Fox’s house “Democrat” Kirsten Powers:
ABC News reports that atheists are finding their voice. Yeah, you’d never know they represent 2% of the population judging from the play their nonstop carping gets in the media.
Now, people know that I’m no fan of Sam Harris or the particular brand of slash and burn atheism that he embodies. But just for giggles, I was curious on a random day like today how many mentions of Harris racked up next to mentions of a prominent right-wing Christian like Jerry Falwell in order to test Powers’ theory of atheism’s supposed advantage in the media.
“Sam Harris”: 181
“Jerry Falwell”: 781
Another Powers Failure.
1) Atheists are 2% of the population? Well, it’s a little more, and there are more of us than Jews or Muslims.
2) I love how she singles out Muslims for “againstness,” for lack of a better word. I’ve met plenty of Christian and Jewish bigots, and both groups have the same prejudices as the Muslim bigots (and that includes non-fundie groups of the same overall religion). Christian fundies hate gays and atheists in particular, Jewish fundies hate Muslims and secular Jews in particular. Fundies are fundies are fundies, just file off the names. Muslims, while deluded in their belief systems, are not more deluded than Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, and others.
3) While atheists are 2-3% of the population, the non-religious population is 15% of the population. Atheists, agnostics and other folks who just plain don’t go to church are in the same fight, for the most part. That’s the fight to not have our kids forced to pray and to sleep in on Sunday morning without ridicule. (I like the second part quite a bit.)
4) Carrying on point 3, you’d never think that fundie Christians are only 15% of the population the way their nonstop carping gets in the media.
What is the term “House’s Democrat” .. What is the original use of the word “House’s ___”. You racist pig.
Ugh… how annoying. Diamond hits it on the head. Powers seems to think that Muslim extremists are the only religious group in the world that causes problems for anyone. What an idiot. Christian fundamentalists have caused a host of problems for many people in the world, including but not limited to the Klan’s escapades, rampant persecution of homosexuals, and putting Bush in office.
No great surprise that she’s one of Fox’s token “Democrats.”
Ian, do shut up and go away.
“I’ve met plenty of Christian and Jewish bigots, and both groups have the same prejudices as the Muslim bigots”
Me too. I’ve also met plenty of atheist bigots. How ’bout you?
I’d like Kirsten Powers to show this example of atheists “carping” in the mainstream media.
The definition of “to carp” is “to complain querulously or unreasonably.” Kirsten, show me an example of atheists “carping” in an organized manner. And after that, I’ve got a great snipe hunt you should go on
I’m not an atheist, but I do think it’s ridiculous that there’s a group of people as large as it is that literally have to conceal their beliefs in order to be electable in our society. How many atheists do you think run our Congress, have run our country? It’s simply crazy that they have to be in the closet about it.
I’m a Catholic, but I’m really sick and tired of a culture where everybody has to bow and scrape and tug the forelock to faith before you have a right to be listened to. If somebody has something to say that makes sense on the merits, I don’t give a flying fuck who they pray to, if anyone.
Have you, Dugger? That’s fascinating.
What’s your point?
mambo
Thought that was clear. The very first post here excoriates religious fundamentalists ONLY for bigotry. Atheists are people of (negative) faith and are just as capable of bigotry. I may be wrong, but I believe McVeigh was either an atheist or agnostic. Bet the Unabomber was also.
And notice OWs little scorecard re Falwell Harris did not mention how many Falwell mentions were negative. That (a lot of negatives) would hardly be an advantage.
Just helping with perspective.
No it doesn’t.
Nimmer
You can’t be helped with what you don’t have.
Making sense no longer an option, Dugger?
Because that’s not what Powers’ contention was. She was saying that atheists were sucking up the media oxygen, that’s demonstrably not true. Falwell’s negative comments tend to happen when he calls a teletubby gay or blames 9/11 on liberals.
The only “house” Oliver knows is the house of pancakes.
LOL BECAUSE HIS WEIGHT IS ABOVE AVERAGE YOU ARE TEH WITTY MR WILDE
Dugger, the first post on this board says nothing for atheist bigots, it’s true… but just because it references religious bigots doesn’t mean that Diamond was claiming that atheists are incapable of bigotry. What we are incapable of (despite what some religious folk believe) is fundamentalism in the way that Christians or Muslims are. We don’t adhere to any book, we tend to believe in science and observable phenomena rather than stories written thousands of years ago.
Additionally, I’d like to point out that atheist bigots are not causing the myriad of problems that Muslim or Christian fundamentalists are in the world. Or do you think that because we want to be free from judgment in the eye of the state that we are on the same level as the Klan, Muslim fundamentalists, or the like?
Ian, why do you even bother getting out of bed in the morning. Do everyone a favor and retreat from the world… it’s not your friend.
Alternatively, maybe add something of worth to the discussion rather than snide jokes about people’s weight.
Ian: Oliver, you racist pig! You racist, uh, racist black pig. Umm . . . er . . . well . . .
Yes, it is every bit as stupid as it sounds.