What’s with the Atheist TV Hate?

[Goblinmonger]

August 3, 2014
by Hemant Mehta

I seriously don’t understand it. Vice‘s Dave Schilling attended the Atheist TV launch party and slammed it for being a channel for those who “love hearing the sound of their own voice.”

As if Christian televangelists and political pundits everywhere do it purely for the benefit of the audience…

His whole piece was like that — a vessel for snark with very little substance.

Schilling blasted American Atheists for including its polarizing founder Madalyn Murray O’Hair in their programming, despite the fact that the 1990 speech she gave (which Atheist TV aired in its first few minutes) was an excellent primer for why atheism matters.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2014/08/03/whats-with-the-atheist-tv-hate/#ixzz39WJrVoVN

http://www.vice.com/read/i-went-to-the-debut-of-the-worlds-first-atheist-tv-channel

http://www.atheists.org/atheistTV/live

-------------------------------------------------------
Like it's somehow shocking now that people hate atheists? That there is a disdain for those atheists that actually want to speak out about their atheism? The fact that there are believers shrugging their shoulders and "aw shucks"ing over this is just ridiculous when a lot of those same people often lash out at Dawkins as the anti-Christ.

[JNelson6563]

1. It's something to behold, isn't it?

Christians being hateful toward atheists??? Hard to believe...

On a less sarcastic note, I think there is a great fear of atheism and it gets distilled into a potent brew of hate.

Julie

[mr blur]

2. I'm an Atheist, BUT

why can't they just keep quiet about it?
Their own TV station? WTF?
Next they'll be wanting their own restaurants and drinking fountains and everything.

[Act_of_Reparation]

4. BUT BUT BUT BUT BOTH SIDES DO IT!

Just ask David Gregory.

[trotsky]

3. Well, you've got the nuts like Ham who hate atheists cuz they don't believe...

and then there's other people who hate atheists cuz they aren't respectful enough toward religion and are "just as bad" as fundies.

At least they can be friends in hatred.

[AlbertCat]

5. The 701 Club?

If you will cast your minds back, you will no doubt remember all those outrageous dumbass declarations from Pat and Jerry like "Gays and abortion caused 9/11" or "AIDS is god's punishment for gays" and other delightful sentiments they had to scramble to qualify, as the average person was horrified by them.

Why would they say such things and reveal their unacceptable prejudices on TV?

Because they felt safe in their 700 Club echo chamber and sorta forgot others might be watching.


I doubt seriously that atheists will have such a problem (I'm sure there will be a heavy "skepticism" angle to the programming, with science and logic and stuff).... except most likely for anti-theist statements and concepts. But then we can always point out things that Pat and Jerry said: one of the huge problems with theism ( along with that persecution complex). And of course, as they have already demonstrated, there will be a lot of unfounded and freak-out accusations.

So what else is new?

[LostOne4Ever]

6. Same old double standard

Religious do something and they get nothing but encouragment and told how "brave" they are. Atheists try and express their views and they are "IN YOUR FACE" or militant.

[EvolveOrConvolve]

7. The same attitude can be found right here at DU

I'm tired of getting told to sit down and shut up.

[Curmudgeoness]

8. And is there anyone here who is shocked by this?

Or even mildly surprised?

Atheists are still the unwanted step-children in the US, and any chance to put them down cannot be ignored.