From Jason Rosenhouse

Rosenhouse carves up the religious wingnuts in his post, "Responses to Newtown":

Typical is this statement from James Dobson:

I am going to give you my honest opinion: I think we have turned our back on the Scripture and on God Almighty and I think he has allowed judgment to fall upon us.

Charming God they worship. He did not allow judgment to fall upon “us.” He allowed it to fall on a group of young children and the adults trying to protect them. Apparently it’s not enough for God to settle up with apostates in the afterlife. He has to allow children to be murdered in this one.

Well said. I love Jason Rosenhouse. I only wish he'd post more often. Because when he does, he invariably hits the nail on the head.

Smoking pot is just like gay marriage

On his blog yesterday, Ed Brayton made fun of a Christian's authoritarian ways. David DeWolf was apparently upset by Washington's decision to legalize marijuana.

To David DeWolf, who teaches law at Gonzaga University, a Catholic institution in Spokane, the votes reflect individuals disconnecting from the rest of society, “elevating the desires of the individual over the needs of the community.”

Yes, someone else doing something you don't like...affects you, somehow. This reminds me of the inane argument that gay marriage somehow diminishes straight marriage -- though the two never meet in any way. Wingnut logic. It's all over the religious landscape. These people want to paint the world in their own, drab colors.

Ah, but there's more. In the same post, Brayton mentions another conservative Christian wingnut, Steve Beren, whose argument is no less unhinged:

He sees the votes as giving license to people to do other things he considers wrong. Each time something “clearly wrong or obviously immoral” is given sanction, celebrated or even ignored, it implicitly sanctions other immoral acts, he says — for example, President Clinton’s sexual transgressions.

These people just don't get the concept of logical connections.

Shroud-obsessed religious wingnuts

Me (A/K/A Evil Atheist Blogger)

Right after I wrote that no one commented on my post about the Shroud of Turin being an obvious fake, someone did comment! It was weird, though. I got the comment emailed to me, as all comments are, but it never appeared on either of my Shroud posts. I have no idea why. I figured the guy got cold feet and clicked the "remove my comment" button.

Anyway, I was checking my blog traffic stats today when I noticed that I'm getting hits from a loony Shroud site. Hallelujah! So I clicked on over and found this. I commented back, but they moderate their comments. Can't have atheist remarks on their site, now, can they? Mind you, he's complaining that I blocked his comment. Nonsense. I welcome wingnuts. Come on down!

So go check that out, if this sort of thing interests you. His comment is not logical but he has no clue about this. They never do. If and when I have a moment, I'll rip it up for you guys. Fun! But for now, I have real work to do in the actual, you know, real world.

Welcome wingnuts!

PS: In case you don't want to get cooties by visiting a Shroud web site, I've included the guy's "lost" comment in the comments on this post.

Why are religious people so mean?

God.

It's the question no one ever asks -- why do religious people enjoy seing others suffer?

It's not a secret. We can see the relish in their eyes as they tell people they'll be damned to hell for eternity. Judging by their facial expressions, the idea nearly gives them an orgasm. They like the idea that everyone but them will suffer eternal torment. In fact, they love it. Why is that? Why are these people so mean?

Why is it so damn easy for priests to rape kids? And why is it equally easy for their fellow priests to ignore their deeds and even protect them? Why don't these people grasp the suffering of the children and the wrongness of the deed? Is it because they're mean? It must be, right? What else can you say about this sort of behavior? The people that indulge in it are mean and immoral.

Why do these people lack a moral center? Oh, that's right. Because they think their religion provides them with a sense of morality when it does nothing of the sort. Rules are not morals. But let's leave that point for another post.

Today, what I want to know is why these people enjoy hurting others. Why are religious people so mean?

Stupid things religious wingnuts say

A sensible slogan.

I know, I know -- it's a broad topic. But you have to start somewhere. For me, one of the most irritating things religious loons do is when they place themselves in cosmic dramas. They're just so important, doncha know.

For example, you're watching a TV report about a rape that was stopped when a woman happened upon the perp and victim as it was going down. The rapist runs; the woman is saved. Hallelujah!

But when the hero is interviewed, she says: "Do I think I was in the right place at the right time by coincidence? Do I think it was an accident that I arrived in time to stop this? No, I was supposed to be here."

That's right, dear. All the goings-on in the cosmos are about you and your random walks through the neighborhood. Makes perfect sense. It wasn't just that your hemorrhoids hurt so much that you had to stand up and walk around, and stumbled upon these two. That can't be it. No, it's God hisself who put you there.

I swear, these twits make me ill.

What drives you crazy about the things religious nitwits say? Again, I know: it's a hugely broad topic. But if you had to pick one thing that drives you batty, what would it be?