NEF on ATS Live to Atheists: Shut Up and Go Away!

reply to post by NihilistSanta

How about instead of collecting money for ridiculous and unwarranted monuments they attempt to feed and clothe needy people. Then maybe people would think they had something to offer besides a loud mouth and a lot of opinions.

The 10 Commandments monument cost $22K. The atheist's monument will cost 6K.

Since 1963, American Atheists has been taking the principled and uncompromising position that our government should give no special treatment or preference to religious belief. Through lawsuits, innovative public relations campaigns, and education, we are working to normalize atheism and allow more and more people to set aside religious belief and superstition.

^^This is their mission statement. Feeding and clothing needy people is something that an individual atheist can do on their own.

reply to post by windword

It's a conspiracy I tell you! It's a conspiracy to shame and to silence ATS atheists and ATS pro-atheist posts and threads!

Opinions were voiced Win, that's all. Nothing was said that didn't have the truth in it.
Furthur more, do you really believe that kind of conspiracy would be worth any
consideration at all ? Seems to me they were trying to provoke some callers ?
No conspiracy in opinions. Right ?

reply to post by randyvs

Nothing was said that didn't have the truth in it.

Yes there was. "These atheists" are not trying to convert the whole world to atheism. They aren't misquoting the constitution and they aren't trying to stop anyone from practicing their religion.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Of course, members are expendable so they can be torn to shreds. I think it was the interview they did with a guy who was claiming there were feral nomadic human tribes living in the American forests that was the last straw for me. The evidence he presented was extremely weak but the ATS presenter (i think Nef) was all over it like it was gospel.

ATS has a good tradition of trying to get to the bottom of things and finding the truth but they get completely star struck when a special guest comes on. Im not saying they should grill each person to tears but at least have a fair discussion instead of just promoting their latest book in return for a bit of airtime.

Its just my opinion and it really put me off ATS radio as guests get better treatment than the members who constantly provide content for the site. I still love the site but the show is not for me.

reply to post by windword


@OP,

Glad you created this thread. I also read -- apparently unlike the ATS LIve commentators -- your thread on the Atheiest's monument being put up across from a 10 Commandments monument as the settlement in a court case in which the atheist group objected to the 10 Commandments monument in front of a public court house.

I hadn't listened to this particular ATS live show until I listened to the schnippet you recorded. Frankly, I am not surprised by the responses and attitudes of the ATS regulars on the show to this issue. They often don't seem to have actually read a thread that is discussed, but only "wing it" by bringing up their own, knee-jerk views on the topic. For the record, I find that they are -- for the most part -- very conservative and reactionary in their views and they often exhibit considerable ignorance on the topics discussed. That said, it's their show, they can say and do what they want, and people can call in response, if they want to.

But in this case, the ATS Live commenters -- ALL OF THEM -- failed to address the basis of this thread, which is that an atheist group wanted a Judeo-Christian monument to the 10 Commandments, posted in front of a court house, removed, and that the judge settled the case by saying the Atheists could put up their own monument in the same general vicinity (I don't know if it was across the street or on the other side of the sidewalk). This seems like a fairly reasonable move, but the ATS Live crew didn't discuss this particular issue, but rather just told Atheists to go away and some -- Like Garth/Sempor Fortis -- made the extremely false claim that Atheists as a group want to convert all others to their ideology and do away with religions. Thus they were just spouting their tired, biased, bigoted remarks and failed to discuss the issue fairly. Am I surprised by this, given what I hear often from these folks on the show? NO, not at all.

There was another show in which the notorious BBC serial molester Jimmy Savile was discussed. It was obvious that the regular commenters knew very little about this story, and at least one of them was defending this guy's actions by claiming that things were "looser in the 70's". Apparently these commenters didn't know about the hundreds of victims, including patients in mental hospitals where Savile had "volunteered".

I try listen to ATS Live sometimes, but it is really hard to take -- for various reasons, not least of which is the extreme conservative bent and the failure to address the facts on many matters that are discussed there.

As to whether making a new thread on this topic or posting to the appropriate ATS Live show thread: I think it's six of one and half a dozen of the other. Perhaps the ATS live people won't catch it as an indy thread, but I wouldn't have looked at the ATS Live thread and have seen your comment, so making a new thread gains your topic a wider viewage. Besides which, the vast majority of comments on the ATS Live show threads are just "good show, etc" comments, so it doesn't seem to be the place to necessarily address such issues as this.

Originally posted by Wertdagf
reply to post by windword

 

Well with the sheer amount of religious people in America your going to have to understand the majority of people are going to be coming to ATS for biblical bull****.

You have to expect a "for profit" site like ATS to cater to the religious idiots because its best for their bank accounts. The same goes for nut jobs of all shapes and sizes.

If ATS was truly about Denying Ignorance they wouldn't have a conspiracy website for long.

edit on 10-6-2013 by Wertdagf because: (no reason given)

Amen! The site and the show's slogan is delicious in its irony. And you're absolutely right: the show is preaching to the choir, which makes for a better business model than appealing to reason and discussing facts.

reply to post by MrInquisitive


I wonder how history will judge sites like these when the kids start drowning in the pool.

Someday soon the "no running" sign pleas of plausible deniability will fall on deaf ears and all that remains will be regret.

Originally posted by NihilistSanta
reply to post by Wookiep

 

It has already been stated that OP could have participated in the show and had his view represented. His view was also represented in the thread that was mentioned on the show. I don't see how much more "fair" to OP they could have been aside from flat out agreeing with them. The mods are allowed to have opinions which is essentially what drives the show. If someone wants to be immersed in the conversation they can go to the thread which was highlighted in the show. If you look at the threads OP starts they usually begin similar to this one (being outraged because there are religious people in the world that don't hide their views) and then morph into anti christian arguments.

Here is a rather humanist idea that the atheist group mentioned should apply. How about instead of collecting money for ridiculous and unwarranted monuments they attempt to feed and clothe needy people. Then maybe people would think they had something to offer besides a loud mouth and a lot of opinions.

Sure, the OP could have participated in the show if he/she knew about it ahead of time, and had the technological wherewithal to do so. The point is, the ATS Live crew didn't address the facts of the story in the thread, but only bashed Atheists in general and made false, stereotypical claims about them. I have no problem with the show hosts having their own points of view, but when they ignore the facts of the matter in the thread and just use the time as a soap box to push their own biases, it does not make for a good discussion.

And you apparently didn't read the original thread on this matter, because the story involved a court case in which an Atheist group had an issue with a 10 Commandments Monument in front of a court house. The judge decided that rather than take down the Judeo-Christian monument, the Atheists could put one up in counterpoint. Why turn it around and suggest that Atheists shouldn't spend money on such monuments, but should hand out food and clothing. Why not ask why Christians have to make such monuments and why do they spend a lot of money on their churches, chapels and cathedrals when they could put this money to better use clothing and feeding the poor?

Or more to the point still, why not ask why Catholics have lavish cathedrals and provide their Church's higher ups a very lavish lifestyle, and why has the Church leadership protected pedophile priests over the past decades, and now are paying out millions in their flocks' tithings in lawsuits for the past systematic covering up of these crimes?

What atheists want is for other religions not to push their beliefs on everybody else. Hence the lawsuit at the root of the original thread. But how do the ATS host address this issue? They tell the Atheists to go away. What if a host told the Christians to go away, and that they were sick of hearing from these pushy Christians? There would be a lot of upset and outraged Christians.

On a related, albeit tangential, note there is currently yet another Muslim-bashing thread on the ATS homepage. In this thread it has been requested that posters refrain from "changing the subject" by bringing up negative aspects of other religions or behavior by such groups. From most of the postings there, I don't think it's Atheists who are doing the Muslim bashing. So it seems there is some group out there that likes to bash other peoples' religion, and thinks its just fine to tell Atheists to go away, but they don't want people to bring up troubling aspects of their own religion. Any guesses on what religious group this might be???

reply to post by windword

"These atheists" are not trying to convert the whole world to atheism.

Why not Win ? Because they don't say so ?
Isn't it true that most Atheists deem the belief in God to be dangerous ?
I heard one of the commentators say that atheists love to insult Christianity
but won't even consider insulting the Muslims. Because the Muslims will straight out kill em.

I think this is very true to the discredit of all atheists, but more to the point, I see this as
good reason, for the atheist to believe the world should think as they do. As a result they can
then feel more confident in their thinking, even tho they truly
haven't got a clue more than anyone else. And are by the words long written down taking
THE MOST wreckless spiritual path when destination death draws closer with each passing day.
I agree with the commentators.

reply to post by randyvs


Most atheists view all religion as foolishness as for myself Christian, Muslim, even Jewish faith is all pretty much the same thing they all are based from the same stories I just don’t see much difference in them however Christianity seems to have invaded every facet of the US even where there is supposed to be a separation of church and state.

I honestly do not care what people believe as far as faith but I do take offense when the wall of separation has been violated.

reply to post by Grimpachi

I honestly do not care what people believe as far as faith but I do take offense when the wall of separation has been violated.

Do you think atheists respect the long held belief in God that is traditionally passed down in so many families
and cultures ? Or do they know the difference between these traditions held sacred and violations of the wall ?
Where do you stop being offended when you are merely a skeptic in the first place. Isn't that what atheists
really are ? Just skeptics ?

I'd like to say that I'd be equally offended if the same things were said about Christians here at ATS, but the truth is the same things (and worse) ARE said about Christians on a regular basis here. How many threads have you seen with titles such as "I hate Jesus" or demanding that the religious forums be removed or censored from the front page? I've learned to just deal with it. It's the nature of a public forum as popular as ATS. Were the comments any more offensive than the anti-christian sentiments voiced by the members here? At the end of the day they are just opinions, and do not constitute any sort of "official ATS policy".

Way to be tolerant Nef.


Anyone who slags on others beliefs are exposing themselves for the douches they really are.
As they say....sometimes the shallowest rivers make the most noise....REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU BELIEVE!!!


Its not athiests or Christians who are the problem....its the idiots who spend their time whining about others.

reply to post by windword


I spend most of my time here on the Aliens and UFO forum where we regularly get Christians posting how were all being deceived and that Aliens are Demons quoting passages from the Bible to back it up , aren't they pushing their beliefs ?

I'm not an atheist I'm an agnostic , there may be an intelligence behind the Universe but I doubt its what religion thinks it is .
In regard to the segment I'm shocked and disappointed , deny ignorance

Personal viewpoint

Oh dear.

Did I dare to have an opinion on a radio show?

Well, here's the deal, in the same manner that the OP here doesn't like my opinion of the subject we talked about, I don't like the pettiness of "just because you've done something, we have to counter it with our own version".

Its petty, its juvenile and its schoolyard.

I get that atheists don't believe in god. I know all about it, because I am one.

However, what I don't do, and most certainly don't get, is the apparent need to shove that in someones face and constantly try to put down anyone who doesn't see it my way. That's fundamentalism. Its the same as the fanatical Muslims. Its the same as fanatical Christians. Its not terrorism (because that's what extremists do), but it most certainly is fanaticism.

What does that achieve, exactly?

The answer is simple. Nothing.

I really don't care what people believe. We're all human, we all breathe, we all eat and we all want whats best for ourselves and our families. No one is better or worse than anyone else in that regard.

So my comments are based on this, and I've said similar before on ATS when dealing with other types of fanatics - Yes. I get it. You don't believe in God. Fine. Now tell me something interesting that I don't know.

And please, don't shove it down my throat.

(And... how is my opinion less valid than those who try and push theirs out constantly from all sides of the religious spectrum?)

Show viewpoint

Unfortunately from time to time as a show host with an opinion I'm going to say things that people don't like. If the staff on the show offered no opinions at all then things would be very boring indeed on a Saturday night between 9pm and Midnight.

And, as a part of that, people who don't like what I'm saying are perfectly entitled to say so. Its a free world (or at least it should be) and that's just the way it is. I've done exactly the same this week about Alex Jones.

So thank you OP.

If anyone wants to come on the show and debate a subject with me - or any of us - then please do. The numbers are posted in the show thread every week, and the invitation is always available.

If I've offended anyone, then I'm sorry, but controversy comes with the business. Its unavoidable. Especially on a live broadcast. If we did it any other way we'd be stunted, scripted and lifeless.

reply to post by PhoenixOD

I think it was the interview they did with a guy who was claiming there were feral nomadic human tribes living in the American forests that was the last straw for me. The evidence he presented was extremely weak but the ATS presenter (i think Nef) was all over it like it was gospel.

I think it's my years of listening to Coast to Coast AM to get through the long nights on the truck that color my thinking on this. I'm not sure if you've been a fan of that show, but to say George Noory has the patience of a Sphinx, kinda makes the one in Egypt look jumpy.

I've heard him humor some of the most asinine and outrageous things on the show and you can TELL he's humoring them ....if you knew to listen to the subtle things from a long time of hearing him around guests. Yet, the guests seem to take him at face value and prattle on. Some of those were among the more entertaining for it. Where Alex Jones or even Art Bell may have called B.S. as a stinky pile of poo on the spot and killed the literal show in progress. Sometimes it's better to let borderline insanity air it's ..ahem...thoughts ..and let the audience either laugh or take note, however each may view it. Just my thinking.

reply to post by MrInquisitive

Originally posted by MrInquisitive
But in this case, the ATS Live commenters -- ALL OF THEM -- failed to address the basis of this thread, which is that an atheist group wanted a Judeo-Christian monument to the 10 Commandments, posted in front of a court house, removed, and that the judge settled the case by saying the Atheists could put up their own monument in the same general vicinity (I don't know if it was across the street or on the other side of the sidewalk).

To be fair, we didn't hear anything outside the snippet posted by win, so maybe they did discuss the actual thread...? Unfortunately, in my selfishness, I'm not inclined to search out and listen to the show to see if they did. I'd sure like to hear from them that they did discuss the story before entering the tirade zone... But if not, it reminds me of the least attractive ATS member who reads the title of a thread and explodes in an emotional, knee-jerk response to what they THINK it's about, without actually reading the post, checking the source or looking further into the story. Those members add the least and take away the most from ATS, IMO. And THAT is the shame I see... aside from the clear prejudice against atheists.

This seems like a fairly reasonable move, but the ATS Live crew didn't discuss this particular issue, but rather just told Atheists to go away and some -- Like Garth/Sempor Fortis -- made the extremely false claim that Atheists as a group want to convert all others to their ideology and do away with religions. Thus they were just spouting their tired, biased, bigoted remarks and failed to discuss the issue fairly.

Again, to be fair, ATS mods are human and have their opinions and aren't there to be "fair and balanced". If they happen to all agree that atheists are a scourge on the Earth, then that's what we're going to hear.

reply to post by windword

NEF on ATS Live to Atheists: Shut Up and Go Away!,

I am sorry Windword,but I don't know about such subject.

But I guess that you should read this book called "Mutiny on the Bounty" by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman .

It is humanly for all of us to be tired some time of so much times and work spent here on ATS.

reply to post by windword


I'm sick to death of both hardcore atheists and believers trying to shove their beliefs down others throats. Both need to shut up because both are wrong.

reply to post by windword


When promoting a religious view over the religious views of others, one is surely going to come under fire from those who see things differently. This has been a fact since the beginning of human history. The funny thing is, even admitted atheists are noticing the fundamentalism of this new politicized atheism. This is, of course, never addressed.

With a country historically buried in religiosity, belief in God and evangelicalism (America), such a view point as atheism can easily turn more and more religious with each new advocate, as we have seen with Russian state atheism, or the Culte de la Raison during the French revolution. It's like the belief in God is gone, but the religion still remains.