Is it OK to make fun of the non-religious?

[ChristineES]

Sir Doom: The reality is that there is no such thing as thought-crime and we should never entertain the notion that there is such a thing. If you think a thing deserves ridicule then you should ridicule that thing. Otherwise... you don't really think that. Right?

I think we hurt people's feelings more inadvertently than we do on purpose. I don't believe that ridicule would counteract ridicule. You have to really know someone in order to tease without hurting someone's feelings and even then, it can happen. It's fine line, and we all have to think through what we do. Problem is that I and virtually everyone else do a lot of things we just don't think through and cause pain on occasion without really meaning to.

 

[Sunstone]

I have yet to meet an atheist with a sense of humor about his or her atheism. Absolutely not. Never have. And if I ever did, I wouldn't believe them anyway. Because that's the kind of tough guy realist I am.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I have yet to meet an atheist with a sense of humor about his or her atheism. Absolutely not. Never have. And if I ever did, I wouldn't believe them anyway. Because that's the kind of tough guy realist I am.

The type of satirized irony which is destined to sail right over the heads of its intended targets.

 

[Amechania]

I have yet to meet an atheist with a sense of humor about his or her atheism. Absolutely not. Never have. And if I ever did, I wouldn't believe them anyway. Because that's the kind of tough guy realist I am.

¿Y Carlin? ¡Va al diablo!

 

[CynthiaCypher]

From my experience, the more militant atheists are often one of the most sensitive easiest groups to upset, and are especially easy to troll online or offline.

I've caused actual offence by reading religious stuff in proximity to a few non-theists before now. Apparently me reading it on my own during my lunch break was 'forcing it down their throat'. I told them to **** off and grow up, in that many words; I'm a dick and okay with that.

In other places on the internet, some even get offended by tipping one's fedora.

I have had that happen to me. I was once ask to not red the Bible at a coffee shop I went to because the person found it offensive and felt that I was persecuting them. Many of these * edit * don't seem to understand the concept of social boundaries and don't seem to understand that us neurotypical...I mean theistic people do not persecute them for being atheist but we just don't like them because some of them are just social misfits.

 

[dawny0826]

Of course.

I second this.

As long as we aren't infringing upon another or harming another, in the US of A, we're free to make fun of whomever or whatever we want.

Humor is a virtue.

 

[steeltoes]

I have had that happen to me. I was once ask to not red the Bible at a coffee shop I went to because the person found it offensive and felt that I was persecuting them. Many of these * edit * don't seem to understand the concept of social boundaries and don't seem to understand that us neurotypical...I mean theistic people do not persecute them for being atheist but we just don't like them because some of them are just social misfits.

Maybe if you didn't read it out loud no one would have bothered you.

I suppose people that don't do religion are social misfits just as those that don't golf are social misfits.

 

[CynthiaCypher]

Maybe if you didn't read it out loud no one would have bothered you.

I suppose people that don't do religion are social misfits just as those that don't golf are social misfits.

I wouldn't say that all atheist are social misfits.

But only those who show certain deficits such as being unable to understand figurative language, or those who spend a great deal of time writing Richard Dawkins/Sam Harris slashfiction, or those who are just not into social situations but would rather stay at home counting spoons or those preoccupied with a narrow subject range such a Star Trek vs. Star Wars...those type of people I would consider social misfits.

 

[Sir Doom]

I wouldn't say that all atheist are social misfits.

But only those who show certain deficits such as being unable to understand figurative language, or those who spend a great deal of time writing Richard Dawkins/Sam Harris slashfiction, or those who are just not into social situations but would rather stay at home counting spoons or those preoccupied with a narrow subject range such a Star Trek vs. Star Wars...those type of people I would consider social misfits.

Its a good thing you don't have a TV show.

 

[Breathe]

I have had that happen to me. I was once ask to not red the Bible at a coffee shop I went to because the person found it offensive and felt that I was persecuting them. Many of these * edit * don't seem to understand the concept of social boundaries and don't seem to understand that us neurotypical...I mean theistic people do not persecute them for being atheist but we just don't like them because some of them are just social misfits.

Ha, oh wow. No social boundaries at all, there. Sadly, some of them take it from 'freedom of religion' to 'freedom from religion being anywhere near them' and love to play the persecution or 'shoving down the throat' card. Maybe I should say they persecuting my beliefs by trying to stop me doing what I'm doing and to stop being so insecure in their atheism.

One of the downsides for me is that where I live, being spiritually-inclined, I'm the minority, so I have to put up with idiots like that. This whole "atheists are super smart" thing just doesn't fly when you live in an atheist-majority area. I can usually tell when I'm speaking to a hardcore atheist from my country; they're opinionated and angry, but ignorant and they have no reason to be the way they are. It's unsettled teenage angst.

In the Random Announcements thread some time ago, I mentioned a discussion between two colleagues, next to me, which they brought me into; they spoke about how they would like to kill the religious, and so on, and were talking about how they would like to do it (lining them up, beheading them with a machete, etc; their choices were firing squad and hanging) and then asked how I'd like to do it.

When I said "nothing, I'm religious", they were shocked.

A few days later, one of them said this to me:

"Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest."
Wonderful people.

I've recently took to trolling them by doing more religious stuff in front of them. Reading scripture and religious or spiritual-themed books, using "Bless you", and so on.

 

[Mycroft]

Is it OK for the religious to make fun of the non-religious? I say go ahead, take your best shot, but what do you say, is it OK?

Sure. Go ahead.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

I have yet to meet an atheist with a sense of humor about his or her atheism. Absolutely not. Never have. And if I ever did, I wouldn't believe them anyway. Because that's the kind of tough guy realist I am.

What laughable nonsense.

 

[zenzero]

Friend JS,

Hi!, long time no C -communication!

What laughable nonsense.

That itself is funny. 'Laughable nonsense' like we are used to 'sensible laughter'.


Love & rgds

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Richard and Mary walk into a bar and Richard asks if she'd like some wine.

"White," she responds tersely.

"Really," asks Richard, "you don't like red wine?"

"That is absolutely wrong!. It is not that I have a dislike of red wine, but, rather, that I don't have a like of red wine."

"Bar tender. Two beers please."

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Ha, oh wow. No social boundaries at all, there. Sadly, some of them take it from 'freedom of religion' to 'freedom from religion being anywhere near them' and love to play the persecution or 'shoving down the throat' card. Maybe I should say they persecuting my beliefs by trying to stop me doing what I'm doing and to stop being so insecure in their atheism.

One of the downsides for me is that where I live, being spiritually-inclined, I'm the minority, so I have to put up with idiots like that. This whole "atheists are super smart" thing just doesn't fly when you live in an atheist-majority area. I can usually tell when I'm speaking to a hardcore atheist from my country; they're opinionated and angry, but ignorant and they have no reason to be the way they are. It's unsettled teenage angst.

In the Random Announcements thread some time ago, I mentioned a discussion between two colleagues, next to me, which they brought me into; they spoke about how they would like to kill the religious, and so on, and were talking about how they would like to do it (lining them up, beheading them with a machete, etc; their choices were firing squad and hanging) and then asked how I'd like to do it.

When I said "nothing, I'm religious", they were shocked.

A few days later, one of them said this to me:

"Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest."
Wonderful people.

I've recently took to trolling them by doing more religious stuff in front of them. Reading scripture and religious or spiritual-themed books, using "Bless you", and so on.

I notice that in a single post, you both complain about people getting annoyed when you do religious things in public AND that you will do religious things in public in order to deliberately annoy people.

Maybe it's not actually the religious stuff that people are reacting negatively to.

 

[fantome profane]

I mean theistic people do not persecute them for being atheist but we just don't like them because some of them are just social misfits.

You are so right. No theists anywhere has ever persecuted an atheist just because they were an atheist. Theists never persecute people just because they have different beliefs. Only an atheist would be so disrespectful.

 

[illykitty]

I notice that in a single post, you both complain about people getting annoyed when you do religious things in public AND that you will do religious things in public in order to deliberately annoy people.

Maybe it's not actually the religious stuff that people are reacting negatively to.

Reading comprehension fail.

Notice he annoys them AFTER they say they'd love to kill religious people.

Maybe he was minding his own business until they dragged him into it.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Reading comprehension fail.

Notice he annoys them AFTER they say they'd love to kill religious people.

Maybe he was minding his own business until they dragged him into it.

I read his post just fine. My only inference was that this may have been a tactic he had used in the past.

 

[Breathe]

I notice that in a single post, you both complain about people getting annoyed when you do religious things in public AND that you will do religious things in public in order to deliberately annoy people.

Maybe it's not actually the religious stuff that people are reacting negatively to.

See what Illy said; she's completely on the mark.
They're being why little pansy ******* who're getting involved in my stuff, so I'm going to wind them up for being such pathetic losers.

 

[MysticSang'ha]

So, it's okay if the argument is "well they started it."

Gotcha.