Comments on: Time for Atheists to Stop It

By: Cody

Cody — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 22:06:34 +0000

God created atheists to babysit the rest of his children.

By: Mike Haubrich, FCD

Mike Haubrich, FCD — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:03:51 +0000

Suppose Greg had made a point that something that SC had written could be construed as an anti-semitic remark. Would that be calling him an anti-semite? I have made racist comments myself, but unaware that what I was saying was racist. Once I understood that sort of comment as being a racist comment I stopped making that sort of comment. Does that make me still a racist?

Also, there is a definition that Greg as an thropoligist uses, of racism that is different than the colloquial term; so SC, I think is proud of being picked on and supported by the wagon-circlers of Pharyngula.

And ‘Tis, when did you stop?

By: Stephanie Zvan

Stephanie Zvan — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:09:47 +0000

‘Tis, indulge me in a little thought experiment, if you would, please. Assume you thought Greg was perfectly sincere in what he said but that the way he said it left him open to misinterpretation by those prepared to see an insult in his words. How would you go about telling him so?

By: 'Tis Himself

'Tis Himself — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 09:59:35 +0000

Mike,

Greg accused SC of anti-semitism in a particularly weaselly way.

Now I’m not saying that you beat your wife, bruises can happen for other reasons and no formal complaints have been made to the police, so I won’t say anything more about domestic abuse in the Haubrich household.

See how that works?

By: Mike Haubrich

Mike Haubrich — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 01:26:22 +0000

It’s not letting your hair down, it is recognition of the perceptions by other people of the things that we write or say. It isn’t what we intend all the time, yet they will take it as a direct affront whether we intend it or not.
Again, thanks for adding the link to this post, Windy.

By: Paul W.

Paul W. — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:34:13 +0000

Mike, I don’t think I’m being thin skinned. See my comments over at Pharyngula.

By: windy

windy — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:33:52 +0000

Of course. I apologise on behalf of all of us. We should have known better than to let our hair down.

By: Mike Haubrich

Mike Haubrich — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 06:11:29 +0000

Jesus Christ, Paul you have a thin skin.

You don’t get at all that Greg is saying that perceptions are skewed about “blastula” by outsiders because there atheists have let their hair down and forget that other people read the blog as outsiders.

To some people, perception is reality.

By: Paul W.

Paul W. — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 05:29:13 +0000

Besides, if atheists don’t stop being so uppity, and criticizing all religion, including things that sound specifically anti-Jewish out of context, an objective observer might conclude that they’re antisemitic.

Not that they are. Just sayin’.

By: Mike Haubrich

Mike Haubrich — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 03:13:08 +0000

I am so glad to see that someone gets my piece! Thanks, Peter.

Oh, and I am not so happy that Chris Mooney will be doing the CFI podcasts.