tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16594468.post2974186722647202046..comments2023-10-24T04:29:23.693-06:00Comments on Atheist Ethicist: Texas Church ArsonAlonzo Fyfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687777216426347054noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16594468.post-58446609215828005222011-02-20T20:26:02.193-07:002011-02-20T20:26:02.193-07:00Although I certainly share the concern that at som...Although I certainly share the concern that at some point in the future, an atheist might perform a very public criminal and/or immoral act and thereby damage the reputation (such as it is) of atheist groups in general.<br /><br /> While such an instance would doubtless be jumped on by religious fundamentalists in America as "proof positive" that atheists have no morals, or that religion breeds moral behavior, etc, it simply is not true that one could ever commit such an act BECAUSE of atheism.<br /><br /> One may attempt to justify vandalism or violence against a church due to its "damagin influence" to society...but such a belief is a seperate matter from atheism. There are certainly atheists who do not believe religion is damaging and there are clearly theists who believe other people's churches are damaging to society. The two simply do not necessarily go hand in hand.<br /><br /> It is logically impossible to commit an act of violence...or any act at all...based soley on one's atheism.Jynxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07462596817200170804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16594468.post-16773445118508686882010-03-23T14:53:55.107-06:002010-03-23T14:53:55.107-06:00The people who burn churches are normally people w...The people who burn churches are normally people who are particularly against the christianity for some personal reason, normally excessive indoctrination, someone who has suffered from the inherent evil in religion.Torenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16594468.post-84635925427498285402010-02-21T13:07:50.248-07:002010-02-21T13:07:50.248-07:00Most Christians don't rally behind anti-aborti...Most Christians don't rally behind anti-abortion activists that bomb clinics. I think your mistaken. I also don't see athiests committing violent acts on religions as most that I have met seem to believe that you should let people do their own thing.<br /><br />I personally think the arsonists in Texas are satanists or they think they are vampires.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16083922653867780216noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16594468.post-52924734498278400752010-02-15T20:11:46.301-07:002010-02-15T20:11:46.301-07:00I'm not so sure that any proactive action is r...I'm not so sure that any proactive action is really required here. I'm fairly certain that should there be an act of violence at the level of a church bombing done in the name of "no-god" the leading atheists (Harris, Dawkins, PZ) would be quick to denounce it. Following that, the perpetrator of a crime such as this would be immediately bounced from any atheist groups, forums, etc. by his fellow non believers. Essentially, we'd all disassociate ourselves from him right away, because we simply do not condone that kind of behavior in anyone, believer or not. <br /><br />This is a stark difference that atheists have from believers--there would be no rallying around the bastard like religious numbskulls do whenever one of theirs bombs an abortion clinic or something. <br /><br />Lunatics who commit crimes against people to advance a cause of some sort or strike fear in innocent people are terrorists. No matter your justification, it's still wrong.kshepnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16594468.post-82171005250507663242010-02-14T16:44:09.345-07:002010-02-14T16:44:09.345-07:00And I should add it's supposedly an inverted *...And I should add it's supposedly an inverted *burning* cross.<br /><br />http://ironicsurrealism.blogivists.com/2010/02/12/sketches-of-texas-church-arson-suspects-25000-reward/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16594468.post-21199661258750293742010-02-14T16:42:46.567-07:002010-02-14T16:42:46.567-07:00http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/sta...http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/state&id=7273685<br /><br />That report says one person of interest has an inverted cross tatoo, symbolizing... Satanism? I'm not very familiar with Satanism so I'm not sure if the inverted cross is a symbol of it. (Now watch FOX try to say that Satanists are atheists)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16594468.post-80932642670869287042010-02-13T10:37:11.395-07:002010-02-13T10:37:11.395-07:00Oh yeah! I forgot the request: "What have yo...Oh yeah! I forgot the request: "What have you done to promote or to inhibit that possibility?" I'm at a loss for finding an atheist parallel to the vitriol I've read aimed at atheists. What I've met are people who want to be let alone, and in return will let people alone. I've heard of Hitchens and others speaking of the bad influence of religions on society, but I haven't heard of any atheist taking actions against members of a religion in response. You should provide some examples of violent events committed by atheists where you can argue the presence of a plausible link between atheist criticism of religion or of particular religious figures and the atheists' actions. Otherwise, your entry is speculation that could in itself hurt the public image of atheists by providing a public atheist figure taking the idea seriously.mobathomenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16594468.post-73747523923215237582010-02-13T10:15:49.501-07:002010-02-13T10:15:49.501-07:00I'll tell you how it will happen because it...I'll tell you how it will happen because it's happened before. It will be an "atheist" who is angry at god. That is some religious person alienated from their church and, by the church member's acts, feeling rejected by the church's god. They will decide they have no gods and be, in essence, a non-worshipping theist who is angry at their god. (Is the young C.S. Lewis an example?) It'll be easy to call that person an atheist: they may do so themselves, and community members will certainly do so, as will MSM.mobathomenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16594468.post-48854351718163075962010-02-12T15:44:05.072-07:002010-02-12T15:44:05.072-07:00This worries me as well. EVENTUALLY some atheist w...This worries me as well. EVENTUALLY some atheist will do something like this. It has the potential to lead to a lot of fuss and it's going to be hard for those of us who try to speak out against religion. As you say, we must make people realize that there are no "atheist commandments" that tell people to be violence (or non-violent, for that matter).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com