Blowdryers: The atheist's secret weapon against Baptism.

At the 2010 annual American Atheists Convention, Edwin Kagin wielded a blow-dryer and attempted to preform a mass de-baptism. With the intent to symbolically dry the holy waters of baptism off of them, he applied the holy dryer, named "Reason and Truth" to the foreheads of those at the convention. With a few mock words in Latin, their baptism was reversed.

The ABC article that talks about this story can be found here: An Atheist De-Baptism

reply to post by WolfofWar


This is about the stupidest, most juvenile thing I have ever read in my entire life! If these people don't want to believe in God, then so be it. But why go to the length of having a "De" religious ceremony? I mean, really??? To declare that you don't share someone's beliefs is one thing, but to stoop to the level of attempting to denigrate them is just plain stupid!!!

I just have one question: If one is a self-proclaimed Atheist, why would they need to travel to an Atheist convention to have a Baptism that they don't even remember, reversed by a blow-dryer? If they don't believe, than why does that which they don't believe in, need to be reversed?

I'm so confused...

Yes this is stupid, if they don't believe fine, no need to do stupid things as this.
When they knock, and no one answers, they can go plug in their hair dryer.

reply to post by LadySkadi


I'm so confused...


No you're not - you are spot on...

But, uh, it's still funny as hell...hopefully it can be found on youtube.

Thanks for the laugh OP.

There are religious nutcases and atheistic nutcases,... welcome to the human race. For either side to generalize and try to force their opinions on other group and not be willing to consider the opposite perspective is where the stupidity lies.

Originally posted by LadySkadi
I just have one question: If one is a self-proclaimed Atheist, why would they need to travel to an Atheist convention to have a Baptism that they don't even remember, reversed by a blow-dryer? If they don't believe, than why does that which they don't believe in, need to be reversed?

I'm so confused...

It's a joke.
It's that simple people.
Try to find video of it and you'll probably see them all laughing.

reply to post by kozmo


Have you never heard of this thing called PARODY, might want to look that up sometime

Its the same kind of humor that fuels that whole Flying Spaghetti Monster craze, atheists are poking fun at religion, that's all.

Its not really any kind of "secret weapon", its a gag, a joke. The secret atheist is weapon is actually sound logic and well reasoned arguments, the problem being that theists are immune to those.

Originally posted by LadySkadi
I just have one question: If one is a self-proclaimed Atheist, why would they need to travel to an Atheist convention to have a Baptism that they don't even remember, reversed by a blow-dryer? If they don't believe, than why does that which they don't believe in, need to be reversed?

I'm so confused...

Exactly!!!!

Sounds like all they do is gather together to bash others beliefs, instead of focusing on their own.

Well if they wanted respect from others that don't share their viewpoint, I don't think they are going about it in the right way. Perhaps mocking is how they spread the message?

reply to post by hotbakedtater


Only atheism is a LACK of belief, not a belief in and of itself.

I find it weird that the religious can't take a joke especially when its a mainstream religion. If they'd been poking fun at Scientology no one would bat an eye.

Jokes and Parody? Well, maybe for some... maybe not for others...

Said one woman who travelled from Cincinnati to undergo the de-baptism, "I was baptized Catholic. I don't remember any of it at all." The woman, Cambridge Boxterman, 24, added, "According to my mother I screamed like a banshee, and those are her words, so you can see that even as a young child I didn't want to be baptized. It's not fair. I was born atheist and they were forcing me to become Catholic."

If you don't believe in something, why must it be reversed? Lol

Ah the Libs/Atheists have now finally found that the emissions from a Hair Dryer exerts accelerated particles in a excited atheist state that can penetrate the scalp and neutralize "This Holy Liquid" to it nuclear core. The end process yields Oxygen and Hydrogen. Hydrogen can then be used a energy and the oxygen will promote life.

Such a green solution, I applaud them.

Of course the blow dryer bit is a joke, no different than your preacher starting the sermon with a joke to break the ice during service.
I find it more Irony than parody, myself.


What I find IRONIC is this.

Here we have a group, gathering together in fellowship, and they spend their time bashing those who have DIFFERENT beliefs than themselves, by using Parody/Jokes (it was pretty funny in and of itself as a gag line or skit).

This group is atheist.

There (somewhere up the road, probably) we have another group, gathered in fellowship, and they too spend their time the same way.

This group is in a church, though.

Both groups behaving in the same manner, instead of focusing on self.

Irony.

I think this type of behavior has shown a new sub-group of atheists, a group that has essentially hijacked the name. I call them Anti-theists. Some of the quote in ABCs article ring a tone of anger towards ever even being baptized. An atheist shouldn't care, I know I don't. It seems like this growing group of anti-theists have assimilated into atheists groups and effectively soiled our "good name."

Well since I do have beliefs, I was wondering if anyone who is an atheist would care to explain to me what a lack of belief is?

I thought atheists did not believe in God, that is a belief.

Thank you in advance.

ETA:

It is a belief because they believe there is no God.



[edit on 17-7-2010 by hotbakedtater]

reply to post by Titen-Sxull


Right! Like I said - Juvenile and stupid! Why "parody" something you don't believe in? It simply shows a lack of intellectual integrity. Go about not believing - but to go out of your way to denigrate a group of people is pointless and childish. I'd expect as much from a 5 year old on the playground, but from adults?

Where do I sign up...a good dose from the "Reason and Truth" gun doesn't sound bad at all, I never gave permission to be baptized...

[edit on 17/7/10 by CHA0S]

reply to post by WolfofWar


Well you can be both an anti-theist and an atheist. They also call them "new" atheists, which are generally the more angry of them. There's also strong atheism, weak atheism, agnostic atheism and other labels.

I say the more unbelievers the merrier, if the angry approach doesn't work the more logical cool headed atheists might but there's no reason to shun either approach.

I do think that these sorts of jokes are funny but I understand why believers might look at them and be a bit perplexed

reply to post by kozmo

Why "parody" something you don't believe in?

I hear this nonsense argument all the time in the form of: "If you're an atheist why do you spend so much time talking about stuff you don't believe in?"

The answer is simple - BECAUSE OTHER PEOPLE DO ACTUALLY BELIEVE THIS STUFF. And the fact that there are adults who are living in the real world who think the Earth is only 6000 years old or that being dunked in water forgives you of sins frightens me.

Parody is usually reserved for things you disagree with or want to criticize, oh wait no that's called SATIRE, which is similar but not the same. Call this satire then.

but to go out of your way to denigrate a group of people is pointless and childish.

A simple joke constitutes being DENIGRATED? How overly sensitive can you be? Even when I was a Christian I found jokes about Jesus and religion hilarious. The fact that people take religion seriously is MORE of a reason to make fun of it.

[edit on 17-7-2010 by Titen-Sxull]

Originally posted by Titen-Sxull
reply to post by WolfofWar

 

I say the more unbelievers the merrier, if the angry approach doesn't work the more logical cool headed atheists might but there's no reason to shun either approach.

I do think that these sorts of jokes are funny but I understand why believers might look at them and be a bit perplexed.

Take your comment, swap "unbelievers" for "believers" and "atheists" for "Christians". Angry people in general trying to force their opinions on others is a bad thing. If you can't see where I am going with this then nevermind.