Still More Things Atheists Didn’t Do
By Dave Hitt on Jun 26, 2009 in Things Atheists Didn't Do
This is another installment in our continuing series of Things Atheists Didn’t Do.
A pedophile priest, not an atheist, claimed he was only giving his victim anatomy lessons.
Muslims in Pakistan stoned a Christian man to death. His crime? Drinking tea at a roadside stall that was designated for Muslims only.
When a Christian church that tortured a gay teen via an exorcism to rid him of his faggy demon was criticized for their stupidity, Dr. Gary Cass of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission slammed the critics, accusing them of intolerance.
An Oregon couple let their 15 month child die of pneumonia, refusing medical treatment and praying for her instead. If her parents had been atheists she would be alive right now.
An orthodox Jewish couple are suing their neighbors, claiming that an automatic hall light, which is triggered by people entering the hall, imprisons them in their apartment. This, they claim, prevents them from leaving on the Sabbath. If they were atheists instead of idiots they could leave whenever they want.
Eight people drowned a 22-year-old mother of two trying to lift a curse from her. She would have been much better off with atheist friends.
An Islamic woman starved one of her children to death, after torturing her, because she thought she was possessed. Her other five children were seriously malnourished. Too bad her mother wasn’t an atheist.
Fr. Alphonse de Valk has declared that Atheism is a threat to civilization. If he were an atheist he’d be smarter than that. Not to be outdone, Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor has declared that atheists are not fully human.
Opening a dialog between religions may not be a good idea. Ernest McCullough, a Christian, got into an argument about religion with a Muslim, who ended the debate by shooting him in the leg.
In Maryland, a woman starved her son to death because he wouldn’t say Amen. She’s expecting him to be resurrected. That hasn’t happened so far. Yet another child who would have been much better off with atheist parents.
In India, at least 50 people went blind staring into the sun looking for an image of the Virgin Mary. Atheists are never blinded by the light.
When a woman with an atheist boyfriend asked Pat Robertson for advice about finding a middle ground with him, Pat told her to break up with him because he’s “serving the devil.”
In India a “Hindu Taliban” is attacking women for drinking in bars and dressing inappropriately, including those wearing bathing suits at the beach and t-shirts with pictures of their deities on them. There are no reports of atheists beating up women over religion.
In Afghanistan, a Mullah who spoke out against suicide attacks was murdered by other members of his religion of peace.
In Russia, two Jehovah’s Witnesses went on a murder spree killing 13 people to rid the world of sin. (They should have just become vampires.)
In India, two seven-year-old girls were married to frogs to prevent the disease outbreaks in the village. Atheists don’t advocate girl-frog marriage.
A pretty sixteen-year-old girl was stabbed to death by her Muslim brother for listening to rock and roll and wearing makup. He stabbed her 26 times. He was preserving the family’s honor.
Great list… I hadn’t heard about the Maryland thing. That’s disgusting.
John
John | Jun 26, 2009 | Reply
There is no end to human cruelty! I’s to bad religion is around to make excuses for it!
Zedge | Jun 26, 2009 | Reply
I stumble upon such stories all the time. And about atheists being discriminated against in the US Military and stuff like that. The problem is that we serious atheists cannot get together and fight, lobby or voice our opinion as a united group. They do, and win most of the time.
Sad.
Diego | Jun 26, 2009 | Reply
In response to the last entry… if she had been an ugly 16 year old girl, it would totally be okay to stab her?
ellen | Jun 26, 2009 | Reply
this would funny if not so stupid. great site…
Yahya | Jun 26, 2009 | Reply
Great list, only complaint is the last one is not really religious based, just some demented dipshit.
Zodiypoo | Jun 26, 2009 | Reply
These are cases of extremists. Give the religious a bad name, not that I condone any of it. There are atheists that are extremists, there are also atheists that are idiots. I know quite a few religious folk that are both practical and intelligent. Just had to be the ‘devil’s advocate’. Also, as far as the military goes, they’ve started a don’t ask don’t tell policy with Neo Nazi’s, it sounds to me like discrimination against anybody isn’t a huge deal to them.
John | Jun 26, 2009 | Reply
not okay. so, yep! i’m an athiest, to put it in the simplest of terms. but unlike you, i’m not a non-believer filled with hate and incivilety towards all religions on the grounds of their extremists. you are the ones that give us a bad name. and as i read this, i was disguted with “my own kind”. some of these take it to far.
jenn | Jun 26, 2009 | Reply
No, these cases aren’t of extremists, they of mainstream thought. Your cases of religious folk that are practical and intelligent are the extremists. In fact, you just haven’t seen them when the chips are down. Or you’re not actually talking about religious but spiritual. There is a difference.
Tell me though, how does an atheist be an “extremist”? Do they stand and yell really loud “I DON’T HAVE A BELIEF IN GOD!” You obviously don’t understand what the hell and extremist is.
You last sentence makes the least sense. The military has huge discrimination problems. It’s mainly towards nonbelievers… Neo Nazi’s have a believe in god, they are a subgroup in Christianity… if you didn’t know that.
GMNightmare | Jun 26, 2009 | Reply
What does it matter that she was pretty?
In focusing on the failings of others we lose sight of the failings in ourselves.
All things in moderation.
Brandon M. Sergent | Jun 26, 2009 | Reply
In response to the last entry… if she had been an ugly 16 year old girl, it would totally be okay to stab her?
What does it matter that she was pretty?
Ellen, that was just stupid. Brandon, it’s simply part of the story. And while I have many failings too, none of them are caused by or made worse by superstition.
Great list, only complaint is the last one is not really religious based, just some demented dipshit.
It is absolutely religious based. Muslims murdering their women in honor killings are a common, every day occurrence.
There are atheists that are extremists, there are also atheists that are idiots.
I have met atheists who are extremists (they’re rare, though) I have met atheists who are obnoxious (I’ve been called that myself, and don’t deny it) but I have never, ever met one who was an idiot.
I know quite a few religious folk that are both practical and intelligent.
Most of my friends are religious, and they are also practical and intelligent. (I don’t hang out with stupid people – they’re boring and predictable.) But that’s not what these lists are about.
Dave Hitt | Jun 26, 2009 | Reply
People who believe in absurdities will commit atrocities! I despise religiots.
proud kuffar | Jun 26, 2009 | Reply
Imagine a world without religion. I wont live
so long. Sorry about that.
proud kuffar | Jun 26, 2009 | Reply
Sorry does not fix these things.
proud kuffar | Jun 26, 2009 | Reply
What are these idiots using for brains? Sheesh!
proud kuffar | Jun 26, 2009 | Reply
Well no. It would still be bad if she were ugly. Just not as bad if she were hot.
mike | Jun 26, 2009 | Reply
“Tell me though, how does an atheist be an “extremistâ€? Do they stand and yell really loud “I DON’T HAVE A BELIEF IN GOD!—
LOL. That was awesome.
Heidi | Jun 26, 2009 | Reply
Kuffar, perhaps you should just come in again.
Johnny V | Jun 26, 2009 | Reply
Ha!!
good point
rini6 | Jun 27, 2009 | Reply
“Great list, only complaint is the last one is not really religious based, just some demented dipshit.”
I disagree with the above. These “honor” killings are based on religion. Women have to remain “pure” and virginal. They cannot be worldly in anyway. Men often use religion to subjugate women in these countries.
I’m not saying that all Muslims believe in these honor killings, but it is part of the religion, for some.
rini6 | Jun 27, 2009 | Reply
jenn, why are the beliefs of religious moderates any more respectable than those of religious extremists? They’re still just as irrational and just as fact-free. If we’re concerned with people trying to believe as many true things and as few false things as possible, religious moderates aren’t off the hook.
Just because a belief is less hazardous does not make it more respectable if it is still just as false.
Dave – I did my own little commentary on Fr. de Valk’s screed a short while back. The good Father seems to be significantly short on reality and long on fantasy, specifically with his claims on how religiosity affects the general health of a society. If you’d like to read it, check it out here.
Oh, and one more thing atheists didn’t do: Blame our economic situation on same-sex marriage, abortion, divorce, child abuse, etc. Great googly moogly…
MikeTheInfidel | Jun 27, 2009 | Reply
A couple of years ago in a ceremony that wasn’t officially legal, some gay friends got married. Just two years later the economy tanked – it must have been their fault. What else could it be?
Dave Hitt | Jun 27, 2009 | Reply
Well, what did you expect? These are people who put their faiths in logical fallacies, things which have no definitive proof (and the burden of proof, ladies and gentlemen, is on them — not us atheists), and various other supernatural phenomena that they, frankly, lack the ability to understand.
I suppose the belief in a “higher power”, so to speak, is not “wrong”, per se. I mean, not all religious people are bad, just as not all atheists are bad. Religion, as an idea, is not bad inherently. But it does make people so much more susceptible to being brain-washed. I mean, really. An atheist would have a difficult time being convinced that an oily schmear somewhere is a sign of the Second Coming of Jebus (or something), but a perfectly innocuous Christian might not. And thus starts the slippery slope to irrational belief.
Religion, though, is such a difficult concept to fight. I mean, all logic says the burden of proof lies on the one who claims existence. Thus, Christians must undeniably confirm the existence of God; Muslims, Allah; and so forth. But it’s frustrating to come up against the “Well, prove he doesn’t exist” brick wall. There is no definitive way to prove non-existence.
That being said, since people are so willing to believe everything that’s being flaunted as a religion (read: Scientology)… I believe I should start a religion based on pink invisible unicorns. And when a religious fanatic of a major denomination asks me where my proof is? “Well, prove they don’t exist.”
blufindr | Jun 28, 2009 | Reply
Forgot to check the “Notify me of followup comments” box. Don’t know how to fix that. This is all this post is here for.
Cheers.
blufindr | Jun 28, 2009 | Reply
Invisible pink unicorns are the best kind.
Heidi | Jun 28, 2009 | Reply
So very sad. Collaterally, when I was in law school, I wrote a seminar paper regarding faith healing exemptions to states’ manslaughter charges. The number of parents that didn’t face charges would astound you. And in every case, a simple antibiotic or procedure would have cured the child’s illness. Thankfully, things have started to change but there are still states that allow such a defense. I’d be willing to bet they’re all located in the bible belt.
matt | Jun 28, 2009 | Reply
@ rini6: “Dowry” and “Honor” killings are indeed
religion enabled. Women cannot be worldly in any
way. Hence fully dependent. Mechanism of oppression,yes!
proud kuffar | Jun 28, 2009 | Reply
I am an atheist living in a muslim country and currently trying to shoot a movie about a father who didnt want his daughter to go to school. when i was telling my story to my teacher (who is one of the most exprienced and famous people of cinema industry in my country) told me that the story doesnt work. girls are not allowed to go to school in some parts of my country and thats partly because of religion – honor of family ect. My professor said that NO FATHER on a personal level would want to keep his cilderen from education/a better life. But there are cicumstances.
I though about it and he is right i guess. Like the honor killings in which a brother or the father or an uncle goes out and kills the girl, sometimes for something as little as look out the window. I agree that they would all be better off being atheists but as my teacher pointed out its not easy.
Its very easy to tell them to become atheist from where we are sitting but the world they live in is so diffrent. I believe that no father would want to see his daughter dead. Except some sick cases. But they are still giving out the death order. I m picturing my father killing me for whatever reason – and i know that he d kill himself before he harms me. SO it makes me wonder, what kind of outer pressure they must be under to kill their own kids. it must be more powerful than mere belief. it must be more powerful than fear for their own lives and lives of their childeren. so i think i dont have a right to get out of my chair with all my freedom and choises and oppurtunities to go tell them “become atheists and it ll all be well”.
I guess if we re really concerned about the people and not only with flaunting our ability to become atheists, there are more important things to do than right lists.
I agree with every single thing you re saying but it still makes me angry because bad things happen to kids with religious parents and all you are doing right now is saying “i told you”. The only people who read these lists are either already atheist or very prejudiced against atheism.
this approach is not helping.
eye_snap | Jun 28, 2009 | Reply
“SO it makes me wonder, what kind of outer pressure they must be under to kill their own kids. it must be more powerful than mere belief”
There isn’t a force more powerful than belief and faith. It overrides reason, common sense, decency, and intellect at every turn.
I’m afraid there may be no cure for faith in many cases and that it will often be fatal to the believer. With that in mind, I have a solution! Mercy killings of the feeble-minded believers who won’t give up their belief in an imaginary friend!
They *should* be happy about it – I mean, getting to be with their “God” all the sooner.
::grin::
Megan | Jun 28, 2009 | Reply
“No, these cases aren’t of extremists, they of mainstream thought. Your cases of religious folk that are practical and intelligent are the extremists. ”
Soo…. I actually AM an extremist? That’s odd, as, in terms of mainstream society, i’m not that extreme… In fact, in terms of mainstream society, i’m pretty mainstream. I suppose i may be extreme in terms of religion, but that’s not what the phrase “religious extremist” means…
“why are the beliefs of religious moderates any more respectable than those of religious extremists? They’re still just as irrational and just as fact-free”
Just as much as there is no proof FOR a god or religion, there is no proof AGAINST it. Therefore, people like me who accept the fact that there very well could be a god, but that it’s just as likely not, are more accepting and rational than you :)
And i’d just like to say that i’m not an atheist, but each and every one of these appalls me as much as it would you. Who the hell prays for an ill child when they simply need a hospital and medicine? I mean, i can even think of a religious-based reason to convince these extremists… But i wasn’t there, and i’m astonished at the lack of compassion and care from these parents…
Oh, and, finally, eye_snap, i’m neither atheist nor prejudiced against atheism. I respect atheists, and probably have a tendency to lean towards atheism, but at the time-being i defy your last statement :)
Joe | Jun 28, 2009 | Reply
“Just as much as there is no proof FOR a god or religion, there is no proof AGAINST it”
There is also no proof against there being an invisible pink unicorn that likes pizza (may her hooves never be shod) that goes around behind me poking my bum with her horn… but if **I** got up and said that in public I’d be put away in a mental institution!!
These idiots who essentially say there is a big “GOD” who watches everything and makes stuff happen, are the exact same, but can run around freely teaching their nonsense to children when they are at their most vulnerable and believing.
Yeah there is a difference.
EXTRAORDINARY CLAIMS REQUIRE PROOF
Megan | Jun 28, 2009 | Reply
Small minds condemn that which they do not understand.
D-Girl | Jun 28, 2009 | Reply
@D-Girl
And rude ones insult people by calling them small-minded
@Megan
There is, as of yet, no method of proving string theory or the multiverse theory that comes from it. There may never be. However, it’s accepted by many scientists as a vaguely feasible theory. This extraordinary claim, afaik, have no proof. (Incidentally, i’m pretty into all this quantum physics, i kinda know my stuff here). So why not let us be with our mildly feasible theory?
Joe | Jun 28, 2009 | Reply
Are there atheist extremists? Yes. Are there stupid atheists? I’ll bet there are. Are atheists constantly warring, killing, molesting and raping in the name of atheism?
No. This is the basic, fundamental difference. If you don’t get it, you should get out of the conversation.
GMac | Jun 28, 2009 | Reply
I find it very hard to concieve how “extreme” atheism could lead to violence. I certainly know of no examples.
By playing “devil’s advocate” you are merely making excuses for the religious.
Alan McClean | Jun 28, 2009 | Reply
D-Girl, It looks like you’re saying those who do not believe in god are small minded. If that is the case, I wish only to ask you one question.
how is it small minded to question old stories and turn to things that can be proven over things that have no proof, such as religions that have not been around for the majority of human existence.
WWM | Jun 28, 2009 | Reply
GMac, I must applaud you. Very well put
WWM | Jun 28, 2009 | Reply
Why is it more disgusting when it happens in Maryland, than when it happens in India? It’s ridiculous no matter where you’re from.
Chris | Jun 28, 2009 | Reply
I can’t read this. It’s the lowest contrast web page I’ve ever seen, not counting the one with white text with a white background.
I’m using Safari on a Mac.
For shame!
Nate Lockwood | Jun 28, 2009 | Reply
I can’t read this. It’s the lowest contrast web page I’ve ever seen, not counting the one with white text with a white background.
I’m using Safari on a Mac.
For shame!
Whoops – after about a minute the page renedered correctly. My apologies.
Nate Lockwood | Jun 28, 2009 | Reply
@Joe: Perhaps because no one is trying to pass discriminatory laws based on string theory? No one kills or tortures in the name of string theory. No one goes to war in order to force other people to believe in string theory. And if evidence points to the likelihood that string theory is wrong, string theory adherents will accept that and find a better theory that fits the observable facts.
Heidi | Jun 28, 2009 | Reply
I think you are blaming religion in certain cases when the real culprit is mental illness. The religious fervor may be a byproduct of the mental illness.
Thaddeus | Jun 28, 2009 | Reply
Just be glad that these people were not atheists, because I have a feeling that the persons in question would have done this stuff anyway. You can’t help crazy.
…………………..
Carl Sagan once said, “Take that bible and shove it into the cosmos… up you’re ass.
Matt | Jun 28, 2009 | Reply
yep, they caused it. Their marriage has ruined all marriage in Minnesota. I’m sure of it.
Debbie | Jun 28, 2009 | Reply
Hmmmmm….. Let’s see now; we’re talking about a religon where people believe that the entire universe and everything in it was whipped up in 6 days by an immortal, super-powered extraterrestrial being who is the only one of his kind and has existed forever. Futhermore, this being recently got himself born as a man, died and then came back to life in order to save everyone on earth from the hell that he created. He can read the minds of all 6 billion members of the world’s population all the time and always knows what is going to happen because he MAKES it happen. Even so, he still allows us (his children whom he loves) to be cast into a lake of fire for all eternity if we say we don’t believe he’s real.
Can someone please clarify why anyone believing this stuff should NOT be classified as mentaly ill?
Chris | Jun 28, 2009 | Reply
@Megan: I don’t believe culling of those with strong beliefs is necessarily the best way to go. After all, I also know some Christians who are kind-hearted, gentle people — not self-righteous bigots. (Granted, there are more of the latter running around)
I agree whole-heartedly with you, RE: unicorns. There is absolutely nothing different between the belief in extraterrestrial, omnipotent unicorns, and the belief in God. One is more generally accepted by society, because it is the way it has been for most of human history. That is all. It is tradition to believe in the Holy Trinity. It is not yet tradition to believe in unicorns, or the Spaghetti Monster.
@Thaddeus, Matt: But that is precisely the point. Had they had any excuse other than “My God told me to do it”, they’d be locked away. As is, they escape punishment — because our society refuses to punish religious extremists.
@Debbie: I’d like to know why an all-loving God would punish an entire planet for two people’s happiness.
@Chris: Because it is tradition. It’s the way it was for misogynistic rituals like chastity balls, debutantes, and giving the bride away at a wedding. Until the religious many concede that there are certain aspects of their religions which simply do not apply to modern life, we shall have extremists continuing to kill in the name of God, and getting away with it to boot.
blufindr | Jun 28, 2009 | Reply
an atheist invented the nuclear bomb, killing millions of people. would i dare say “if that man knew the love of God he wouldn’t have made such a weapon of death?” no, that would be stupid, ignorant, and intolerant like this list. shame on the idiot who wrote this, taking extremist stories and trying to paint them as a religious norm. if the whole world were atheist, maybe we’d all be as dishonest and underhanded towards each other as you have been here. no, i am not religious, i am simply honest. try it some time
janzie | Jun 28, 2009 | Reply
@janzie: Pray tell, which “inventor” did you have in mind: Oppenheimer, Fermi, Einstein, or Rutherford?
Rather, the history of religion-based cruelty is long and bloody, compared to the list of atheism-based cruelty.
Belief in imaginary friends is discouraged in children, why not so in adults? Why are adults encouraged to get together in groups to discuss the supposed power of this “God”, for whom there is no definitive proof?
Nowhere in this article did the author state that this was the norm. He simply said that these were things that atheists did not do.
In addition, your implication that atheists are unprincipled is “ignorant”, “intolerant”, and “stupid”, at the very least. We do not lack morality. We simply do not feel the need to justify good behaviour with a book written by sheep-herders, about a supremely powerful being who’s never bothered to show his face to us.
Come back when you have evidence of atheists performing similar evils, and perhaps then you’ll be taken seriously.
blufindr | Jun 28, 2009 | Reply
Janzie, in America atheists make up about 15% of the population, yet only .2% of the prison population. What does that say about our morality?
BTW, Office Max is having a sale on capital letters this week. You might want to pick up a few boxes. And pick up a history book while you’re at it. As Blufindr correctly noted, the A-Bomb was designed by a *team* of scientists. A rather large team, all working on different aspects of the problem.
Dave Hitt | Jun 29, 2009 | Reply