From: epowers@huey.NMSU.Edu (POWERS)
Subject: TOP TEN REASONS TO BASH...
Organization: New Mexico State University
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1992 01:54:54 GMT

	For those who did not keep up with these posts, Maddi Hausmann posted  
Top Ten Reasons to Bash Fundies.  Steve Matheson followed up with Top Ten  
Reasons to Keep Bashing Atheists.  Lots of people were very upset with Steve  
and said all sorts of horrible things about his ancestors, calling them such  
things as "scum-sucking micelles" and asking if they were raised in a primeval  
soup.  Almost all said "THIS IS NOT FUNNY!!!"  I thought Steve's post was  
pretty funny, and I thought I would repost both of them and comment on why a  
lowly fundie such as myself would find them both amusing.  Here goes:

MH:10.  The same techniques are also good for getting rid of telephone
       solicitors.
SM: 10.  The same techniques are also good for getting rid of bigots of
	any ilk.

	Verbal abuse has never worked for me in either case.

MH: 9.  Their religion tells them they should struggle with their faith.
SM:  9.  Their religion tells them they should hate those outside their
	faith.

	I've gotten a lot of abuse from both sides.  Fundies and atheists both  
find me the type of dude you love to hate.

MH: 8.  It's so amusing to watch their eyes pop out when they find out
       you know more Scripture than they do.
SM:  8.  It's so amusing to watch their eyes pop out when they find out
        you know more Scripture than they do.

	This was the funniest of all of Steve's.  I know it seems silly, but I  
have met atheists who are very proud of the knowledge they do have of the  
Christian scriptures, and find it a point of honor to know more about it than  
their theist friends.  I guess they felt justified in ignoring their theist  
friends' arguments because, after all, they knew more about Christianity than  
their Christian friends!  The eyes do in fact pop out when these particular  
people find out I know more about scripture than they do.  But if you think  
that's a sight, you ought to see their eyes bug out when they find out I know  
more about evolutionary theory than they do!  I have never yet met an atheist  
who knew more about the Bible than I do, and only a handful that knew more  
about evolutionary theory.  I guess it just goes to prove that arguments should  
be evaluated for themselves, not the people who present them.

MH: 7.  Always a great line: I'd rather serve Mammon.
SM:  7.  Always a great line: I'd rather serve God.

MH: 6.  Jim Bakker is still in jail, and Tammy is still ugly.
SM:6.  Karl Marx is still dead, and Leningrad is back to St. Petersburg

	Actually, more to the point, a European atheist once said that  
Christianity would be dead by the end of that century.  His house is now the  
headquarters of a Christian missions society.  Could someone remind me of the  
name?  He was rather famous, but I haven't thought of the story for a while.

MH: 5.  Good opportunity to practice finding logical fallacies.
SM:  5.  Good opportunity to practice finding logical fallacies.

	Both are true.  I just talk to North Americans in general for this. 

MH: 4.  Their tax-exempt churches aren't helping our deficit problems.
SH: 4.  Their tax-exempt organizations aren't helping our deficit problems.

MH: 3.  You can buy property real cheap from the ones who are sure the
       Rapture is coming.
SM:  3.  You can learn what a "scoffer" is by asking them what they know
	about the Rapture.

MH: 2.  If we keep making fun of them, maybe they'll just go away.
SM: 2.  If we keep making fun of them, maybe they'll just go away.

MH: 1.  If you invite them into your home, you can make them wet their
       pants by drawing a pentacle around them.
SM:  1.  If you invite them into your home, you can make them wet their
        pants by failing to line up with their deranged, bigoted
	stereotypes.

	This one is next best.  After knowing me for a while, most athiests are  
fairly confused over their stereotypes of Christians.  Most Christians are  
thoroughly confused over their stereotypes of evolutionary biologists.  By the  
way, in case any of you are wondering if I have any weird tales to tell here,  
yes I do:  I have had someone attempt what MH suggested, in Rhodes dormitory at  
NMSU.  He was an occult practitioner, it was two weeks before Halloween, and we  
were supposed to be studying Botany.  No, I did not wet my pants.
					Bluah!Bluah!
                   (a generalized greeting to you all from a friend of mine.)
					Erik Powers