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You've somehow managed to reach my blog. I don't know how, I don't know why, and I don't care. Actually, my Google Analytics account mostly disproves that sentence.In this blog you may find a unique mixture of wit, hard work, neglect, randomness, copy-and-paste jobs, philosophy, word salad, wishful thinking, harbored ill-will, motion sickness, music, sex, orange pulp, your Aunt Bessie (yes, you have one, but she thought it best that you never meet her for reasons that would become obvious if you did), money-making schemes, skepticism, horrors beyond somebody's imagination, Eagles, sardonic quips, triple-malt Whiskey advertisements, glorious depravity, suntan lotion sales pitches, pessimism, green (the color, the movement, whatever), and other things I'm too lazy and unimaginative to add to this list at the moment. Stay tuned.
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Tag Archives: Atheism
Flamebaiting as a marketing strategy?
So today I made the mistake of using the #atheism hashtag on Twitter. It wasn’t really a mistake, I did it purposefully, and was aware that it brands me exactly as I’m comfortable being branded. What I didn’t expect was the troll I got in response.
He doesn’t fit the classic description of a troll or flamebaiter per se, or at least not MY definition. He’s a calm enough guy who’s simply making the same old tired, illogical, badly-presented arguments. In particular he’s claiming that atheism is, in fact, a religion, and that he has proof of this, a list of 5 gods that atheists believe in, and that we need to stop saying we don’t have belief or that we lack belief.
Where it gets interesting, though, is that he mainly avoids making the arguments themselves, only referencing the fact that he has them. Why? Because he has a convenient eBook available for sale on his website that has all those answers! And it retails for only $4.99, which is actually quite reasonable. $4.99 is almost inexpensive enough to be worth me buying just to read his arguments which I’ll likely immediately recognize from decades of others making the exact same tired arguments, along with nonsensical ramblings full of logical fallacies. Then I’d have the ammunition with which to refute his claims directly and show him how flawed they are, assuming he’s capable of following an intelligent argument.
And right there is where I realized this guy’s hidden brilliance. Regardless of whether he believes his claims (I have no reason to doubt that he does), and regardless of whether I and many more knowledgeable folks can rip said claims to shreds, is irrelevant. Why? Because the moment he’s successfully baited us into wanting to read his evidence to dispute his inanity he’s made $4.99 off us (minus fees, of course). At that point we could prove he’s one of the worst authors on the planet and has no skills whatsoever in philosophy or theology, and he’ll still have proven that what he lacks in those fields he makes up for in marketing strategy. Much like Brian Dunning once pointed out, sure you can make a better hamburger than McDonald’s, but you can’t make a better business. It’s not about the product, it’s about the selling of said product. And this guy deserves some credit for that. I can make a better argument than he can, but at the end of the day, which of us has made $4.99 off the other?
I’ve purposefully avoided linking to the person in question, but if you’re interested in checking out what he has to say, look to my Twitter feed. While I personally don’t wish to financially support his flawed arguments or deceptive practices, I won’t prevent you from doing so. He is pretty clever, and perhaps some may feel he deserves a few bucks for that. So be it. Now, should he wish to send me a FREE copy of the eBook and prove this wasn’t his strategy and he really does want open and honest discussion of the subject, I’d be happy to review it here. But I’m not paying for the privilege of arguing with him. I’m not that big of a masochist.
EDIT 5/18/10: I realize I’m doing nobody justice by not providing some link to this guy’s chatter, especially since he’s apparently still at it, even if he left me alone when it was clear I wasn’t buying (his book or his BS). So check out his Twitter feed to see what he’s up to.
Mr. Deity and the Host (plus me again!)
All right, new episode of Mr. Deity is up, and I’m in it again! Woohoo, go me, living the dream, etc. Check it out (and stick around for the begging segment at the end):
Another good episode, and I loved the PZ references. Definitely some good, subtle stuff in there, and as usual plenty of ad-libbing (the Dagon reference was something I was especially proud of).
Anyway, the season’s nearly wrapped up, then there’ll be a small hiatus and for the first time ever, a Mr. Deity DVD release of the entire third season! Hopefully there’ll be a bunch of bonus content like outtakes (we have, on some very, very rare occasions, botched a line, or done something else mildly unplanned) and extended scenes to make it extra worth it, but just having it without the GoDaddy ads is enough for me. That and maybe no begging, although I find the begging bits nearly as funny (and, admittedly, occasionally funnier) than the episodes themselves, so hopefully they’ll be on the DVDs in one form or another.
Btw, if you were at all confused by the beginning, you may want to check out this Super Bowl commercial after the break to clear things up a bit:
Tagged Acting, Atheism, Dagon, Entertainment, host, Humor, Mr. Deity, P.Z. Myers, Religion, transubstantiation, Video
Mr. Deity and… me again!
That’s right, folks, Timmy’s back! And check out what a headache he’s got on his hands…
This one was a doozy to film, because the dialog was so tight and the timing had to be so perfect that we had a lot to focus on. Plus I had worked late the night before, and Jimbo and Brian had spent the day filming another episode first, so none of us was as well-prepared as we would have liked. But that never stops a Mr. Deity, and better yet, some of the funniest things that come out of our mouths are born from sheer delirium.
As well, I was deeply honored to learn (and confirm upon reflection) that I am officially the first recurring character in Mr. Deity history (obviously not counting the four principle players). It means so very much to me to have been so openly and warmly accepted into this group and brought on-board such an amazing project. To go from a rabid fan (thankfully the doctors got that taken care of) to a recurring role as the head of R&D for the entire universe is a literal dream come true. I couldn’t be happier to be involved in something so clever, witty, original, and meaningful.
Well, enough blubbering. The next episode is one I managed to operate cameras and sound for, and it’s damn funny, despite me not appearing in it. Look forward to it in a couple of weeks. And word is I may appear in at least one more episode this season. Stay Tubed…
Why atheists care about religion
I don’t believe in God. That’s no secret. If you’ve read my blog or had a conversation with me on the topic, you’re aware of this. I work hard to be respectful of the people I know and love and their right to believe what they wish, and I avoid arguments with them simply because I like to maintain the relationships I have with them. But that doesn’t keep me quiet everywhere, and that doesn’t stop me from caring.
But why DO I care? After all, if I don’t believe, then what does it matter? Why do I as an atheist, or all atheists, seem to spend so much time talking about something we don’t believe in? Religious people seem to find this concept silly, and on the surface I can see why. I don’t put a title on my lack of belief in fairies, nor do I write blog posts about it, have heated discussions online, join activist groups, attend conferences, or read books about it. And since I respect each individual’s right to those beliefs, what does it matter?
I’ve wanted to answer this question for quite some time, honestly, and get into the nitty-gritty of it. But today, my Twitter friend @natheist favorited a new (well, maybe just new to me, I didn’t check the date) video by the AWESOME @gogreen18 (who is awesome, to clarify, for being brilliant and well-spoken, all while happening to prove the stereotype that gorgeous women can’t be either is complete bull) that just so happens to say everything I wanted to say better, more compactly, and with prettier eyes. Take a look:
That’s it, in a nutshell. That’s why I care, why it all matters. Historically, and currently, religion tends to impact my life and those of the people I love more than most other forces, and it’s my opinion, and that of a consistently growing number of people, that it does so negatively. Now perhaps you’re one of those who believes in a god or spirituality in some more generalized or personal sense, and one who doesn’t buy into this organized religion thing. Then perhaps you’re one of the people who doesn’t directly harm me. But when you believe your holy text overrides my rights as someone who hasn’t bought into it, you impact my life. And that’s when I have to start doing something about it.
Kids make the darndest religious Internet sex references
My five-year-old daughter goes to a preschool/daycare that wasn’t, when we signed up for it, outwardly religious. We were careful to ensure a place that wouldn’t impart any specific religious biases on her so we can do our best to give her a well-rounded view of religion.
Without our choice, though, she was eventually transferred to a new chapter of the organization that was located on the grounds of a Lutheran church. And since then she’s been coming home with lots of interesting new “knowledge.” She won’t be there much longer.
Despite the encroachment on my daughter’s innocence, there is always humor to find in these circumstances, and this one’s great. Yesterday I picked her up and noticed some foam art pieces the kids had made in class of what is presumably God’s hands holding the earth. One child, however, apparently didn’t quite get the concept of how those hands are supposed to be positioned…
Those of us who have been permanently blinded by the Goatse phenomenon should find this reference all too familiar.
Don’t you love it when religion inadvertently imitates disgusting Internet porn fetishes?
Soldier sues over right to non-religion
Today I came across this article on newsday.com which talks about a soldier suing the military over their unfair treatment of his Atheist views.
According to the article, and the suit, this soldier tried to hold a meeting for fellow Atheists and other non-Christians, presumably as a way of garnering a similar level of support and community that the prayer and religious groups have. Despite having his fliers approved, the soldier’s actual meeting was barred by his superior, and he was threatened with military charges and the blocking of his re-enlistment.
Spec. Jeremy Hall is now suing the military over this and other encroachment on his rights to free speech and freedom of (and from) religion. He has cited other incidents, including being forced to submit to religious tests as qualification for his post.
This situation is a perfect example for me of why my Atheism has become so important to me in recent years. As I’ve noted in my About Me page, the lack of a belief in something really shouldn’t be an issue that I care so much about. I have no belief in Godzilla, either, but you don’t see me dedicating sections of my site to proving there’s no Godzilla. This is, I think, true of the vast majority of Atheists. Why waste effort on something we don’t believe exists? But Christians (I point out only Christians because I rarely come across members of any other religion who give a crap) continually go on about how they’re being persecuted (oh how hard it is to be in the majority and in control of the government) by Atheists, and how it seems like we’re at war with them, trying to take away their faith.
Bullshit.
I don’t give a crap what you believe. Believe in God, Allah, Buddha, a giant tortoise, Zeus, Karma, Ra, or any God, Goddess, spirit, universal “truth,” or other mindset you may please. Seriously. I don’t care. But get it out of my face. And no, by saying that, I don’t mean hide your beliefs; I just mean not to try to force your beliefs onto me, whether by constantly reminding me I’m going to Hell for not believing, or by making your religion’s rules into LAWS (and I’m sorry, but if people are to have free will to choose whether or not to sin, and this is one of God’s tests for them, aren’t you fucking up God’s process by outlawing sins?). Your religion is yours, not mine. You think you know better, so live smugly in that knowledge while I live smugly in mine. But you are not making the world a better place by forcing all the infidels and heathens to live by your religion’s rules. You’re just creating a bunch of angry, oppressed people, and history shows that those groups may get over that anger eventually, but usually after they’ve licked that oppression issue… at least until their founding principles are far enough in the past that the rulers can start convincing people they don’t matter anymore.
And that’s where we stand now. We’re sick of watching you erode our rights because your several-thousand-year-old holy book of choice tells you you can’t do certain fun things that the rest of us enjoy. We’re sick of seeing your interests get preferential treatment over ours because your people are in power, when those interests benefit ONLY you and hurt the rest of us. And less and less of us are willing to take it. We’re not at war with you, but we are beginning to fight, and we didn’t start it.
AlterNet, from whom I found this article (via StumbleUpon), noted the irony of how so many religious people, usually in an effort to prove some sort of point (I never do get quite what point they’re trying to prove), try to claim that Atheism is actually a religion (which, of course, it’s not, just like the big blank screen in a theater at 4:00 in the morning isn’t a movie), yet are completely unwilling to provide it the same rights as one. Make a choice, people. Call it (incorrectly) a religion, and give Atheist groups the same tax breaks and other benefits of churches, or shut up.
I wish this soldier the best of luck with his lawsuit. I don’t expect it to work out well in his favor, considering the might of our military and the backing they have in Washington, but I’ll keep my fingers crossed, which is of course the Atheist equivalent of prayer.
