STEP 1: Here’s the original cartoon that’s been making the rounds on the web:
STEP 2: Compare what actual atheists are regularly noted for (hint: it’s not positively extolling the virtues of nonbelief, that’s for sure):
– Flinging ‘unholy water’ on a highway to negate a blessing
– Put up signs mocking religion – on space for Nativity scenes… Which gets all displays banned (tipped by wits0).
– Booking up as many display lots as possible – intentionally at Christmas and Hannukah time
– ‘De-baptizing’ people of holy water with a hair dryer
– Offering porn in exchange for Bibles to declare that the Bible is worse
– Threatening a lawsuit to force the removal of a landmark chapel from a city logo – because it has a cross
– Put up a confrontational billboard, at Christmas of all times
– More confrontational and mocking billboards, at Christmas and targeting Christmas themes
– Trying to get a historic cross landmark removed
– Succeeding in getting crosses that stood for decades on a municipal building removed by threatening lawsuits
– Getting free Bibles removed from hotel rooms
– Getting free Bibles removed from guest rooms
– Getting a coach ordered to stop leading team prayers
– Threatening a restaurant which gives discounts for praying before meals
– Threateneing a pizza joint which gives a discount for bringing in a church bulletin
– Trying to get a cross removed from police property… Even though the only guy who can actually see it doesn’t feel offended by it!
– Christians (including chaplains!) being harassed out of the military by militant atheistic intolerance of any and all religion
– City being sued year on year to remove a cross that resides on private property – at taxpayer expense!
– Seemingly the majority of remarks left on a blog, comments section, message board or Twitter feed by atheists. Examples: ohTHATJesus Twitter feed, By The Book Comics.
– BONUS anti-Judaism… Demanding that the Star of David be barred from a Holocaust memorial!
– Among the most rabid hobbies of basically every single Communist regime which all just happen to be de-facto atheist. Examples: Leninist Russia, Stalinist USSR, Communist China, Khmer Rouge Cambodia, North Korea, Cuba, Calles’ Mexico, and overall list here.
STEP 3: Thus I submit my edit of the cartoon, to better reflect reality:
As Ace says:
But one of the central planks of the Church of Atheism is that religion is inherently evil and causes you to behave like an a$$hole.
Well, that’s not true. Most religious people are as far away from a$$holery as is possible.
Sure, there are the always-present Some. Some are a$$holes. Sure.
But if it’s religion that’s causing all this illogic and anger and emotionalism and pettiness and spitefulness and general a$$holery, why is it so present among those who have no religion?
Ace, btw, is not a religious person – self described as atheist/agnostic – and is by no means a Christian.
And via AoSHQ, Dinesh D’Souza:
But if you think about it, this is an inadequate explanation, because if you truly believe that there is no proof for God, then you’re not going to bother with the matter. You’re just going to live your life as if God isn’t there.
…
What I’m getting at is that you have these people out there who don’t believe that God exists, but who are actively attempting to eliminate religion from society, setting up atheist video shows, and having atheist conferences. There has to be more going on here than mere unbelief.
And from Kurt Schlichter:
Tis The Season For Militant Atheists To Whine
…
The key is not to be a jerk – that goes for both the person sharing his views and the person hearing them.
But jerkiness is the difference between the decent guy who’s just not feeling the connection with the Lord and the smug militant atheist who thinks that putting a fish sticker with legs that says “Darwin” on his Prius is biting social commentary.
…
These atheist evangelicals aren’t satisfied not to believe. They think we need to not believe too. They seem to live under the bizarre misapprehension that if they are just rude enough to us believers, we’ll somehow unsee the light, put the scales back on our eyes and cast off our faith to embrace a life of spiritual emptiness.
…
The most annoying ones file lawsuits. Somebody wants to say a prayer before a Friday night high school football game in East Tumbleweed, Texas, and you can be sure some litigious twerp will allege that he is being subjected to the worst religious oppression since the Christians played the lions in the Colosseum.
And what Christmas and Hanukkah season would be complete without some friendless killjoy suing because a town decided to stick a cross and a menorah out in front of city hall? The sight of so many happy, content people seems painful to them. But then, have you even met a happy, content militant atheist? If so, what was the name of his unicorn?
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See also twin posts, Christianity Inspires Good in A Way Unbelief Cannot Emulate (serious) and Things That Are Highly Unlikely (Atheism vs Christianity) – Me on Twitter (snarky).