Wherein an Atheist explains his hostility to religion AND the religious.
Last Sunday I recommended this diary by Cenk Uygar which in the name of Freedom of Speech, was quite profane and called out Muslims and Catholics. As I understand it, the diary was triggered by two actions of religious groups over the weekend:
1. The Catholic League furor over the Naked Chocolate Christ,
2. The UN resolution to ban insults to religion.
Of course, a hot discussion ensued, a major part of which were people suggesting that the diary should be pulled and the author Troll Rated and people challenging as to what specifically was so offensive about the diary.
In the back and forth no-one explained why such a diary received such a positive response.
And this I will attempt to do after the jump.
"You're quite Hostile."
"I got a right to be hostile, man. My people been persecuted!!!"
Prophets of Rage
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold us Back
Public Enemy
I think first you have to understand my view of the world and dare I say it, the view of a lot of atheists.
1. Religion rules our lives.
It wasn't designed or destined to be this way. The Founding Farthers of America had a brilliant idea, never before seen in the history of the planet: Separation of Church and State. Of course this was sort of dictated by the situation they encountered at the time, a need for Unity among 13 different states and a myriad of religions, to try to keep at peace at home and defend against foreign enemies. Unfortunately, this principle was soon subverted. Increasingly more so from the American Civil War to today.
Now atheism in the eighteenth century was probably a very radical idea, which very few people would express. But even then, if you applied a little bit of logic to the standard christian religious dogma, it would fall apart. They didn't have the knowledge or science to replace it with,Darwin was nearly 80 years away and the astronomical and physics discoveries about the universe another 100 to 150 years after their hey-day, but they understood that christian, and by extension all religious dogma didn't work. That's why they were deist. Which is to say that they paid no attention to standard religious dogma.
Since then this country has regressed from unique, ultimately respectful and universe changing idea. To the constant invasion of the public sphere by that most jealous of ideas, religion. Religion and the religious have sneaked in "In God we Trust" on the money I have to use, "One Nation under God" in my children's classrooms, A chaplain in the Halls of Congress where I am represented and so on. I am offended by every one of these examples and more, but since there is an unofficial religious test for high office and judgeship all complaints are brushed off as "Without Standing". Absurd on its face, but since the religious do the judging in this country, who's going to say NO!
So this is the situation where we start. A country that is nominally secular, but in reality is anything but. Where all are forced daily to genuflect to religion whether they are religious or not.
2. Now add the crazies and the not so crazies.
The Catholic League, the muslim mullahs and the Evangelical Fundamentalist, Right-wing Judeo-Christians are the crazies. The not so crazies are the enablers. They are the Catholics, Muslims, Jews, Evangelicals and others who are quick to take offense that too broad a brush is being used when describing the crazies but have very little to say in their own congregations to object to or stop the crazies. They are the concern trolls, if you will, of civic life.
3. Now Add Me.
I'm generally polite and tolerant. I don't use profane language except when really angry or upset. But I'm not offended by the use of profane language by others, although I think you should be cognizant of small children when employing such language.
So given the situation of a psuedo-secular country, and loud, crazy religio-bigots, religio-concern trolls and nice, polite guy such as me, what was so recommendable about Cenk's diary?
Well, the following:
A: The title ( Islamic Countries Can Suck Jesus's Chocolate Covered Cock ).
It was bold and although physically impossible, hit all the points to offend both the crazies and the not so crazies i.e. Profanity, Sex, Homosexuality, prophets and religious irreverance.
B:The Argument
I don't think any of the relgio-concern trolls read past the words Islamic, Jesus and Suck and Cock. That was enough to start complaining about. But the argument in the diary is that the religio-crazies do not have the right to constrain anyone's speech, even if it is derogatory to any or all religions. It may not be nice, it may not be polite, the relgio-concern trolls do not have to like it. But they don't have the right to stop it. And even complaining about it, is bad form. That anyone paid attention and removed the sculpture and passed the resolution is worse.
C:It was Funny as Hell
I'm sorry if anyone was unable to get by the title to see the rest of the diary. But, the diary itself was funny and made the important point the profane and offensive speech is still speech and should be protected, no matter who's god is offended or disrespected or blasphemed against.
So that is why I recommended a diary that I doubt changed the mind of one religious person (but I don't think it was intended to). It was funny, and it expressed the frustration that I feel and I think atheists in general feel, but all the extremely religious, partially religious and psuedo-religious 90% of the rest of the country ignores.
Side note:
The religio-concern trolls often have a honey better than vinegar complaint about profanity, insults to religion and jokes about their various gods. This is TOTAL BULLSHIT. The religious are impervious to logic and argument, that is the essence of religion. The polite word for this is FAITH. It means don't bother arguing with me or presenting me with facts, I have FAITH.
Update:
Fixed the Link to Cenk's Diary.
Also thanks to the other atheists ( Pope Guilty comes to mind) who did the heavy lifting in the comments. I didn't expect such an immediate response and bugged out to do some afternoon chores.