It’s getting meta. (It always does, doesn’t it. Internet–>everyone can answer–>everyone does–>everything always goes meta.) Fans of Christians who crash non-theist events are indignant that atheists think Christians who crash events are obnoxious belligerent intrusive shits. Like this guy at the Blaze; he reports the plans of the “True Reason” people then adds:
The Christians behind the effort want atheists to know that they’re reasonable individuals who are prepared to confront them with love.
Typical, innit – first, the stupid assumption that atheists are unaware that Christians see themselves that way, and second, the blithe assumption that “confronting” people with a religious ideology they are known to reject is a benevolent thing to do. The atheists at the Reason Rally aren’t going there to be “confronted” by Christians, any more than Christians go to church to be confronted by atheists. (No, I’m not saying the rally is atheist church. None of that now.)
At particular issue, the site proclaims, is the idea that atheists are using their “Reason Rally” “to trumpet the message that reasonable people reject belief in God.” Christians, of course, disagree with this notion. To ensure they interact with and combat the overwhelming aura of non-belief, “True Reason” participants will give out free bottled water, a printed mini-book called “Reason Really” and copies of a book about Christianity and atheism during the “Reason Rally.”
Notice again the entitled privileged obtuse assumptions – that it’s a bad thing that there should be an “overwhelming aura of non-belief” at a rally for reason, and that TR participants have every right (moral, social, etc) to interact with and combat that aura – that they get to intrude on an occasion that they disagree with in order to interact with and combat it.
Theocrats in action.
OffTopic- I’m used to looking at this site with adblocking on, but today I’m on a computer without – ugly. So ugly. At least it isn’t xtian “university” ads, but the one that used the phrase “strange fruit” hit my head the wrong way.
On- I don’t know why they’d be annoyed at our annoyance. It isn’t like we said they should be banned from the sidewalk for it. People just said it’s rude. They’re rude, they know it, and if they want to tell themselves they’re being rude “with love” like it’s a fckin intervention and go have a good self-esteem wank over it, I support their right to do so.
I guess I didn’t have anything new to contribute to this conversation. It’s probably why I don’t blog myself, or comment on FTB very often. Carry on! Excellent indignation, madam! L8r.
It’s like when you say you hate liver, someone always says, “Here, try it the way I cook it–it’s so tasty!”
No, it’s still liver.
And I hate it.
Eh—bring ’em on. Sure it’s stupid, blindly privileged, and rude, but we can handle it. Seems to me it’ll be a positive experience to confront ignorant Christian proselytizers in a context in which they’re the out-shouted minority. We can handle ’em.
Speaking of which: how many of us Butterflies & Wheels denizens plan to be in D.C. for the Rally? I’m looking forward to meeting lots of cool nonbelievers. (While mocking the God-floggers, if they insist.)
Well, this should turn out interesting.
#3 As a partial denizen of Washington, D.C. (I am one of the owners of a small business there, though living in Baltimore). I will certainly be there. Not a regular commenter here, but avid regular reader. When the call for volunteers to help the rally went out, I answered the call immediately, just to do what I can to help, we’ll see if and what the organizers need help with.
If someone sends me a private, but small jet I’ll be there too. It looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun.
“If someone sends me a private, but small jet I’ll be there too. It looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Why would you reject the offer of a large jet?
Sadly, I can’t. There’s an ocean in the way. I hope there will be plenty of recordings, so I won’t miss it all.
That would be vulgarly ostentatious.
How about a submarine?
It’s telling that they keep trying to conflate the word ‘reason’ with the colloquial sense of the word ‘reasonable’ rather than with ‘logic and skepticism.’
It seems deliberately obtuse to me. The phrase, “Hey, these atheists don’t think that you’re reasonable!” is more likely to offend than “Hey, these atheists don’t think that you’ve critically examined the evidence for your religion!”
Maybe they should be confronted at their churches. I don’t know if that’s a good idea or not, but perhaps it should be considered an option.
Rieux @3: I’m there, with bells on. Also, Ed and Hemant are planning some sort of post-Rally restaurant rendezvous, which makes me glad I didn’t pre-pay for the Sat dinner at the AA Convention. I’m hoping to shake hands with a bunch of folks I currently know only as blog-nyms.
Yes, there’s definitely some big FTB meetup planned, which I haven’t been paying attention to because it makes me cry into my pillow. You should all attend if you’re going to the rally.
jackvance @ 12: I think that if True Believers show up, atheists should, very politely, take their names and find out the name and address of their church. “We’re not debating Christians now, this is a rally for us to talk to each other. But we’ll be happy to show up, lots of us, at your church on Sunday. Then we’ll be happy to debate your whole congregation.” Not that I think we should go, I just think we should make them think about how they’d like that.
OTOH, it wouldn’t be a bad tactic to just separate individuals and surround them. Let them find out what it feels like to be a tiny minority.