So why is it third-rail suicide to make a crack about those guys but not about us? Because we’re sane and not unstable?

Of course, it’s always a good night to be a Canadian. And an atheist.

This bigotry of these announcers is routine in American society. It would be less likely in other advanced nations, since we’re all less religious than Americans. American atheists need to stand up against such comments, because the bigotry isn’t going to diminish until they do.

I thought it was clever.

But then I thought of Kathy Griffith’s “Suck it, Jesus” line, and that does say its unequal.

But, then again, it just seems like Americans are hell-bent on somehow getting offended. I think I’ll just take a step back and enjoy from afar

I think Hamilton’s story is inspirational (although probably not in exactly the same sense that Hamilton thinks), and I applaud his successful battle against drug dependency. But the implication that atheists should somehow take his successful struggle as actual evidence that there is a God is ludicrous, as is the implication that a successful struggle against addiction requires religion – which it very evidently does not, because atheists have in fact successfully overcome addiction. So the comment just left me with an annoyed “Why the fuck did you just go there?” impression. Talking about Hamilton’s struggle and the role his faith played in that struggle was appropriate and respectful. Dissing atheists out of the blue for no discernible reason was not.

Here’s the thing: I am not a particularly friendly atheist. When a god-bothering idiot does something stupid, I don’t hesitate to call them on it (Paging Bill Donohue!), and I don’t go out of my way to be polite. But I also don’t insult or denigrate or dismiss religion and/or religious believers when the subject isn’t even on the table, when it’s not the topic of discussion or relevant or even interesting. I don’t greet each new discovery about the workings of the universe which require no deity, or discovery about the workings of the mind which explain religious impulses by saying, “Ha! It’s a bad day to be a theist.” Because that would be utterly asinine. And childish. And stupid.

Which is why I think Rick Reilly needs a whack upside the head with a clue by four.

It does help that Reilly’s website had a charity that falls in line with my interests, and he does more for them than I ever could.

I read around enough about the guy that I’m pretty sure it was not something he says often. I’m not sure he even meant it.

But also, I think that as a broader strategy we’re playing a losing game if what we want as atheists is to get people to shut up about religion for fear of offending.

I WANT people talking about atheists and atheism. I want people talking about religion… and not just identifying and then being silent. I think people should discuss religious tenets and why they believe what they believe.

Political correctness has driven our society to not discuss religion or politics in polite company. I think that’s good in that it allows multiple religious viewpoints to coexist in the united states without major strife… but at the same time it has the effect of isolating and segregating religious issues into groups of like-minded people only.

I’d like those discussions to come out of the inside feedback loop and get out into the national conversation again. I think that inside feedback loop causes radicalization of those ideas, and I’d like them to become de-radicalized by allowing people… encouraging people to discuss them outside their in-groups.

So instead of playing the ‘I’m so offended’ game, (which is religion’s game, not ours) and demanding that we be not mentioned like you’d not mention other religious groups…. or instead of coming down on people who do mention atheism such that people walk on eggshells when discussing it. I think we should do the opposite.

When someone public mentions atheism… even disparagingly, I think we should encourage the conversation more fully. “Oh, you think religion should be discussed on this forum? BY ALL MEANS! Let’s discuss specific religious beliefs and practices THOROUGHLY.. starting with yours, in depth and with proper historical and evidentiary support please! After all, you were the one who wanted us to discuss this! Let’s have a very, very open discussion.”