Comments on: Do Atheists Get Happy When “Bad Things” Happen to Christians?

By: Carnival Of The Godless #127 (The First With Hammer Juggling Camels) « Camels With Hammers

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 04:29:33 +0000

[...] asks whether atheists should let themselves relish victories over Christians in legal challenges, d…: I don’t ask all of these questions rhetorically. I’d really like to know what others think. I, [...]

By: Procrustes

Procrustes — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:21:53 +0000

Michael, I agree with that distinction. And I especially appreciate how you’ve formed the second reason analysis into a standards query rather than a knee-jerk accusation, and, interestingly, not from an outsider’s point of view, but from the perspective of the person who feels good. I think you’re dead on, and have been helpful in my own self-analysis. Thanks!

By: Michael Nugent

Michael Nugent — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:55:26 +0000

The premise here is that somebody feels bad because circumstances force them further away from attaining a goal that is important to them. You use the examples of Christian activists being thwarted in their goal of spreading their religion to others, but the same principle holds for everybody about every goal that is important to them.

The corollary is that somebody feels good when circumstances move them closer to attaining a goal that is important to them. In the above example, some secular activists will feel good because they have been moved closer to the goal of a secular society, and other secular activists will feel good because they also have a goal (perhaps more subliminal) of seeing Christian activists personally humiliated.

With regard to your question, I suggest that the first reason for secular activists feeling good should be welcomed, while the second should be questioned to see if it is consistent with the overall system of ethics that the person wants to live by.

By: Procrustes

Procrustes — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:40:29 +0000

See vjack's response at Atheist Revolution.

By: HollyBerry89

HollyBerry89 — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 14:52:43 +0000

Hold on I just reread the last paragraph, I cancel out my last paragraph in previous comment about ignorance.

By: HollyBerry89

HollyBerry89 — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 14:50:56 +0000

A Christian victory isn’t really good for other believers either. I mean that just means Christianity is one step closer to wiping thier beliefs of the planet.

Honestly yes I am pleased because I mean really theres a reason that the church and state are seperate; theocracy anyone?

Besides a teacher trying to force prayer or saying all americans pray is dumb. There are a lot of other religions in America besides just Christianity and your ignorance of this fact was shown with every word of this article.

By: Grumbles

Grumbles — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 22:10:06 +0000

I don’t get happy when bad things happen to Christians, I get happy when bad things happen to shitheads.

By: santa

santa — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 15:43:38 +0000

I’ll speak honestly. I’m delighted at those examples. I chuckle and I mentally I laugh at the idiot fundies when they get their comeuppance. Every second of every day they judge everyone who doesn’t believe their insanity to be wretched, immoral people worthy of nothing more than eternity in torture. I should give a shit when they are held accountable in this reality? Not so much. Hell, I even laugh at them when they aren’t caught with a hooker or don’t make a fool out of themselves by their stupid anti-evolution comments. While they are judging me to be immoral, I am laughing at them for being idiots. 24/7

By: Procrustes

Procrustes — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 01:41:27 +0000

“The tradition of offering prayer in America has become so interwoven into our nation’s spiritual heritage that to charge someone criminally for engaging in such a practice would astonish the men who founded this country on religious liberty.”

Bullshit.

By: Phlegm

Phlegm — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 01:06:22 +0000

Does a samurai feel bad for slaughtering 100 inferior enemies in a battle?