and the christmas lump of coal goes to…
If you’ve been reading for a while, you know that I have my New Year’s posts down to a science. On the 30th is the annual wrap-up, sort of like my state of the blog address. Then, on New Year’s Eve, I pry open my stats to highlight how the blog is growing, from where the visitors are coming, and the year’s top posts. But Christmas posts have been far worse defined. In 2008, I tried to go with the multicultural and pop sci TV route. Last year was an attempt at holiday humor and this year’s post, in the spirit of continued experimentation, will also be different. While last year, I was making a short list for what presents cranks, fundamentalists, and woo-meisters who figured prominently in the skeptical news should’ve received, today I’m going to single out someone in particular, a person, or a group of people whose only present under the Christmas tree should be a big lump of coal because they’ve been really, really bad.
As I was making my list and checking it twice, my top offenders were those who responded to the results of a national poll on religious knowledge with petty and childish insults aimed at atheists, who happened to easily ace the Pew quiz and emerge as the segment of the population most aware of essential religious history and theological tenets. Rather than start raising questions about what it means to be religious in America and ask how good of a job churches are doing in educating their flocks, they went on the condescending offensive in forums provided to them by religious columnists for national papers, columnists who are more than happy to let loudmouth pundits spew fire, brimstone, and condemnations at those who don’t share their beliefs. And all the while they keep whining about how the faithful are the only ones keeping the world from collapsing under the weight of its sins, casually calling atheists pretty much everything from genocidal maniacs to amoral and mentally disabled husks of human beings, then wondering why those heathens are now angry at them. Now, I’d say it has something to do with the holier-than-thou attitudes of people who demand that we grovel before them and their holy books just because they occasionally invoke a metaphysical figure, but what do I know?
It seems that not only are today’s outspoken religious leaders making new strides in saying stupid things they excuse by their personal beliefs and dogmas, but in lacking any and all self-awareness, using public forums to slander those who dare disagree with them, and threaten them with death and eternal torture. Even more ironically, the findings of the national religious knowledge survey came only days after a formerly professional theology basher employed by the now seemingly schizophrenic leadership of the Center For Inquiry, decided to lash out at atheists for being theologically unsophisticated philistines who insult the idea of free thought by not learning enough about religion. A big lump of coal for you too CFI. Maybe you you start inquiring whether you’re still suited to carry out your stated mission and whether you really want to employ someone who’s best known for declaring that science teachers denying that the Earth is 6,000 years old are breaking the law. I really can’t think of a more ridiculous thing said by someone claiming to be a skeptic this year and it fits all too well with the temper tantrums of high and mighty priests and theologians who spent years preaching how the atheist is an ignorant abomination unaware of the rich history and structure of religious belief, then belching a steady stream of fire and insults when the atheists score far higher than their own followers on a quiz meant to measure the very things of which they were supposed to be far too ignorant to know.
Remember, winter holidays have been around for thousands of years in many cultures which saw the winter solstice as a turning point of the year, celebrated with presents, feasts, and by spending time with family. As we’re constantly inundated by angry fundamentalists demanding that we attribute this season to them, along with anything else good, enjoyable, or positive in our lives, we need to remind them that these holidays are for all people who recognized the changing of the seasons and observed by those of all faiths in the West. Puffed up, arrogant blowhards whose only talent is dividing people with their fiery spew and parasitically consuming the money, attention, and undue respect society gives them, should not define our cultures. And to those who try, I’d say shame on you, but I’m pretty sure they have no shame in the first place. Hence the lump of coal.
