JT Eberhard's dad on why he posts so much on atheism

I know you were wondering.

Poppy, with my commentary:

Why do I post about atheism so much?

February 6, 2012 at 11:30 am JT Eberhard

[JT] My father has written another good one.

[JT's dad] Some time ago, my good friend Kevin asked “Why do you post about atheism all the time?”

I'll betcha' Eberhard's dad doesn't know anyone named "Kevin".   

Valid question. I have pondered it at length. So, for my theist facebook friends, here is why.

Atheists are stigmatized in our culture.

Atheists can't get stigmata. Even St. Francis had to work at it for 30 years, and he was uncommonly holy.

A great many people who contribute to that stigmatization do not realize that not only do they know some atheists, but that they have found them to be perfectly acceptable human beings.

Right. Billions of Christians have no idea that they know atheists, who we presume would be identifiable by the horns protruding through their hair, right next to the '666' etched in their scalp. We realize that atheists could keep their tails tucked in their pants, but the horns would be hard to hide.

Until these good people are made aware of the atheists around them who are indistinguishable from every other good person,

Except for the horns...

they may buy into and promulgate the existing institutionalized stigmatization.

"Institutional stigmatization"? What institutes exclude atheists? Higher education? Science? Hollywood? The arts? The media? They're infested with atheists. A sneer at Evangelicals and an eye-roll at the Catholic Church are the coin of the secular realm.

In short, if you know me and like me, then let me inform you I am an atheist, and I am still that very same person whom you knew and liked.

But you can't be an atheist! You seem so... so... human.

Informing you of my lack of belief does not suddenly outfit me with horns, a forked tail, and a pitchfork.

'666' on your scalp is sufficient.

Until we come out of the closet as individual atheists, we will continue to be stigmatized and marginalized as a group.

Why not stay in a group closet? They have spacious walk-in's...

The second reason is that I am a very strong supporter of the Constitutional separation of church and state which is under nonstop attack by theists.

There's "Constitutional" and there's "separation of church and state". But "Constitutional separation of church and state" is an oxymoron, like "friendly lawsuit" (to pick an example atheists could relate to).

News to Poppy: "separation of church and state" ain't in the Constitution, no matter what your friends say.

I suppose I could fight that without declaring my atheism; however, it is simpler to self-identify as one of the groups the Christian Taliban is wanting to use the government to marginalize into second-class citizenry.

"Christian Taliban" is one of those oxymorons, Poppy. In fact, it's been Christians who've been keeping the Taliban at bay for 1400 years. You atheists tried it once, and the Taliban kicked your задница.

Make no mistake: there is a radical religious right that is determined to turn us into a theocracy.

Sure. For 200 years we had prayer in schools, creches in the town square, and Ten Commandments on our courthouse lawns. And America was a nightmarish theocratic Torquemada-ville.

Oh... wait... no it wasn't...

Their ongoing goal is to use our government as a proselytizing, indoctrination, and enforcement arm for their narrow minded version of religion.

Atheists are just trying to mind their own business, and Christians are such censors.

The third reason is that, frankly, I am annoyed by gullibility, ignorance, stupidity, propaganda, falsehoods, poor logic, and bad arguments.

So don't buy Dawkins' books.

I am disgusted with people who don’t know jack shit about science demanding to determine what is taught as science.

Hey. My thoughts exactly.

I am sick of people wanting to force their Iron Age morals onto everyone, despite mountains of studies and evidence that show them to be wrong.

Preach it bro'!

I think it is pathetic that people use religion to marginalize entire classes of people based on gender, sexual orientation, and color.

Yea. People who are denied basic rights need a helping hand.

Some other reasons:

In the entire history of Congress, there has only been one avowed atheist, Pete Stark. We are not represented and will not be represented until we speak out.

Pete Stark represents you well.

Because it took until 1961 for atheists to be guaranteed the right to serve on juries, testify in court, or hold public office in every state in the country.

Yea. We let them testify in court, and now we can't get them to stop testifying in court.

Because religion is not satisfied with merely existing quietly in the homes and hearts of the faithful. Its very nature compels the believer to proselytize, preach, promote, convince, convert and prevail.

Religion sticks its nose into everything.

Because the idea that skepticism and questioning are the same as cynicism, nihilism, and despair.

Atheism. The antidote to cynicism, nihilism and despair.

Because I can, and the only punishment thus far is societal, not legal…..at least for the present.

One gets the sense that Poppy's propensity to write so much on atheism has more to do with inadequate medication than it does with anything resembling insight. It's hard to best an atheist when it comes to stringing oxymoronic banalities into an ideology.

Contra Pops, the Christian understanding of man is the basis for our rights. Along with the vast majority of Americans, I believe that Christianity belongs in the forefront of our civic life. Free exercise of religion-- open acknowledgement of our debt to God for our right to life, our right to liberty and our right to pursue happiness-- is protected by our Constitution.

We Christians have always respected the genuine rights of our atheist neighbors. Atheists are the least persecuted religious group on earth.

State atheism, on the other hand, is always-- always-- totalitarian.