Do Atheists Think That Raising Obnoxious and Disrespectful Children is Cool?

I'm putting this in Rant because I feel like I'm just venting more than anything else...

Now, this looks a little staged to me, but that part is largely irrelevant to the point I'm making. A Christian street preacher being heckled by a little girl:

Yeah, looks scripted. However, the Atheist comment quoted in this article begs the question:

Really? You guys think this is cool?

The incident has been greeted with a variety of reactions. ... atheist blogger Hemant Mehta called it the “greatest thing you’ll see all day,” ...

More inexplicable fawning here:

“I’m usually not a fan of people out-obnoxious-ing street preachers in order to get them to stop… but somehow, when this little girl does it, I can’t stop watching,” Hemant Mehta of the Friendly Atheist blog remarked.

But when it's religious folk being disrespected, it's ok. It's ok to teach/allow your children to behave like this towards other human beings. It's borderline abuse, in my humble opinion, to endorse this kind of behavior.

Because it extends into adulthood. You're creating mean-spirited people who prefer to shut down discourse when it pursues an un-idealistically-friendly course. Like a bunch of brats. Listen to that little girl. She sounds like a lot of New Atheists sound, belittling and disrespecting believers instead of creating any meaningful dialog.

Just shut up. You're stupid. That's all I hear in most of their "arguments" (shout downs) anyway. It makes me think the video is actually a satirical presentation of typical New Atheist arrogance and intolerance.

Do any Atheists think this is ok? Whether the video is fake or not, the response from the blogger (and read some of the ridiculous reader comments in the articles) is what I'm calling out. I think it's disgusting.

End anti-rabid-Atheist rant.

I am not necessarily an atheist but I hate when peace and tranquility are ripped apart by a screaming preacher.

Each to his own, but don't throw it down my throat.

I hate the threats of eternal damnation on behalf of the greatest mass killer in history.

When they come to the door they lie, they cheat, anything to hook one in.

Preach one thing, do the other.

P

a reply to: NthOther

She's what's wrong with America? At least she's not with a crowd of people heckling grieving people at a funeral.

Good for her I say. Everyone in America is aware of Christianity. What purpose does this man serve?

Instead of publicly yelling (his tone is calm but his voice is amplified) at other people about Jesus why doesn't he perform acts of charity or something productive and actually Christian.

being both an atheist, and a parent myself, this video is terrible if it's real. Where the "H" are here parents? That little mouth of hers needs some soap, and she needs to be taught a thing or two about respect. To answer the OP's title question, no I don't think it's cool to raise kids this way. My child is certainly not like that. He is open, and respectful to others opinions. Teach'em right, and watch'em grow! The parents of this poor kid on the video are probably the same way, real sad......

originally posted by: pheonix358
I am not necessarily an atheist but I hate when peace and tranquility are ripped apart by a screaming preacher.

Two wrongs don't make a right.

I hate the threats of eternal damnation on behalf of the greatest mass killer in history.

Government? Let's not bring them into this.

In all fairness, it looks like Halloween in Salem is a Mecca for rabid Anti-Christian behavior due to the town's history:

The city was the location of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 and has a long history of witchcraft and paganism that continues to this day. Because of Salem’s roots, the city hosts the month-long celebration called “Haunted Happenings,” which includes a costume parade, witch-centered dramas, psychic readings, public fairs and carnivals. A number of occult shops are especially visible during the month of October and the mockery of Christianity is commonplace within the city as some festival-goers dress in blasphemous costumes, mocking Jesus Christ and His crucifixion.

Sodahead

But still, if the girl's mother was encouraging the behavior (as the headline of the "article" cited above states)... I just don't get it.

Please don't teach your children to act like this. Towards anyone. Even if "everyone else is doing it".

Meh, Athiests, Christians... What's the difference anymore? All these discussions devolve into petty bickering and circular arguments. Why the f### can't people just learn to live and let llive, love and let love? I'm so sick of these squabbles between religions. You believe in god? Cool for you, chum. You don't believe in god? Way to go, cool guy. But really, who gives a s###? Why should I care what god you choose to put your faith in? Answer: I shouldn't. No one should. It isn't anyone else's business besides my own.

By the by, I'm a Discordian. Which basically means I'm a neo-pagan with zen/Buddhist/Anarchist/comedy ideals. Eris lets me drive the Gremlin and I'm okay with that.

kallisti

a reply to: NthOther

The city was the location of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 and has a long history of witchcraft and paganism that continues to this day.

How about we change this to reflect history a little better.

The city was the location of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 where rabid Christians hanged innocent people. More than twenty people, mostly women were hanged. These trials echoed earlier trials in Europe where people who disagreed with the Christians were burnt alive.

I despise revisionist history.

P

a reply to: NthOther

"But still, if the girl's mother was encouraging the behavior (as the headline of the "article" cited above states)... I just don't get it. "

I'm sure they learned it from Christians . Two wrongs don't make a right but since so few people are concerned about doing right this is as small potato as it gets.

originally posted by: pheonix358

I despise revisionist history.

So do I. Fortunately, I don't care about defending Christianity's history. I'm not a Christian, not that that would make any difference to the point of this thread.

I'm simply pointing out that encouraging a child to behave in this manner towards another human being is reprehensible.

That one is going to grow up and make some man very happy some day...NOT.

a reply to: NthOther

I'm simply pointing out that encouraging a child to behave in this manner towards another human being is reprehensible.

I completely agree with you.

P

If this was my kid a swift smack would shut her up. I dont even care what the guy is preaching, if your kid behaves this way then you're a bad parent.

a reply to: Metallicus

That's her purpose in life right?

a reply to: Toolman18

Because hitting your children to teach respect for others definitely solves the problem right? Two wrongs don't make a right but apparently three do

Children do not act that way unless they have a valid reason. That is not rude behavior or "atheist" behavior. That is a girl who is clearly distressed. She isn't making fum of him she is yelling at him to shut up.

I could be wrong but I have a very strong woman's/mothers intuition her that that little girl has been abused by someone in a church setting.

She isn't having fum making fun of what he is saying, his words are clearly hurting her. I has seen this before only the perpetrator said it the word of god causing demons to be in pain so that no one question what was happening to the children.

a reply to: NthOther

I'm not a Christian, neither am I an atheist. I'm just a decent human being trying to raise decent human beings. My children have been and continue to be taught that they should be respectful of the opinion's of others regardless of how they feel about said opinion. If they can't discuss why they believe it's wrong in a respectful manner, they know to just leave it alone....and you would never catch them screaming at an adult. This little girl's behavior saddens me in a way that's hard to pinpoint, because I don't know which feels worse to me. The fact that she's screaming at an adult, or the fact that her parents haven't taught her the value of respecting others.

a reply to: NthOther

This little brat needs her little face slapped.

I do not wish to fan the flames of rage here, but if it was an atheist standing on the street saying "Life is an amazing coincidence. The events of the universe that ended with me standing here saying this is amazingly complex and mind boggling" with a christian child shouting at him with the same misplaced rage I could honestly say that most people posting on here would be saying:

"good on her"

Yes it was a tad rude, but I would like to point out that I would find it very rude to be preaching over a loud speaker at night, which is what is going on here. I know that replies will consist of "He is trying to save" etc etc but at least have some tact. In good ol' blighty we have street preachers. No sound system, just their voice, not invading peoples space by shouting. They just speak and those who wish to listen stop and pay heed but people who do not want to hear are not assaulted by it.

So I put this to you all, she was a tad rude shouting "shut up" but how was he not being rude.

There is a fancy word for the concept that I don't remember off hand, but basically it means irrationally associating things that are not actually related. Causal something or other.

Anyway - point is...

What I see is a kid. Not an athiest. Or a white child. Or a middle classed kid with advantage. Or any other label that need not be there. Just a kid. And even then I see it in a video that may or may not have been staged or might well have layers of actual context and backstory left out. For all we know the child has Tourettes Syndrome. I'm not saying that I believe it to be so. Just tabling the idea that we do not know anything more about the video than what it shows us - and that may or may not be representative of the greater truth.

We cannot see the subjective objectively and we, as a society, tend to not have that instinct to wonder "why" and "what" before we judge. While the child's behavior appears deplorable and unacceptable, without context there is no way to know if it was utterly inappropriate or not.

Well, I think they are both expressing their first amendment rights in a clearly free fashion, and in my book they are both right in regards to the constitution. yes she is a bratty kid, but it is also the freedom of the parents to raise bratty children. America is about having your cake, and eating it too. I think these street preachers are very important because in reality sometimes they are the only source of positive messages in public. People, specifically atheists, like to accuse these street preachers of fear mongering for preaching about burning hellfire, but in my experience that is typically the message usually only heard between two idiots debating or specifically at an actual congregation.

I rarely if ever hear the substance of these street venues ever go into that line of rhetoric. they usually are attempting to reinforce the idea that regardless of our immoral deviant behavior, or greed, or sociopathic tendencies, we can still find peace within ourselves by surrendering ourselves to God. This can be very therapeutic for the hungry homeless, who usually turn to the very same church who the preacher represents for help getting on their feet.

It is a public right of way and the man has just as much right with his message on that corner as any occupy wall street gathering or Bilderberg conference protestors. Don't like the music? Move along, you aren't forced to stay put and listen. You will be out of auditory range within about another block anyways considering there appears to be a crowd walking the area. I don't suppose the atheists would have a problem if this was a different man spewing "there is no God" hate speech on the same corner in a week. But then again I suppose the issue is with the mouthy little kid, who would be just as wrong if she were telling a street preaching atheist the same exact thing.