A Quick Note on Comments

Just a quick note on comments in this blog, since they've kind of gone Foom with the Atheists and Anger post:

I am not censoring or deleting comments in the Atheists and Anger post. Typepad has recently "improved" their comments format by splitting comments on a longer thread into chunks that you have to page through... thus making it harder to see the comments at the end of a long thread. (In addition, this "improvement" has caused a glitch in the system, so that clicking on a comment in the "Recent Comments" list won't take you to that comment if it's at the end of a long thread.) I've written to Typepad to ask if this "improvement"can be un-improved, but I haven't heard back from them yet.

In the meantime: If you've posted a comment at the end of a long thread (such as the one in Atheists and Anger) and want to see it, or if you just want to read the comments at the end of the thread, you have to keep hitting the "Next Comments" button at the end of each chunk of comments. Keep doing this until you get to the end (or until you get to the chunk you want to see.) If you're still having problems commenting or seeing all the comments, please email me and let me know.

I do occasionally delete comments in my blog, if they're abusive, grossly off-topic, or obviously trying to pitch a commercial product or service. But I don't delete comments simply because I disagree with them. And I have not deleted a single comment in the Atheists and Anger thread. Not even the duplicates. In fact, I've left comments up that I would normally be inclined to delete. I don't promise that I won't delete any comments in the future; but as of this writing, I have left the entire thread exactly as it is. My apologies of behalf of Typepad if their comment formatting has made it difficult to either read or post comments. Thanks.

Comments

[Spanish Inquisitor]

All those comments are just an indication of a successful post.

Some of us are committing the unchristianlike sin of envy. :)

[Rebecca]

As much as I like the original Atheists and Anger post, what makes me most proud to know you is that you have not deleted a single response. It demonstrates a profound commitment to free speech -- not simply the ideal, but the act. Brava.

[T-Lo]

I love you

[Jacob Mcquin]

WoRd

[Jacob Mcquin]

WoRd

[Rebecca]

For people who are having a hard time following comments or finding their own comment, this might be useful to know: After the first comment page, the URL of the following page ends with a string that looks like this: "comments/page/2/#comments" If you change that "page/2" by replacing the number 2 with the number of the page you want, you can jump to later pages of comments. If you can remember which page you last finished reading, you can jump to the next one.

[Rebecca]

And why is it that I can figure that out, but I can't figure out how to get my paragraph breaks to remain when I post a comment?

[Cooper Green]

I could kiss you (in a non-angry way, and with Ingrid's approval).

[Varun N. Achar]

I'm a believer, and I agree with everything you've written in this post.

(Note: I've deliberately avoided the word "but" in the above sentence, since I think it wouldn't make sense to use it.)

[Pariah]

I love this thread/blog so much ..Greta i know that you are a lesbian but will you please marry me? i love everything you said so much it feels so great.
maybe i could send you a couple of dollars? im not exactly rich but i feel like i should give you something for expressing my anger on the hypocrisey of chritians.
anyways thanks for writing this, have a good life.

[janjaf]

This is the most sensible and thoughtful blog-posting i've yet had the honour to read. I agree completely with almost al you say, and i'll be checking your blog regularly from now on. Keep up the great work!

[steve davidson]

Found your blog via Susie's guest-blogging on BongBoinb.

Excellent post. I'd have to say that all of the things you ran down make me angry, but what makes me angriest is feeling ashamed of being a member of the human race.

I play this little tape over and over in my head: the aliens arrive, find out the majority of our species is still mired in that mystical BS and laugh at all of us - including me.

[Tod Roberts]

Greta i am not angry. Im not angry with you for showing such anger. Im not angry because you have shown so little tolerance for your Christian brother.I am not angry because i have seen so much anger from Christians that i now know better then to act or even think in anger. Anger is for frustrations that people feel who are losing their religion to rational thinkers like us. nuff said?? Thanx SMILE!!

[Bruce Gorton]

There is an easier way to do it:

Click next comment, it will take you to this:

http://gretachristina.typepad.com/greta_christinas_weblog/2007/10/atheists-and-an/comments/page/2/#comments

Atheists and anger is about 24 pages long, so, just add the 4:

http://gretachristina.typepad.com/greta_christinas_weblog/2007/10/atheists-and-an/comments/page/24/#comments

[Peter Brown]

Even if all I have to say is "Attaboy," I should say it anyway.
As others have said, you've articulated many thoughts I've had on this subject and given me basis and encouragement for my own anger.
Way to go.
(Also, Annie Sprinkle, legend ;)
Peter

[/Mike]

Thank you. Whenever someone says why am I angry I just start sputtering and rambling incoherently and want to grab them by the throat. Now I can say take a look at a link on my blog that will explain some of it. btw, I came across this post via a comment on RDFRS today.

[James Smith, João Pessoa, Brazil]

So it isn't just me that is angry and impatient with the total stupidity and arrogance of religion?

Your points are well-put but, let's face it. You're preaching to the choir. (pun intended) The religious wackos are not even going to read this and, even if they did, would simply dismiss it as the ravings of someone that has been frustrated by being soundly defeated in every religious argument. It doesn't matter tat they would never respond with facts and logic to refute you. Ignoring direct questions and changing the subject is the standard tactic for them when faced with anything they cannot answer.

Yes, I am angered and disgusted by religion.

[Ashleigh Dee Boop]

Where are all your sources? Am i suppose to believe all your convictions when you have zero sources backing up your overgeneralization of religion and christians. One more question why would you want to get married when it is a religious sacrament? If you are so ANGRY maybe you shouldn't be living in "a nation under God".

[Albatross]

Ashleigh: you might notice, we're angry ABOUT living in a "nation under God," since that had no place being inserted into any governmental policy documents.

I don't know why you would balk at any perceived "lack of sources," unless you have a Bible with the missing "Book of Footnotes" in support of its own generalizations about Pharisees and Samaritans.

[John Reed]

im angry atheists think that all people who believe in religion are fundamentalists. im angry that athiests fail to fail to realize that athiesm is just as much a religion as catholicism or any other religion. im angry that athiests wont recognize rational followers of any religion. im angry that moral codes arent enough of a reason for atheists to acknowledge a religion. im angry that atheists can publicly deny any personal joy or despair to a biological function yet say that there is internal meaning to their feelings. that is from my experience. my main grief,as im sure any atheist will agree, is anyone who cannot fully explain their religious/atheist belief and that i enjoy all dialogue regarding religion!

[NoriMori]

Ashlee Dee Boop, seriously? You think marriage is a religious sacrament? It's a human construct, and aside from that it also confers legal rights/benefits that non-married people don't get to have. The fact that Greta and Ingrid are denied the rights to those benefits simply because they are both female is a good enough reason to both want to get married and to be angry that they can't.

A lot of non-religious people want to get married, myself included. But why aren't you asking them about it? Because they're "normal", so they have a "good reason" to want to be married? Wow.

I know a lesbian who is Christian, has a partner of many years and a nine-year-old son. Shouldn't they be allowed to get married? After all, they're religious. Oh wait, you don't REALLY care if they're religious, you just want to make it seem like Greta and Ingrid shouldn't even WANT to get married, so that you can make THEM look like the bad guys for complaining in the first place.

[NoriMori]

Oops, Ashleigh. Not Ashlee. >< My bad. It's after 1 am, I'm tired. XD

[NoriMori]

"im angry atheists think that all people who believe in religion are fundamentalists."

Where did any of us say that all religious people are fundamentalists? Obviously they aren't. And Sam Harris makes a very good case for why moderation is actually more dangerous intellectually.

"im angry that athiests fail to fail to realize that athiesm is just as much a religion as catholicism or any other religion."

You're angry at us "failing to failing to realize" (succeeding at realizing) that atheism is a religion (it's not)? Hmm.

Grammatical errors aside, atheism is not a religion. It's a lack of religion. Is baldness a hair colour? Is not collecting stamps a hobby? No. So how is atheism a religion?

"im angry that athiests wont recognize rational followers of any religion."

Of course we recognize them. There are plenty of religious people who, ASIDE FROM THEIR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, are perfectly rational. That doesn't change anything that Greta said.

"im angry that moral codes arent enough of a reason for atheists to acknowledge a religion."

You know moral codes are a societal construct, right? We atheists are actually pretty good at being moral, and we don't need a really old fairytale or the threat of eternal punishment to be so, either. Furthermore — moral codes? What moral codes? Religious moral codes? That's an oxymoron. Have you actually read the Bible? It condones a ton of things that any sane, moral human would regard as abominable.

"im angry that atheists can publicly deny any personal joy or despair to a biological function..."

What does that even mean? Do you mean "attribute"? I'm going to assume you do:

"...yet say that there is internal meaning to their feelings."

Of course there is, for the same reason as there is internal meaning to religious person's feelings — because they're our FEELINGS. They're the closest thing to "internal meaning" that a living being can have. Why do they have to be from a god or a religion to have "real" internal meaning? Furthermore, who are you to say whether we perceive internal meaning to our feelings? Feelings are subjective. Anyone can glean any meaning they wish from them.

"my main grief,as im sure any atheist will agree, is anyone who cannot fully explain their religious/atheist belief..."

How can your "main grief" be "anyone who cannot fully explain their religious belief"? NO ONE can explain their religious belief because there is no rational reason to believe in any deity. I mean, what you've just said is tantamount to saying "my main grief is that humans can't fly like Peter Pan." I'm not saying it's morally wrong, I'm saying that you're gonna be grieving for a pretty long time, methinks. It's not healthy to grieve excessivly over the impossible not being possible.

"...and that i enjoy all dialogue regarding religion!"

That's another main grief for you? I'm sure that's not what you meant. I'm just a stickler for grammar. When you use really bad grammar and sentence structure, it makes your meaning woefully unclear.

[GetalifeChristianbashers]

Christina, you have no clue about Catholics or Christians. We do NOT teach children, especially little girls that sex is dirty. Children are taught at an appropriate age that sex is a beautiful and sacred gift from our Lord only to be used between a married couple, a MAN and a WOMAN to procreate.That is what THE CHURCH TEACHES. So before you blast us, get your facts straight and do your research.

It is only dirty when used improperly say for gays or lesbians because their love is not really love,it is LUST for each other's body. There is NO PROCREATION PRESENT. Can a baby come out of a same sex union??? Think about it. If a baby can come from same sex unions, SHOW ME THE RESEARCH!!! YOU DON'T HAVE ANY!!! IT'S FALSE.

Also, when same sex occurs, there is a greater risk, same for those who aren't married and heterosexual who sleep around,for HPV, STDS, HIV. HELLO!!! When you play, you pay, sometimes with your life. Ever hear of abstinence?? Nobody ever caught an STD or HIV from NOT fooling around. If they did, SHOW ME THE PROOF. AGAIN, THERE ISN'T ANY.

Get your facts straight before you start bashing the church and Christians. You obviously have some serious anger issues. Seek help with a shrink and get a script for some Prozac while you're at it.

Will be praying for you.

[Jay]

GetalifeChristianbashers: first, your experience with Christianity is not the universal Christian experience. When I was raised as a conservative Protestant, we were told over and over again that sex is dirty unless it's missionary position to have babies. That's my anecdote and obviously it beats your anecdote. So, really, shut the fuck up, get off your religious high horse and maybe try listening for once.

[Bruce Gorton]

Nobody ever caught an STD or HIV from NOT fooling around. If they did, SHOW ME THE PROOF. AGAIN, THERE ISN'T ANY.

Sci-fi legend Isaac Asimov contracted HIV via a blood transfusion.

Oh, and then there is this:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15565940

This is illustrated with a case of Mr. M. S. who married two wives within four months interval, having lived a promiscuous life before marriage. One of the wives was a virgin at the time of marriage. Neither of wives had any symptoms suggestive of STD or HIV before marriage, however, the three of them tested positive to HIV-1 following a visit to the special treatment clinic. He had genital herpes and his two wives also had vulvovaginal candidiasis, genital herpes and condyloma accuminata (genital warts). The husband would not want his HIV status declared to the wives.

That one wife who was a virgin prior to her marriage? She wasn't fooling around was she?

Now I would go into how in a bid to make your religion look good, you illustrate exactly why your religion isn't, but I think if you didn't figure that out while typing that gloat over people suffering and dying from incurable diseases as some sort of vindication of your faith, well nothing I say could do it for you.

[Jon Shelley]

If this is true, then I apologize for making that acusation. however, in several attemps I have not been able to find my comment in the thread.

[Bernd Nowotny]

I totally understand your anger and agree with you.
And I am happy now for me and my family, that I could not get a job in the United States 30 years ago, and we could not stay there.
Bernd Nowotny
Germany