One of my favorite people at work is Tom. He's funny and sarcastic and incredibly nice and an Atheist. I honestly was surprised at that when I first met him. I remember expressing my surprise to my wife as I described him. I guess I thought that every Atheist hated me or was out to get me or would make fun of me about Creation or I don't know. I had spent most of my life in kind of a bubble and I think I had a really ignorant attitude about Atheists in general.That's horrible of me. God calls me to love people, not love types of people. Christ didn't filter that definition when He told us what the most important commandment was. So why do I?
I think I approached Atheists like US Weekly magazine. US Weekly is kind of like a skankier version of People magazine. They don't have articles really, just photos of celebrities. It's kind of a guilty pleasure piece. One of the sections is titled "Just Like Us" in which they show candid photos of things like Brad Pitt taking out the garbage or Will Smith tying his shoes. The idea is that despite seeming like creatures from a different planet sometimes, celebrities are just like you and me.
I confess that I used to do something similar with my view of Atheists. I didn't revere them like celebrities, but I certainly didn't think they could be like me. I didn't think they laughed at the same stuff I did or would want to hang out with me or were interested in a lot of the same things I was. But then I met Tom and he kind of screwed up my grossly unloving view of Atheists.
It turns out I am not the only one with an odd view of Atheists. The photo I attached is from the kids section of a Christian site. This is their Atheist character, Mr. Gruff, and the headline is "What should you do if you find an Atheist?" The copy continues, "Atheists such as crotchety old Mr. Gruff think they've got it all figured out, but then why are they always so sad?" I'll let you read it on your own, but I can't help but mention that it also says, "Atheists are often very grumpy and bitter and will lash out at children or they may even try to trick you into neglecting God's word."
That site isn't a joke. Or at least the church that sent it to me thought it was real and so did I. I suppose characters like the "Kanga-Jew" might have been my first clue that it was indeed fake. Wow, hundreds of pages of content, fake advertisements from real Christian ministries, this is the deepest spoof I have ever seen. And bravo on completely fooling me and my friend Tom who didn't seem that surprised to see something like this. (That might be the biggest lesson from all of this.) But goats and kangaroos aside, I was a jerk to Tom. I have sucked at loving people different than me and I hope that is an area of my heart the Lord continues to work on. I would love if Tom were a Christian, but he's not. But that shouldn't change the way I love him.
p.s. Do I feel dumb for thinking the site mentioned above was real at first? Yes and no. Yes, because I want you to think I am cool and smart. No, because I got an email from a foreign contact today and apparently I am going to be rich. I mean look what the email said, "I need your urgent assistance in transferring the sum of $10.3 million Immediately to your account. The money has been dormant for years in our Bank here without any body coming for it.I want to release the money to you as the nearest person to our deceased customer(the owner Of the account) who died a long with his supposed next of kin in an air Crash since July2000."
Wow, that cartoon is ridiculous!
ReplyDeleteThis is one thing that really irks me. Is it so impossible for someone to imagine that people can be happy without sharing their views?
Yes, it is quite possible, and actually quite easy to be a happy and well-rounded individual while at the same time being a *gasp* atheist! Atheism is not a result of anger or rebellion, and contrary to popular belief, Christians do not hold a monopoly on cheerfulness or morality.
Thanks so much for addressing this. I think a lot of people haven't encountered atheists, probably because most atheists do not openly discuss their views or are still "in the closet" to their friends and family, so I appreciate you helping to further the awareness that atheists are not people to be feared or hated, but fellow human beings who happen to disagree with you.
I'd like to share a link to a page that discusses misperceptions about atheism:
http://atheism.about.com
Wow. I couldn't help but go looking for that website. Strange curiosity. If you go to the online store, under the "4 Kidz" section, click on poor ol' Mr. Gruff and scroll down. They sell a "Mr. Gruff Chastity Preserver (Xtra-Strength)" for only $8.50. Plus it's made in the USA. Fantastic. Here's their description:
ReplyDelete"Preserve your chastity with this Mr. Gruff undergarment. One look at his gruff demeanor will surely scare off any suitors who might be tempted to deflower you."
...whoa
So does this mean I have to renounce coffee? :)
ReplyDeleteI like the blatant representation of paganism with the goat mascot.
ReplyDeleteThe site that the illustration was taken from is very obviously a satire. A giant troll.
ReplyDeleteWhoa. That's on a real site? I actually thought it was funny (on the basis of a satirical look at "Christian" attitudes toward those who aren't) . . . but I don't think so anymore.
ReplyDeleteOne of my BFF is an Atheist. We co-exist very peacefully and she only sometimes scoffs and gets gruff when I mention God.
ReplyDeleteI love her dearly.
Jon,
ReplyDeleteI too went and found the site. I'm going to respect your decision to not share the link... but I would like to say that it is a very real site and very sad.
One of my closest friends is an atheist and he knows exactly where I stand in my faith. The awesome part is that he has come to me before with questions because he knows that I will not judge him and will be honest about what it means to be a Christian.
Those are the kind of things that make me feel embarrassed of being a christian, whether that site is serious or not there are many many christians out there whom are just like that site...you meet them and you just wonder: "Are you for real?"...but hey we gotta love them too, right?
ReplyDeleteI'm confused now. Was the site real or not? I didn't see anything that said it was satrical... usually sites have a disclaimer to avoid hate mail.
ReplyDeleteIt's totally for real ya'll. No satire there. If you dig deeper into the site it talks about dinosaurs and biblical figured living together. Probably where the picture of Jesus riding the dinosaur came from.
ReplyDeleteI think it's real, actually; if you follow up the links, particularly on the "creation science" part, you get to some very real-sounding news items and arguments against Dawkins, etc. Some of it's very weird, but it doesn't seem like satire.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, the site in question is brilliant satire and you and I are the target.
ReplyDeleteFor what it's worthy, my opinion is that the site is satire. It's just a little too polished, with a tone closer to "Lark News" than to a genuinely wacked-out Christian Nutjob site (compare to the wretchedness of av1611.org.) Still, very well-done and I can see how it would convince people.
ReplyDeleteFor the point, absolutely. For quite a while my only exposure to atheists was the trolls who frequent message boards. It wasn't until I started looking past the opinions and seeing the people that I was able to develop any empathy at all. Don't look at the label, look at the person.
After your "but" post I was thinking of scenarios where we say "but" too much (as opposed to too little in the way that you mentioned). For example, last week I heard a pastor say, "She is a really nice girl, but she's an atheist." Want to tackle that one?
ReplyDeletemy husband just returned from contracting a job for 9 months in iraq. when he arrived, he got to know and became extremely close with one person there. out of hundreds, he became close with one. that one is an atheist. my husband is a christian. and they are perfect each other, and i'm so glad he is now a part of our lives and best friends with my husband. i love it.
ReplyDeleteOne of the nicest, most thoughtful, caring, wants-to-make-the-world-a-better-place people I know is an agnostic. She has done a lot to change my ideas about nonreligious people. She's more Christ-like than a lot of Christians I know. Which is just really sad.
ReplyDeleteA dear friend that is an atheist (and a huge coffee drinker) laughed out loud at the 'finds solace in coffee' comment.
ReplyDeleteLove is the operative word here. Thanks so much for the post, Jon.
I visited the site in question, and discovered another feature. If you click on animals (Kanga-Jew, Mr. Gruff, etc.) their speech bubbles change and different parts of their bodies animate. Mr. Gruff can be quoted as saying "I feel empty inside, I'm gonna drink some more coffee..." Satire or not, it's a website that initially provoked me to feel sad and discouraged. However, could we not also use it as an *appropriate* conversation-starter? I have many friends with beliefs and consequently worldviews very different from my own. I wonder what their take on this site would be...
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting, Jon!
I thought it was a pretty superb and funny satirical website. It's sometimes hard to see the satire when we are the satir-ees. Of course, I'm a pretty new believer so maybe I'm outside the loop a little more and it's easier for me to see. Anyway, first time poster, short time reader but I love SCL, it's one of my must-read blogs!
ReplyDeleteYou must do some diggin on this one. Go to the Youth site called Zounds. I laughed til I cried at the song titles on the "albums" including "Baby Got Baptism" and don't miss the abstinece shorts.
ReplyDeleteThis is a hilarious satire and no different that what goes on here. Pointing out how ridiculous Christians can sometimes be. This site show it to the exteme. They list a "Mall Missionary" and here is what she said about some stores in the Mall.
ReplyDeleteJ.C. Penny - The J.C. makes us think of Jesus Christ, thus associating our Lord with the lowest monetary value, the penny (even Judas valued Him at 30 pieces of silver!).
Sears - What the flesh of the damned does in Hell. It also sounds like "seers", Pagan mystics who engaged in occult premonitions.
Cinnabon - Sounds like "Sin Upon".
Orange Julius - Named for the Pagan Emperor of Rome. This company's mascot was once a devil, until they changed it to hide their true intentions.
Hot Topic - A recent store aimed at children that openly sells devil paraphernalia. Any guess as to why "hot" is in their name?
Hallmark Gold Crown Stores - Purveyors of Santamas tree ornaments depicting anthropomorphized woodland creatures (reference to Evolutionism) and Harry Potter merchandise. What notable person will have a mark and wear crowns? [Rev. 13:16, 13:13}
A very funny site.
I will not be convinced that Will Smith is "just like me" until I see a picture of him pooping (while constipated would be even better). But besides all that, great post. Thanks for addressing this issue. It's something I deal with frustratedly, in my own mind, every day. Atheists are not the devil--and usually are quite happy, well-rounded, interesting people. Talk to them! It's like a really intense spiritual workout.
ReplyDeleteOne of the funniest parts of the site in question is the "Statement of Faith". It starts with a "Divine Org Chart", it goes on to discuss how fish, at the time of the Flood "were not subject to His Wrath as they were righteous and serve as symbols for Christ". And it illustrates eschatalogy using an "Eschatogram"!
ReplyDeleteya, agreed. My roommate is an Atheist and we have a great relationship. We'll often times joke at each other about our differences, but neither of us are disrepectful or hurtful to each others beliefs/disbeliefs.
ReplyDeleteWhen you first said that site was real, part of me was like, "No way!" and the rest of me was like, "Somehow, I am not that surprised." I must google Kanga-Jew immediately. Amazing.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'm glad that you're going to be rich. This takes you way beyond the status of Christian thousandaire. However, it is very sad that your unnamed relative has had to die in an air Crash since July2000. I wonder what it is like for him or her, being stuck in a perpetual cycle of air Crash dying for eight years? My guess is that it's less than fun, and even the shock/excitement factor of "The plane is going down and we're all going to die!" would would probably wear off after the first month or so. I imagine it's probably like going to Cedar Point every single day. After a while, even the Millenium Force feels like the Wild Mouse. Sad.
It's inevitable that we will think false things about groups of people that we don't know based off of vary limited "interaction" with them (the media). I don't think this in itself is a problem, because it's so understandable. I do have a problem with us not being open to change our limited opinions.
ReplyDeleteI really hope your friend Tom is a frequent reader of your blogs........and especially SCL...... because your heart and honesty show through. An imperfect Christian, who isn't afraid to admit it, makes a much better friend than one who thinks he's perfect. What a bold step...admitting you have unfairly judged him. Made me look at myself and my thoughts about my coworkers a second time as well.
ReplyDeleteVery insighful post Jon.
ReplyDeleteI gotta tell you that this has to be the FIRST CHRISTIAN SITE I have ever read to use the word "skankier"!!
This more than anything else in this post made me LOL!!
C!
Atheists and agnostics aren't always the cold and bitter people they can sometimes be made out to be. Many atheists are actually ex-Christians who no longer take the word of god as truth. I came to that conclusion when I was a senior in high school. We are usually humanists who have similar goals to that of Christians--we just feel that the Bible contains immoral acts and ideals such as; rape, sexism, slavery, xenophobia, homophobia and the like. We stand from a naturalistic point of view. As Americans, we wish for freedom of religion, as well as freedom from it. Peaceful co-habitation is something we stride for. We never use violence, force or abuse to get our messages across--we use words to express our feelings as human beings who are responsible for our actions.
ReplyDeleteI'm funny, happy, nice, sometimes cranky, and I'm a atheist.
ReplyDeleteIt's refreshing to read a believer writing with reason and perspective. Nice post.
Nice post. Signed, an extremely happy atheist.
ReplyDelete