Rosie O'Donnell Can Kiss my Atheist Ass

[mondo joe]

"Anyone who thinks they're an atheist should see a child being born and I think they'll see God" or something very much like that.

Well I've seen both of my daughters born and I'm still an atheist. Annd I don't THINK I am - I know I am.

Remind me not to watch Inside the Actor's Studio.

[BigMcLargehuge]

1. I'm with you there Mondo

if anything, assisting in the birth of the McLargehugeletts revealed the awesomely nauseating beauty of biology. I didn't watch Ms. ODonnell on Inside the Actors studio, so I can't verify the quote. However, it seems to be a common theme that birth leads to religion (it has been mentioned by my family and the in-laws). I don't get it.

Can see almost the same thing from virtually every species of anything on National Geographic Explorer and they aren't pushing the god angle.

[Hardrada]

37. Actually, according to Buddhist thought

birth is something to be gotten away from. Good karma get you out of the cycle of birth and rebirth. I don't suppose Ms O'Donnell has delved much into that vein of thought.

[Arugula Latte]

2. A relative turned fundy after her baby was born.

Me -- I've given birth twice and I have never been LESS religious than I am now. My kids are not going to be indoctrinated with fairy tale explanations about the universe.

[mondo joe]

3. My kids' mom is a family practice doc who has delivered dozens of babies

and she's an atheist too.

Stupid old Rosie O'Donnell.

No wonder she loves that other nutjob Tom Cruise.

[SoCalDem]

4. Birth is something ALL mammals have in common

a three toed sloth gives birth the same way as a human :) Sorry Rosie:)

[BigMcLargehuge]

5. thought it costs less for the Sloth

[hickman1937]

6. Aw crap does this all have to do with how we all need to worship

our kids, and FAMILT VALUES? Most of the world had this shit figured out a long time ago but in America your whole life amounts to one thing, spawning, and centering the rest of your life around the spawn, up to and including knocking 2 or 3 year olds out the way so your 2 or 3 year old gets to Santa first(getting them the good toys before they run out). "I'm a mom/dad, my family comes first."

[Az]

7. So another location added to the list of places we atheists don't exist

Foxholes and at the birth of a child.

Sorry Rosie. We can find birth an amazing thing. But it doesn't mean it makes us believe in god.

[mondo joe]

8. Or, another perspective: Times of extraordinary stress and emotionalism

are the times when people have irrational responses. :-)

[Az]

9. Pretty much the angle I was fishing for

Extreme emotional reactions tend to go beyond some people's ability to rationalize. The experience overwhelms them and goes beyond what they can explain.

[yvr girl]

10. Are you watching Inside the Actor's Studio

to learn that everyone has the same beliefs and life experiences as you? She's entitled to her opinion and you're entitled to yours. Someone who has different beliefs than you shouldn't be so threatening to you.

[fudge stripe cookays]

12. Um...

Mondo Joe is entitled to his opinion just as Rosie is.

I find her remark very belitttling to those of us who are atheist or agnostic.

It's not that she's threatening, it's her snotty superiority. People who have kids or "worship the kid cult" can be very annoying to those of us who don't think it's the end-all and be-all of the universe.

No, I don't have the same life experiences as she does, and I'm glad I don't. Ergo, I don't need to have a child to show me there's a God.

fsc

[yvr girl]

16. If you check my post, I said he was entitled to his opinion

I don't have any kids, so I hope you're not including me as part of that cult.

I didn't see the show, so I can't comment on Rosie's attitude. From the OP it didn't sound like she was saying that having kids is the end-all and be-all of the universe. My take - seeing a life come into this world was a profound experience for her. I imagine it is for most people whether or not they believe in God.

Heck I still remember our dog having puppies when I was 6 and I thought THAT was amazing.

[fudge stripe cookays]

18. No, I"m not saying you're part of the cult.

You told him he was entitled to his opinion, but there was some unnecessary snark in that post.

No one I know watches "Inside the Actor's Studio" for the reason you mentioned, but we are allowed to be annoyed when the stars say something obnoxious while appearing there.

This is the lounge. People have a tendency to post about stuff they've seen or heard, and how it has affected them. This post was no different.

I didn't see the show either, but that's how the OP sounded to me.

Those of us with atheistic tendencies tend to get pretty tired of that kind of attitude.

[yvr girl]

33. I wasn't being snarky

I firmly believe people have a right to their own beliefs. I just hate to see people being dismissive of others' beliefs. There are some black and white issues in this world, but most things are gray.

[fudge stripe cookays]

35. Hmmm...

I beg to differ.

I thought it was the height of snark. And as I mentioned, unnecessarily so.

And as you've pointed out, I'm entitled to my opinion.

I'm not dismissive of others' beliefs unless they attempt to negate mine by expressing them. Then, I get annoyed as Mondo Joe did, and no longer find the opinions of that person to be anything I listen to.

[yvr girl]

38. I'd really like to know what you consider snarky about my post

I truly didn't intend any snarkiness.

Also, just to clarify, I didn't think you were being dismissive of other's beliefs, but it is something I've noticed on DU in general. For a liberal community, I sometimes find DU to harbour too many narrow-minded people.

[skygazer]

39. That's exactly what's so annoying about her remark

She didn't say that birth made HER believe in god - she said that "anyone who thinks they're an atheist", etc.

Well, we who think (or know) we're atheists have a right to respond to that - it was aimed at us. In other words, she was being dismissive of OUR beliefs (or lack of same) and that's exactly what annoys me (I can't speak for anyone else).

I do respect others' beliefs and do not ridicule or patronize those who do believe. But I read that remark as being rather patronizing towards atheists, as if no atheist has ever given birth (I've got 3 kids and 3 grandkids, two of whom I watched delivered - if you want a thrill, there's one for you but it didn't make me believe in god).

[mondo joe]

22. And I'm simply correcting her factually inaccurate opinion.

Is that threatening in some way?

[yvr girl]

29. I get that this is a lounge post

and Rosie's opinions are unlikely to keep you up at night.

I think Rosie was just trying to express herself, and how she felt at the birth of her child and she did so poorly.

[mondo joe]

31. And I'm just expressing myself in response. And you're just

expressing yourself. And....


:-)

[GirlinContempt]

14. You go,

yvrgirl :)

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[yvr girl]

23. What you think about Rosie has no impact in my life whatsoever

My belief that people should have freedom of thought and expression is simple-minded? My belief that mature people can agree to disagree on certain issues is condescending?

I just thought it was odd that something an entertainer said on a TV program would elicit such a reaction from you.

[mondo joe]

26. Maybe she'd enjoy it someone said "Those women who think they are lesbian

should just have sex with a man and they'd realize how wrong they are."

:-)

[fudge stripe cookays]

34. Touche!

:thumbsup:

fsc

[Az]

17. Lets try this

A person wouldn't be gay if they just once slept with a member of the opposite sex.

She could have easily said that she believed in god because of the wonders she felt in the presense of birth. But instead she claimed that people other than her should be convinced by the experience of birth.

You see its not that she was expressing her reasons for believing. Its that she cast others that don't believe in an uncaring light. This is an all to common occurrence in our society. Atheists are open targets. Its perfectly acceptable in our society to suggest that atheists are uncaring heartless people that don't love anything or anyone. Sorry, but that is just wrong and we get a bit fed up about it.

Its not the first time a star or notable person made a dismissive statement about atheists and it won't be the last. But what is really irritating is that people don't stand up and call them on their prejudice.

[fudge stripe cookays]

19. Thanks....

for saying this much better than me!

:thumbsup:
fsc

[arwalden]

20. As An Example...

[mondo joe]

25. EEEK~!

[GirlinContempt]

21. According to the OP

she said that she THINKS atheists will see God during child birth. Not that the SHOULD or WOULD but that she THINKS they will. That doesn't cast anyone into an uncaring light, that is a way of expressing an experience. Not the most sensitive way, but I hardly think it's a horribly prejudice awful thing for a person to say.

I see a hell of a lot of Christian bashing on these forums, and not a lot of people step up to that either. Both sides have to take the heat, and stop viewing EVERYTHING as heat.

[mondo joe]

24. Right - and I'm living proof that she's wrong. But then again, according

to her I only "think" I'm an atheist.

And for what it's worth this was just a little not-very-serious venting which is why I posted it to the Lounge.

[GirlinContempt]

27. It's ok for her

to be wrong, but I dunno... reading that, I can't imagine her trying to say that all atheists only think they are atheists. It's a whole lot of assumption (for me too, I didn't hear her say it, or talk to her about it).

[mondo joe]

28. Well, I can only repeat what I heard - "Those people who think they're

atheists..."

[Az]

30. Perspectives

We are all more aware of our own troubles than we are of other people's troubles. I understand there is bashing of believers. I do not dismiss it. I do not condone it.

I understand how you percieve this as a minor slite if even that. But to us its just another individual casually dismissing our passions and lives. As if to say we have never been in the presense of the amazing. And that if we were and continue to not believe there is something wrong with us.

In my life I have dated black women and white women. My parents claim not to be prejudiced. But when I dated black women they would continously councel me that it was not for the best. It was that society was against such unions. It was out of concern for any children that may come. It was simply that they were prejudiced and were not really aware of it themself.

Sometimes people do not see the prejudice they harbor. They see it as being reasonable or cognizant of the social situation. It doesn't change the fact that they are part of creating a different social circumstance for another group of people. Their words carry no malicious intent. But they perpetrate contempt and exclusion.

I quite honestly believe that if Rosie were made aware of our feelings in this matter she would modify her words. But that opportunity is past. Agreed its not an outright degradation such as Star Jones or Daddy Bush uttered. But it is just another straw on the backs of the atheists. And we have quite enough already.

[mondo joe]

32. "Women who think they are lesbians should have sex with a man and they'd

see they're wrong" would be comparable.

I wonder what Rosie would think of that.

[noahmijo]

11. I never liked Rosie O Donnell

I don't care if she's ultimately on "our" side she annoys the living shit out of me.

[jonnyblitz]

36. this comment proves she is an obvious flake, too.

[DanCa]

13. If you give me her email, i would write her a letter to her saying

that she really watch what she says. Of course in a manner and tone of a more violatile nature. Like I ve said it's time that the left pickets it's posers and oppitisition.