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Monday, September 22, 2008

Why I did what I did and why I'm not sorry.

An open letter to theists and atheists alike:

In light of Ray's pity party he's holding for himself and in light of the discussion going on here about my posting a porno pic of Ray in my avatar and slipping it through comments several, several times on his blog, I thought I should clear the air in a post as to why I did what I did and how I feel about the current opinion(s) of others about it.

Since I realize the readers of Ray's blog read here also, you need to know that this wasn't done in the name of atheism, because I'm an atheist, or because of any nonsense about an evil character named Satan that you guys think is my 'father'. It was done to prove a point and out of frustration at Ray lashing out at people for absolutely no good reason at all. I'll get to all that in a moment.

First of all it was my idea, my execution, all my work. Even though there were others that agreed with me at the time that it might be a good and funny idea, I am solely responsible for every bit of it. 100% responsible. And I'm not apologizing. Now , if you want to think that I am or was under the influence of some evil force, go right ahead. You will anyway because you think that about everyone who doesn't share your beliefs no matter what they do. I do not care.

Second, this is not about Maragon on a personal level. This is about Ray asking an already fully clothed woman to change her avatar photo to 'something more modest'. There was absolutely no reason, other than to goad a female and try to impose his antiquated religious beliefs about modesty on her, for Ray to have made that comment. Has Ray ever asked a fully clothed MALE to cover himself? No, I don't think so. But a female exposing anything more than a snippet of facial skin elicited a response from him that was absolutely uncalled for. If Ray wants to try to start the American Taliban, I'm going to be the first one to oppose it. Also, I would have done the same had he made that remark about any other fully clothed female.

In my opinion, Ray got what he deserved in this situation. I set out to bitch-slap him with something to whine about as opposed to whining about a few inches of exposed flesh on a fully clothed female and to show him what real immodesty was and as far as I'm concerned I accomplished my goal.

Now about the opinions of others regarding what I did. I don't think it's a big secret that I am not a sheep to the popular opinions of others. I never have been and I'm not about to start now. If you think what I did was childish, rude, or whatever other adjectives you want to apply to my actions then go right ahead and think that. Give a voice to it if you want. As a matter of fact I encourage you to because it's not healthy to keep things bottled up. But please don't be so naive as to think I'm thin skinned enough to be swayed by your opinion or to have a hurt feeling over it. It takes a hell of a lot more than opinions over a porn pic of Comfort to hurt my feelings.

And to the theists at Ray's, please do not think that you will bully me into feeling guilty, apologizing, or caring what you think of my actions. You guys have a long history of calling every single person that does not agree with your theology a long list of names like liar, murderer, adulterer, child of Satan, thieves, ect. Don't think your opinion means anything to me now or you will only disappoint yourself. I'm a strong-willed, free thinking, autonomous female and yes, I do have a bitch streak a few miles wide that runs through me. I've never made a secret of it so if you think you'd be pointing out some new information to me by letting me know that, think again.

I did what I did, I'm not ashamed of it, I'm not apologizing for it. Fire away.

Edit: And for those calling for Ray to have my account shut down, go right ahead and run yourselves ragged doing that. The second you accomplish it, if and when you should, I'll just get another one. Really, nothing phases me.

40 comments:

  1. Hi NonMagic, my post on Atheist Central didn't make it past the censors (don't know why, I don't think I transgressed regarding Ray's commandments), so I've posted it below:

    Ray,

    You have only yourself to blame for what's happened here. In changing the title of your blog to Atheist Central, you were being actively provocative. You have deliberately courted controversy and invited invective for many months here.

    You love the attention you've generated through this site, and I believe you avidly read most if not all of the posts (despite your protests to the contrary) It's pitiful for you to pretend that you had Christian motives for the blog, and that these have been compromised by a few pranks.

    Your comment regarding the avatar of 'Maragon' was medieval. There are people here who have avatars showing a bare-chested man nailed to a cross, in his death throes - is this more palatable than a hint of alluring decolletage?

    Your blog pretends to be a place for debate, but there is precious little debate here.
    You are, by-and-large a 'drive-by' poster. You make an inflammatory statement, and then regularly fail to respond when people post refutations of your absurd and uninformed ideas.

    Atheist Central has achieved your aim of gathering a little coterie of malleable fellow fundamentalists around you - potential customers for your unappealing and wilfully misleading books and videos.
    The prejudices on both sides have probably been reinforced by the blog and you've thus successfully perpetuated a 'them and us' situation.
    This will be your legacy - well done!

    Make an apology to all contributors for being devious and obfuscatory, close the blog and go write your books.

    Jaser

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  2. NM-

    I have no problem with anything you did.

    This only serves to showcase the prurience exhibited by Fundamenalist Evangelical Christians, not unlike the episode where that asswipe John Ashcroft draped a curtain over the breasts of the statue of Justice. And all the fundamentalist furor over Janet Jackson exposing (gasp!) a nipple on television. Who knows how many children still have nightmares about a nipple? My guess is - none!

    What I find far more offensive is the outright censorship of posts (including mine) that merely refute in a cogent and logical manner the biblical bullshit billowing from Bumfuck's blog.

    I guess I am banned from his site now, and it started when I responded to Richards "ark" post where I corrected the post that the Noah story was in Genesis 6, not Genesis 5, as was written in the post. They don't like to be embarrassed so badly on their "biblical knowledge", so they scrapped my post and edited the original post to read "chapter 6", just like Orwell's Ministry of Truth.

    I started posting there to decry Ray's dishonest use of Einstein's and Hawkings' quotes on his front page, which he ignored.

    I then challenged him to provide any substantial evidence to prove the validity of the Noachian Flood story, which he likewise ignored.

    Benjamin Franklin said-

    "Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn."

    Ray Comfort has repeatedly demonstrated that he is unwilling to learn. That is a shame.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I posted at Ray's and it wasn't allowed through. I wish I had saved it because I can't recall it word for word. I said that Ray puts as much work into his books as RL Stine puts into his. Something about what will Terry Burton do (and I am eagerly awaiting his thoughts on this); he can come here to be rude and abusive, but if Ray discontinues his blog, where will Terry go to be pretend to be all nice and Christiany? My avatar at the time is a real product, made by some Christian somewhere. It's not my fault it looks as if Jesus has a hard on. I doubt if Ray shuts down completely. That might cut into his six figure salary. Him and his family might have to get real jobs. Great jobs nonmagic. Too bad you couldn't have gotten the threesome through first.

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  4. As a going away president, I changed my pic to the Ray, Kirk and Terry threesome photo and it went up.

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  5. Your lame excuse/explanation is noted. It does not surprise me in the least that you would sink to the level you did. I've seen it happen before and I will see it happen again, and each and every time, the person is not ashamed of their actions, just like you. The truly ironic part of all this is that you are absolutely convinced that you were being rational when you very clearly were not. Being a pervert and grade-A asshole is not rational. It is irrational and proved nothing about Ray, but did prove an awful lot about you. The depths to which you willfully lower yourself to when it comes to Christians exposes your vile hatred and your immature mind. You could have opted to make a lucid, logical, intelligent argument, but no. Instead, you deliberately chose to become the lowest common denominator and proved you have no ability to make such arguments. And you smugly boast about it! You are a fool of the worst kind: the kind that chooses to be a fool. I really hope Ray chooses to report your actions to Blogger and gets you permanently banned.

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  6. This picture might have been a little bit childish but since Ray already proofed again and again and again that he's not affected by reason, there was really no other thing to do.
    What does it say about him, if he ignores reasonable arguments but start crying as soon as somebody from the other side tries to outrun TB?
    And you didn't even manage...
    I can't imagine a photoshopped picture on the same level as some of the things Terry said to Maragon, Kaitlyn, Jason, Rufus and some more.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Jinx said:

    "And you smugly boast about it! "

    Goddamn right I do.

    ReplyDelete
  8. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  9. You called nonmagic an asshole. Wow!

    If the shoe fits.

    Tell me, Jinx, do you kiss Ray's ass with that mouth?

    You seem to be obsessed with Ray's ass. Got something you'd like to share with the class? Some perverted sexual fantasies involving Ray, perhaps?

    Did you use the word "asshole" at Ray's blog, you fucking Christian hypocrite?

    I would if Ray allowed it, so how am I a hypocrite?

    We've all made lucid, logical, intelligent arguments.

    Where?

    All we get back is we're "fools, who never do good, we're evil, we're the same as the KKK, we worship our intellect", ad nauseum.

    Hey, welcome to the world of being a fundamentalist. I guess you can't take what you dish out.

    You can eat shit, buddy.

    There's another lucid, logical, intelligent argument.

    None are so irrational as those who claim to be the most rational.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Goddamn right I do.

    Thank you for admitting to everything I posted. Glad to know you agree with me.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Gosh, I sooooo want to be an atheist again just so I can act like all of you!

    ReplyDelete
  12. @Jinx Mchue

    For the sake of argument, to give you the benefit of the doubt, and because I'm not yet very familiar with the AC regulars, I'll assume you're a newbie too, and will take this opportunity to edumacate you on a fact you may not be aware of.

    You state:

    "You could have opted to make a lucid, logical, intelligent argument, but no. Instead, you deliberately chose to become the lowest common denominator and proved you have no ability to make such arguments."

    Let me be the first to assure you, most (though I am sure in truth, all) of the Raytractors have spent significant time and brainpower formulating "lucid, logical, intelligent" arguments against the obtuse inanity gibbered hourly by Ray Comfort and his disciples. The problem is not their willingness to discuss, it is Ray's unwillingness. I have only been following Ray's blog for a little over a week, maybe a week and a half, and have already had comments censored for no reason other than that whoever censored them deemed them too "dangerous" as ideas. I assure you, I take every pain to follow Ray's (ridiculous) guidelines, and certainly see no benefit in frivolous wise-assity. Yet my comments remain unposted.

    It is clear from the tone and content of your comment that you are in agreement with Ray on a few, if not all issues. Either this means that you support the censorship of ideas, based on nothing more than the desire to prop up an unsustainable false-hood, or you were ignorant of Ray's tactics. The first is (as someone else beautifully observed) terrifyingly Orwellian, and the second is gravely irresponsible.

    You pick.

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  13. Nonmagic,

    Creating a controversy like this always has some unintended/ unexpected consequenses.

    It is my opinion that the shit needed stirred up over there.
    I think some people take some blogs way too serious; like you are submitting a masters thesis or something. And, when you have someone like Ray who constantly slams us as being liars and murderers, well, he deserves mock and scorn and I still think it's funny that you scammed him.

    I see a lot of comments saying they would be saddened if he shuts down but I personally would be elated. Why? I don't know and don't care. I just "believe" he should crawl back into the hole that he crawled out of. He's got enough free publicity from me.

    It just goes to show that those morons are a humorless, repressed bunch of inbred and deluded unfortunates.

    One blog, more or less, in the scheme of things is basically meaningless out side a circle of a very few people. There are legions of these morons out there to refute.

    If somebody is goint to try to say that this event somehow tarnishes our credibility then fuck them.

    Ray's pathetic response to this is predictably pious and artificial.

    He is an attention seeker only. He is probably elated over the whole thging because you are getting him even more attention.

    I know you did it with the intention of being found out and banned for life but insteaed he is milking it for all he can get. His games are getting soooooo exdhausting.
    Anyway, I love ya and keep up the good work!

    ReplyDelete
  14. NM,

    Your reasons are competely understandable, the point was well made and well worth making, and for what it's worth, I support you entirely.

    BaldySlaphead

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  15. To those that have supported me, thank you.

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  16. Got something you'd like to share with the class? Some perverted sexual fantasies involving Ray, perhaps?

    He can have all the fantasies, he likes but I'd prefer not to read about them if they have something to do with Ray.

    Are you down to Terry Burton level now, jinx?

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  17. NM,
    If I had Photoshop, I'd have done it a long time ago!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Well, if I were having sexual fantasies about Ray, I wouldn't blame Ray for them, the way he blamed Maragon.

    I found Comfort's blog back in January or February. I made plenty of reasoned, rational arguments with Ray and others. The basic response is, everything I do is because of sin, and I love my sin. What a joke.

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  19. Logical arguments only work to a certain point. After that, ridicule becomes more effective.

    Look at the idea of Santa. Some people grow out of and realize it's implausible. Another group keeps on believing it and when presented with the truth deny it and cry about it, and some may even assert it is true after having been told by parents.

    When those people get into the real world and keep talking about the reality of Santa, they are ridiculed about it. "You still believe that Santa crap?"

    When the logic won't work, best to step it up to "You still believe that God crap?"

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  20. Hey Jinx,

    You arrogant, self-centered douche bag.

    You said:

    "You could have opted to make a lucid, logical, intelligent argument, but no. Instead, you deliberately chose to become the lowest common denominator and proved you have no ability to make such arguments."

    I ALREADY TRIED THAT. I was censored and not allowed to defend myself or even ask why the profile picture I had been using for months was now deemed 'unacceptable'.

    Ray Comfort is not interested in intelligent arguments or a fair exchange of ideas. He wants total control, the ability to subject others to his perverted beliefs and to make an asston of money off of guys like you.
    And look at that, he's doing it.

    "Gosh, I sooooo want to be an atheist again just so I can act like all of you!"

    GOSH! I wish I were a theist so I could act like a self-righteous asshole to everyone and feel good about it.

    Have yourself a lovely evening.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Jinx said-

    "You could have opted to make a lucid, logical, intelligent argument, but no.

    Well Jinx, I made several, but they were either censored, or ignored.

    None were in violation of Rays posting rules, none were profane.

    They simply argued against belief in childish stories that do not correlate with the observed universe.

    For over a week, I posted solid scientific evidence thoroughly refuting the tale of a global flood 4,500 years ago, survived only by 8 humans and a boat full of animals.

    I asked Ray and other posters to provide any credible evidence to support the biblical claim.

    Ray's response- He ignored it.
    Other responses- Terry Burton said to look up a global flood site on one of his blogs, well I did, and what was on that site actually showed nothing to support a global flood theory. I responded as to why and Camport said that Terry's examples "did too" confirm a flood.

    No evidence, no proof, no response.

    This is why more and more people, especially young people are walking away from evangelical Christianity. It simply lacks credibility in a 21st century world. And preachers like Ray Comfort, who mire themselves in 17th century theology can't sneak through younger, and smarter generation's bullshit meters.

    Whenever Ray Comfort says something inane like
    "If you hate someone, that's murder in God's eyes, and if looking at a pretty girl gives you a hard-on, you will burn in Hell forever, unless you pray to Jesus"...

    The bullshit meters go off.

    Perhaps it is because younger generations are subject to so much untruth, that they have become much better at recognizing bullshit when they see it.

    Maybe you want to take a shot at saving the credibility of inerrancy of the bible by providing some credible evidence to support the concept of a global flood 4,500 years ago. If so, be my guest. At least your repsonses won't be censored on this blog.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I try to not offend folks, but after a few months of being civil while getting lied to and insulted and my opinions misrepresented, I see no need to continue trying.

    Nonmagic, your avatar was completely justified (imho). Hell, I wish I'd thought of it myself. Ray deserves the respect he affords to other people - and that's exactly what he got.

    Cheers

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  23. Lance,

    Oops!!! But Kirsti encouraged me to use that one and said you were especially proud of it. She said it came from that 'special magazine' that you had been published in. *sigh*

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  24. Thank you Whateverman, and to everyone for your support.

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  25. Lance,

    I can not be expected to keep all of your penises organized. Kirsti told me that the pics of your *other* penis were specifically to be used in the family Christmas cards this year, so not to use those.

    This is a very frustrating situation.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Nonmagic,

    Great post. I just wanted to let you know that I fully support what you did and found it to be hilarious. Thank you for not apologizing for the statement you made.

    BTW, I showed my dad your Photoshop skills when I was visiting yesterday. He was highly amused.

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  27. Jeezus.


    Mess with their mind a little and they wig right out.

    jinx is all frizzed up, calling everybody an asshole. Ray's called an emergency and assembled some dingbat committee of censors.



    And why all the commotion? Because a couple of atheists posted comical, but dirty pix as their avatars.

    These Christian soldiers aren't street ready, I don't think.

    ReplyDelete
  28. I can not be expected to keep all of your penises organized.

    Okay, now I really am offended. You just crossed the line with that. I mean, it's not like I have ten of them. Just a little more than half of that.

    Whoops...said too much yet again...

    ReplyDelete
  29. Lance, ok, Now I'M really offended. I only have pics of 3 of them !!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Thanks, MJ. If I would have thought it through I would have taken more time with it and made it much more artistic.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Capt. said:

    "jinx is all frizzed up, calling everybody an asshole. Ray's called an emergency and assembled some dingbat committee of censors."

    LOL! For some reason the thought of Comfort running around like a nutcase forming an emergency committee because someone slipped a dirty pic through his blog made me laugh so hard I snorted. This must be the most excitement he's had in his life in a very long time.

    Yeah, Jinxy has a wet diaper. Hey, I may be an asshole but at least I don't think invisible forces in the sky are controlling my life. Suck it, Jinxy.

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  32. Nonmagic, Though not the approach I might have taken, I think what you did was an excellent response to what Ray said about Maragon's picture.

    Ray has been very rude, dishonest and judgemental for quite a while. He crossed the line long ago. He should expect nothing less than the responses he's gotten.

    Ray seems to be missing the point of the picture or refuses to admit to himself that his comments about Maragon was out of line.

    Though I only wish Ray would stop misinforming the public, I know he will continue through his other outlets. I hope he keeps the blog going if only for the fact that it give people like us a chance to continually correct him and hopefully better educate Lurkers who might be on the fence or at least intelligent enough to see Ray is a poor source of education on science and Atheists.

    Word is Bond!
    ~Atomic Chimp

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  33. Hi Nonmagic,

    Add my name to the list of supporters. I find the prurience (what a great word!) of these people over a body part to be really funny. It's skin over vascular tissue folks. Nothing to be alarmed about.

    ReplyDelete
  34. I could make some elaborate point, but there is a time to speak louder than words. Rather than using the pen to excoriate some contemptible act, sometimes it's better to drive a rusty nail through a cracker or, in this case, drive a penis through Ray Comfort's hand.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Hey, Rufus - how's that avatar of your sexual fantasies involving Ray working out for you?

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  36. Jinx:

    Not as well as my sexual realities with your mother and wife. What a threesome that is!

    ReplyDelete

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