Two stories came across my news desk this morning, both featuring rude atheists as their theme. One could have easily been written off as biased against non-believers considering the source was Glenn Beck. But when Jon Stewart from the Daily Show takes annoying atheists to task, it’s time to reconsider our approach.
Look, I’m an atheist too. I get it. Religious people have been treating us like crap for centuries. We’re the least trusted minority in America, even more than Muslims! And yes, I know how frustrating it feels to be surrounded by people who act like you’re the idiot because you don’t think virgins get pregnant (Even though almost 1% of US births are reportedly virginal).
We don’t have the luxury of group solidarity or regular meetings so we can confirm our biases and reaffirm our non-faith. And worse, atheists don’t even trust atheists. So yes, we face many uphill struggles against our beliefs, or lack thereof. But if you’re the type of person like Dan Barker, who is crusading against a small town restaurant that offers a 15 percent discount to customers who pray, then you really need to take stock of what’s important in life.
Freedom from Religion Foundation’s Dan Barker appeared on the Daily Show to compare the discount to the same discrimination blacks encountered by not being able to eat at lunch counters. “Under the law, Selma and a 15% discount are the same thing,” Barker said, comparing Civil Rights activism of the 1960s to the modern struggle of atheists. “In one case it’s race or skin color, in another case it’s religion.”
Are you serious? Barker you are such a dick. You’re not Christopher Hitchens destroying the Catholic church’s hypocrisy and oppression. You’re not Richard Dawkins schooling theocratic fundamentalists about how old the Earth is. You’re just a dick who’s making life miserable for other people and interfering with free exchange. It’s the same stupid BS as the homosexual couples who demand that they be served wedding cakes. No one owes you anything or should be forced to serve you anything from their own private business, no matter your color or creed.
Atheist activism has its place. Annoying small businesses who offer a discount to people who pray is not that place. No one is oppressing you by offering a service to their religious customers that they don’t offer to anyone else. And in truth, they actually DO give the discount to people if they are polite to the chef, or if they are a subscriber to the local symphony.
The second annoying atheist story to hit my desk today came from Glenn Beck, whose reasons for being upset I don’t share. An atheist activist in Lake Worth, Florida was allowed to the invocation to a meeting of the public commissioners last week. Preston Smith was gobsmacked at what he called the disrespectful and “un-American” behavior of commissioners, as well as the mayor Pam Triolo, who walked out while he led the invocation. Why did they do that? It wasn’t because he was an atheist. It was because of what Triolo described as an offensive and hateful Tweet that Smith had sent out earlier.
“We’re a diverse, tolerant city. We’ve had Wiccans, Quakers, Muslims and atheists deliver invocations. This had nothing to do with religion or anyone’s beliefs…I left because of vile, offensive comments [Smith allegedly Tweeted] about rape. I don’t find sexual assault funny or a joking matter in any way.”
From the Sun Sentinel:
Triolo said she was alerted by a constituent before last week’s meeting about Smith’s controversial Tweet, which was spotlighted by several conservative bloggers over the summer. During a Twitter exchange with a conservative critic of President Obama, Smith allegedly Tweeted “I’d hit that and make her my wifey,” about the man’s teen daughter, and then referenced a Bible verse [Deuteronomy 22:28-29] that talks about how someone who rapes a virgin must marry her. According to WPTV, Smith wouldn’t confirm or deny the Tweet.)
You’re not winning any friends with your activism when this is the level of discourse you set in public. Again, atheist activism has its place. I even support the placement of the statue of Satan at the courthouse in Oklahoma because there is a clear violation of the separation of church and state there. But again, the state is not the same thing as a private restaurant. And if you’re an atheist who is being given the opportunity to lead a convocation at your town council, you should be respectful, and expect that your behavior can and will be used against you.
You’ll catch more flies with honey than you will with vinegar. Save the vinegar for the state and for those who would truly suppress your liberties. Stop being such dicks.
41 comments