in need of an atheist physician for a panel discussion at Meharry

[Bunjagraham]

Hi, everyone! I am a medical student at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, TN, and I am looking for an atheist physician who would be willing to participate in a panel discussion at Meharry in November. One of my professors emailed me last night to ask for my help in locating someone for this discussion on spirituality in healthcare. I know a lot of doctors in town through various channels, but I don't know if any of them self-identify as atheist. Before I start randomly emailing doctors, I thought I would try posting here. If the panelist is not a physician, that's okay, but a physician or someone in healthcare would be better. I'd prefer any legitimate spokesperson to no one, though.

Thanks for any ideas you might have!

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[DoctaJay]

its going to be fun finding an atheist in the bible belt

 

[Law2Doc]

its going to be fun finding an atheist in the bible belt

I think it's going to be hard finding an atheist that is so atheist that he is willing to defend that point in a panel discussion. Most people who are atheists don't identify themselves as atheists the way religious people identify themselves as religious.

 

[flip26]

might google "atheist physician" and see if you find any news articles or links where someone has been mentioned...

 

[Monica Lewinsky]

its going to be fun finding an atheist in the bible belt

That is an incredibly ignorant comment.

 

[NonTradMed]

A recent survey revealed that about 20% of self-proclaimed atheists believe in a higher power. Make sure the atheist you speak actually understands what atheism is. I find that some self-described atheists are merely hostile to organized religion.

 

[NO2Noctors]

That is an incredibly ignorant comment.

Maybe, but probably more true than not.

 

[Messerschmitts]

Hi, everyone! I am a medical student at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, TN, and I am looking for an atheist physician who would be willing to participate in a panel discussion at Meharry in November. One of my professors emailed me last night to ask for my help in locating someone for this discussion on spirituality in healthcare. I know a lot of doctors in town through various channels, but I don't know if any of them self-identify as atheist. Before I start randomly emailing doctors, I thought I would try posting here. If the panelist is not a physician, that's okay, but a physician or someone in healthcare would be better. I'd prefer any legitimate spokesperson to no one, though.

Thanks for any ideas you might have!

Too bad I'm Buddhist People often confuse me for atheist though. "No, I don't believe in God. Why yes, I am religious though".

 

[thechad]

A recent survey revealed that about 20% of self-proclaimed atheists believe in a higher power. Make sure the atheist you speak actually understands what atheism is. I find that some self-described atheists are merely hostile to organized religion.

A recent survey also revealed that 20% of atheist don't know they are agnostic.

 

[AmoryBlaine]

A recent survey also revealed that 20% of atheist don't know they are agnostic.

Beat me to it.

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

Science be praised!

 

[JimiThing]

Too bad I'm Buddhist People often confuse me for atheist though. "No, I don't believe in God. Why yes, I am religious though".

If you don't believe in God, you're an atheist; no matter how religious you are.

 

[Napoleown]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectrum_of_theistic_probability

1. Strong theist. 100 per cent probability of God. In the words of C.G. Jung, 'I do not believe, I know.'
2. Very high probability but short of 100 per cent. De facto theist. 'I cannot know for certain, but I strongly believe in God and live my life on the assumption that he is there.'
3. Higher than 50 per cent but not very high. Technically agnostic but leaning towards theism. 'I am very uncertain, but I am inclined to believe in God.'
4. Exactly 50 per cent. Completely impartial agnostic. 'God's existence and non-existence are exactly equiprobable.'
5. Lower than 50 per cent but not very low. Technically agnostic but leaning towards atheism. 'I do not know whether God exists but I'm inclined to be skeptical.'
6. Very low probability, but short of zero. De facto atheist. 'I cannot know for certain but I think God is very improbable, and I live my life on the assumption that he is not there.'
7. Strong atheist. 'I know there is no God, with the same conviction as Jung "knows" there is one.'

 

[nsx]

I am a medical student at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, TN, and I am looking for an atheist physician who would be willing to participate in a panel discussion at Meharry in November.

Hopefully you get PMs.

 

[thechad]

If you don't believe in God, you're an atheist; no matter how religious you are.

You are a close minded idiot who obviously knows nothing about religious teachings.

Keep in mind there are plenty of people out there that will call you stupid for believing in, "Your God." There is no need to bash other religions.

 

[BSN2DOC]

That is an incredibly ignorant comment.

I expect nothing less from DoctaJay.

 

[dothesafetydanc]

You are a close minded idiot who obviously knows nothing about religious teachings.

Keep in mind there are plenty of people out there that will call you stupid for believing in, "Your God." There is no need to bash other religions.

I don't think he was trying to disparage anyone's religion. He was making the point that Buddhism is an atheistic in that it doesn't hold belief in a creator god(s). Which I think is technically true notwithstanding some variants of the religion.

For the sake of this conversation, the term naturalist or materialist would be better better fitting.

 

[thechad]

Touche.

I must point out though that some westerners would argue that Buddhism and other eastern religions are more of a philosophy rather than a religion.

 

[Blesbok]

A recent survey revealed that about 20% of self-proclaimed atheists believe in a higher power. Make sure the atheist you speak actually understands what atheism is. I find that some self-described atheists are merely hostile to organized religion.

I think the majority of "atheists" are actually agnostic theists/athiests.

 

[xanthines]

I dunno. As someone born and raised in the Bible Belt, I think that's probably an accurate statement. It's not that they don't exist (they do), but it's not something to proclaim too loudly. I think there are better links out there on why it's not a good idea to publicly admit you're an atheist but here's an inkling of what the American public thinks:

http://www.gallup.com/poll/26611/So...Mormon-72YearOld-Presidential-Candidates.aspx

Please to enjoy.

-X

That is an incredibly ignorant comment.

 

[Blesbok]

If you don't believe in God, you're an atheist; no matter how religious you are.

That isn't true. Atheists deny any possibility of a god. If you don't necessary believe that there is a god but at the same time don't deny that it is possible, you are an agnostic (of which there are many subdivisions).

 

[Blesbok]

A recent survey also revealed that 20% of atheist don't know they are agnostic.

Really? I am actually suprised it is that low. I would have guessed 50-75%.

 

[Monica Lewinsky]

I dunno. As someone born and raised in the Bible Belt, I think that's probably an accurate statement. It's not that they don't exist (they do), but it's not something to proclaim too loudly. I think there are better links out there on why it's not a good idea to publicly admit you're an atheist but here's an inkling of what the American public thinks:

http://www.gallup.com/poll/26611/So...Mormon-72YearOld-Presidential-Candidates.aspx

Please to enjoy.

-X

Your link is interesting but has nothing to do with this discussion.

Having lived in both deeply religious and very liberal areas, I have found that people are equally unopen about being atheist (except the vocal ones, who just don't give a ****).

 

[bcat85]

Your link is interesting but has nothing to do with this discussion.

Having lived in both deeply religious and very liberal areas, I have found that people are equally unopen about being atheist (except the vocal ones, who just don't give a ****).

My experience has actually been a little different. I lived on the East Coast for the summer and it is a bastion of secular atheism. People seemed very comfortable talking about it there. In the midwest, not so much. And every atheist I have met in the midwest is a vocal d***head who starts arguments with people because they're religious.

 

[DoctaJay]

I expect nothing less from DoctaJay.

I'm glad that I didn't disappoint.

 

[Bezoar1340]

I have been in practice for 34 years. I have been an atheist since age 17; a card carrying American Atheist for over 15 years. We are out there, but because of where I practice (north of TN) the christians seem unwilling to acknowledge or accept that I can even BELIEVE this way. In fact I have lost patients once they found out I’m atheist. Somehow in their narrow mined view they assume that I have suddenly become inferior as a healthcare provider. It actually works out best for us both.
As to the panel discussion, I have been and still am a victim of severe stage fright. I would be more than happy to debate any issue as it pertains to atheism and medical care on this forum. I am very sorry if this sort of thing is of no value but I have an opinion to offer, albeit from the computer and not a live pane discussion. My best to you finding someone for you live panel.
—
Cognito ergo deus non est

 

[Bunjagraham]

Bezoar1340, thanks so much for your reply. I sincerely appreciate your offer. I actually have found a physician here in Nashville who has agreed to participate in the live panel discussion. She describes herself as borderline atheist/agnostic, and has said she would be comfortable representing both of those points of view, which I think could be valuable. I will let you know if she becomes unavailable and I cannot find another physician who is able to participate in person.

I am sorry to hear that you have lost patients due to their inability to accept your beliefs. A Jewish physician at Meharry (a rarity) commented in last year's panel discussion that his Christian patients are generally perfectly fine with his being Jewish, because, after all, he does believe in God. I hope that having an atheist on the panel this year can in some way contribute to the understanding that atheists can be good people (and good physicians), too.

 

[The Angriest Bird]

Several comments:

1. Atheism is actually quite deep, even though at its surface it simply means "I don't believe on god(s)"

2. Claiming you are religious may earn you some friends. Claiming you are atheist will definitely earn you some enemies

3. In some parts of this country (US), "coming out" as an atheist is almost as hard as coming out as a homosexual

4. Declaring your atheist status will have tangible consequences on your education. Your dean may be Christian. The people who write your recommendation letters may be Christian. You never know who is a more tolerant person and who is not.

5. It may even hurt your future career as a physician if people spread the words out about you being atheist. There's a good number of patients who will choose another doctor simply because you don't believe in God.

P.S. I'm a strong atheist

 

[The Angriest Bird]

I actually have found a physician here in Nashville who has agreed to participate in the live panel discussion. She describes herself as borderline atheist/agnostic, and has said she would be comfortable representing both of those points of view

You would get a much better presentation if the comes from a strong atheist, i.e. not agnostic. With all due respect, agnostics give the worst presentation, because they are ... unsure by definition.

But I'm glad you've found one. Strong atheists are rare in our society. Strong atheists who live a healthy life (i.e. no drug, law-breaking etc) is even rarer. Strong atheists living a healthy life who actually understands the principles of atheism is extremely rare. Put them together, an atheist, who has a healthy life, who understands who she/he is talking about, and willing to present in a public setting, is almost as rare as scorpion-sting-induced pancreatitis.

 

[MattD]

You would get a much better presentation if the comes from a strong atheist, i.e. not agnostic. With all due respect, agnostics give the worst presentation, because they are ... unsure by definition.

But I'm glad you've found one. Strong atheists are rare in our society. Strong atheists who live a healthy life (i.e. no drug, law-breaking etc) is even rarer. Strong atheists living a healthy life who actually understands the principles of atheism is extremely rare. Put them together, an atheist, who has a healthy life, who understands who she/he is talking about, and willing to present in a public setting, is almost as rare as scorpion-sting-induced pancreatitis.

I check for scorpion stings in ALL my pancreatitis patients....


;-)

 

[Bunjagraham]

Those are some interesting points, Good Yeast. I suppose it is quite possible that being atheist could hurt one's career as a physician, but I think that is sad, just as I would find it sad if one's sexual orientation, race, etc. had a negative effect, but I suppose all of those things probably do in one way or another. As Bezoar1340 said, though, perhaps it is for the best if the most intolerant patients move on to a doctor they find more tolerable. I just wish we, as humans on this planet, were better at recognizing strength in diversity.

I hope that the speaker I found will be good, too, although the concerns that you expressed (about not having a "strong atheist") did cross my mind. I am glad to have someone, though, and she seems quite friendly and well-spoken.

I haven't learned about scorpion-sting-induced pancreatitis yet. Maybe I just don't live in the right part of the country for that or for "strong atheists."

 

[bcat85]

You would get a much better presentation if the comes from a strong atheist, i.e. not agnostic. With all due respect, agnostics give the worst presentation, because they are ... unsure by definition.

But I'm glad you've found one. Strong atheists are rare in our society. Strong atheists who live a healthy life (i.e. no drug, law-breaking etc) is even rarer. Strong atheists living a healthy life who actually understands the principles of atheism is extremely rare. Put them together, an atheist, who has a healthy life, who understands who she/he is talking about, and willing to present in a public setting, is almost as rare as scorpion-sting-induced pancreatitis.

This is really interesting, and fairly accurate. Almost every one of my atheist friends have some sort of serious substance abuse problems. That's purely anecdotal, but it's interesting that you say that Good Yeast.

 

[MattD]

I haven't learned about scorpion-sting-induced pancreatitis yet. Maybe I just don't live in the right part of the country for that or for "strong atheists."

Heh, it's amusing because it's one of the essential components of the ddx for pancreatitis when being pimped, even though the only scorpions known to produce pancreatits are native to S. America. It's useless trivia for U.S. docs

 

[TexasTriathlete]

Our answer to the great question is the only logical one. Allied Athiest Alliance! That way it has 3 A's!

 

[pgg]

Strong atheists are rare in our society. Strong atheists who live a healthy life (i.e. no drug, law-breaking etc) is even rarer. Strong atheists living a healthy life who actually understands the principles of atheism is extremely rare. Put them together, an atheist, who has a healthy life, who understands who she/he is talking about, and willing to present in a public setting, is almost as rare as scorpion-sting-induced pancreatitis.

You may want to consider the possibility that such atheists are rare not because there are few "healthy" atheists, but because they generally aren't the evangelical spread-the-word types, and find debating religion to be tedious, logically frustrating, irritating, and ultimately pointless.[1] It's not hard to see why there are few volunteers to participate in the OP's panel.

Personally, I'd rather poke salty paper clips under my fingernails than inflict a panel like that upon myself.


[1] Granted, there are annoying argumentative evangelical atheists out there, but they are in the same loud obnoxious minority as the Fred Phelps types.

 

[Shibalnom]

2. Claiming you are religious may earn you some friends. Claiming you are atheist will definitely earn you some enemies

3. In some parts of this country (US), "coming out" as an atheist is almost as hard as coming out as a homosexual

I think you're right, but I think it also depends on where you live. When I lived in Seattle I found the exact opposite to be true. People seemed repulsed if I told them that I am a Christian. I'm not much of an evangelist, so I just kept my mouth shut. Invariably, if a person knew me long enough, they would eventually ask "Where do you always go on Sundays?" and once I told them they would seriously react like I was coming out of the closet. Not everyone was like this of course, but it was more people than you would expect.

 

[Bezoar1340]

I think Shibalnom has essentially nailed it. Below the Mason Dixon line there is a stronger emphasis on religion, especially the hard core fundamentalist type.
I hosted 5 exchange students from Europe over the last 8 years. Unique to ALL of them was their almost blase attitude toward religion. They all agreed that religion is important but not to the extremes that we have made it in this country. Europeans have moved on from the inquisition, witch burnings etc. and keep religion in its rightful place--in CHURCH on SUNDAY.

 

[NonTradMed]

My experience has actually been a little different. I lived on the East Coast for the summer and it is a bastion of secular atheism. People seemed very comfortable talking about it there. In the midwest, not so much. And every atheist I have met in the midwest is a vocal d***head who starts arguments with people because they're religious.

I live in the midwest and I see this in people who are fed up with conservative Christianity in general. Some feel persecuted by the conservatism here and lash out. I have a Jewish friend who is vocal and likes to argue about the conservative Christians in the area and the discrimination she has experienced as a result.

If you met a very vocal atheist, it has less to do with being atheist and more to do with being in a minority belief system. However, I have self-proclaimed atheist parents and they have felt no need to lash out at anyone about religion. The atheists I know simply don't care what others' religious belief are (as it plays little relevance in their own lives, the don't see it as a point of interest in others). Oh, and the ones I know aren't druggies.

 

[Tired]

Everybody's atheist in college. You outgrow it.

Just like LUGs.

 

[The Angriest Bird]

Nothing is a better way of wasting our precious time than watching a stubborn Christian debating an arrogant atheist. The conversation will simply start like this:

Christian: "please say this prayer and you will go to heaven."
Atheist: "wow, you believe in god?"

On the other hand, a conversation between an open-minded Christian and a knowledgeable atheist can be the best intellectual feast you can ever get. There are a good number of open-minded Chrstians in our societies. I personally know many. Knowledgeable atheists are far fewer. You can roughly classify the atheists in our society into three categories (WARNING: possible stereotyping, my apologies first)

1. The social "outcasts"
These are people who don't give a **** about god because they don't give a **** about everything. They are the hippies on the street and druggies in a public hospital ER. Asking them to give you a presentation on atheist is pointless, even though they come, because the Christian can simply say "just watch, this is what becomes you when you give up God."

2. The previous Christians
These are people who were once Christian but decided to switch to atheism. Most common reason is tragic life experience (God failed me). They are mostly people who live a healthy life. However, they are not likely to give a good atheist presentation because most of them just want to stay away from spirituality. A lot of them tend to be agnostic rather than atheist.

3. Active Atheist
Atheists in this category make an informed decision about atheism, which I believe is the cardinal feature of a strong atheist, that is, they voluntarily make the decision of not believing in God after exploring Christianity throughly. These atheists have a better understanding of the Scripture than most seasoned Christians. I am a strong atheist and I read the Bible very frequently, whenever I'm free. You would be like "what the heck, an atheist reading bible?" Well, if you don't even know what Christianity is, how do you refute it? That's like saying you hate pizza before you've ever tried pizza. An active strong atheist also has a solid understanding about the debate of Creationism vs Evolution, which is a whole new topic and very profound. Becoming a qualified atheist of this kind requires years and years of reading, researching, thinking, and communicating with both atheists and theists.

 

[The Angriest Bird]

Here's a good article about atheism. I'm NOT "preaching atheism." You are free to believe whatever you want. I just think this article represents a very high level of understanding atheism.

http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/mathew/intro.html

 

[Tired]

3. Active Atheist
Atheists in this category make an informed decision about atheism, which I believe is the cardinal feature of a strong atheist, that is, they voluntarily make the decision of not believing in God after exploring Christianity throughly. These atheists have a better understanding of the Scripture than most seasoned Christians. I am a strong atheist and I read the Bible very frequently, whenever I'm free. You would be like "what the heck, an atheist reading bible?" Well, if you don't even know what Christianity is, how do you refute it? That's like saying you hate pizza before you've ever tried pizza. An active strong atheist also has a solid understanding about the debate of Creationism vs Evolution, which is a whole new topic and very profound. Becoming a qualified atheist of this kind requires years and years of reading, researching, thinking, and communicating with both atheists and theists.

How ironic that, according to you, the only intelligent form of atheism also happens to describe you perfectly!

Perhaps you mean "arrogant" instead of "active"?

 

[bcat85]

Nothing is a better way of wasting our precious time than watching a stubborn Christian debating an arrogant atheist. The conversation will simply start like this:

Christian: "please say this prayer and you will go to heaven."
Atheist: "wow, you believe in god?"

On the other hand, a conversation between an open-minded Christian and a knowledgeable atheist can be the best intellectual feast you can ever get. There are a good number of open-minded Chrstians in our societies. I personally know many. Knowledgeable atheists are far fewer. You can roughly classify the atheists in our society into three categories (WARNING: possible stereotyping, my apologies first)

1. The social "outcasts"
These are people who don't give a **** about god because they don't give a **** about everything. They are the hippies on the street and druggies in a public hospital ER. Asking them to give you a presentation on atheist is pointless, even though they come, because the Christian can simply say "just watch, this is what becomes you when you give up God."

2. The previous Christians
These are people who were once Christian but decided to switch to atheism. Most common reason is tragic life experience (God failed me). They are mostly people who live a healthy life. However, they are not likely to give a good atheist presentation because most of them just want to stay away from spirituality. A lot of them tend to be agnostic rather than atheist.

3. Active Atheist
Atheists in this category make an informed decision about atheism, which I believe is the cardinal feature of a strong atheist, that is, they voluntarily make the decision of not believing in God after exploring Christianity throughly. These atheists have a better understanding of the Scripture than most seasoned Christians. I am a strong atheist and I read the Bible very frequently, whenever I'm free. You would be like "what the heck, an atheist reading bible?" Well, if you don't even know what Christianity is, how do you refute it? That's like saying you hate pizza before you've ever tried pizza. An active strong atheist also has a solid understanding about the debate of Creationism vs Evolution, which is a whole new topic and very profound. Becoming a qualified atheist of this kind requires years and years of reading, researching, thinking, and communicating with both atheists and theists.

This is probably a pretty fair description of the 3 kinds of atheists I have met. By far... the greatest in number are #1, and the most assertive and aggressive are #3. I do find that conversations between an informed and philosophically well-versed Christian and an informed/well-versed Atheist tend to be very interesting, though it often ends up that they talk past each other (Atheists oftentimes make God a physical question, whereas Christians tend to look at it moreso as a metaphysical issue **Some stereotyping of my own**).

 

[The Angriest Bird]

How ironic that, according to you, the only intelligent form of atheism also happens to describe you perfectly!
Perhaps you mean "arrogant" instead of "active"?

In fact, I do not think it describes me. I have not achieved this level of understanding the principles of atheism. I can hardly classify myself as #1 or #2. I don't know how much better I am compared to a hippie, but I am in medical school (if that means anything) and I don't do drugs. I'm definitely not #2 because I have never been a Christian. I may consider myself as a possible candidate for #3 after reading the entire Bible thoroughly plus perhaps 20-30 more books.

 

[Bezoar1340]

Interesting that atheists fit into comfortable little categories. I,myself, am a product of all three; I was a hippie; My father died when I was a teen and I was old it was "god's plan" and I have since educated myslf about religion and still come up with atheism as the most logical way to see life.
Depending on the religious belief, the loving god will punish you if you don't believe, yet he made us with the power to decide for ourselves. So, if you use that power and don't side with the almighty smiter, then you're doomed. I don't see the love here. Kind of like giving your kid a choice and then getting royaly p****d off when he or she doesn't choose what YOU thought he should.
Religion is duplicitous and disingenuous. The believers feel this overwheming need to force their belief system down the throats of others as if it was somehow an inalienable right. A friend of mine sent me a request for a prayer for nuns and missionaries who have been killed in India. Sad indeed but if they'd keep their noses out of other's business these kinds of things wouldn't happen. Onward christian soldiers and be prepared to die for what you believe but don't ask me to feel sympathy for you.
In short, the reason atheists show a rage against religion is that christians take themselves way too seriously and want everyone else to do the same.

 

[xanthines]

Oh, better be careful! That popular automobile association might have some words with you.

-X

Our answer to the great question is the only logical one. Allied Athiest Alliance! That way it has 3 A's!

 

[Bezoar1340]

Pharyngula
And just what has atheism done for us?
Posted: 04 Sep 2008 02:14 PM CDT
As part of an exercise in shredding Steve Fuller, AC Grayling makes several felicitous comments. Fuller makes the "tired argument that modern science is the kindly gift of 16th-century religion," and claims that "atheism has done precious little for science". He's got a few good answers to that one.

And what has atheism done for science? Well, let's see: it removed the risk of scientists being burned at the stake for controverting the divinely revealed truth that "the lord hath laid the foundations of the earth so that it shall not be moved for ever" (Psalm 102, beloved of Bellarmine in his efforts to shut up the astronomers and philosophers of the era of Descartes). It removed the necessity of having to distort observations, facts, experimental results and observations to fit an antecedent doctrine as far from what observation and experiment revealed as one could possibly get. (Think about seeing the moons of Jupiter through a telescope in an age when the earth was - by order! - at the centre of the universe and man and his man-made religion was the most important thing in it, with the Pope and the Office of the Inquisition daring you to think otherwise.) In short, it liberated the mind and enquiries of mankind. Decreasing religious hegemony and rapidly increasing scientific and technological knowledge have gone pari passu during the last four centuries, in mutually reinforcing tandem: the less religion, the more science; the more science, the less religion. And this is a universal phenomenon (see the Pew polls on the decline of religion, even in the USA).

Read the comments on this post...
Best explanation for the non-existence of global warming ever
Posted: 04 Sep 2008 12:41 PM CDT
Some guy up in Moorehead wrote a letter to the local paper explaining why we don't have to worry about global warming. You can just picture the gears jerking haltingly around in his head as he tries to explain how a planet works while he doesn't even understand why Australians don't fall off the earth.

When God sent the rain on this Earth for 40 days and nights, all this water had to go someplace so the Earth would be dry again.

Remember, God is the Creator and controls the universe.

God tilted the Earth from its original position and caused all the excess water to rush to the poles, and there he instantly froze the water into the ice formations that exist today.

Time is ticking down on God's time clock. With all the nuclear bombs that are made and stored for the fast-emerging last battle, this Earth would burn up when these nuclear bombs are set off.

We are not creating global warming - God is tipping the Earth back to its original position on its axis and thus getting all this ice to get ready to move and extinguish the nuclear destructive fires man will create.

So the Arctic and Antarctic are just our local firefighting reserves? Let 'em melt, then, I guess.


The fundamentalist formula for electoral success
Posted: 03 Sep 2008 05:00 PM CDT
Some of the right-wing loons are speaking their minds, and it certainly is an ugly pit of frothing, foaming sludge sloshing about in their crania. Archy finds a frightening example of insanity out there; this is the blog of an anti-choice Christian Reconstructionist who is just thrilled to pieces about Sarah Palin, but can't stand John McCain. After demonstrating his ignorance rather painfully in giving his reasons why Palin should be elected, ("There is more untapped oil in Alaska than in Saudi Arabia"), he offers his plan for fundies to win the election.

Vote Constitution Party. (I vote my conscience and cannot support McCain even with Palin.)
Pray for Sarah Palin to win. (I am an idealist, but also a realist!)
Pray for John McCain's salvation and speedy death. (Google The Forerunner's articles on Impecatory Prayer if you think this is harsh.)
So…vote for some other gomer who doesn't have a chance of winning — I like that part. I hope he does vote that way, as do many other radical Christians.

Next, be a realist (I don't think he knows what that word means), and ask his omnipotent sky fairy to magically bypass his vote and give the election to the Republicans. This isn't so bad — I wish more radical Christians would take their faith more seriously and sit at home praying furiously and ineffectually. I urge them all to spend election day on bended knee before folded hands.

Finally, and this is the ugly, as opposed to the merely *****ic, part of the fundagelical brain, ask said sky fairy to murder the president. Also ineffectual and a good waste of the Christian's time, but jeez, that's cold and amoral. And revealing.

 

[Bezoar1340]

I've been on a rant and this isn't the place. The poor guy just wanted someone to be on a panel and the atheist/believer issue created it's own two headed monster. I appreciate all the comments written on this theread but I'm backing off this now. My best to you all in your studies and future practices.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

Give this monkey what she wants!

 

[coldweatherblue]

Intolerance infects indiscriminately.

An atheist who focuses on the glaring shortcomings of individual believers and uses his findings to "prove" his own beliefs makes the same logical mistake as the Christian who uses the shortcomings of individual atheists to prove his beliefs.

If you look for something, whether it be positive or negative, you will find it.