From: arromdee@jyusenkyou.cs.jhu.edu (Ken Arromdee)
Subject: Re: TOP TEN REASONS TO BASH [FUNDIES]
Organization: Johns Hopkins University CS Dept.
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1992 19:01:06 GMT

In article <1992Nov21.015454.183@nmsu.edu> epowers@huey.NMSU.Edu (POWERS) writes:
>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:

First, note that the original was aimed at funadmentalists, not at theists in
general.  The second one _was_ aimed at atheists in general.  These are not
analogous.

>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.

The latter is a sneaky way of calling atheists bigots.  Do you really mean
that calling someone a telephone solicitor is on par with calling someone a
bigot?

>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.

Fundamentalists have a religion.  Atheists don't.  That keeps this one from
being analogous.

>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.

These statements are not analogous.  An analogous one would be you knowing more
of some atheist holy book than we do.  Only atheists don't _have_ a holy book.

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

The atheist who refers to serving Mammon is joking.  He doesn't even believe
there really _is_ a Mammon.  Your line about God is not like that.

>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

Fundamentalists claim morality, so it's relevant that a fundamentalist is
in jail.  Atheists do not claim immortality, so it's _not_ equally relevant
that Marx is dead.

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

Not analogous, since fundamentalists depend on faith, which isn't logical.

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

When atheists pray in organizations, etc. like you do in churches, this one
might be analogous.

>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.

Atheists _don't_proselytize_.  Atheists also don't make laws intended to
promote atheist prayers in schools, for instance.  There is therefore not a
need to make atheists "go away" like for fundamentalists.

>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.

There is a difference between making a joke and calling someone a bigot.
--
"the bogosity in a field equals the bogosity imported from related areas, plus
the bogosity generated internally, minus the bogosity expelled or otherwise
disposed of."  -- K. Eric Drexler

Ken Arromdee (arromdee@jyusenkyou.cs.jhu.edu, arromdee@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu)
Newsgroups: alt.atheism