[REPRINTs]
Following his appearance on Fox News’s show, America Live w/Megyn Kelly, American Atheists’ Communications Director, Blair Scott received multiple death threats from Christians. Many even appeared on the Fox News facebook page.
These threats come on the heels of the Christian terrorist attack in Norway by Anders Behring Breivik. Since writing about the Norway Christian terrorist attack, I have received many comments and e-mails from Christians telling me that Breivik was part of an extremely small minority, wasn’t a real Christian, and/or doesn’t represent “True Christianity.” Yet, here in the United States we have multiple Christians making truly horrific threats against atheists.
These Christians are not some tiny minority; they appear to make up a significant number of Fox News viewers. If anyone questions their faith and belief in Christianity, contact them on facebook and challenge them on it. I think you will find that many are very passionate about their beliefs and will almost certainly be glad to defend them… possibly with threats apparently. There can be no doubt that these threats are motivated by religious belief.
The broadcast which started this cascade of death threats is in the sidebar along with a slideshow of a tiny minority of the threats made.
William Hamby
, Atlanta Atheism Examiner
July 29, 2011 - Like this? Subscribe to get instant updates.
Here's a sampling of the responses posted on Facebook after American Atheists' Blair Scott appeared on Fox News in a segment on the group's court case involving the cross in the 9/11 Memorial Museum.
i say kill them all and let them see for themselves that there is a God -- Paul Altum
Shoot them. Shoot to Kill. -- Bob O'Connell
TO ALL ATHEIST DIE AN GO TO HELL HAHA IF I COULD ID SHOOT ALL OF YOU IN THE HEAD WITH A 12GAUGE -- Joe Martinez
thats easy shoot them -- Joseph Sneckenberg
Shoot em. At least we know where they're going, waste of oxygen -- Casey M Jones
Nail them to that cross then display it -- Mike Holeschek
I thinly (sic!) we should hang the leader of that group on the cross with nails through their hands and feet, place a crown of thorns upon their head, RAM a spear through their side all after being whipped and beaten publicly! Just so they can endure what Christ did so they understand the sacrifice behind what the cross symbolizes -- Chris Dunn.
Incidentally, 19 people liked Chris Dunn's post within a few minutes. Many more Christians are posting equally vicious and hateful comments on the FOX News FB Page. Though they're being taken down almost as fast as they're being put up, they are being saved for posterity by friends of American Atheists who have quick trigger fingers for the "Screenshot" button.
This brings up an interesting point. In a week or two, that Facebook page will be clean swept of any threats or incitements to violence. If anyone goes back to read it, they'll see Christians and atheists arguing -- not always politely, but without threats. The words on the page will be gone. But for me and my fellow atheists, they will live on as long as we live.
Every day, we have to live with the knowledge that there really are people who wish we were dead. They hate us. They think we are evil hellspawns deserving of nothing better than crucifixion, torture, and death.
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What's worse, we have to spend hours defending ourselves to the "Good Christians" who would never do that kind of thing, and think we're awful people for trying to paint Christians with such a broad brush. How dare we call attention to the hateful Christians! How dare we suggest that we're a hated minority and that Christians are responsible? The gall of it all!
And the thing is, day in and day out, we see the hate. We get it in our inboxes. We get it on Facebook. We feel the icy stares when we have the temerity to wear an atheist shirt in public. And then we get shouted down when we wonder aloud why all the supposedly "loving Christians" aren't standing beside us against those who they claim are "Not really True Christians."
Well I'm wondering aloud. WHERE ARE YOU? If there are so many good Christians out there who think we atheists are decent people and that we deserve equal treatment under the law, where are you? Why aren't you helping?
If there are so many of you who believe in separation of church and state, where are you? Why aren't you outvoting that tiny little minority of Christians who are misinterpreting God's word?
Why is it that all we ever see is the hate?
To put it another way, there are really only two possibilities. Either most Christians really are hateful and vicious towards atheists, or most Christians are silent when they should be shouting at the top of their lungs, denouncing these evil people and voting with their feet against anything that would further divide this country.
Here's an easy experiment. Off the top of your head, name five famous Christian leaders who are at the forefront of the battle to keep church and state separate and preserve rights for all Americans, Christian or not.
If you can't do it... it might be time to rethink the old adage that "most Christians are tolerant, accepting, and loving."
FOX NEWS COMMENTS IN REAL TIME
Here are some of the Highlights!
Dustcircle Commentary:
I understand that these phrases don't represent all Christians, but I do hold ALL Christians responsible for not speaking out against your representatives. There is no way I'd sit in the shadows while people claiming my I.D. were doing bullshit. Speak against these people, Christians, or this can snowball. Remember the other Christian things done in Jesus name? Inquisition, Crusades, Oklahoma City, Ku Klux Klan, etc.
If you don't voice angrily against these haters, I only have one thing to say to you: Fuck you, your religion, your deity, and your family. Make you die slowly, in pain, weeping alone in a cold cellar. Keep this up, there will be an anti-religious movement that will rise up and slaughter you all, before you slaughter us. I have no problem with defending myself from attackers. I'll get you from behind while you're on your knees with your children.
