By WAYNE LAUGESEN - COLORADO SPRINGS GAZETTE
Updated: Sun, 05 Sep 2010 15:38:56 UTC

Thanks to Miranda for the link
Miranda sent this to me a few days ago but since I live in Colorado Springs I often feel a bit too close to the regular lunacy here to take an objective view as to whether to post or not. Links to Jerry Coyne's and PZ's posts about the article are below. /Mike

It's much like any old religion
Online preview of Sunday's lead editorial

Another atheist extremist went on a rampage last week, taking hostages at the Discovery Channel building and demanding the network do more to proselytize evolution and fear about environmental Armageddon. Before he harmed anyone, police shot the terrorist dead.

The violence and the response of atheist evangelists, such as American shock-scientist PZ Myers, illustrate how organized atheism increasingly resembles religion.

Writing for the Discovery Institute, David Klinghoffer pointed out that Darwinian theory has a strange effect on people who are “crazy, wicked, or both.” He’s correct, but he might as well have said “belief” or “philosophy” has a strange effect on people who are crazy, wicked or both.

Klinghoffer explained that Columbine High School shooter Eric Harris, Jokela High School shooter Pekka Eric Auvinen and Holocaust Memorial Museum shooter James von Brunn espoused an evangelical loyalty to Darwin and atheism.

Those who commit atrocities to fight for the cause of Darwin are similar to those who commit atrocities for the sake of Jesus or Muhammed. They are con men, striking out in hatred and justifying their acts with figures greater than self.
... continue reading

Jerry Coyne in Why Evolution Is True

Colorado paper: P. Z. = Bin Laden

PeeZee must be busy, because he hasn’t yet responded to something that hits close to home: an editorial in the Colorado Springs Gazette accusing him, and other atheist/Darwinists, of fomenting violence and murder (think Columbine shootings and Discovery Channel standoff):

Those who commit atrocities to fight for the cause of Darwin are similar to those who commit atrocities for the sake of Jesus or Muhammed. They are con men, striking out in hatred and justifying their acts with figures greater than self. . .

Just as James Dobson and other evangelists cultivate audiences in order to spread their beliefs, so do atheist evangelizers. The bigs are Britons Christopher Hitchens, who is battling cancer, and Richard Dawkins, who turns 70 in March. Myers, who grabbed attention by vandalizing sacred religious property, is a young and energetic American evangelist on track to become the James Dobson of atheism. . .

The more atheists push their beliefs — through terror or preaching — the more they appear as another evangelical movement with faith in a philosophy that can never be proved or disproved. Atheists, welcome to the club. All you’re lacking are orphanages, AIDS hospices, missionaries, and thousands of charitable foundations. Get on it.

The author of this screed is Wayne Laugesen, a notorious conservative/libertarian. I won’t do the heavy lifting on this one—that rightfully belongs to its target. But here’s the theme song for the children’s prayer/brainwashing videos that Laugesen and his wife co-produce, “Holy Baby!“:

If you want to see a nauseating 24-minute “Holy Baby!” video, go here.

Oh, and there’s a poll about whether atheists are as charitable as believers. Curiously, it seems to have already been Pharyngulated.

TAGGED: -, HATE, IRRATIONALITY, RELIGION