Columnist Compares Atheists to ISIS for Challenging Illegal Christian Displays

[NeoGreen]

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2018/01/05/columnist-compares-atheists-to-isis-for-challenging-illegal-christian-displays/

Columnist Compares Atheists to ISIS for Challenging Illegal Christian Displays
January 5, 2018 by Hemant Mehta

The East Tennessee chapter of the Freedom From Religion Foundation has noticed a number of constitutional violations taking place by government officials in Knoxville (including placing a Nativity scene in a government building, seen in the picture below), and they’ve followed up by sending warning letters to the appropriate officials.

That, to one local columnist, makes them just like ISIS.

It began over the summer when FFRF sent a letter to the Knoxville Police Department about a plaque quoting Romans 8:31 in the building. Mayor Madeline Rogero agreed to remove the plaque, but not before Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett weighed in with an ignorant response.

“Mayor Rogero is my friend, but I would fight this one. I wouldn’t yield to extortionists,” he said. “Ultimately, I have to answer to God not some outfit from out of town who make their living just suing people …

“What I don’t understand is with atheists if they don’t believe in God, what do they care? It just doesn’t make much sense to me,” he said.

That’s… a lot of stupidity for one man. It wasn’t extortion (the atheists weren’t demanding a pile of cash). It wasn’t a complaint from people living “out of town” (it turns out East Tennessee is, in fact, in Tennessee). And the atheists spoke up because, apparently unlike the mayor, they know how to read the First Amendment.

(snip)

Then, Johnson started in on the comparisons to terrorists.

This attempt to eradicate the Christ is no new thing. Last week, a Muslim gunman killed nine in a Coptic Church in Cairo. Yet Christians persist. In Wenzou, China, Reuters reports, communist authorities outlawed Sunday school. Yet Christians persist.

So when the folks at the Freedom from Religion Foundation seek to remove Christ from the scene, they are taking the same position on Jesus as ISIS and the godless communists in China. They also are of like mind with a genocidal king.

Mass shooter. Dogmatic government that represses freedom of thought. And atheists who point out how government officials have crossed the line, then politely ask them to fix the problem by at least moving the religious displays to a private part of the office (like at someone’s desk instead of in the lobby).

Totally the same thing.

[Freelancer]

1. This is why the right wingers win so much. All enemies are one to them.

It's easy to marshal anger against one foe. By corollary, to marshal anger, make all foes one. That's what Republicans do. Hillary -- liberal. ACA -- liberal. DACA -- liberal. Everything under one liberal umbrella.

When Democrats look at their foes, they see the religious right. They see the Forbes Chamber of Commerce types. They see plutocrats, the gun lobby, etc. But, by and large, they don't see them as one thing. Fighting multiple enemies on multiple fronts is psychologically exhausting when compared to fighting on one front.

[Yoda voice here] ---> To differentiate, not to artificially amalgamate, the way of thinkers is. Why we fail that is, young Skywalker.

[Cartoonist]

2. Atheists are bad

I didn't know we were as bad as ISIS.

[Mariana]

6. I'm surprised you didn't know that.

We've been told over and over again we're just like Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, Hitler (even though he was a Christian), etc. etc. ad nauseum.

[progressoid]

3. "Thats a lot of stupidity for one man"

[rurallib]

4. Looks like he is but one of many with a a whole lot of stupid.

[RussBLib]

5. and I guaran-damn-tee-you

that a whole lot of his consti-chee-ints also gotta whole lotta stupid among 'em.

Some comic once said you can't fix stupid. Sure you can. With education. I'm afraid I don't have the time or patience.