Here’s a random sampling of email received throughout the year.

From: [withheld]
Subject: Thank you and a few things

Thank you for creating your website.

I came across your website because I wanted to explore atheism and your site is the first one I found; I haven’t checked out any other atheist websites since. Your website is a breath of freedom and thinking…sometimes harsh, but always brave (but no less harsh than many christians and much less brave by far).

So, two things:

Thing #1: Have you read: The Year of Living Biblically: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible by A. J. Jacobs? I would like to know your take on it. Very funny and creative book indeed in my opinion.

Thing #2: Have you heard or read the following BS? (just Google the following – you can find more if you want to.)

“Snopes.com is, in fact, an activist, Leftist, atheist, anti-Christian husband and wife team. They have both actively participated in a ‘documentary’ designed to debunk Christianity as just another hoax, among the many hundreds of hoaxes debunked at Snopes.com.”

If the creators behind Snopes are really trying to debunk Christianity, then I think I like Snopes even more.

Hope you’re having a great day whatever g-dless activities you may be doing. It would be a thrill and a half to hear back from you.

Thanks for your site again. Seriously. Fantastic work.

~Elizabeth

From: the_tiny_one(at)yahoo.com
Subject: [blank]

http://truthforyouth.com/main.htm

I stumbled on this a little bit ago. I’m not sure if you’ve already found it, but I thought I’d send it along. I hope you enjoy their comic collection- the one on Evolution is particularly funny.

Also, I enjoy your site quite a bit. Keep it up, my friend.

Jade Gunn

From: grumpy.rhonda(at)bigpond.com.au
Subject: Australian Grumpy

Hi mate,

LOVE the site. I am also of the opinion that the religious geeks and freaks will never stop soliciting for attention and money. I’ve already copied your link and sent it to a few friends.

Rhonda

From: insaniac17(at)hotmail.com
Subject: You are my hero.

Your website has changed my life. As it will my friends’ lives. Our generation is confused, brought up by brainwashing. Thank you for your time. You are my hero.

Do you think modern Christianity is based on worship of the sun and seasons, as explained in Zeitgeist? Or perhaps hallucinogenic plants? I find this thought to be entertaining, with all of my family and their churches looking down their noses on my hallucinogenic curiosity. I refuse to be ignorant.

Eric Nordson

Editor’s Note: Zeitgeist is utter drek. It’s been thoroughly debunked. Admittedly, I used a few (just a few) of the author’s general points from the Christ segment in one of my rants – but not as a source of authority. I highlighted some of the similarities between the Jesus story and some of the other (and older) savior god stories merely to promote critical analysis over blind faith…and to rile up Christians.

From: steph(at)cosmicglue.com
Subject: Love the site – thought you might enjoy this

Thanks for a wonderful site.

Not sure if you already saw this but I was just tooling around the CARM message boards and came upon a thread about how Universalism discussion is NOT allowed on the forums even though discussion about other “false religions” is. I got a huge laugh when I saw this response from the moderator: www.carm.org/uni/uniclose.htm.

My favorite quotes from this:

“Nevertheless, it didn’t take long for the unies to swarm to the board and start talking about how universalism was the way, the truth, and the life.”

“I pointed this out along with their interpretive errors and they gradually became increasingly belligerent.”

Regards,

Stephanie

From: jared.g.watkins(at)gmail.com
Subject: Your site

Attention (fellow) Heretic,

Love the site. Particularly enjoyed getting new ammunition for use against the religious morons who populate my state (Tennessee, so…yeah). The idea of causing dissonance between their intellectual prowess and religious dogma pleases me greatly.

I did have one interesting thought, while reading over your complete shredding of the “banana=atheist’s nightmare.” It amuses me that these people seem to think that we have some kind of vested interest in our atheism, so much so that any “proof” of god is enough to give us nightmares. Either they think we’ve got something to lose, or they’ve caught on to the evil atheist conspiracy.

I’ll cease boring you with my inane drivel now.

Thanks for the sight, look forward to seeing more of your writing in the future.

Jared Watkins

From: imerrick(at)tpg.com.au
Subject: G’day

G’day Bastard.

Found your site via FSTDT.com. I’ve got to admit I read it end to end.

I was raised in Britain and Australia by non-practicing Protestant Parents.

Only forced to Church during Christmas and Easter Holidays with my Grandparents. I have to say 99.999% of my Sundays have been my own. I dabbled in the whole born again thing during my 11th year in school, I believe it’s your College freshman year. But now I believe the girls boobs were the real reason behind my being born again.

The next 10 years in the military taught me to think clearly. My purpose in live now, is three beautiful kids, my wife and a well payed job I enjoy.

I’m of the firm opinion that the Bible is the greatest game of Chinese whispers of all time. The realization first came to me in a leadership exercise in the military. I had to convey a three-sentence order to my troops, they passed to between them all and I received the final version from the last of them. So three sentences through 12 men in 5 or so minutes. Image what hundreds of thousands of words through hundreds of people in 1900 years would be like.

An eye opener.

Anyway, you’re obviously a Man who deals with much personal correspondence. Just wanted to say thanks for a lazy Saturday reading the net. I have one of my country’s finest exports to the world (Beer) in front of me, but in a pint glass due to by British heritage, which I raise to you.

Cheers.

Thanks for a good read. I’ll be watching your work.

Mezza

From: marcusharman(at)blueyonder.co.uk
Subject: honest thanks from a true non believer

Feel free, and please post my name. I have nothing to be ashamed of or hide from. I’ve had a good day today and I feel like writing a bit so if people are going to Judge me then I may as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb, here goes:

I am an ape; a thinking ape. When I am dead, I know I will not go to a mythical heaven because there is no all loving God to resurrect me. I understand the processes that will cause My flesh to be recycled into new life, atmosphere and minerals and eventually stars themselves.

Everything that I am, mind, body and spirit, if I have one, will eventually pass into oblivion. For a time at least, all that will remain of Me in this vast Godless Universe will be echoes. I’m OK with that because I also know that when I die there is no terrible Hell offering infinite punishment for finite sin against a God that has never existed.

My destiny is my own. Either, I will succeed by my own wits and savior all the credit for myself, or I will fail knowing that the faults have nothing to do with a vengeful perverse God. I will take responsibility for my own failures rather than blaming a non existent sky God as a scapegoat. The Universe I walk in is bigger than the Christian one. It is also Older. Much older. The latest evidence from the Hubble space telescope deep field scans show that the Universe existed for a good twelve to thirteen Billion years before I came along, and will be around in adequately good shape for about as long again after I’ve snuffed it. It is not forty generations from Adam and Eve to Christ. The Cosmos is not a paltry six thousand years old.

There are currently seven or more Billion of my kind on Earth. I am nothing special in comparison to any One else. I am only one representative of my Species that has walked on this Earth for about three million years. But we are older still for we have a genetic heritage spanning the Eons of time more than three and a half Billion years from the common living ancestor as evidenced by the fossil record, paleobiology and the fact that all life on Earth has DNA and RNA as its genetic material. I am made of the Elements Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen and Sulfur, plus a few other heavier ones. All of these atoms heavier than Hydrogen had to be created not buy God but by nuclear Fusion in the stellar furnaces of stars that lived and died long before our Sun was born as evidenced by spectroscopy, astronomy and high energy physics. I am not a product of a spontaneous creation. Nor am I a product of random chance. I am here because the Universe obeys rules like thermodynamics, mechanics and gravitation. I understand many of these rules, because I have had to learn them in order to teach them. Every day I see a world full of marvel and wonder from falling leaves to shining stars. I have never been fulfilled by the empty unsatisfying answers that Theists of any denomination gave me about where things come from, how they work or why they are here. Somehow “God made it that way” is such an intellectual anticlimax.

I have two young sons. While walking in the grounds of Leeds Castle with them today my youngest, who is two and a half asked me “Daddy, why is the sky blue and the grass green”. He doesn’t care if I slur or stutter, so I can get some complex conversation with him not completing my sentences for me or conjuring words to fill my mouth. My stutter free answer started “well my son, it has something to do with how mirrors work. Shall we all get an ice cream and talk about it while we feed the ducks?” “Yippee” they both cried out as they skipped off towards the shop proclaiming who would have chocolate and who would have strawberry and I knew a moment of pure joy in my beautiful Godless world.

Marcus Harman

From: [withheld]
Subject: Thank God I’m a compulsive editor

Hi Mr. Bastard:

I have enjoyed your site, but haven’t yet read it all. Today I was concentrating on this part:

Editor’s Note: I omitted a list of typos for me to correct.

In my case, your arguments are like preaching to the choir, although very entertainingly so, and I have told many of my fellow atheists of your site. The only disagreement I would offer is your refusal to patronize In-N-Out burgers because of their messages. Although I do very little fast-food eating, at least two people (independently) have told me that In-N-Out makes VERY good hamburgers. If the messages are as well concealed as those on the coffee cups, then I would think refusing to patronize them is likely to fall into the nose-spite-face category. I have done strangers favors, they have said something like “God bless you”, and I haven’t taken offense. Different strokes….

Keep up the good work. (Please keep me anonymous.)

Harry

From: sarah.neeley(at)yahoo.com
Subject: love your site

greetings fellow atheist comrade!

love your site! A lot of info indeed. I could use some of that for my church debates. *thumbs up*

anyway, just would like to say keep up the good work. Hopefully your site will give me some good debate techniques. (or maybe you already did :p)

and thanks for those ppl’s emails. Ameila chick looks hot! (even though she believes in a totalitarian government lol)
well, hope to hear from you. But i understand if you’re too busy.

Love, Sarah. Kisses! :-*

From: bluestarchic(at)gmail.com
Subject: Thank you!

GB-

Thank you for keeping your wonderful site up and running. It’s great to see someone who refuses to give in to “political correctness” to avoid offending someone’s beliefs. Irrationality and stupidity should always be pointed out and dissected, but especially in the case of people who try and impose their imaginary friend and his punishments on society as a whole. Keep up the great work!

-Cherie Moy

From: fprimus(at)gmail.com
Subject: site feedback…

Greetings Mr. Bastard.

I haven’t read all of it yet and the parts that I have read were very interesting. I didn’t bother to copy and paste the email that you suggested to inform you that as a ‘true believer’ that you are misinformed as I am an atheist as well.

Good work! And do keep it up!
Ciao,

Furlan

From: sdsarver(at)gmail.com
Subject: Hello GB

You my friend are a genius. I’m an atheist so no hate mail from me to you. Just a big thank you.

Seth Sarver

From: scott(at)norris-cleaning.com.au
Subject: Hey Mate

G’day GB!

While perusing some sites recommended by my 15 year old son, somewhere between “Fundies say the Darndest Things” and catsthatlooklikehitler.com I somehow ended up on your top quality site.

Ah so refreshing was it to see that from the Land of the Free comes a creature so similar to those that surround me here in sunny Canberra! It was like coming home after a long holiday!!

I made the mistake of entering into an internet relationship with some fellow Harley riders in Kansas many years ago, and we kind of became friends and even discussed them visiting Australia and staying with us….Then after 911 it all turned to shit when they started on with all this jeebers stuff!

I ended our relationship with an email that said something like – “and do you not realise that your blind babbling about your crappy religion, jeebers and god is almost identical to the ramblings of the extreme muslims that you hate so much?”

I never heard from them again!!

Maybe you should start your own organisation, similar to the catholic church, only with making money as your prime purpose while actually admitting it?

Religion is a crock, most bible bashers are not what they purport to be, and the best people I know wouldn’t go to church if you paid them.

What’s gone on at the catholic schools and orphanages in Canada, the US and here says it all, and the best one I saw was the catholic church telling our then Prime Minister last year that he should apologise to the Aboriginal people for taking their children from them, when it was the fucking church that did it in the first place!!! (and molested and mistreated them while they were doing it!!).

We don’t have many fundies down here, and most people conduct their lives openly and honestly and don’t need some wanker in a robe to tell them what to do and take their money!!

Have fun, treat people how you like to be treated, help people in need (if they deserve it), work hard, look after your family and protect them at all costs, drink beer, watch a little porn, follow your favourite team, ride motorbikes and have lots of barbeques with your friends and you can’t go wrong!!

I’ll have a better look at your site when I get time, but from what I’ve seen you have it spot on!

Take it easy mate!

Cheers, Scott

From: michel_bangkok(at)lavabit.com
Subject: Greetings from Thailand

Greetings from Bangkok Mr. Bastard.

Stumbled upon your site during one of my trips to the undefined searches allowed by this great tool (http://www.stumbleupon.com), as Atheism is one of my preferred “random” subject. It is not in my habit to comment on blogs, articles or…web sites, but here is the exception that confirms the rules (my rules).

In a nutshell, CONGRATULATIONS, for having the guts, the patience and the wits to assemble and keep online your “beliefs” or lack of it, as, to make a long story short, the intent of this communication is only to send you positives vibes from Thailand, where I reside for the last 20 years.

In case you would have any doubts, while you are using “slightly” more assertive statements than Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens or even Sam Harris, the no-nonsense conclusions are the same and I do endorse 100% of the content and positions that you have well described, so we could not start an argument here…

Noted that you really focus on Christians, but leave mostly alone (with few exceptions on some pages) Hindus, Jews, Buddhists and especially Muslims (almost completely), the later where the greatest threats, in my humble opinion, remain for mayhem and confrontations (not with the worldwide Christian fanatics) based on “religious” positions in our 21st century world, take only the Danish cartoons as one token example of intolerance in addition to the “Alahu Akbar” summary execution you have inserted. You may have treated this focus, but do not recall having perused through such elements either in your FAQ or elsewhere as to why such “discrimination” ? Fear of a fatwa – the Salman Rushdie syndrome >:-} ?

More seriously I was born close to Montreal (Quebec) in a French Catholic very strict environment during the baby boomers period, became agnostic at around 14-15 years old and atheist about 6-8 years ago. Today, at 56 years young, my trip (the spiritual one) is not yet completed but some of the questions have been answered, and atheism is one key part of it, thank’s to the gods (pun intended).

Wishing you luck with your future activities and endeavours, and please, by all means keep your unique sense of humour – what a great asset!

All the best,

Michel

PS: And yes, no hesitation to add me on your mailing list, if so such thing still exists; what a pleasure it will be to read your “kind and lovely” poetry on a regular basis – thanks in advance.

From: [withheld]
Subject: Feedback

Dear Godless Bastard,

I started reading your site a few weeks ago. I’ve only now taken the time to sign your book.

I have been greatly influenced by you. I already held every one of the opinions you have regarding religion and belief. In the past, however, I was reluctant to express them because I knew it was futile and could only cause needless trouble.

You have made me understand that the point of sounding off isn’t to accomplish some sort of “good” but simply to experience the joy of self expression. Like a songbird singing his stupid head off, one should speak his mind at every opportunity.

Jay

From: [withheld]
Subject: question

Mr. Bastard:

I’d like to go on your e-mail list. I found your website through a link on the JREF’s website and have slowly gotten addicted! By the way, if we share the website with anyone, does it tell them the e-mail address etc of the person who gave you their address? I’d like my parents to read your site, but not as much as I’d like to keep getting invited home for holidays.

Sincerely,

Jim

From: [withheld]
Subject: Godlessness

Nice website esp. Wanda’s addition. “I was there when your sons were in prison now be there for mine.” Now, I live half way around the world in India but man it’s a scary thought to know that there are such people in the world still.

It’s not that different in India in the sense that people do tend to state as facts what are actually beliefs. What I found lacking in your beliefs is that you are no different from the theists when you so vociferously state that you do not believe in god.

See I like to believe in the scientific philosophy. Every theory is true unless proven false or the existence of another theory that is radically simpler. We currently do not have any good evidence of the existence or non-existence of god. To say that god does not exist is as churlish as saying he does.

It is not even so that the atheist theory is simpler. The counter example to this is the very beginning of life itself. Calculation have shown that it would take nearly a billion universe lifetimes for a single protein to get created due to random interactions from basic compounds. Now you may believe in the anthropic principle that we see things the way they are (i.e. life existing or more precisely conditions favourable for life to exist) because if things were different, we wouldn’t exist to see it…The numbers still don’t add up. In such a situation, there are several complicated theories that hypothesize on how the first protein might have come into existence.

But even then, a single protein cannot make a living being. Even the simplest unicellular organism requires thousands of proteins working in tandem and in the right configurations…It is impossible to conceive (as of now) how life may have started. (believe me the numbers don’t tally even if we consider the anthropic principle).

Now consider the much simpler theory: The was a creator who created everything (including life).

Thus, I hope that I have shown that a simpler theory (even though it may look like it explains everything) may not be correct. So let’s put that simpler theory philosophy out of the window.

With this in mind…do you really think you are being any different than the theists? Are you not the same as them? I honestly feel that you too are committing the same mistake that they do…to let emotions cloud rational/scientific thought. Now since we do not know anything about the existence of a god or not…we cannot claim anything either way. Whether you claim there is a god or you claim there isn’t, there really is not difference. Both groups are being as hard headed and (might I add without any personal offence) ignorant.

So think a bit about your beliefs. They are precisely those. Beliefs. So in some sense, atheism is no different from theism. Now if you really wish to oppose theism…you must give up atheism as well. Only then can you make any sense at all. Otherwise all your rantings are just the outlets of a man frustrated with the people who believe in god and who wish to make you believe in god. To oppose them by saying that you do not believe in god is to play the same game that they are playing.

The right thing to do would be the scientific stand that until proven or disproven, any theory is equally correct. (note I do not say “correct” but say “equally correct”).

Of course I may be wrong in all I have just said. I would like to hear your opinions on the same.

From: jaimelrandall(at)yahoo.co.uk
Subject: GREAT SITE – KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK

Let me congratulate you on refreshingly new approach – with well written and entertaining material.

I rolled around laughing when I read your email exchanges with the three ladies, and how their hypocrisies were cleverly exposed.

For the life of me I don’t know where you find so much material – but I suppose it is somewhat easier in the States, than in Europe. I don’t know the figures (I should check) but most people I know, simply use the Church for christenings, weddings and funerals, and do not overtly display their religious beliefs or lack of them. As a true skeptic on anything supernatural I have been passively atheist for most of my life – but I was apathetic about it until about 6 months ago.

Many years back (45 years) I worked with a guy in London – I wouldn’t say we were close friends, but we seemed to get on well enough. I knew he was a Freemason (he made no secret of the fact). Then we parted ways – he went to work in the USA and never came back. I Stayed in the UK and then moved to Spain. Suddenly, after 45 years, my old colleague contacted me by email and then telephone. We shared email correspondence for about three years. He would always make reference to his belief in God and include “Bless yous” etc etc. Then he started ratcheting up the religious content of nearly everything he sent. I had to put him straight and told him that as an atheist I would rather that he toned down all the “Leviticus Chap. 3, verse 5″ stuff because I didn’t believe that the bible was anything other than a jumbled collection of anachronistic fairy stories and myths. That did it! Before long we were firing emails back and forth to justify our positions. I noticed that he hardly ever responded directly to any of the questions that I put to him – but resorted to tortuous pre-rehearsed rationalisations that had to be seen to be believed. Before long he was defending his beliefs with outright nonsense “I believe that Jesus will return within the next 10 years – and I know whose shoes I would rather be in – mine not yours”. I couldn’t let that go (like yourself with the stupid women). I started to realise that my attitude towards religion was hardening – from a “couldn’t really care less” stance to “why can’t I convince this stupid bastard that he is deluded”. I started to research on the internet everything I could about atheism and realised that I could never ever be anything else. Moreover I am now intensely more aware of the harm that religion in all its aspects is doing in this world. I have seen the Ann Coulters, Jerry Fallwells, Randall Terrys, Pat Buchanans, The Rapturist and I find them scary and repugnant – and one day their sort will start WWIII (which is what they want). We have now discontinued all correspondence and I feel disinclined to recommence it – but I am grateful to him for revealing just how twisted, deluded and dogmatic people can be – I assume it has something to do with living in the States (no offence intended).

So you might like to share this with others because the moral is that in his attempts to convince me – convert me or what ever he was trying to do – he has achieved precisely the opposite. I am now a committed firm atheists and totally anti-religion. All my emails now carry quotations with an anti religious message.

Keep up the good work – I’ll be reading your stuff frequently.

James Randall

“As people become more intelligent they care less for preachers and more for teachers.” – Robert Ingersoll

From: [withheld]
Subject: greetings from an english atheist

Hi GB,

Your website was pointed out to me by my son. I’ve put it in my favourites list and browse through a few sections now and then. I admire you for being so public about your convictions; I get the impression that that could be a bit of a risky thing to do in the States, or is that just the image projected by your TV programs?

I don’t know whether you’ve ever visited England. People here seem to be much less committed either way when it comes to religion (or the lack thereof). In fact many people if asked are actually a little embarrassed about replying, and consequently nobody really asks (we Brits hate embarrassing people). There are church groups who seem to get with each other well enough, but we have been thankfully spared the sort of evangelising that seems to go on over there. I’ve just counted 15 religious channels on TV, but you have to go a long way through the listings to find them. We very occasionally get door to door Jehovah’s Witnesses but somehow they come across as being a bit apologetic about the whole thing. Nobody actually cares whether politicians go to church or not.

I know a lot of good, decent, kind people who if pushed would call themselves atheists, or perhaps agnostics. As far as I can see we need to watch out for each other because there’s nothing else.

The thing I find really weird is that people who believe in a god seem to think you can chose to do it. I don’t see how I could believe in anything just by “choosing” to do so. Surely belief should be deeper than that?

Anyway, thanks for your words of sanity, and all the best.

J.W.

(I’d prefer to keep my e-mail anonymous, please – I don’t particularly want to get into conversations with anyone else.)

From: agnosticanarch(at)gmail.com
Subject: I blogged you!!

…but then the fuckers that ran MySpace decided you were spam, a phisher, or otherwise unclean. Godly fuckin’ bastards.

Here’s the link if you’re on MySpace at all:

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=53314742&blogID=421379915

From: dktrmurr(at)cebridge.net
Subject: Love your site!!

As I read your site I hear myself talking. Difference being, I feel that absolute belief of any kind is really self delusion. My Family was historically snake handling holy rollers and at a VERY young age saw this a thought” what bullshit”. It makes as much sense as a poor republican. Many kudos on your great site.

From: carina.allison(at)gmail.com
Subject: hiya

I found your site and I’ve been poking around here and there because things have been a disaster for the past well.. 23 years, but things have just gone crazy this weekend and I haven’t been able to sleep so I ended up at your site. I don’t know you, but I completely respect you. I was going to propose to you, but I prefer to wait until at least the second e-mail before I do that. I don’t know what is worse: A fundamental theist trying to convert an atheist or an fundamental atheist trying to convert a theist. It’s pretty jacked up either way.

Anywho, keep up the awesome work.

Carina.

From: jbspry(at)lycos.com
Subject: A Nettlesome Question

Dear Brother in Christ:

On the 700 Club, Pat Robertson (-oh sanctified soul!) had a feature called “Pat Tackles the Toughies” in which he would untangle knotty theological questions for the listeners. I wish that feature were still on, for I have a question regarding the Bible that has caused me to lose many a night’s sleep.

My study of your website leads me to believe that you are a learned theologian yourself, so I present my “toughie” to you in hope that you might be able to set my mind at ease:

In the book of Genesis, it states that God created Man and placed him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it, and commanded of Adam that “from any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die”. All the religious experts agree that this was done to give Man a choice – to enable him to have free will and not merely be a moral automaton obeying orders without question.

My difficulty lies in this: a person cannot be said to in fact have made a “choice” if he doesn’t know the nature of the choice he is confronted with. Certainly one can pick from between various options blindly (much like we used to see on that wonderful “Let’s Make A Deal” show) but unless one understands exactly what one is choosing and the consequences of the choice he makes, he can hardly be said to have truly made a choice at all.

The choice Adam was faced with was one of profound importance not only to himself but to the entire human race down unto the end of time, and it was critically important that he understand exactly what he was facing. However, the knowledge he stood in absolute need of to make a wise and informed choice, the “knowledge of Good and Evil”, was precisely the knowledge he was forbidden to have, was precisely the “wrong” choice for him to make. For Adam to have made the right choice it would have been necessary to first make the wrong choice. A godless scoffer might say that the true nature of the choice God confronted Adam with seems to be a choice between becoming evil or remaining a moral automaton, blindly obeying God’s command not to eat without knowing why. It would be (this scoffer might say) as if one were to take a loaded and cocked revolver, painted in pastel shades of pink and blue and covered with pictures of cavorting lambs and fuzzy bunny rabbits, and place it in! to the crib of an infant and to tell the infant, one time only, not to touch the pretty toy. But we know our loving Father would never really do such a thing. How can I answer such scoffers?

Many smart preachers have opined that Adam didn’t really choose to become knowledgeable so much as he chose not to lose Eve, whom I’m given to understand he loved very much, to the torments of eternal hellfire. In the New Testament the Bible says that “God so loved the world (i.e. Man) that he gave his only begotten Son” for it; one could say that Adam so loved his wife (i.e. Woman) that he gave HIMSELF for her. An unbeliever might ask: If God is love, why would he destroy Adam for loving Eve, whom he gave to Adam to love? Aren’t the two sacrifices fundamentally the same? With the greater sacrifice for love being Adam’s? And doesn’t this story convey the basic message that to be moral one must harden one’s heart against one’s fellow humans and tell them to “go to hell”? I’d like to know how I might respond to such questions.

I also am fretful over that fact that the very germinative seed of evil in the world, the very “booby trap” that has brought our entire race into the endless cycle of pain and death, is precisely the knowledge that the priestly Aaronite tribe claimed to have an exclusive expertise in, an expertise that justified their doing no work while receiving the best 10% of the other 11 tribes’ produce (thus effectively giving them 11/10 while the others had to make do with 9/10). It would seem to an ungodly mind that the Aaronites were protecting their franchise from interlopers by making inquiry into the workings of their priestcraft the blackest of sins. Surely this is not really the case, is it?

If there is any way that you can shed the light of understanding upon these thorny issues for me I would greatly appreciate it and remember you in all my prayers.

God bless you, Brother Bastard.

Yours in Christ,

Jay B Spry

[From a subsequent email:] Following up on my email regarding Adam’s ignorance…

I was further pondering the matter at work today and it occurred to me that if Adam had committed original sin in a place like Massachusetts or Minnesota he would most likely have been adjudged non compos mentis and sent to a nice facility to be rehabilitated. Unfortunately for you and me, he was tried in the Garden of Eden where they have the death penalty. Perhaps if the serpent had filed a motion for a change of venue to the land of Nod…

I guess it should come as no surprise that the states in which the old time religion still rules are the same states that are quickest to send their retarded brethren to the electric chair. Or it may simply be that their inbred sociopathic clawhammer murderers bear too uncomfortably close a resemblance to their spiritual leaders.

Editor’s Note: Sorry, Jay. I’m not a theologian; I’m a godless bastard.

From: Roger(at)arkhamroad.fsnet.co.uk
Subject: Something for your Banana rant

Bananas: the loud and ignorant apologist’s nightmare. They are evidence of intelligent design; the intelligence of man.

http://www.fyffes.com/products/bananas/history.htm
http://www.vegparadise.com/highestperch42.html#Growing

Hope you find it useful. Keep up the good work!

Rog

From: lahoracomicadecristo(at)hotmail.com
Subject: Hi

Dude first let me translate the name of my email to English: The Christ’s Comedy Hour!

I saw the link to your website in my hero’s page James Randi. So I decided to take a look and I really enjoyed it (LOL) specially that exchange of emails with that lady Gail Wilkins and her friends. Dude that was superrr!!! I congratulate you for your work.

Well a little about me. I’m in my last semester of Civil Eng at FIU in Miami, I work at the university doing research. Goberment work and I have a lot free time in my hands.

www.youtube.com/LAHORACOMIKADECRISTO (the Christ’s Comedy Hour) is the name of my page on YouTube I usually post comments on Christian videos and of course I’ve met hundreds like Gail Wilkins. Yes I’m a skeptic and I’ve been making fun of everything that’s holy for the past 2 years with other pages I had in YouTube. In less than 7 months my current page has about 6,200 views. Do you speak Spanish?

Sincerely,

Jose Rivera

From: zack127(at)gmail.com
Subject: ATHEISM

Awesome article.

I considered my self atheist for quite a while, then I researched what “agnostic” meant when I heard it somewhere, don’t recall where, and now label myself as one.

It seems that you like to rage against it in aforementioned article a bit and would just like to point out that not everyone who labels themselves agnostic does it for the same reason; but I’m sure you’ve thought of this.

Haven’t you?

I label myself agnostic because while I don’t believe in god/gods (in fact I believe that there is no “higher being” at all) I know it is impossible for myself to prove this. If someone asks me on the street if I believe in god I’m going to say no, end of discussion; yet if someone asks me what my beliefs are, I say “I don’t believe in god, but, I know I can’t disprove his/its existence”.

Either way, I like the way you write and will definitely be checking out some more of your writings.

Thank StumbleUpon. xD

-Zack

From: [withheld]
Subject: Hello awesome person!

For the most part I’m with you 100%. I just wanted to ask you one thing: What about humans having a soul?

I know that Buddhists don’t believe in any god, yet they have strong belief in a soul, and I’m with them on that, they just keep coming back until they decide that they’re done, similar to the idea of “heaven” in What Dreams May Come. I wanted to know how you felt about the idea.

In unfortunate circumstances,

…the person who wrote this.

Editor’s Note: You want to know how I feel about the idea? It’s a silly fantasy and fodder for fools.

From: rsullivan(at)monomedia.net
Subject: Funny stuff about fruits and God

Hi,

I came across your website the other day and spent more than an hour reading. You are an enjoyable writer and thinker. Thanks for sharing. I’m with you.

Your link to the Kirk Cameron with creationist video about the banana was rich. Here’s more [attachment removed] sent from an aging aunt who I love, but yikes.

Cheers,

Richard Sullivan

From: fredarbuckle(at)charter.net
Subject: Site Feedback

First of all, thanks for all the time, effort, and sweat you obviously put into the site. I like the attitude and the message. I did notice several spelling errors but, sorry, I didn’t take time to jot down the pages. Suffice to say they were ones that a spelling checker would have missed i.e. “convert” for “covert”. Not much help, I know…

I did have a question I’ve been mulling over for sometime and haven’t yet settled on an opinion one way or the other. It concerns the term “Atheist”. It has been said that the term refers to what you (and I) don’t believe in instead of what we do believe in. For example, I could call myself an AClausist because I don’t believe in Santa Clause. I’m sure you get the picture. Perhaps you could address this sometime on your site. I would be very interested in your views.

An interesting observation a friend had: if Christians make up 85% of our country then that would mean, more or less, that 85% of the people in jail are Christian. Something to think about and I wouldn’t be surprised to find it already somewhere on your site. I haven’t had time to absorb it all as I just found it today.

Also, if god is omniscient and knows the past, present, and future of us all, and has a plan for us all, isn’t it rather presumptuous for people to pray to him to change his plan? How dare they presume to be smarter than their god!

Thank you, again, for the courage to air your views. It helps me to be more open about my views rather than keeping them hidden. BTW, I found your site through www.Randi.org.

Fred

From: mike-steve(at)btconnect.com
Subject: This and that

Dear Bastard:

Hope things are going well with you.

Well I’ve been cruising the various sites as well as FSTDT and have noticed how prevalent the comments are about homosexuality being lifestyle choice. Well actually as a gay man I know it isn’t, but what is true is that following Xianity or other religions is a choice, nobody forces you to stay and you can recant. So I’ve decided to treat these as lifestyle choices, and cal them such. I do hope I piss some of the self-righteous off, especially when I refer to their priests and witchdoctors as “lifestyle coaches”.

OK it’s a bit childish, but I’m thoroughly fed up with their interfering in politics.

Take care, w need more questioners and scoffers, particularly in the US.

Mike

From: kcmawp(at)yahoo.com
Subject: your wrong about 1 thing.

You said, “I also believe that no god or gods exist. None. Not now, not ever. That too was a statement of belief – just in case you hadn’t noticed.”

First off, I love your site. I find all religions to be laughable at best and really enjoyed reading your writtings. I’m only in disagreance with your above statement because it dismisses the posibility of a ‘higher lifeform’ I know the universe to be an unimaginably massive place of equally said age. Since we humans have evolved to such a comparitivly impressive state in a relatively short period of time, I wonder what state a race of beings could evolve to that have been around much longer. Perhaps Gods? Godlike? It seems to be the nature of existence that beings are ever-evolving into higher and more complex models.

Take care, Adam Price

From: marcusharman(at)blueyonder.co.uk
Subject: Honest thanks form a true non believer

Dear Bastard,

Thanks so much for having the man balls to put this site up on the net. For years I have had a dark secret and it is time to come out the closet. I do not believe in God, Gods, Triunes deities or any other form of omnipotent omniscient holy holy. I don’t need to pray to a bronze age sky God.

There I’ve said it. A childhood of Christian upbringing (read “brainwashing”) combined with a touch of being “somewhere on the autistic spectrum” marked me out as a trouble maker from the start. I was expelled from Sunday school at age five for getting into a fight with another kid for pointing out that Jesus was Jewish. I still don’t get why he and the rest of them were so offended. I suppose that the week before I was asking questions about polar bears and penguins and Noah and the week before that questions about dinosaurs and “If God made everything so nice why do we have to pooh?”. I never got a satisfactory answer about any of these things. Life taught me fairly early on that being practicing atheist would be hard work. I call it the Galileo effect, “just because only one person believes in a theory does not make it false”. If the whole world believes something that is wrong, then they are still wrong”. I greatly appreciate the attention you have paid to the argumentative process and I have laughed out loud with you on much of the content. Guy on the plane really does it for me. I’ve been off work with a head injury with lots of time to think and rethink about my life, values and future.

I’m 42, I teach Science to young offenders, and yes my head got caved in on duty (wrong place, wrong time). I have been feeling very sorry for myself what with slurring, stuttering and generally failing to be able to communicate verbally on a conversational level for about three months now. Math is difficult for me now and so is processing information. I stumbled on your site and strangely enough for some I found it incredibly uplifting.

I have spent a more or less a whole day reading your site, and others you link to and I’ve been having a great time following the arguments. Reaffirmation of my personal disbelief in God supported by rational statement and argument has proven to me that my logical process is uncompromised and I am beginning to recover from my head injury.

It’s cheered me up no end.

Thanks,

Marcus Harman

From: joshnickmc(at)gmail.com
Subject: Facebook friend request

For some bizarre reason I got a request for you to become your friend on Facebook. Your web page does have some cool graphics, but the typical ‘religious folk are inherently irrational, weak, hypocritical individuals’ stuff is pretty boring. I did enjoy your creed on the athiesm, it’s a convient paragraph-long middle-class, entitled, fun-loving, american manifesto, the sort of slack, quasi-intelectual, self-centered abuse of Decartes’ “I think therefore I am” that seems to dominate our country today – the kind of tripe that our president wants us to believe so that the corporations can continue to run our consumer driven lives.

I like that you “…believe in the inherent goodness and morality of people,” but don’t appear to believe in forgiveness: “I believe that premeditated murder, rape and molestation are unforgivable immoral acts.” Who needs ‘love your neighbor as yourself’ when we can create easy moral categories that are unforgiveable? That silly Jesus…

It’s funny that you can profess that people are inerhently moral and good and yet can commit unforgivably immoral acts. Feels like there is a step missing in your view of the human person. We Lutherans get up every Sunday morning and say, “We confess that we are in bondage to sin and cannot free oursevles”, which so far as I can say is more honest than any of the nonesense that you’re trying to fob off as rationality or truth.

Athiests such as yourself need to accept the fact that you, like everyone else, have a god. I’m not sure what it is, maybe that burger that is the exception to treating animals with kindness. I hope whatever god/gods you worship make you happy in some way, but I’m going to stick with the God who liberates people from slavery and who became human in an act of self-emptying love.

Josh Elliott-McGuffie

Editor’s Note: I created a Facebook account for this website and sent out several random “Friend” requests to test the waters and generate some traffic. It was not an invite for a lecture (which was very well-worded but the standard, predictable, knee-jerk defensive response that I have been receiving daily for the past 4 years). But to play into your folly…

Regardless, you missed the entire point of the site. In all fairness, you didn’t have nearly enough time to read all 200+ pages of content. I acknowledge that. But all I can do is respond as if you did. Go back to the very first page, read it again, take notes, pay attention, and remember that what I said on any page of the site (right or wrong, fair or unfair) is wholly irrelevant. That you responded at all is all that matters.

Here’s a perfect example. You wrote: “It’s funny that you can profess that people are inerhently moral and good and yet can commit unforgivably immoral acts. Feels like there is a step missing in your view of the human person.”

That is a gross misinterpretation of what I wrote. First, I never used the word “all” (as in all people are inherently moral…).

Did I say that ALL people commit unforgivable immoral acts? No, not even close. It was a generalization. But it illustrates my point that Christians see/hear/read what they want to believe. You’re a textbook example of confirmation bias in action. I stand by what I said. It was a perfectly valid and entirely truthful statement. Only problem is, in order to maintain the precepts of your doctrine you are not allowed to accept it. Why? Because it makes god, forgiveness, and salvation unnecessary – thus your defensive response. And for the record, I’m not knocking it.

I think it’s great that you need god and the rest to wash away you sins. Kudos to you, kiddo. I just find it interesting how very few Christians can accept some (relatively painless) criticism of that need without an intellect-saving response. This is NOT a personal attack: I think [insert name here] is delusional for believing in [any of the aforementioned]. Why is it that these faithful people, with god on their side no less, can’t just walk away basking in their knowledge that they’re right? (Answer: Because they’re religiously insecure. Deep down inside they know that their beliefs are patently ridiculous – and they can’t help but feel a little silly when someone like me points it out.)

True faith ignores my charge. Insecurity and the fear of looking silly in they’re wrong always prompts a defensive response. Always.

This site was authored by an atheist who is NOT afraid to admit the possibility that he could be wrong with the charge of having spent his entire life fixed in a false belief…and challenges all Christians to have the guts do the same. Clearly, you can’t.

From: piper.secrets(at)gmail.com
Subject: thank you

just wanted to thank you for your site, your rants, your common sense… never before have i come across an atheistic website so engrossing that after 3 days of reading, i’m still finding new things and re-reading the parts that really hit home. i hope it’s okay to post certain pieces on my own pages to share with others.

i’m the lone atheist in my entire family, now that my atheist husband is dead, and it’s quite difficult to find any common ground with my immediate family, as my mother is what i refer to as ‘a huge christian’ who cannot see reason. i once tried to tell her i do not believe what she believes, and she said ‘yes you do, i raised you to believe.’ i haven’t brought up the subject since, and that was 3 years ago. if i were not at her mercy, as i am recovering from witnessing my husband’s suicide, it might be easier, but at this point i’m convinced she’d disown me and kick me out… which wouldn’t be a problem, had i somewhere else to go. but i digress. thanks again for a wonderful site full of wonderful truths.

-sarah d.

From: riverman(at)mts.net
Subject: Sorry….

….if you were expecting some nutcase. I’m just like you!

I did have kids and they are great athiests.

Terrific site, keep up the good work.

Jeff Couch
Winnipeg, Canada

From: bfbacon(at)msn.com
Subject: Coke Can and good evidence for design

Mr. Bastard -

I found your site through an article about the banana: The Atheist’s Worst Nightmare.

At the end of your diatribe (and yes, you are rather a bastard, though your heart is in the right place!) you point out how silly it is to question the design of the Coke can, since the manufacture of the device is printed on the label. You are making what I think is a subtle, important, and at the same time, almost obvious, point: And one we need to keep reminding ID-ers of:

We know that certain things (watches, airplanes, mouse-traps, Coke cans) are designed, NOT because they are complex, and bear some sort of mark of intelligent design consideration…that is a bad argument…but because we have prior knowledge of the way they are actually produced. And the production recapitulates the design process.

We may know about the history of the development of time-pieces, we may remember mousetraps when they were produced with more expensive parts, and less developed designs, ditto airplanes. We have seen the old beverage cans, and may know about tins and other food-storage containers. We may even know people who actually work in the field of design and/or manufacturer of consumer devices. That kind of knowledge is first-hand, and undeniable evidence that the smashed watch you find on the rock is designed.

So, Bishop Pailey was wrong, and actually misleading or lying about his thought processes: He would not know that a smashed watch on the rock is designed because it “looks complicated”, as he argued. He is an educated man: He happens to know, for a fact, that watches were and are designed! It’s about what we know about their production that matters.

If I saw a mysterious alien technological device on the ground, it may lead me to think that it was designed by aliens, but only if it reminded me of man-made technology. If I saw something really weird, I would think just like the savage who gets hit by a coke can from the air: The Gods must have done it. Or, if I remained an atheist…total bafflement and wonder, perhaps leading to investigation. It’s all about prior knowledge.

OTOH, what we know about living things, is that they are reproduced out of the bodies of other living things. That also is first-hand knowledge…not book learning. And that process is so radically different from our experience with man-made, designed objects, that we need to follow it into the past to find the origin of living things, not assume design when there is no such evidence. That’s where evolution comes in.

Thanks,

Benjamin F. Bacon

From: twoscoopsoflove(at)yahoo.com
Subject: Wow.

GB, your site is splendid. It’s one of the most down to earth, concise atheist sites out there. I love the way it’s put together…

Thanks a bunch for your time putting that baby together…the world and the web need more sources such as this one.

Your brother in atheism (lol).

Matthew Blanchard

From: [withheld]
Subject: my new blog

I just started a new atheist blog, and would be honoured if the Bastard himself would visit and cruise around it. It has only existed for less than 48 hours, and everything was written from scratch, so it is very much a work in progress. I don’t claim it has the humour or ummm… bastardness of your site, but it’s my own style.

http://atheistpropaganda.blogspot.com

Please don’t publish my name or email address. I work at a religious school, and really shouldn’t be expressing my true thoughts on the subject

From: fishnuke(at)gmail.com
Subject: you sicko!

I almost fell off my chair when I read “How to Fuck a Conservative (If You Must)!” Hilarious! (And damn her, she does look pretty hot in that top picture, the evil bitch.) How I would love to put her brain in an MRI and see what she really believes about reality vs money making at the expense of idiots…

Cheers to Colorado for finally rolling back the no-liquor-sales-on-Sundays! One less shackle of religious oppression. Can’t wait until they start complaining about all the extra drunks in the churches.

Thanks for the site, will dig through it in more detail shortly. Got the link from www.randi.org.

Later.

From: [withheld]
Subject: I can’t believe I read the whole thing!

Hey there, Godless B!

I found your site through www.randi.org. I look forward to reading his Weekly Commentary every Friday as sort of an atheist’s weekly ritual replacing the Sabbath. My ADD causes my attention span to be so short, I have trouble reading a complete page, yet, I spent the entire weekend absorbing your unabashed brilliance. I haven’t been this inspired since reading the hard-hitting, self development book of the 1970′s, “Looking out for #1″ by Robert Ringer. After absorbing your site, I was so exhausted! (Kinda like the exhaustion after a weekend of marathon sex.)

A bit about me: My Dad was a Jewish immigrant from Poland (Lodz), who married a local Jewess. Growing up and asking questions, like, “Dad, if you don’t understand the language (Hebrew) of the Sider (prayer book), how could be certain that you agree with everything your praying for?”, was an era of much confusion.

While I observed many contradictions within the religion, as well as lame answers to my questions, I could not find the courage to eat my first non-Kosher meal until I was 16, when I braced myself before secretly devouring a cheeseburger. The actual turning point for me, was when I learned that a single pair of termites can produce 37,000 offspring within a 24 hour period (Imagine how many over 40 days). Since the only item on their menu is “Wood”, the concept completely torpedoed (pun intended) the Noah’s ark story, along with the credibility of the old testament.

I’m certain you know very well what it’s like to be a victim of intimidation through conformity. So, I kept my religious views to myself for many years (I wish I had the Internet for support back then). In the business world, I ironically found myself working in the midst of large numbers of Christian as well as Jewish Fundamentalists. To protect my mid six figure earnings, when asked, I diplomatically stated I was agnostic, and avoided the potential of being perceived as a threat.

Your take-no-prisoners enlightenment provides not only a tremendous education (which should be required reading in every school), it also serves as an excellent litmus test for whether or not one is delusional, either by choice or otherwise. I now find myself lapsing into the fantasies of how much the world would benefit if your site had an Alexa rating of 1000!

My gratuitous submission on how individuals develop a need to believe in a god: To put it simply; they ultimately present all of the symptoms of PTSD (Post traumatic stress disorder).

To elaborate: From the date of birth (except for a boy’s circumcision shock), a child’s life is filled with eternal, blissful harmony until, out of nowhere, their inner peace is suddenly shattered by the shocking discovery of the concept of “Immortality”. During that same moment, and without any psychological preparation whatsoever, they learn that not only Skippy the dog, their and best buddy, will eventually die, but so will every single member of their loved ones, including themselves! What a heavy duty WTF concept for even a mature adult to learn to cope with, let alone a mere child…and within the time frame of less than a minute! As with any shock of cataclysmic proportions, this one has clearly proven to result in repercussions lasting a lifetime.

At that extremely sorrowful and vulnerable moment, the child naturally looks to their only available source for comfort; their authority figures, who, in turn, unanimously (and with good intentions, of course) sing the false praises of a god, religious bias, heaven, etc. As with the election of a dictator, given no alternate options nor the privilege of opposition, how else could a babe-in-the-woods cope, but to accept? The acceptance is nurtured and reinforced throughout its formative years. This is likely the reason why over 90% of believers of the world, carry the identical religious belief systems as their parents.

Happily, I am currently liberated from the self-serving impositions of religious bullying, and have reached a level of contentment achieved only by a fortunate few. Once again, GB, thanks for your supreme courage. I look forward to continuing enlightenment from the ever-lovin’ godless bastard!

(Please keep me anonymous and place me on your mailing list.)

From: dranoax(at)tmail.com
Subject: Great site!

Hey GB,

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=2833103&page=1

I just saw this little tidbit linked on Fark.com, the same way I found your site a few days back. Take a gander if/when you can. I thought it was a little more than a coincidence that after going through your site and actually witnessing the nonsense of the “dreaded” banana and seeing Kirk and Ray with the Rational Response Squad at a debate, I’d find a article where RRS is now making more (welcome) noise against those fear-mongers. Be careful GB, lest they see you and RSS as leaders of a new terrorist-linked atheist movement. You know how they are about movements and agendas not authorized by them.

Cheers,

Wayne

From: chessworks(at)sbcglobal.net
Subject: You are promoting mysticism

For all of your rhetoric, you clearly love the religious practice of hiding information. Blue links on a black background. Clearly you only want cultists to read your stuff.

Religious screeds should be black on black. But reality requires both light and dark.

You don’t point out that evolution caused religion. At some point, our stumbling and bumbling ancestors evolved the capacity for self-delusion, to be able to cope with their growing awareness of the universe.

We are all delusional. Not just the cultists. My delusions first surfaced in 1962. I believed, in the face of all rational evidence, that a new team called the Mets would win the World Series. I believed it every year until I saw it happen in game 5, sitting on the stairs a few rows behind home plate (I delusionally believed my “standing room only” ticket applied there, because steps leading to the good seats were an area where most people are standing).

So don’t put people down for being delusional. Delusions have proven their evolutionary potential, and we wouldn’t be human without them.

A godless heathen with harmless delusions

Editor’s Note: [waving raised hand] Um, I beg to differ on that last point. I want cultists to read my stuff? Right. [shaking head in mild nausea] You’re no less batty than your average Christian.

From: kpovod(at)excite.com
Subject: website

Just came across your website, and am working my way through it. I especially love some of the graphics, such as the Danish cartoon.

HOWEVER a modest correction: when referring to the language from a psalm, it seems inaccurate to suggest that the words are attributed to a deity – almost by definition, the psalms are claimed to be the words of a poet, King David – to whom most or all psalms, rightly or wrongly, are attributed. Perhaps your experience or training suggests otherwise, but my understanding is that the psalms were/are intended as praise for a deity, not the teaching or pronouncements of a deity.

From: [withheld]
Subject: Some thoughts on the site.

On page three, I feel the following section is biased and dulls the effectiveness of your argument:

“Spending one’s life praising a god that ultimately doesn’t exist isn’t intellectually safe. From a purely intellectual standpoint, if as an atheist I’m wrong, then I’m just a guy who didn’t buy the story because there wasn’t a shred of concrete proof. On the other hand, if a theist is wrong, then he’s a gullible sucker who bought into a silly man-made fantasy – hook, line, and sinker. And no one wants that rap. No one.”

You do not consider the hypothetical theistic standpoint. A Christian counter-argument may go something like this:

“If you are an atheist and are wrong, then you are doomed to eternal punishment. On the other hand, if a theist is wrong, then he is just another person dead that no longer has any regrets.”

My Response:

Jesus fucking Christ. Here’s we go again…

Okay, first, you say that my counter-argument is biased. Listen up. Both sides of religious debate (for and against) and all forms and degree of rhetoric are biased. And all of the rationalizations used to support ones’ position and protect ones’ intellect are the confirmation bias in action. That’s the entire point of my site. I thought I was clear about that from the start. Christians are blinded by their delusion. I have no allusions about righting them. All I can do is get them to recognize that it flows both ways.

Pascal’s Wager (your second point) is weak, flawed, easily refuted, and has no argumentative value. Most Christians don’t even waste their time with it anymore. Click here to read all the reasons why. You wrote, “…if a theist is wrong, then he is just another person dead that no longer has any regrets.” Huh? If god doesn’t exist and I’m dead, how could I possibly have no regrets? I’m dead. How the fark would I know? Look, the intent of Pascal’s Wager is to prey on ones’ fear of what could happen in the future (e.g. you could find yourself in deep kimchi after you die). This is a meaningless argument to someone who rejects the possibility of its theoretical negative outcome.

However, my charge is in the present (e.g. you look like a deluded fool here and now). Regardless of whether or not there’s a god, while they’re alive and walking this planet, Christians do care what people think of their intellect. They can clamor on about their place in eternity, but their faith isn’t strong enough to ignore commentary like mine. And as atheists view believers as religiously deluded, knee-jerk reactions to the implied attack on Christian intelligence abound.

Biased? Yes. It’s ALL biased, babydoll. So what? But here’s the whopper of a difference. I’ll happily admit that I could be wrong, and I’ll smile back at any Christian who calls me a fool for not believing in an elusive yet ubiquitous god for which there is not one shred of concrete proof. Christian’s can’t (and won’t) admit the same for several reasons, but the most compelling of which are that it undermines god’s power and that it acknowledges the potential (and aforementioned) appearance of lifelong gullibility and stupidity.

From: [withheld]
Subject: would be hilarious if it wasn’t infuriating – christianity gone wild

I have a disturbing story I thought I would spread along to someone who has been accosted by Jesus lovers.

A short time ago a privately owned goods store in my area was sold to some Evangelical Christians. These are extraordinary Christians for this area as their church publicly announces various “healings”, and a chance for a “personal talk with our maker” on big bright banners throughout this town. [Sidenote: this is a town of 13,000 with 32 churches at last count] Most of the churches, which include your run of the mill Millerite spawnings to the likes of Catholicism (what I was raised as) are pretty quiet on their tax free land.

Anyway, I have a friend, let’s call her Rebecca, who worked at this goods store for seven plus years prior to the new owners taking over. She and others were put through the wringer with the new bosses trying to figure out just who was Christian enough to stay (they fired many of the workers under false pretenses- actually told a friend of mine who was canned they would be praying for her soul as she had a baby out of wedlock). Well Rebecca was apparently too valuable of an employee (though not Christian) to be fired straight away. She was the highest paid worker, and had the most responsibility so it would have been foolish to let her go. So they decided to convert her the only way Evangelical Christians know how.

About three weeks after the takeover (haha) the owners and a co-worker the owners had hired accosted Rebecca in an aisle. Two on one side, one on the other. There was no escape for Rebecca as they put their hands on her head (apparently Christians have figured out the kidneys are not the brain/heart, that silly infalliable Bible was just misunderstood right?) They asked for Jesus to enter her, and cure her of her secular thoughts and save her soul. Rebecca stood there holding products for the store with three lunatics holding her down. They then asked her if she could feel it. She didn’t answer so they yelled louder; “Can you feel the love and forgiveness of JESUS in you TODAY!!??” At which point she said, “Get your fucking hands off of me” only for them to push harder and say that satan was in Rebecca and needed casting out. Yeah.

She quit. And hired a lawyer.

But they still persist on blaring their Christian music in the store, hiring only Christians, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they were putting little John 3:16′s on all their products in incognito areas.

Great website.

Please keep my email anon, it has been my email for more than 10 years, and I don’t need Christian spam.

From: dowhitt(at)yahoo.com
Subject: Thank you

Greetings!

Thank you for being a godless bastard. My insignificant udder and I both are true non-believers and frequently have “omg” moments when faced with the crap from christians. Thankfully there are more and more “closet atheists” these days that at least do not attempt to impose any insane illogic on us but still feel they must keep quiet to avoid being socially ostracised. And then there are people like you and I that are not afraid to speak the truth and be who they are. I was a candle boy and choir member in a Methodist church at age 10 and can vividly remember thinking “This is a load of B.S., none of it rang true, didn’t make sense, and sounded just like what it really is: a fairy tale made up by men to exert physical and political control over uneducated masses. It’s no wonder statistics prove that the smarter and more educated tend toward atheism.

Again, thank you for sticking your neck out and validating again what I know to be true and good. I haven’t read much of your website yet but the real harm I see in religion is the muddling of the mind with impossible beliefs and false hopes that keep people from their true feelings, painful as they may be, and prevent them from ever becoming very mature, intelligent or fulfilled. The cost of keeping unfeeling “children” under control is a giant price to pay for the loss of self.

Yours truly and keep doing what you do,

Don

From: g_regpimp_man(at)hotmail.com
Subject: Horus

Sup? O jeeze your site is damn sweet! have you ever heard of the Egyptian sun god Horus? Well he is just like all the other gods with the 3 kings, a friend who stabs him in the back, 3 day death, resurrection, etc. He was one of the first huge gods and if you research him some more if you don’t already know about ‘em he’s a great explanation that Christianity is a plagiarism.

Anywho, i know you say you are not proactive but i think you should put something in your site for some ppl.

thanks for the entertaining site,

ME

From: nhuddles(at)fish.co.uk
Subject: thank you

Just a quick note to say thank you for the link to www.reasons.com.

You are funnier but they show more love and compassion than you, and it’s an easy choice after that.

As it happens, I agree more with A.W. Tozer, who said that those who try to explain God through science don’t truly understand either. (A rough quote from my memory, don’t rely too heavily on the accuracy of the words, just the sentiment.)

Please don’t reply, my e-mail will block your name as I have young kids.

Love abounds,

Nelx a christian in England

It is human to love those who love us. It is divine to love those who do not.

p.s. The thing I dislike most about Dawkins is that he is more inflexible in his beliefs that ANY Christian I have ever met. No grace you see. his desire to be right reminds me of an argument between 9 year olds.

From: ornatov(at)hotmail.com
Subject: your site’s a hoot.

Your site is fucking funny. That was 2 hours well spent.

~Andrew

From: justanotherinfidel(at)gmail.com
Subject: Thanks for an excellent read

Hey GB,

I’ve only been reading your site for a short while, but I felt compelled to drop you a line to say how much I enjoyed reading it; it’s refreshing to see a site that uses both humour and logic when mocking religious beliefs, and very eloquently sums up my thoughts on the issue.

I also particularly liked the cancer story involving “Tim”, though I have to confess that I very much doubt I would have restrained myself if I were in his position, regardless of whether it was a relative of a close friend or not! Likewise I wouldn’t have hesitated for a second to expose his hypocrisy, but hey, I’m an evil git who has a knack for saying stuff that other people wouldn’t dare to, regardless of who aimed at, and to hell with the consequences!

Fortunately for me, being from the UK, I can’t really claim to have to deal with religious idiots forcing their views down my throat like you do over there, save for maybe the occasional Jehovah’s Witnesses, so the main source of interacting with such people is over the internet. Which is useful in that it’s so much easier to ignore them and it’s much easier to send examples of their stupidity to others!

Anyway, I’ll leave you with the following gem from my visits today on the internet, though I’ve taken the luxury of improving the terrible grammar and phrasing in the original, allowing the stupidity of the statements to shine through more clearly:

“I am not religious”
“Jesus does not [make errors]“
“Religious dogma [is not my] interest”

When questioned about the conflicting nature of the above quotes:

“Where is the inconsistency?”

Um, yeah…

All the best, Chris

From: randyallen(at)hotmail.com
Subject: Thanks

Hey,

Thanks for intelligent thought and writings. I work with an evangelic christian, and the BS is getting to be more than I can handle, especially when he once brought his 8 year old boy into work and threatened to take him into the other room and beat him because the boy was spinning in an office chair, smiling, laughing, and saying, “This is FUN!”

I’m just glad someone has voiced thoughts that have run through my head for as long as I can remember.

Keep up the good work. I just wish there was an atheist, or at least non-christian city in which we could all go live in peace, since rational thought is the minority amongst humans!

Loved the story about cancer and the laying of hands healing!

Peace,

Randy Allen

Do NOT withhold my email address, please!!!

From: [withheld]
Subject: BS in Wal-Mart

Hey GB!

I love ya, you Godless Bastard, you!

I live in the bible belt and I’m sick and tired of people trying to give me flyers, etc about their places of worship. I almost never go into WallyWorld and yesterday these nuts were out in full force. I had been watching a woman berating her child (for being a child), and she soon turned and sweetly asked it she could give me some “literature”. I told her no, so she asked what church I attend. I just looked at her and smiled, so she asked if I was from “here”, and I told her no. She then asked where I was from and if I had a home church there. I just kept smiling and told her the child was beautiful. She asked a few more questions about my “faith” while I just smiled at her. She finally got the hint (maybe god told her…LOL!) and she asked why I was smiling. I asked her if she would rather see me frowning at her. Some dim light must have come on in her brain because she said, “You’re smiling at me like you want me to just go away”. I laughed, told her to have a good day, and I turned and walked away.

Less than 5 minutes later, I was on the other side of the store standing in line. There were two women in line behind me who took the cake. Woman A was trying to give Woman B some info about her church and they started discussing the subject of sin. Woman A told Woman B that her interpretation of the bible was wrong and the fur began to fly. I thought I was going to see the Thrilla In Manila right there in Wal-Mart. I laughed so hard I choked on the gum I was chewing. I couldn’t wait to get out of there because 3 nuts in less than 5 minutes was enough for me. I just felt dirty. ROTFLMAO!

I just needed to share that with you and tell you to keep doin’ what you do!

Trystan

From: [withheld]
Subject: it’s about time…

Hey, Bastard.

It’s about time that I hear some of my thoughts and opinions from someone else! I do not share them with any other person because everyone I meet seems to be a believer. I can be labeled an apostate by christians since I was a believer for quite a few years-and boy was I hooked!! Now I am an agnostic with atheistic tendencies.

I agree with everything you have presented on your site except for one thing. There is hope for a minority of believers who, if they heard what you have to say, would also hear a tiny bell go off in their heads. It would be their conscience, sub-conscious, or gut (whatever label we choose), telling them to investigate the forbidden. This is what happened to me. I ended up reading a hell of a lot of books, and then wrote my own. I’ve been trying to get it published to no avail, probably due to my not being a scholar or well known person. It looks like I have to publish it myself.

Anyway, I appreciate what you’ve done. Keep it up!

Sincerely,

Robert

From: [withheld]
Subject: [blank]

Dearest Bastard,

I must be honest with you, i didnt read all of the things that were on your site, but i read quite a bit I was just wanting to ask a question. Do you like any christians? Or know any christians who are nice and not fake? Or are they all just constantly trying to shove their beliefs and their views down your throat?

Thanks, Leigh

P.S. I dont really get how this works, but i dont want my email adress on your site if thats cool?

From: paris715(at)gmail.com
Subject: [blank]

Hey, please I come in peace haha I don’t intend any offense, and I’m not coming to scream at you. I read your website as back up for my research paper, and I have some things I’d like to say. I’m sorry, i really am so sorry. Christians now a days have created a deep cess-pool for themselves to drown in! I can’t imagine what kind of jerks you have met that have ruined Christs name. But I would like to tell you my own account of my relationship with Christ. I have known of him all my life. My life has never been perfect, and it never will be. I am completely through and through a sinner, but I know God created me with greater plans in mind. He is a perfect Holy God and he is beyond fair. how could sinners like you and I be in the prescence of perfection. His holiness won’t allow it. So he sent Jesus as a sacrifice so we could one day be with him. I also struggled with my view of heaven, I just couldn’t picture it as any fun, but I was reading my bible and I read Revelation 22 “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing down from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2down the miffle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5There will be no more nigt. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.” Perfection is what we are to experience, no more sadness, hurt, fear, anger, inadequacy, struggles, torture, worries and all the other crap this world has to offer. And I know you think heaven and hell is not there, but what if it is? Whats going to happen? Hell is going to be every bad thing this world is over and over. I cannot choose that when my option is to serve a God who loved me enough to save me. He is a gentelman so he would not force his will upon me or anyone else. He gives those of us who are conscious a free will to choose him or not. I know I cannot change your mind even though I’d like to it is your decision alone. and despite your argument I DO respect your opinion, I don’t agree and it saddens me because I would like you to know the peace God can offer, but I know that this is not what you have chosen and I know you aren’t rejecting me but Christ. I have to put up with a LOT of persecution for my faith. (pause for me to explain first!) even other “Christians” I choose to live and do certain things because I am trying to do my best to please my father in heaven. I will never be perfect but I want to be the best I can. Other Christians even look at me and wonder why I am the way I am.. and they make fun of me. School cracks down harder on Christians.. I’ve had Jewish friends who get excused from school based on religious reasons but will not do the same for me. I’m sorry for complaining about this its not a big deal, but Gods word tells me that my suffering likens me to Christ, and my reward is not on earth but in heaven. I am not here to please other men but Christ. But The Lord has given me peace to cope with many things I wouldn’t be able to do so otherwise. My mom as well dealt with the early death of her mother. God gave her peace. Gods entire plan is to glorify himself and he puts us where we need to be to do that. My death my save a life and if so, so be it! and i understand your dads anguish, it is a burden to know you may be separated for eternity from a loved one. This is how God feels. I know you don’t agree but if God didn’t love us he could have completely destroyed us, but he didn’t. I’m sure I’m babbling by now and I’m going to stop. OH and last thing Prayer is not a tool to change Gods mind or to get what you want its a way for God to change our hearts and show us what we need. I know this may piss you off but I’m going to pray for you, because the passion and agreesion you have is amazing and I know if God ever got ahold of that you would be on fire! Please if you ever find interest do some research on the apostle Paul (saul) in the bible. You remind me of him. I wish you the best, and I hope with all my heart that one day you’ll meet my savior, I don’t judge you one bit and I don’t think less of you because I am just as sinful as you are! again I said all this with the intention of peace and no wish to upset you!

With much love,

Andrea Dockery

p.s. sorry for the book…haha

From: john.wanderson(at)earthlink.net
Subject: Appreciate your godless website

GodlessBastard -

Just felt I had to drop a quick note of thanks for the time, effort, and (finally) hilarity you’ve put into your site, letting others like us know that they’re not alone.

I had to go through 12 years of a strict, Jesuitical tradition in parochial school at St John’s Roman Catholic Grade and High Schools (plus 10 years as an altar boy, starting back when the mass was still said in Latin), and the enlightenment of heathen friends and mentors provided through a liberal education before the lights started blinking for me.

Anyway, love the Nice Cup of Shut the Fuck Up picture, too (which I’m lifting to print and hang next to my computer).

I’ve been to your site before, but hadn’t gotten through nearly everything so I’m revisiting today enjoy it all. Your posture of humor and absolute nonchalance in stating your position is refreshing in a sea of well-meant but angst-ridden atheist sites – a stage I’ve personally gone through and still find hard to balance at times when the media does its thing giving the Religious Right endless public forums perpetuating the myth that evolution is somehow “controversial” even among scientists – oh, well, don’t get me started. This was supposed to be short.

Anyway, I’d love to trade war stories of close (or even casual) encounters with Evangelicals et al. sometime. I have a blog called Dr Sleep’s Secular Liberal Rants, but I haven’t updated it for quite some time.

Thanks again.

John

From: nun_love(at)hotmail.com
Subject: Bloody brilliant…

…Honestly. Love the site. Wonder how many of these emails youve had/read/deleted? As an atheist doing a human biology degree (i would like to say scientist, but y’know…), this is sweet respite from the idiocy i commonly encounter. If you do reply to this email, i would ask your answer for one question. I have recently been thinking about the potential future paths of society with regard to religion, and i would like to know your thoughts on the matter, if any different from “non believers are fucked”.

Cheers, Ash

From: surfzup421(at)msn.com
Subject: love/hate mail

Godless:

I visited your site by accident, but found it interesting so i kept reading. I’m a strong Christian, (whether or not people believe in it), I love God, love going to church and love being a Christian, please don’t think my email is to Bible bash or convert you because thats really not my intention!

I actually enjoyed reading your page and I think your hilarious (Opinions are like assholes. Everybody has one).

It was good getting other opinions on Christianity, honestly the only thing that pissed me off was where you kept saying Christians get angry reading your website and sent you hate mail. That pissed me off how Christians get angry with other peoples opinions on God and Christianity, I actually found a lot of truth in what you said about Christians in relation to being so in your face and judgmental. It’s true, although thats not how its meant to be. I respect your opinion even if it’s completely against what I stand for, because it’s good to understand how other people think instead of getting offened. Their are a lot of ignorant Christians never shutup and listen to others, and when they do, they listen cold heartedly and condenm. But I want you to know that not all Christians are like that!

Reading your website however did not make me doubt God, my beliefs are still as strong as before I entered your page, but your opinion did help me get a clearer understanding of how other people see Christianity, so I can be different to all those annoying Christians sending you hate mail.

I would love it if you sent me your newsletters.

Peace out.

Andie Singh

From: [withheld]
Subject: Praise! (No, Srsly); PLEASE KEEP MY IDENTITY SECRET

Dear Bastard,

I just thought I would drop you a line or several to let you know that I think you’re doing a fantastic job. The world needs more people like you, although it could probably do with fewer cliches like mine.

My own religious background, incidentally, is quite complicated; having been raised a kind of auto-Anglican, I dropped away from faith around the age of 13 only to rediscover it with a vengeance at 16. It’s probably not exaggerating too much to say that it was my time at Cambridge University that started me on the road back to the fold of rationalism and actually scrutinising my beliefs. Needless to say – otherwise I would be writing a very different sort of mail – they soon fell apart.

The three biggies were when it occurred to me that the various solutions to the Problem of Evil do not actually work; that God’s own actions throughout the Bible demonstrate his refusal to abide by his own rules; and, most fundamentally if also most nebulously, that there is no reason why there SHOULD be a God. These doubts rapidly snowballed into an out-and-out scepticism (though not a categorical, unscientific rejection) of the existence of anything beyond the material.

I just thought I would drop you a line or several to let you know that I think you’re doing a fantastic job. The world needs more people like you, although it could probably do with fewer cliches like mine.

David

From: [withheld]
Subject: A little help?

Do you go by Mr. Bastard….or just Bastard?

Kidding – finally someone I know I can’t offend. Anyway, I’ll try to sum this up quickly.

I love your website – I’m perusing it slowly so I can savor the rare combination of intelligence and wit. I’m a relatively new atheist (4-5 years) and can’t wait for the day that I don’t give a crap about what other people think about it. I’m getting better, but my loathe of Christianity sometimes gets the best of me and it’s not pretty.

I have a friend who is a police officer and a staunch Republican. I started a discussion with him recently (via email). He is a good friend and has always seemed very intelligent and eloquent, especially on the subject of politics. Politics isn’t my thing, but when religion ties into it, I have a problem. I hate that God is in our courts, on our money, in the pledge – you get the idea. My problem is, I feel like I’m losing the debate because my friend has more general knowledge and manipulates words much better than I do. Normally when I debate, it’s easy and I may make enemies, but I also shut a lot of people up with facts and logic (you can’t argue with logic – well, you can, but you just sound like an idiot). With this friend (his name is Greg), I don’t wish to make an enemy, but I don’t want to concede to what he’s saying. I started the debate because my views on a lot of things have changed over the past few years and I really just wanted to discuss some things with someone I knew wouldn’t hate me for it. We’ve gone back and forth now a few times and we are both frustrated with the other. I’ve tried to agree to disagree, but he’s pushing me to respond to everything he’s come up with. My mind is reeling with everything he’s said and I’m trying to research as much as I can and become informed enough to debate back, but his replies come fast and furious since he has been discussing these issues for YEARS, while I’m a recovering Christian who’s not nearly as knowledgeable in politics or American History.

Yeah, that was short. Finally, here’s the bottom line – would you have time or be interested in seeing our emails and giving me help. The thing is – he is not Christian, but he does believe in “God”, so he’s not as easy to argue.

I added you to my Yahoo IM list and I hope to catch you on soon.

Looking forward to your reply,

Kristy

From: mccordova(at)etb.net.co
Subject: GOOD THINKING!

I stumbled upon your Godless website and absolutely AGREE with EVERYTHING you’ve said! Congratulations for having the balls to say it like it really is.

A big hug from beautiful Colombia,

Cristina

From: kvnnickoson(at)gmail.com
Subject: well

You aren’t a total fool, but there are a good many fallacies in your page. I assume you know the one I speak of. Not all Christians are idiots, neither are all atheists brilliant. My suggestion is to go to your local university and take an intro to Western Logic class, or even just audit one, and either use what you learn to seriously rethink your arguments, or just save yourself the time and ask the professor for a moment of his/her time to look at it for you.

Kevin Nickoson

Editor’s Note: Kev, buddy. I think you need to take your own advice. But auditing the course won’t do. You really need to take some sort of remedial reading comprehension course and start from page one. If you actually took the time to READ the site and listen to what it said (rather than just REACTING to it like all those panicky knee-jerk Christians who respond similarly), you’d know that your email validated my project. You missed the ENTIRE point of the site – which was spelled out EXPRESSLY several times throughout starting with the very first page.

Re-read the site and take notes if you must. Start with Meet the Bastard and PAY ATTENTION! It predicted your response before you even finished reading the very first page of the site. But you missed it because you were blinded by your deep fear of atheism and the coinciding introspection that might reveal your delusion.

The fact that you responded at all is the ONLY compelling factor. It screams insecurity and lack of any true faith. You should have just ignored me – but you couldn’t. And we both know why.

From: [withheld]
Subject: Creationist make own-goal of the century!

Godless Bastard,

I don’t know if you’ve been keeping tabs on the creationist snuff flick “Expelled”, but this is The. Funniest. Thing. EVER. Read PZ Myers’ entry on his Pharyngula blog… I almost wet myself laughing! There is no way that the creo-tards will ever live this one down.

http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/03/expelled.php

Thanks,

Phillip

From: [withheld]
Subject: Faith

Please hide my email if you decide to post this. However, I would like to receive an email if you plan on posting it.

I’m a sixteen year old girl and a Christian. I’m not going to preach at you like many others. Even if I wanted to, I don’t think there’s anything you haven’t heard yet. I strongly believe in God. I plan on working in the Christian Music Industry when I get older whether it’s in a band or in the studio, because that’s what really helped shape me and lead me to where I am and what I believe. A band named BarlowGirl specifically played part in the process.

I just wanted to say that I dislike your site and like it at the same time. I dislike how you put up certain pictures and certain comments. Of course, there is free speech. Your site actually inspires me even more to live the way I believe and inspires me to speak out even more.

I thought I’d let you know that I did run across something you wrote that I did agree with. You said that people try to prove God is real and that when they do that it makes it seem like they don’t have faith. I agree with you saying that. If you really have faith in God, you shouldn’t feel like you have to prove it to yourself. Science and religion are never going to agree with each other. I don’t believe God could ever be scientifically proven real. However, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t exist. That’s where faith is supposed to come in.

From: [withheld]
Subject: backsliding

GB-

I really wish I was as brave as you, but as I watched my father die, without my partner to support me, and knowing I had to be the strong one, I admit I wished for a “father” to hold my hand, but more importantly not to let my father die a meaningless death as a result of hospital carelessness.

So I backslid, and asked for him to live: heck I would try anything for him at that point. Of course he died. But I don’t regret asking – it might have worked. Usually so strong, and I won’t pray for me at my end, but I weakened, because I was “alone” and felt so sorry for him. So bite me.

From: [withheld]
Subject: Thanks!

Attention: Godless Bastard

I was searching the internet to find ways to respond to “Christians” when they send me unsolicited political/christian email. I came across your website, and had a side splitting attack of hysterical laughter. Thanks for telling it like it is.

Please don’t post my info, only because I get enough shit from these nut cases, and I’m tired of dealing with them. I would, however, like to be on your email list.

Maybe in the future, I’ll have you post my info…but right now, I just can’t take them any more!

Debby

From: sionan(at)nycap.rr.com
Subject: fantastic site

GB -

I am thoroughly enjoying your site – I haven’t been thru it all yet, but you manage to write so clearly about things I have been saying for a long time.

I have had my share of run ins with evangelical christians myself, my favourite being when I worked part time in a store years ago, and one woman came in, with her children (indoctrination don’t you know)and took me to task for not selling christian items, or better yet, giving pride of place to “creationist belief goods.”

At the time, I worked in a store called World of Science. I pointed that out repeatedly, but her stare was blank. It was a privately owned store that sold products such as things for science experiments and actual dinosaur fossils. She told me how wrong we were only presenting to the public one side of things. One side? You mean the side with empirical proof and proven experiments behind it?

You are right about how when pressed, they cannot adequately defend their position and be intelligent at the same time.

Anyway, an enjoyable and much needed site. You really are brilliant!

Sionan, an ex-communicated Catholic (yeah – it still happens when you piss them off)

From: bakasurvivor1(at)gmail.com
Subject: F***ing Hilarious

Thank You! Somebody needs to take those Christians down a peg. I’ve seen lots of atheist movements and websites, but none are as bold as yours. I look forward to reading anything you post. I know you’re not trying to convert anyone, but I do think that you’re making a change. For the Christians who remain rational, you might make them think twice about staying Christians.

Good Job!

P.S. Fucking hilarious, dude.

P.P.S. Any chance you could say something about Muslims and Jews too?

Nazir

From: [withheld]
Subject: Your site

Well, I read the whole thing through. And when I was done, I found myself feeling disappointed. Because I wanted more! Any chance of an update soon?

Cheers, Dawn

Visit my blog: sweetvioletsa.blogspot.com

From: dblauv(at)bu.edu
Subject: It’s nice to see sanity.

Hi GB,

I’d like to thank you for putting forth in a in your face way what so many atheists should do. I’m a college student and I was raised under a very catholic fathers side and a slightly jewish mothers side. It is likely the fact that I was raised under two religions rather being indoctrinated by one that I am now an atheist. My catholic grandmother tried many times to convert me, even bringing me to church despite the objections of my mothers side. For awhile I even believed in god in a fuzzy way. It was comforting as a kid when they never tell you the terrible things that the bible says. It was not until I got into my early teens and read the bible from cover to cover during a vacation (nothing else to read but the bible in the nightstand) that I asked myself why anybody would follow the church or a book this terrible. From then on I refused to go to church until I was dragged there during an Easter sunday. My grandmother played the guilt card on me to get there. I refused to bless myself before I entered the church, so she did it for me and as a point of emphasis I growled at her. (I thought it was hilarious to see the faces of those around me.) I have since fell away from my fathers side and talk almost exclusively with my religion despising mothers side. I hope you didn’t mind my life story, but I had to tell you the process of my own atheism as it is a precious commodity in today’s America. Would you ever consider writing a book? About your own story or beliefs? Perhaps an Atheists manifesto, perhaps team up with Dawkins? Your friend’s story of survival through cancer inspired me and made me think. Religion seems to make one weaker regarding disease. If you put your faith that someone else will help, you give up your body to somebody that’s not there. Thank you for say what needs to be done, Step on toes, piss off many, and keep up the good fight.

Dave Blauvelt

From: ky1esty1e(at)yahoo.com
Subject: well done

thank you for your words, they have been quite refreshing to this atheist. keep up the good work sir.

sincerely, kyle

From: jdigesar(at)twcny.rr.com
Subject: Great site

GB,

Being an old fart, with two heart surgeries, something called Multinucleate Cell Angiohistiocytoma (what ever the hell that is, the dermatologist was so impressed he took pictures of it), and diagnosed with CLL among other things…(and did I mention old?) I must say you have a very interesting site. A bit strident for my tastes but funny and true… keep up the good work. FYI, this article [click here] was in our local paper today which was a good contrast with most of the ‘Belief’ writings usually in the paper. Hope you enjoy it. A friend commented it might offend christians since it doesn’t mention god… I hope so.

Be well, good good work and keep in touch.

John

PS. That’s my usual sign off.

From: grgaud(at)gmail.com
Subject: Damn fine website

Hello GB!

A friend of mine gave me your website address and I went there and read a bit: Fantastic! Loved your site! In your fucking faces Christians! I’ll be spending some time at your website and reading more of your material. I’m sure I won’t be disappointed. Thanks for your work and for having the balls to say it like it is.

GR Gaudreau, Gonzo Atheist

All that Jews Christians or Muslims can ever hope to offer as in defense of their God is the unctuous miasma of theological sophistry.

From: mattyohhh(at)gmail.com
Subject: Thank You

My father is a non-denominational Christian preacher. We argue, (usually good-naturedly) about the current state of the American political scene and the Evangelical Movement, but as of this writing, I have been unable to declare myself an Atheist in his presence. He thinks my “doubts” are due to all of the fanatics and “false prophets” I’ve encountered over the years and that eventually god will enable me to block out the static and discover his true nature…

I have always been encouraged by my parents to think for myself and develop my own world-view. I am sure they were always confident that I would “return to the truth” eventually and are now kicking themselves for the freedoms they allowed me as a child, but the fact remains that I was extremely fortunate when compared with the children of most Christian families. I had a chance to view the documentary ‘Jesus Camp’ last night and had the most helpless feeling I’ve had in years…those poor fucking kids…

I love my dad. He’s one of my best friends. I am FUCKING FURIOUS when I think of how his “faith” has contributed to his depression and declining health. When his brother died, he cried for days, distraught by the fact that he “hadn’t done enough to save his soul”. I know he loses sleep, terrified that my brother and I will die without “getting right with Christ”. But he respects us enough not to preach at us…he knows we’re adults and our lives are out of his control. And that fact is killing him.

I’ve always wondered if I would have the balls to tell the truth at his funeral. When I stand to give an account of his life and our relationship, will I have the courage to tell a room full of professing Christians that I don’t think my dad is in Heaven? That his life on Earth will have to be sufficient? That I cherish our time spent together and don’t need fantasies to temper my grief? That it’s OK to be fucking SAD that I’ll never see him again? Will I have the nerve to face my mother after striking an enormous blow to her faith in one of her darkest hours?

I don’t know. But people like you give me hope. The lies have to stop. For all our sakes.

I’ve never emailed a stranger in my life but no one I know could possibly understand all of this. And even if you don’t read it I’ll feel better knowing that I put it out into the world somewhere.

Thank you godless bastard.

Matthew Ortiz

From: oldsawdude(at)insightbb.com
Subject: [blank]

You’re really angry. Personally, I just feel sorry for them.

Sympathetically yours,

Michael Henry
Indianapolis, Indiana

Editor’s Note: Clearly, he read little of my site. So much for repetitive disclaimers. Meh.

From: emcoxe(at)hotmail.com
Subject: Your soul…

Just kidding. The site is great. Amusing beyond belief. Religious nuts are just the best to laugh at.

Keep it up.

Emery
Houston, TX

From: [withheld]
Subject: Hmm…

Hi GB,

On your site you claim: “The probable total number of people killed because they refused to reject god: None”

That’s not true. In North Korea for example, and even China, this is common place. Communist countries sometimes have a nag for killing religious people. Former Sovjet [sic] regime is another example of this. When you are checking your numbers, please also check on Islamic countries, like SA, Oman, Iran, Afghanistan, etc. For some strange reason they like to decapitate christians who refuse to denounce their faith.

My guess would be this number is probably somewhere in the millions for the last 100 years only.

Contact en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persecution_of_Christians for information about an Amnesty Internation-like organisation that aims specifically at the rights of christians worldwide.

I hope you care enough about truth to at least be honest about it and investigate before making claims. Valueing truth above anything else is what I myself would say is the most important virtue of any atheist.

Kind regards,

Paul

Editor’s Note: Typical Christian response to play the part of “the persecuted.”

Your interpretation of what I wrote is a little off. The whole point of the passage you cited is that the number of people killed specifically IN THE NAME OF ATHEISM (if such a thing ever happened) is trivial when compared to the number killed in the name of god. The phrase “refused to reject god” makes no mention of your god (or any god for that matter). You so arrogantly present me with a Wiki link that cries the persecution of Christians. Um, no. Not gonna happen. I never mentioned Christians – or any religion for that matter. My commentary was strictly limited to theism vs. atheism and an accounting of atrocities. I was referring to all gods, all religions, and therefore the implication “…in the name of atheism.”

Regardless, this is where your response unravels. Your reference to Christians getting their heads cut off because they refused to denounce their faith is a lovely argument, but sadly for you it carries no weight here because [clearing throat] THEIR HEADS WERE CUT OFF BY ISLAMISTS – NOT ATHEISTS. That’s not in the name of atheism. That’s killing [clearing throat] IN THE NAME OF GOD. But thanks for proving my point. And as for your reference to atrocities by communist regimes, I’ve already addressed that argument here.

My comment stands. The probable number of people killed specifically IN THE NAME OF ATHEISM is a virtual zero (discounting some rogue nutcase in some corner of the world). Murder at the hands of someone who happens to be an atheist speaks as much about their motive as a rapist who’s a Green Bay Packers fan. Don’t draw such foolhardy conclusions. (But we all know why you do. Nice try though.)
 

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