Blowdryers: The atheist's secret weapon against Baptism.

reply to post by slane69

Angry people in general trying to force their opinions on others is a bad thing.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this appears more like a group of happy people joking around...to a Christian, anyone who criticizes your belief in any way is apparently unhappy or angry...or perhaps the word you were looking for was...evil?

[edit on 17/7/10 by CHA0S]

Also are any other types of Hair Dryers in the work or is this only targeted towards Christianity?

The defense department might want to take a look at this as their weapon on war against Terrorists.

reply to post by slane69


No one is trying to force anything other than logical thought, reason, and basing beliefs on evidence. Oooo, how scary and sinister.

But you've reminded me of another branch of atheism known as Evangelical Atheism, which is exactly as you've described, atheism that goes out and tries to spread itself to others using reasoned arguments and questioning of religious beliefs.

No one is being forced to worship Jesus under penalty of death anymore (at least in the USA) and so no one will be forced into atheism, Freedom of Religion and freedom of unbelief are here to stay

Originally posted by WolfofWar
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."

Trust me the other side faces the same problem, unfortunately the religious nuts are usually more outspoken. To revise your statement, It seems like this growing group of anti-christs have assimilated into christian groups and effectively soiled His "good name."

I don't usually use verses on ATS but it seems appropriate here:

"Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us." (1 John 2:18-19 KJV)

Originally posted by CHA0S
reply to post by slane69

 

Angry people in general trying to force their opinions on others is a bad thing.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this appears more like a group of happy people joking around...to a Christian, anyone who criticizes your belief in any way is apparently "unhappy"...or perhaps the word you were looking for was...evil?

A sad attempt at provoking a response. I can see the humor in what they did. I was not the 1st in this thread to use the word angry to describe the protesters,... please at least read the thread before you come out with statements like this.

I thought this thread was going to be about the evil and horror that is known as children's beauty pageants.

Whew...

(you know, they all have blown-out hair-dos, etc.)

Originally posted by Titen-Sxull
reply to post by slane69

 

No one is being forced to worship Jesus under penalty of death anymore (at least in the USA) and so no one will be forced into atheism, Freedom of Religion and freedom of unbelief are here to stay

Agreed, and I would fight to my dying breath to insure that it stayed free. If God forbid a Christian Socialist state arose (not impossible the way we are going) demanding worship of Jesus Christ I am sure it would be anything but 'Christian'.

Originally posted by LadySkadi
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

When did she say she took the hair dryer seriously?
She said according to her mother she was screaming as a child during her baptism and didn't want to be baptized, that's all she said.

reply to post by hippomchippo

Yes... note the use of the word "maybe" in my post.

I notice that Kagin aknowledges the law as the parameter for "live and let live" in his "your body" references, clearly at odds with himself, or rather wants to have the cake and eat it, and since before 1837, a baptismal line was about the only proof of existence. It may not be an official document in itself, but the parish register that it is recorded in is. Even his advanced science references confuse the issue in regard to the law since today an "official" birth certificate does not have to include a father... thanks to IVF and all that jazz.

Originally posted by LadySkadi
reply to post by hippomchippo

 

Yes... note the use of the word "maybe" in my post.

Yes but you were implying heavily that she took it seriously, why pretend you weren't?

reply to post by hippomchippo

What is there to say she wasn't?

Anyway, I'm moving on from this topic. I made it pretty clear that I find it ridiculous, whichever side of the camp one is on...

Originally posted by WolfofWar
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

Cannot be bothered to read all the posts, this is something that would only happned in the USA 90% of me says stupid so and so's the other 10% admires America, freedom of speech, faith and nuttiness .

It's just a bonding gag. It's supposed to be funny, light hearted, and help get people integrated.

It's like hosting a party with a bunch of your friends that don't know each other, and playing some games or something to get everyone talking.

Of course it does have symbolism, but it's not at all serious.

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...

Ah, trying to save the masses Religious dirtyness.

Originally posted by hotbakedtater
I was wondering if anyone who is an atheist would care to explain to me what a lack of belief is?

I can try. Do you believe that Saturn used to be our sun and it exploded?

No? Then you have a lack of belief about the Saturn story. Call it a lack of belief in the Saturn story or a belief that Saturn has never been our sun.

It's just words.

Oh, about the blow dryer. I agree with the anti-theist moniker for these people. They have a right to do what they're doing for sure, but clearly, most of them are just doing it for kicks. They don't REALLY believe that a de-baptizing is going to do anything. And the few who feel that it's going to take some religious indoctrination out of them, even if it's just a symbol, it sounds like it might be just what they need. I remember my baptism was a pretty powerful ceremony.

I don't see a problem with it.



[edit on 7/19/2010 by Benevolent Heretic]