In a post entitled "Good Morning Christianity" evangelical atheist PZ Myers publicises an example of the devout badgering he gets:
Click to enlarge
Here's Myers' not entirely surprising response:
This is
how some Christians think they’ll win hearts and minds for their religion. It’s
pretty much typical for what I wake up to every morning.
There’s
a phrase these fanatics like to use: “hardening the heart against God”. I’ve
been dealing with this stuff for decades, and they’ve succeeded in turning my
heart into a gristley, fibrous lump of black contempt for religion. Thanks,
gang, I wouldn’t be the atheist I am today without you!
I would
also remind my fellow atheists now that reversing this tactic against them will
not persuade them that your intellectual rejection of the supernatural premises
of religion is valid, either.
I suppose I ought to allow the possibility that Myers has landed himself a troll here, but I don't think so; It's entirely consistent with some of my experience of the slighted fundagelical and the threatening spiritual abuse (s)he can direct toward outsiders whether atheist or Christian; (See also here). So, if even I have had more than enough aggravation from fundagelicals you can be sure that Myers would have! The Christian evangelist Myers has picked up sounds more like the proud, cruel, and slandering voice out of hell than the voice of the Father of many prodigals!
Myers would no doubt regard me as an utter nincompoop for being a Christian (which I can hardly blame him for given the state of the above quote). But that's a relatively minor personal slight which, as far as I concerned, isn't sufficient warrant for him to become fuel in the fires of eternal damnation: Rico Tice can say what he likes. Fundamentalists tend to fall for a spiritual conceit whereby they project their own very considerable offence at being slighted onto the Almighty Himself.
It's no surprise that persons who have little compunction about registering the nominal rejection of Christ as clear evidence justifying the eternal tortures of hell, should have little inhibition in proactively and aggressively accusing those they consider beyond the pale of having committed the most heinous of sins. For myself I would certainly bulk at equating nominal rejection of Christ with an authentic rejection. After all, Christians like "asparagusman" are hardly projecting the authentic Christ of the Samaritans and the God of prodigals. So who knows, if Myers doesn't have that promised heart-attack before I pop off, I'll put a good word in for him when I pass through the pearly gates.
Myers would no doubt regard me as an utter nincompoop for being a Christian (which I can hardly blame him for given the state of the above quote). But that's a relatively minor personal slight which, as far as I concerned, isn't sufficient warrant for him to become fuel in the fires of eternal damnation: Rico Tice can say what he likes. Fundamentalists tend to fall for a spiritual conceit whereby they project their own very considerable offence at being slighted onto the Almighty Himself.
It's no surprise that persons who have little compunction about registering the nominal rejection of Christ as clear evidence justifying the eternal tortures of hell, should have little inhibition in proactively and aggressively accusing those they consider beyond the pale of having committed the most heinous of sins. For myself I would certainly bulk at equating nominal rejection of Christ with an authentic rejection. After all, Christians like "asparagusman" are hardly projecting the authentic Christ of the Samaritans and the God of prodigals. So who knows, if Myers doesn't have that promised heart-attack before I pop off, I'll put a good word in for him when I pass through the pearly gates.
