Tone is incredibly important. Fr Srs.

Category : Atheism

So this poor excuse for an Article was posted over at RD.net and I just had to piece my brain back together after the inanity contained in this article blew it up. Has this guy managed to travel from an alternate universe where Atheists are tyrants? Or is he just another "Reality is optional" deluded moron?

"There is something profoundly un-American about demanding that people give up cherished, or even uncherished, beliefs just because they don't comport with science"

Y'know, call me crazy, but that sounds to me like a very manipulative and negative way of describing education. After all, pretty much everything I learned in school was allowed to be taught to me because it had passed through the filter of science.

'Science' gives us the most accurate description of reality, the use of the scientific method informs us of what we know, what we don't know and how well we do or don't know something. If your beliefs are at odds with the endeavours of scientific rigour you'd better have a damned good reason beyond "Well I reckon...".

But returning to my original point; he just described Education. When you go to school you're taught, you're told what IS and what ISN'T and they will fail your ass for not learning what they teach you. IE. They demand you give up your beliefs and replace them with knowledge. Is this idiot suggesting that education is Un-American? If he were to offer himself up as an example I might be inclined to agree.

"...allow people "the right to be wrong," especially when the beliefs in question do not interfere with us. Nothing is gained by loud, self-promoting and mean-spirited assaults on the beliefs of fellow citizens."

He seems to be suggesting that Atheists are trying to take away, forcibly, people's rights. I'm fairly sure that unless you're less intelligent than a small puddle of piss that I don't need to explain why that is patent BS.

But what I will point out is the hypocrisy in his statement. He is essentially saying "You shouldn't and can't silence people, just because you think they're wrong" whilst suggesting that Atheists should STFU.

And you'll excuse me for laughing milk through my nose at the last sentence. I think he'll find that religious groups are louder (they have control of education boards, have huge political pull), more concerned with self-promotion (Churches, Mosques, Statues, Indoctrination of Children) and EASILY a billion times more mean spirited (Anti-homosexual laws, 'you're going to hell', death threats over billboards) then any atheist I've ever known.

People have every right to be wrong, But I have every right to call them wrong.

This article is full of nothing but distortions of reality, arguments from authority (in the cases of the Nobel prize winners) and is just ANOTHER insipid article that is more worried about tone than content. I swear, I would not be surprised if these kinds of people would praise Osama for being so calm in his videos and tapes; since tone is just that important.

Far more important than content.