section, and have my stunning mystery companion take a pic of me standing on a showroom floor model…
Also seconding the bitter laughter over a totally non-oppressed group getting all courageous for Jesus. It’s completely their delusions of grandeur and persecution.
My friend helped me with my pictures.
My bibles (yes several) are in dutch though.
But i upped the ante by adding the Necronomicon, the satanic bible and a herb bible.
http://www.omnipasje.net/pics/bible1.jpg
A black cat:
http://www.omnipasje.net/pics/bible2.jpg
and my white guineapig on top of the stack.
http://www.omnipasje.com/pics/bible3.jpg
Isn’t Answers in Genesis the dimbulbs who believe that lying to the Nazi about where your hiding people is a greater sin than murder?
Of course they really don’t believe that lying is much of a sin; considering that they lie about Atheists, Evolution and non-Christians all the time.
That’s correct.
But that’s different. That’s Lying for Jebus™.
Oh one of those “We refused to be oppressed even thought we’re not oppressed” campaign again.
Which reminds me, I remember someone using those orange and green New Testaments that evangelicals pass out to stablize a chair in the library.
What exactly is it they are not ashamed to be ashamed of?
Perhaps they should be ashamed to be ashamed of not being ashamed to be ashamed .
I’m confused. I would love to stand on a bible but I can’t decide which one. Can somebody tell me which one is the true word of an omniscient, omnipotent, supernatural being? My tiny brain just can’t figure it out on its own.
I am reluctant to borrow or steal the wrong version. There are usually severe penalties for choosing the wrong religious book. I really want to avoid burning in hell for the Jewish/Catholic/Protestant god, or freezing in hell for the Norse gods.
For some reason, the phrase “I am not ashamed” brought up the image of people boasting about believing in Santa Claus. “Yes, I am 34 years old, but I am not ashamed to say that I still have the wide-eyed innocence and sense of wonder that I had as a child; I sit at the window on Christmas eve while wearing my pj’s, looking to see if I can see Santa’s sleigh and hoping he will like the cookies I left out for him because I made them myself, with red and green icing, my eyes sparkling in anticipation. I’m not ashamed to still believe in Santa Claus. Don’t you wish you were as cute and guileless and pure, as me?”
This whole campaign seems to smack of a faux-innocent, self-conscious congratulations.
Their title needs work too. A more accurate description of AiG’s freak show would be “We’re utterly shameless!”
Here’s my contribution: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28281471@N02/4451021383/
Y’all are very amusing.
My library includes a Bible (Douay-Rheims), a Koran (one plain one annotated), a Bhagavita and Mahabarata. Of course my library also includes, the Art of War, The God Delusion, The Dawkins Delusion and even a Satanic Bible. Go figure.
Been tough these days. My chain of mixed-race Mormon marriage counseling clinics didn’t go over so well.
Enjoy.
I think the “Out Campaign” (http://outcampaign.org/) and denying the existence of the Holy Spirit (Ghost?) is better that AiG’s “I AM NOT ASHAMED” campaign.
Edit:
I wonder if any prankster here at parynguloid central would make a video reading Deuteronomy 7:2,3,4 and post it on youtube.
Here we go!
A couple of observations:
1) I had no idea that I actually owned two bibles until I looked. I thought I had thrown them all out the last time I moved. They must be breeding.
2) I’m really trying to care that my floors are gross and need to be mopped, but this damned chest cold has broken my give-a-crap-o-meter.
This is very embarrassing. Like any other fact, it must be faced. I’m taking a wild guess and choosing this venue as the best to confess the horrible truth. (a moment, please)
Once, while in the chaotic throes of an especially sticky phase of my attempt to justify Life the Universe and Everything emotionally, I actually did it. In front of my brother. I threw a bible on the floor and stood on it. Quoth I, “I stand on the word of God!” AAAaaaarrrggghh! I said it. And I don’t feel any cleaner for having thrown light on that past blooper. My brother later said that he was mighty embarrassed too, not only for having no ready response but also for my sake.
While I am blessed to have such an attentive and faithful brother, I still shudder when I recall the day. But then, I was young. I’m much older now, not necessarily better off but much more comfortable and flexible. Except when that memory comes calling. Sheesh!
I guess we all get chances to be silly, but still it’s embarrassing. I know I’m not the only one here who’s past is so marked . . . so thanks for your understanding and for laughing quietly behind your hands.
But I’m not. I’m braying wild, uncontrolled shrieks of laughter and pointing at you. In between gasping for breath I’m calling the people in other rooms to “quick, come look”.
Thanks for the anecdote, I’m glad you got better. ;)
Oh, the shame. It never ends. The good part is that you got the joke. I did do that, though. *moves sand with toe* ;)
Crudely Wrott #56 wrote:
Heheh… the telltale sign of a “literalist.”
Sadly so, Sastra, before I separated the imaginary from the literal. Like many others, I was led to imagine that my feelings actually affected the behavior of reality on a scale that one person could hardly dream to achieve unassisted. Much of the allure of fundamental religion is made of such tissue and cobweb.
Like boygenius, I’m glad I got better, too.
By the way, I look forward to your comments, Sastra. You have a way about you that is confident and gentle and you have the practical wisdom to make that combination work. Long may you hold forth.
I have two copies of ‘The Origin of Species’ and three copies of ‘The Selfish Gene’.
I’m not ashamed – I’m affirmatively pleased.
Crudely Wrott #60 wrote:
Oh, thank you! I always feel a bit like I’m sneaking into the Big People’s table …
On one of the recent threads, a Quaker who’d dropped by to a group pummeling thanked me for being “comparatively gentle.” That made me laugh. Maybe that’s my trick.
I think that the figures for bestsellingness of the bible are skewed by the fact(oid) that many organisations print bibles, then sell them to themselves, then give them away to their victims.
As for bragging about not owning a bible, you are missing out on a lot of fun! My current favourite is Deuteronomy 23:12-14.
@Crudely Wrott: your story is awesome, your embarrassment must be even more so. Kudos to you for your recovery and to your brother for not pushing you off your perch.
For our next project, everyone: wear a Bible as a hat. I’m thinking some sort of wire-loop arrangement to hold it open and in place.
Sastra said:
Well, it is biblical to be as “cunning as a serpent and as harmless as a dove.” [Matt. 20:16] That’s one of the verses that was part of my loss of faith. It struck me that I already was and that many others also were without being overtly religious. It was just part of a normal day without faith and a similar day with faith had nothing special to brag about.
As far as “affirmative” or any other adjective meant to sharpen or clarify my point of view in the mind of another, I resort to the base state. “Normal” or “regular” are as functional as any clarifier could be and are really not required. I affirm that a simple admission of having no faith in a Discorporate Invisible Supernatural Spook is sufficient even while observing that it really isn’t. The truly faithful will always find a way to wriggle inside my statement. Another reason that this site is a useful and welcome refuge.
And you are most welcome. It is really I who feel as though I am sitting with the Big Kids. *grins big dumb grin*
Stephen Wells adroitly proposes an alternative to my improper stacking:
Might I suggest holding it open to Matthew 10:16 as mentioned above. Or possibly John 11:49, “Lord, by this time he stinketh.”
Perhaps a propeller on top to give it all a certain high tech velocity, a feeling of motion . . . something to attract the kids.
I already have a good hat. At work and in various stores I find paper hat dispensers (in the toilet stalls for some unknown reason). They have nice, wide brims and I can tape the crowns to my forehead. Every time I wear one of these hats people stop to admire it.
The paper that most bible pages (korans as well) are made of makes a great Origami paper. Yes I know this from experience.
Thus I don’t have a bible to stand on, right now.
Right now…
PZ, are we gonna see a pic of you (or perhaps the Trophy Wife) standing on a stack of holy works?
It could be the next Crackergate!
Of course what they really need to mention is that they stand unashamedly and uncompromisingly on the King James Bible. After all if Elizabethean English was good enough for Jesus it’s good enough for them. Not like all those naughty fake Christians who translate from texts in those weird foreign languages like Greek.
Must be catlick bibles, – no condoms allowed.
If I were to stand on my pile of religious texts, including a Torah, Mishnah, Q’ran, Bible (Revised Standard version), a book on Buddhism, a bucketload books about of Celtic and Native American myths (mainly used in the past as references for LARPing) plus lots of new-agey crap, I’d probably fall off and break my neck. So, in the interests of OH&S, I shall respectfully decline.
The good news is that my collection of atheist texts is also getting dangerously high, especially after the GAC, and has relegated most religious textes to a box in the spare room.
Thanks, ‘Tis. IPA out the nose feels excellent.
Oh man, I do not have the room in my apt. for a new baby bible once a year.
Time to get those bibles neutered.
I’m wondering how many folks north of, say, the Mason-Dixon line heat their homes of a winter’s evening. Or even those wonderful times the temperature doesn’t go above zero for 3-4-5 days at a stretch. It’s certifiably an abomination, don’t you know, to kindle a fire on the sabbath. In my locale, where the expected lows can easily drop to -30° and the wind chills to -50° or lower, being a true believer would readily result in becoming a very rigid believer. And I have associates who scoff at my “moderate” winter conditions.
As to “standing on the bible,” any decent university or seminary library can supply upwards of 200 different (and often wildly divergent) versions; standers’ tastes readily and variously accommodated.
“…they stand unashamedly and uncompromisingly on the King James Bible.”
One of the worst possible translations, notable only for its careful and deliberate use of phraseology which was even in their own time a bit grand, archaic & therefore pompous and remote.
i think you all are missing that “i am not ashamed” is a quote from romans 1:16 which is probably an allusion to mark 8:38.
but i think answers in genesis is missing the point if they think that the apostle paul was talking about giving a shout-out to other believers on a christian website. paul was talking about touring the known world and being stoned and beaten for disrupting the pagan and jewish religious establishment.
Not going to stand on my copy of the bible cause I do not want to break my Kindle.
But why not start a counter campaign of I am ashamed of those who are not ashamed……… Logo, lapel pins, tie tacks, bumper stickers, stickers for hotel bibles, etc.
black-wolf72 | March 21, 2010 4:28 AM:
HEY!! How could say such an insulting thing!? Nazi zombies from outer space are discriminating connoisseurs of fine beer!
What was it Gomer Pyle used to say ?
“Fool Me once, Shame on You!, fool me twice, Shame on Me! ”
Gomer . . . bible trivia for 200.
Really shanemless would be standing on the book in the nude (rear view as not to offend the too sensative…)
But then one would need a really thick version of the book to get the full effect and be able to read the title…. And I’m not wasting money on one like that for some silly picture. Sorry.
“I am not ashamed!”
“You should be, you should be …”
My only bible is a tiny little pocket version given to me by a religious friend, too small to stand on even with one foot, I’d have to be on tippy-toe!
Kobra @ 4:
That would be Walmart, except for the good/bad part.
The religious love to be martyrs and this is a great example of it. By convincing their sheep that they “DO NOT NEED TO BE ASHAMED TO LOVE JESUS” they subconsciously also convince them that many people think it is shameful. The fact is the US is 76.8% christian (2007 est.) and they are in the large majority. That doesn’t make you a martyr, it makes you a mark.
#27 vreejack
Bart Ehrman, who is a leading authority on the early church & Jesus (and who lost his fundy faith after studying the New Testament), teaches scripture. He asks his incoming students if they have read Dan Brown – most hands go up; then he asks how many have read the WHOLE bible – only one or two hands go up. He finds it sad but amusing that these people think the Bible comes directly from God’s mouth to their ears but they don’t bother to actually read it.
Ehrman’s books are an excellent read.
I couldn’t find a bible but I did find some turtles.
Should I stand on THEM, all the way down ?
Hmmm, I’ll see what I can find to stand on (after I get home from work, that is!).
I’ve got a series of “The World’s Greatest Religions” in 3 volumes (Time Life — gift from grandparents) that I could use.
I know it includes most forms of “Christianity” as well as Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, etc.
That should cover most everyone (no atheism from what I recall — obviously I haven’t READ the thing, yeesh.).
Maybe take a Gideon bible and introduce it to a shredder?
I decided to pick a selection of worthy tomes!