The Insane Seem To Rule
Janet Voska
From: "Janet Voska"
To: "Positive Atheism" <editor@positiveatheism.org>
Subject: WebMaster:_Positive_Atheism_Index
Date: Friday, September 29, 2000 6:02 PM
Dear Cliff,
I hope you can help me with this.
I met a young man who I really enjoyed discussing theism/atheism with.
The outcome of our many discussions was this.
He's into the New World Order/Satan/God/Bible/White Supremecy/real Jews being white Nordics -- all kinds of stuff -- Jews setting up Aids in Africa -- race war -- there's no end to this -- all based on Bible Prophesy which no one understands but him and maybe a few hundred others. I was wiped out by it all.
Exhausted, really.
My arguments were reduced to this -- prove it. Prove any history book that you have read. How do you know it was true.
If I can't prove the Holocaust happened, then how can I prove his interpretation of the Bible and all his CIA, FBI, and Government investigation is not true.
I think I just answered my own question.
How can he prove his assertions of what the Government and the Jews are doing.
Duh!
I guess I'm left with plain old common sense. And a brain.
What happened to me here?
From: "Janet Voska"
To: "Positive Atheism" <editor@positiveatheism.org>
Subject: Positive_Atheism_Letters_Section
Date: Saturday, October 14, 2000 3:18 PM
Dear Cliff,
You haven't heard from me in a while as I am in school full time and am pretty busy.
However, I would like to share with you an incident that happened in class and is quite indicative as to what a Freethinker faces in this country of ours.
Our teacher, in the course of directing us toward tolerance (as she after the fact stated), asked the class what they thought of Evolution.
Well, I'm thinking to myself "wrong question", and all hell breaks loose. We've got three Jehovah Witnesses, three fundamentalists, a New-Ager, a Cajun Tarot Card Spiritualist, an Episcopalian, an Aryan Nation True Believer, and, you got it, an Unbeliever. The class is comprised of nine Caucasians, one Indian and a Pueto Rcan. (Six of us are left-handed, which may explain some of the mess that followed, ha-ha!)
Needless, to say, though, I explained what I knew of Evolution, which isn't too much, I stated what I knew of it,without religion being brought into it. I was not the first to speak.
Somehow, the Aryan Christian took over the class with a diatribe that lasted til we could all pick up our books and leave I believe most of us couldn't wait to get out because witnessing a psychotic break is not a pleasant thing to have to endure.
Well, to get on with this story, we all came back to class on Monday with a spirit of congeniality and friendliness that was remarkable. No one mentioned the Friday episode at all.
However, the teacher did, and right away the Aryan Nation Christian White Supremist stated thus -- to paraphrase:
The thing we learned was that even though we have differences of opionion on the Bible, all believers basically believe in the Bible and are willing to tolerate and accept our differences, but if you will notice, it is only when an atheist enters the discussion do we have a real problem with tolerance.
Eyes lit up with, "Yeah, that's right." (Some eyes, anyway.)
The rest just wanted to get on with it; like "What are we here for, anyway?"
Me, too, except I was the "Strawman." I've never had that happen before and was not aware of exctly what had been done to me until it was too late to comment.
From: "Janet Voska"
To: "Positive Atheism" <editor@positiveatheism.org>
Subject: Positive_Atheism_Letters_Section
Date: Tuesday, October 17, 2000 5:47 PM
Dear Cliff,
I really want to keep you apprised of what is taking place in this small class of mine as I believe it may be an important indication of what the basic heart of most people is.
After that display of hatred, bigotry and intolerance of others, based on "Biblica' Truth" as thus explained by our resident fascist, demoralized all of us in that one person would actually put into words some of what most of us had thought at one time or another, but amplified into the realm of absolute meanness of spirit, was a RUDE awakening of just how hateful, cruel, indifferent and shameful intolerance of others really is.
I am happy to report that ten of us are really beginning to enjoy each other in a way we hadn't before. All of us seem to be communicating in a spirit of friendliness and curiosity that we didn't have before.
Those who would spout off at the least provocation of something someone else did or said, now hold their tongues.
It's a beginning, anyway.
What I'm learning is this -- every person has something to offer the world, even if his offering is only to show others how intolerance and hatred destroys the spirit of all men.
This man who took it upon himself to upset the applecart with his far right-wing
,fanatical ,fascist, hate-filled, anti-government, racist, militaristic, Bible-based, arrogant, self-serving wisdom, has probably done more for tolerance than anyone I have met in years.
I am coming to this conclusion -- most people desire peace and harmony, with their families and with their neighbors.
But there are those who would take this human need and place it in the realm of power. And use whatever means it takes, for their owh personal glorification, to validate their egos, and vindicate wrongs they think have been perpetuated upon them, and prove that their interpretation of the world is correct.
Sometimes, only a few are affected, sometimes, millions.
I think most people need comfort, for life is hard, and Religion has given that to people, tho the price has been heavy and a terrible burden faith has been when it has demanded that one accept the unacceptable in the name of a loving "Father", who seems to love not at all when you need "Him" most.
But that is a matter of faith, I hear -- I don't have it, most seem to. But most don't seem to hold it against me that I don't/
However, there are some that do. To the point that they would like to see me denied my civil rights, and some that blame the ills of this country, and the world, on lack of belief.
I learned something very special in the last few weeks.
The very sick, demented, soul dead, hateful, ignorant, prideful, "True Believers", no matter what faith or affiliation, are poison to the spirit of life.
The bright note is that there are millions in mainline religions who are questioning and using their powers of reason and compassion to find answers in how to live in a world of new discoveries. But they are in a state of flux while the insane seem to rule. Humanists are treated as garbage, while the beneits of their labors are enjoyed by millions.
Evolutionists are treated as evil Satanists while their discoveries are enjoyed by millions.
But that is only spouted by the Fundamentalists and reasonable people know better.
Man is just too damn curious.
Mankind hasn't failed yet, and he'll catch up in spite of himself.
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