BlargenBlog

The first assignment in my composition class was to write a response to an editorial or to a letter to the editor.  My first choice was rather bland because there wasn’t much I was interested in responding to at the time.  Then I came across this turd while visiting friendlyatheist.com.

I had been toying with the idea of posting my work on my blog to get a critical response or just share what I’ve been working on, so here you go.

I wrote this response three times.  The first time was at my work computer, but I forgot to email it to myself so I could edit it from home.  The second draft is what I eventually turned in.  The reason the third draft exists is because I thought it might have to be double-spaced (it didn’t), so I cut out a ton of information I thought was necessary to get it down to the one-page limit, essentially summarizing my work.  Now I have a nifty little 2GB USB drive to carry all my crap around with me.
Here’s the second draft (read the article first or it won’t make sense):

This article is a stunning example of why atheist representation is desperately needed at the interfaith gathering at the Democratic National Convention.  The ignorance and bigotry displayed by the author concerning atheist behavior and beliefs is positively staggering. 

First of all, the insistence that atheism is a religion is not only incorrect but offensive.  While it is true atheism is classified as a religion in the eyes of the law, it is done so for the purpose of simplification; it is important to consider that freedom of religion requires freedom from religion as well.

Among the misrepresentations of atheistic views is the perception that Atheists claim there is no God.  This is categorically false.  An atheist might say “I do not believe in God.”  Disbelief does not equate disproof.  On the contrary, most atheists I know would say that while they don’t believe in a God, they’re agnostic towards the possibility and would happily change their minds if there were evidence.

Another common method of attacking atheism is the quotation of scientists to indicate that atheism is, as the author puts it, “a sad and shallow belief.”  In this case he cherry-picked a quote from Albert Einstein to indicate that he was a religious man.  He wasn’t; he was a self-proclaimed agnostic.

The most outrageous part of the letter was the far-fetched comparison of the holocaust to a pro-atheism billboard which quoted John Lennon, then the subsequent attempt to link atheism with all the ills of the world.  The non sequitur arguments that followed were so absurd they bordered on satire.

If we are to believe Mr. Laugesen, atheism leads to the non-existence of ethics, humanitarian organizations, higher education and results in tyranny and genocide.  Someone ought to remind him that the birth of logic and Western thinking was irreligious in nature.  Remind him of the resistance to the teaching of science by Creationists. 

What about the millennia of anti-Semitism on religious grounds which culminated in the Holocaust he had the nerve to exploit?  When falsely warning that atheism would lead to tyranny, perhaps someone should point out that America was settled by many people who were trying to escape the tyranny wrought by the Church of England.  This was among the main reasons a “freedom of religion” clause was included in the First Amendment!

As if the taunts and insults sprinkled throughout this article weren’t enough, he goes on to assert that the reason atheists weren’t invited to the interfaith service is because they’re rude!  The irony would almost be funny if it weren’t so frustrating. 

The best example of why atheists need a voice at the DNC can be summed up with the author’s own words:  “[Atheists] should act more like Christians and Jews.”  If one were to replace “Atheists” with “Muslims,” he would be fired in a heartbeat.  Campus Atheists and Secular Humanists chairman Joe Foley says it best,”…atheists are one of the last groups remaining that it’s still socially acceptable to hate.”

 The third draft, which my wife jokingly referred to as “the abridged version,” is here:

This article is a stunning example of why atheist representation is desperately needed at the interfaith gathering at the Democratic National Convention.  The amount of ignorance and bigotry in this article is positively staggering. 

 

The insistence that atheism is a religion is not only incorrect but offensive.  The only reason it is classified as a religion in the eyes of the law for the purpose of simplification; it’s important to consider that freedom of religion requires freedom from religion as well.

 

The most outrageous part of the letter was the far-fetched comparison of the holocaust to a pro-atheism billboard coupled with subsequent attempts to link atheism with all the ills of the world.  The non sequitur arguments that followed were so absurd they bordered on satire.  If we are to believe Mr. Laugesen, atheism leads to the non-existence of ethics, humanitarian organizations and higher education, then results in tyranny and genocide. 

 

As if the taunts and insults sprinkled throughout this article weren’t enough, he goes on to assert that the reason atheists weren’t invited to the interfaith service is because they’re rude!  The irony would almost be funny if it weren’t so frustrating. 

 

The best example of why atheists need a voice at the DNC can be summed up with the author’s own words:  “[Atheists] should act more like Christians and Jews.”  If he had said “Islam” instead of “Atheism” in any of his points, he would be fired in a heartbeat.  Campus Atheists and Secular Humanists chairman Joe Foley says it best,”…atheists are one of the last groups remaining that it’s still socially acceptable to hate.”