-- Thomas Jefferson

Because I can

they loved feeling superior. now i try to limit it to fundies but I'm not always successful.

I'm something of a fan of Samuel Clemens:

“Only laughter can blow to rags and atoms at a blast. Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand.”

Break their barrier by making THEM want to debate YOU.

I get taunted by believers a lot ... I'm a sinner, I'm going to hell .. etc.

I think mocking is a means to point out hypocrisy. We do it in political discussions as well.

Taunting is just straight insults.

their imbecilic schlock

Even the most self-proclaimed enlightened, tolerant, wonderful people on DU turn around and do things like post that they laughed while reading the Book of Mormon, or that "only the most simple minded take any of the stories (in the bible) literally."

And DU is one big mockfest of Republicans and their agenda.

We need to get over this notion that "well MY beliefs are special and shouldn't be criticized or mocked!"

But pi? It's SO irrational.

Some of the best people I have ever known in my life were Catholics, Episcopalians, Congregationalists, Baptists, Methodists, Jewish folks, even one Muslim, and one Buddhist.

I love them dearly, but their beliefs make no sense.

I don't challenge their beliefs, I just accept them as they are.

I think it's easier to challenge people's beliefs on the internet, people we do not know, personally, challenge their beliefs, not them as persons.

Does this make sense?

Nom nom nom.

without Russell Glasser.

Mocking something to point out absurdities has been tradition for thousands of years. I'm a big fan. But I may be a bigger fan of pie. Tough call!

... it is All about Pie.

If you don't have Pie...
You cannot possess Piety...
and will NEVER be counted among the Pi-Us...



oh wait... is it, maybe, all about "Pi" and not...(shudder)... "Pie"?

A customer enters a god shop.

Customer: 'Ello, I wish to register a complaint.

(Charlatan does not respond.)

Customer: 'Ello, Miss?

Charlatan: What do you mean "miss"?

Customer: I'm sorry, I have a cold. I wish to make a complaint!

Charlatan: We're closin' for lunch.

Customer: Never mind that, my lad. I wish to complain about this deity what I accepted into my heart not half an hour ago from this very boutique.

Charlatan: Oh yes, the, uh, the Norwegian Blue...What's,uh...What's wrong with it?

Customer: I'll tell you what's wrong with it, my lad. 'E's dead, that's what's wrong with it!

Charlatan: No, no, 'e's uh,...he's resting.

Customer: Look, matey, I know a dead deity when I see one, and I'm looking at one right now.

Charlatan: No no he's not dead, he's, he's restin'! Remarkable god, the Norwegian Blue, idn'it, ay? Beautiful plumage!

Customer: The plumage don't enter into it. It's stone dead.

Charlatan: Nononono, no, no! 'E's resting!

Customer: All right then, if he's restin', I'll wake him up! (shouting at the religious symbol) 'Ello, Mister Polly deity! I've got a lovely fresh cuttle fish for you if you show...

(Charlatan hits the religious symbol)

Charlatan: There, he moved!

Customer: No, he didn't, that was you hitting the religious symbol!

Charlatan: I never!!

Customer: Yes, you did!

Charlatan: I never, never did anything...

Customer: (yelling and hitting the religious symbol repeatedly) 'ELLO POLLY Deity!!!!! Testing! Testing! Testing! Testing! This is your nine o'clock alarm call!

(Takes deity off of the religious symbol and thumps its head on the counter. Throws it up in the air and watches it plummet to the floor.)

Customer: Now that's what I call a dead deity.

Charlatan: No, no.....No, 'e's stunned!

Customer: STUNNED?!?

Charlatan: Yeah! You stunned him, just as he was wakin' up! Norwegian Blues stun easily, major.

Customer: Um...now look...now look, mate, I've definitely 'ad enough of this. That deity is definitely deceased, and when I accepted it into my heart it not 'alf an hour ago, you assured me that its total lack of movement was due to it bein' tired and shagged out following a prolonged sermon.

Charlatan: Well, he's...he's, ah...probably pining for the fjords.

Customer: PININ' for the FJORDS?!?!?!? What kind of talk is that?, look, why did he fall flat on his back the moment I got 'im home?

Charlatan: The Norwegian Blue prefers keepin' on it's back! Remarkable god, id'nit, squire? Lovely plumage!

Customer: Look, I took the liberty of examining that deity when I got it home, and I discovered the only reason that it had been hanging on its religious symbol in the first place was that it had been NAILED there.

(pause)

Charlatan: Well, o'course it was nailed there! If I hadn't nailed that god down, it would have nuzzled up to some whores, bent 'em apart with his ...(inaudible), and VOOM! Feeweeweewee!

Customer: "VOOM"?!? Mate, this god wouldn't "voom" if you put four million volts through it! 'E's bleedin' demised!

Charlatan: No no! 'E's pining!

Customer: 'E's not pinin'! 'E's passed on! This deity is no more! He has ceased to be! 'E's expired and gone to meet 'is maker! 'E's a stiff! Bereft of life, 'e rests in peace! If you hadn't nailed 'im to that religious symbol 'e'd be pushing up the daisies! 'Is metabolic processes are now 'istory! 'E's off the twig! 'E's kicked the bucket, 'e's shuffled off 'is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisibile!! THIS IS AN EX-deity!!

(pause)

Charlatan: Well, I'd better replace it, then. (he takes a quick peek behind the counter) Sorry squire, I've had a look 'round the back of the shop, and uh, we're right out of deitys.

Customer: I see. I see, I get the picture.

Charlatan: I got a slug.

(pause)

Customer: Pray, does it provide redemption?

Charlatan: Nnnnot really.

Customer: WELL IT'S HARDLY A BLOODY REPLACEMENT, IS IT?!!???!!?

Charlatan: N-no, I guess not. (gets ashamed, looks at his feet)

Customer: Well.

(pause)

Charlatan: (quietly) D'you.... d'you want to come back to my place?

Customer: (looks around) Yeah, all right, sure.

Is mocking a compulsion with atheists?

Nnnnnot really, but humorous satire might be...

But I find my self pointing out logical flaws when Facebook Jesus posts get spammed.

Athiests definitely love to mock - because we are from the 'side of reason' - aka, education and rational thinking. That definitely puts us on what we think is a highground of intellectualism. Now this may be true that ahtiests are smarter - but what is mockery really going to achieve? IS it the first step towards resolution? - Mockery probably hasnt convereted many people out of religion so the real question is WHY do we mock? Catharsis?