Hey Frank...

[NeoGreen]

...simple answer: you are an atheist for 1 god too few.

Frank Schaeffer (born August 3, 1952) is an American author, film director, screenwriter and public speaker. He is the son of the late theologian and author Francis Schaeffer. He became a Hollywood film director and author, writing several internationally acclaimed novels depicting life in a strict evangelical household including Portofino, Zermatt, and Saving Grandma.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Schaeffer


or you don't quiet understand the concept behind the word Atheist.

[Lordquinton]

1. There is literally one requirement to being an atheist

How do you screw up that badly?

[Curmudgeoness]

2. Maybe it is becoming cool

to be an atheist. Wow, I hope so. All of my life I have been in and out of being cool, depending on how the rest of the world goes. I just stay the same. But I like it when my personal style or beliefs move into the mainstream.

Frank is an idiot. There is no possible way to be an atheist AND believe in God, any god. This is the kind of person you just want to smack upside the head!

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. I think he does it so people can say "even the atheist Frank Shaeffer bashes New Atheists"

judging by the interview in this OP from last year: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1218130224

"I'd like to change the debate on religion, actually I'd like to finish off BOTH the New Atheist movement and the religious fundamentalists! I think by introducing a note of paradox both sets of absolutists can be vanquished. After all this is supposed to be the post-modern age. Certainty is so has been!

Who is the audience for this book? Christians? Atheists?

All of the above, especially people burnt out on both religion and the hubris of some atheists."



xkcd expressed an eternal truth there.

[Curmudgeoness]

4. The cartoon fits Frank perfectly.

I do think that his audience is the Christians, who want to believe that all atheists really do believe in God. I have been told that more times than I can count.

[AtheistCrusader]

5. He's being bombastic to sell his book.

It will sell well with religious audiences desperate for any weakness in the atheistic worldview and his job is to sell his books.

He's not stupid. He knows better.

But he's also a raging asshole for the way he complains about atheists who are, in reality, just trying to shore up the firewall between church and state. He's handing the religious ammo to use against atheists. For that he's a dick.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. Do we know he's not 'stupid'? He's written books, but nothing that's famous

and I have no idea what the standard of the books is. Has he ever done something that shows he knows better? All I've seen from him is that interview, and he doesn't seem clever or knowledgeable in that.

[DetlefK]

7. You know what's even cooler? Satanists.

Modern Satanism is basically just a non-religious humanism, but the name pisses off Christians.

[Curmudgeoness]

11. Although it would be really fun

to piss off the Christians (and I am sure that this would do it), calling myself a Satanist means that I believe in the same shit that they do, only in reverse. Tempting though.

[DetlefK]

13. There are two kinds of Satanism.

The old kind is theistic and worships daemons and stuff. The new kind is an atheistic movement that specifically taunts Christians.

[onager]

8. "Film director, screenwriter..."

Checked him out on IMdB. Schaeffer has exactly ONE official credit as a screenwriter. The same movie where he also worked as an actor, editor and director.

That was his 1986 magnum dopus "Wired To Kill." Plot summary:

In the near future, law and order breaks down, diseases, violence and immorality are rampant. However, one Christian young man decides not to turn the other cheek anymore. He modifies his wheelchair to help him protect his home and family, and kill the thugs first.

(For a great movie in the Modified-Wheelchair genre, check out "FDR: American Badass." Featuring President Roosevelt using his armed wheelchair to chase Nazi werewolves. No, I'm not making that up. Great movie!)

Schaeffer has a Director credit on 3 other movies:
1992 Baby on Board
1989 Rising Storm
1988 Headhunter

So he hasn't directed a movie since 1992 or written one that got produced since 1986. Here's his complete bio and list of movie/TV work:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0769704/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

Schaeffer did appear, as a talking head, in the excellent 2013 documentary "American Jesus." That one's definitely worth watching.

[AlbertCat]

9. The same movie where he also worked as an actor, editor and director.

I knew it!

Every time is see "Director, screenwriter, producer, actor, editor..." it probably also includes wardrobe, set dressing, casting, locations, PD, art direction....

Because it's a movie he made himself. (because no one else would touch it)

[trotsky]

10. Pbbbbt.

Let me know when he's been a hip-hop producer.

Then I might take him seriously as a theologian.

[onager]

12. Yep, he's a real auteur. Just like Ed Wood!

At least Ed's movies were funny (however unintentionally) and entertaining, if only in their sheer awfulness.