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Becoming "That Guy"

mithmas1.jpgI like to think of myself as a "polemicist" although I'm pretty sure most people just call me a "dick". Let's explore!

Last night I went to Molly's Bookstore (If I had to make a list of my favorite places on Earth, Molly's would be up in the top four: rubbing elbows with the Ile de la Cite, The British Museum, and the O'Farrell Theater [I wish they had a gift shop]) for a Big Tea Party party.

So, at one point there's a clip from BTP's coverage of the 2000 Republican National Convention showing on a screen that had been set up in the front of the store and all the people around me start lamenting the "Gestapo tactics" used by Philly's police force (to my knowledge no one was carted off to a concentration camp). That's when, just to me, I said, "Yeah, it's a shame all those working class cops wouldn't be more accommodating to the children of privilege who were protesting." An uncomfortable silence followed.

That's the sort of thing I do. Had I been in a room full of cops, I probably would've taken the side of the protesters (and would be writing this from my hospital bed). I'm OK with this. What I've not OK with is turning into an Atheist version of sort of Galilean who can't shut the fuck up about Mr. Jesus. Here's an example of what I'm talking about:

Last night, before the party, some friends were hanging out in our living room (which Vienna insists should be called a "parlor") when one of them casually mentioned that they been giving some advice by a psychic. Instead of mentioning that one of my heroes, the Emperor Julian often consulted oracles, I launched into a diatribe about what a load of bullshit psychics are, how they prey, almost exclusively on women*, and then instructed my friend to checkout Skepchick. Later, at Molly's, my friend and I were looking over the chapters in Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion (which I picked up at Molly's for only seven bucks!) when she spotted the title of chapter eight: "What's Wrong With religion? Why Be So Hostile?" "Good question", she said.

Point taken. Earlier, when I vehemently denounced all that psychic crap, had I acted no differently from the Bible-thumping Galileans who condemn psychics because they make Mr. Jesus cry? Or was my response akin to what I would've said had my friend announced that she had consulted a Klansman about what to do about Jewish neighbors? The question before you my brethren (and I say "my brethren" because all of the women-folk are over at the psychic goddess rodent droppings site) is "just how zealous should we be in our condemnation of the irrational? What defines the thin line between standing up for reason and being a flaming asshole?

Talk among yourselves.


Further reading:
Frank Schaefer: Crazy for God
Gore Vidal: Julian

Posted by Rodney Anonymous on December 9, 2007 03:19 PM |

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Comments

hmm. People call me a dick for being honest so if I just let them hear what they want to hear I wont be considered a dick. I say let them consider me a dick, if they have spinach between their teeth they need to know! In the long run you're a better person for being honest. Everyones a dick at times just don't go overboard with it.

Posted by: norseman [TypeKey Profile Page] | December 9, 2007 06:27 PM

I've become pretty unforgiving. Words like "Nothing personal...I just can't have confidence in your sanity knowing what you believe to be truth" have fallen from my lips from time to time.

Posted by: hedgroz [TypeKey Profile Page] | December 9, 2007 07:29 PM

nah - criticizing psychics (or anything, really) for the demonstrably bad things they do is not the same as criticizing them for being naughty in the eyes of your magic smite-fairy. there's a pretty important distinction between what's rationally right and wrong and what's irrational bubble-blowing.

Posted by: dogfaceboy [TypeKey Profile Page] | December 10, 2007 08:33 AM

As someone who's been hanging out with "organized" Atheists for a while, I think it's easy to lose sight of the fact that people really do believe all the stupid stuff they do. Amongst ourselves, it's like, "Duh, of course those beliefs are false, stupid, backwards, and we know all the reasons why." But if we jump to the end without showing our work with a believer, they'll not only shut us out, but they'll see us as a threat and start working against us. That said, I agree with Eddy - there are some times when someone says something so stupid, that you just can't let it pass, and you have to let them know you can't respect them if they really believe it.

Posted by: Firefly [TypeKey Profile Page] | December 10, 2007 10:30 AM

Firefly - Why is it important for you to discredit believers? If they're not hurting anyone, what's the problem?

Posted by: Direlect [TypeKey Profile Page] | December 10, 2007 02:38 PM

They're hurting me because it pains me to be around stupid people. But seriously - we live in a country where more and more we're backsliding into making public policy decisions based not on reason, science, or even the good of the public, but on peoples' religious beliefs. (Ex: Catholic hospitals can legally deny emergency contraception and medically-necessary abortions on religious grounds. With 1/4 of the hospitals in this country privately-owned by churches, my options for obtaining non-religious medical care are significantly limited.) That affects each and every one of us, and yes, does "hurt" me.

Posted by: Firefly [TypeKey Profile Page] | December 10, 2007 03:57 PM

The irrational is cool, right? I thought I read you saying at some point you liked DaDa, maybe not, but there is a difference between using superstition as a guide in the real, physical world and indulging in the irrational for the sake of, say, making yr life less boring or trying to get your mind working in different ways or whatever. I mean, maybe seeing a psychic could be ok even, for shits and giggles, or just to check out the performance, I dunno, so long as you are not going to be influenced in the choices you make based on thier advice, or support thier swindling by paying them a dime.

Posted by: Spelvin [TypeKey Profile Page] | December 11, 2007 04:36 PM

Spelvin: fantasy and escapism are fine - in fact, i'd say they're pretty much vital - but only as long as you realize they ARE fantasy and escapism. once you lose (or wilfully ignore) the distinction between fantasy and reality, you become a crazy motherfucker.

Posted by: dogfaceboy [TypeKey Profile Page] | December 13, 2007 04:29 PM

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