Transcript of God Vs $20 & My Thoughts

[teleen_fiction]

God Vs. $20 

When I first saw the post about this in antitheism, I couldn't bring myself to watch the video past the first minute, but then  rpeate made this comment and I had to watch it to see if I could find evidence to call bullshit on this sentence in particular:

No, if they had scribbled out the word "God", Mike would likely have said, "Their faith is secure," and not posted the video.

I figured that since I was going to have to watch it, I'd also transcribe it.  This was partly so that I could have ammunition to pick it apart and partly so that I could distance myself from what I was seeing.  Even so, there were times when I literally broke down crying while watching this. 

However, my tears were rewarded as sure enough, as I was transcribing, I found the proof that rpeate claim that Mike wouldn't have posted the video was complete and utter bullshit.

Towards the end, Mike says, "And don’t let it be said that I’m unreasonable.  We finally came to an agreement, but in hindsight it just looks ridiculous and childish.  I mean, they’re still selling out. They’re still taking the thirty pieces of silver."

So yeah, I'm calling bullshit over there. 

For those who are interested, here's the transcript.  Never having done one before, I hope you find it legible. I'll also say that while the scenes in Mike's office are word-for-word (sadly for me), the actual 'action' scenes might be missing a word or phrase here and there because at times everyone was talking at once.

A few notes: 
M = Mike (the filmmaker)
A = Aaron (the homeless man with the sign)
W = Wife (i.e., the homeless man's wife)  ETA: Her name is Julie, :).

Sections that are in italics are where Mike was speaking to the camera from the comfort of his office.  Anything in brackets is action.  If it's bolded, it's my thoughts.  As exhausted as I am from literally weeping with impotent rage at certain sections of this, I'm going to spork it because if anything needs to be sporked, it's this fucking video.

God vs $20

Hey everyone, uh, my name’s Mike and I just wanted to personally introduce this video ‘cause it’s a little different than some of my other ones. Basically I was filming earlier this week and I saw a homeless person on the street holding a sign and asking for money.  His sign said “God Bless” at the bottom of it and my idea was to offer him $20 to cross the word ‘God” out of his sign.  What made you think this was a good idea?  Or a decent thing to do to someone who was desperate?

Now this guy was living out of an RV with his wife and kid and it was probably 30 degrees out, so I approached this guy and made my pitch. 

Mike: Introduce yourself.  What’s your name?

Aaron: Aaron

Mike: Aaron. Okay. Now this is the miracle bus.

A: Yes, yes it is.

M: That’s pretty nice dude.  The look on your face doesn't say 'nice' to me.

A: Full of the holy spirit.

M: Full of the holy spirits.  Are you trying to be condescending here or is this just how you are naturally?

M: So this is what we’re doing. I am not a big fan of religion and I noticed your sign says God Bless. If your intention was to immediately put them on the defensive, congratulations, you succeeded.

A: Yes.

M: So what I wanted to do is, is I wanted to pitch something to you.  I’ll give you some money if we cross the God out.

A: I’m going to have to have to say no.

M: Don’t you think it’s kind of silly that you’re not going to accept free money ‘cause of God?  As iceshade  pointed out, it's NOT FREE MONEY.  The moment you offered to trade something for it, it ceased to be 'free'.  

A: Do you think my love for my Lord and Savior is silly?

M: No, I don’t.  Yes, yes you do, but Aaron looks kind of scary here, so you don't actually come out and say what you're thinking because you're a coward.

A: Okay.

M: But it seems to some people that don’t believe in that, very silly, it seems like a silly situation.  Some people?  Who are these mysterious 'some people'.  Just say that YOU find it silly, Mike.  That is, of course, if you actually have the courage to stand up for what YOU believe in.

A: I have to say that they’re miserable beings for not accepting.

 

Obviously I’m being a jerk in what I’m asking these people to do. No really, you think?  They believe so strongly in something and who am I to say it’s not real?  You're a privileged guy with a video camera who thought that bothering people who were already at the low point in their lives would be a good thing.  But what this footage documents and why I think it’s special is that this represents everything that’s wrong with religion.  I think it documents everything that's wrong with you as a human being, but we'll agree to disagree.  It’s a complete disregard for common sense.  I mean I’m asking a homeless man with a wife and a child to cross out three letters on a sign and I’m going to give them $20 to do that, but he won’t take the money because he’s afraid of pissing off God.  I didn't get that they were afraid of pissing off god.  I got that you asked them to do something that they found degrading and against their basic identities as human beings.

M: Your god will send you to hell for taking my $20.  Way to make a mountain out of a molehill and be condescending all in one breath!

Wife: Absolutely not. I like how you ignore her statement here. 

M: So then take it, cross out the god take it and buy some money, buy some food.

W: No, no. It isn’t about going to hell.  It isn’t about going to hell.

M: So what is it about?  Help me understand.  You don't want to understand where they're coming from.  Your entire attitude throughout this whole thing is one of derision towards their beliefs.

W: I’m trying to if you’d shut up for ten seconds. I really love that moment.  {Mike laughs} It’s about.  This is my god. And to me what you are telling me is that,  "I’m a worker of Satan." 

M: But.

W: Your $20 to me is the same as Satan offering Jesus bread when Jesus was starving in the desert.

M: But that’s a fairy tale.  In YOUR MIND.  Not THEIRS. 

A: That is not a fairy tale.

W: That is not a fairy tale. 

M: You don’t think that’s a fairy tale?  DUH.

W: It is a bible story and it is the truth!

M: You know what is not a fairy tale?  Is you live in a miracle bus. Gosh, I don't think they realized that.  Good for you for pointing it out to them!

W: That’s true.

M: That’s not a fairy tale; that’s real.  This [pointing to sign] is a fairy tale.  This [holding $20] is real and it’s $20.

W: This is a miracle bus.

A: You’re only seeing with your eyes.  You’re not seeing with your mind or your heart.  I love Aaron here too.  He's actually being incredibly civil to Mike, probably more than I would have been in the same situation.

At this point in the conversation, we were just going around in circles.  I mean it seemed like there was no way to convince these people to think rationally.  Because the way to get people to come around to your way of thinking is to first say that 'some people' think that their beliefs are 'silly' and then outright say that the bible is a fairy tale.   I mean, we’re talking about a stupid sign worth fifty cents.  No, we're not.  We're talking about a principle, something that for some unknown reason you're finding impossible to grasp.  But it’s an interesting moral dilemma for a Christian.  I mean when you’ve hit rock bottom and you’re living in an RV and you’re begging for money outside of a Wal-Mart with your wife and child in the cold, you’re still programmed to think that this is all some kind of master plan, like you can’t be held accountable since this is god’s will. It’s not free will.  

Deep breath.   I'm still waiting for the footage where they actually SAID this.  

M: I don’t have enough money to get you guys off the street or I would.

A: We don’t want it.  The look on Aaron's face here should be on a poster that says, "The face of dignity." 

W: But.  We wouldn’t cross out our god for that anyway.

M: But what I’m saying is this is a sign, this is a sign worth fifty cents, that I will give you $20 for, for crossing that off.

W: Actually, the sign, and the ink all may be worth twenty cents, maybe, but you know what?

M: I got a pen. I got $20.  Let’s make a deal.  That’s all I’m saying.

W: How about I cross you out and you give me the $20? 

M: Is there any amount of money?

A: Absolutely not.

M: $30

W: No

M: $40

A: No

M: $50

W: Not for a million dollars, for a millisecond.

M: A million dollars. 

W: Nope.

M: If I handed you a check for a million dollars – if I had a million dollars and asked you to cross the god off you wouldn’t cross it off?

W: Not even for a second.

A: No.

M: What?  That makes no sense.  You’ve got a son!  Yes, they have a son.  And they chose to show him that standing up to people who denigrate you for what you believe and/or your basic identity is the right thing to do, regardless of how much money they give you.

W: No

M: Prove that Christians can think with common sense.  Prove that you aren't the sort of person who would exploit someone weaker than you to prove some point that only you can see.

W: Christians can think with common sense.

M: This is not common sense.

W: Yes. Yes it is.

A: Faith is common sense.

W: Yes, yes it is.

M: Faith is not common sense.

 Way to win friends and influence people there, Mike!

M: This, this not a lot, but it’s something for this.  I'm trading... Give me this for $20.  That’s easier.  Yes, you admit that it's a trade, which negates your earlier claim of 'free money'.  

A: And what do you plan on doing with this sign.

M: Crossing the god out.

A: Then it’s not going to happen.

M: Why?

And don’t let it be said that I’m unreasonable.  We finally came to an agreement, but in hindsight it just looks ridiculous and childish.  I actually love the look on Mike's face here - they found a solution that let them keep their dignity and still get the $20, so he's going to be petty about it.  I mean, they’re still selling out. They’re still taking the thirty pieces of silver.  Again, why I'm calling bullshit on rpeate  saying that he wouldn't have posted the video if they'd crossed out god.  

M: We’ve come to an agreement.  We’re going to cut the God out.  You have scissors? 

W: I have scissors.

M: We’re going to cut god off the sign.  I’m going to give them the $20 in exchange.  They keep the god, I take the sign.

A: Fair enough.

W: Sounds fair to me.

M: All right. We got ourselves a deal!

W: Remember people who view this: hell no! I’m keeping god and you can have the garbage! 

M: All right.

W: As a matter of fact… There’s your sign [rips up the sign] Now you can’t use it to say I traded god.  I got God! 

M: And she’s got god

W: I got god!

M: And I have what’s left of the sign.  Yay and look show the god [points to the child holding the money next to the mother's hand holding the god] You got the god?  Yay, see, everybody’s happy!  I’ve got the sign, he’s got the money, she’s got the god. We’re good.  All right!  Thank you guys for joining us.  Stay tuned.  [shakes their hands] Thank you guys.

A: [subdued] Thank you.  The pain on Aaron's face here made me cry.  This is a man who just had his dignity attacked by someone with a video camera, but he still shakes the guy's hand.  This is a good man who deserves better than to be Mike's social experiment.

W: God bless!

I really feel most sorry for the kid.  I mean what kind of future does he have growing up with parents who are so closed-minded and militaristic about their religion? Parents that are so blinded to their situation by faith and think that it’s god who kicked their ass out onto the street.  When did they SAY that?  All we saw was them refusing to take god off of their sign.  At no point was god blamed for their situation.  Accepting no personal accountability (when did you ask them to, Mike?) and if these people can’t learn to help themselves, who can help them?  I'd say they helped themselves.  They got you to walk away with a ripped up sign and didn't compromise their morals to do it.  Hang in there little buddy and hopefully mommy and daddy didn’t take your $20 and tithe it all away. This was a bad thing to say and Mike should feel bad about it.

ETA: I went back through the video and cleaned up a few parts.  It's still not word-for-word, but it's a lot closer than it was.  I also added a couple of additional sporks.

ETA 2: Mike came over to the original post in antitheism to play.  Here's his comment thread.

ETA 3: This got linked on unfunnybusiness on journalfen for anyone who wants to see more discussion.

Comments

[eggs-maledict.livejournal.com]

...wut.

I didn't watch it through, for the same reasons as you, and this is...but...ARGH.

He outright called them Judases! Could he be any more obvious?!

[teleens-journal.livejournal.com]

I've been following this for the last 24 hours and I feel like every time rpeate comments, an angel loses its wings.

Like I said way back in my first comment on that fucking post - I'm a RABID atheist, but this shit makes me wish there were angels so they could come by and shit on Mike's windshield.

Angel shit. Christ, I'm tired. Ignore me. :)

[von_gelmini.livejournal.com]

i didn't watch the video but i read your transcript.

poor as i am myself, i wish i knew where these people were. i'd send 'em a 20 no strings attached just for having had to put up with that jerk. i hope that from this publicity they get donations. probably from other christians rewarding their faith, but whatever. it was horrid to exploit these people that way.

i'm a strong and stubborn and very much an in-your-face atheist, but what this guy did was beyond the pale.

[teleens-journal.livejournal.com]

From what I heard at the OP, they've already gotten many offers of help.

And yeah, I'm VERY atheist, but this guy hurt my heart as well as my brain.

[hab318princess.livejournal.com]

I hope Aaron or his wife made another sign! They will be in my prayers for a long time to come!

Thanks for sharing this... I won't watch the video, the transcript upset me too much, but I may have a look at the discussion you sent us to

Edit: had a look at the discussion and it was very interesting (I obviously come in from a different POV and it's the first time I've been on that site) and definitely informative and I was very impressed with your comments in general - thank you for standing up and being counted

[teleens-journal.livejournal.com]

Thanks, :).

I may be an atheist, but I've been trying really hard not to be an asshole about it. I went through an asshole atheist phase that I'm not proud of and I'm trying to make up for it, :).

The worst part of this for me is that I actually affiliated with antitheism when I started safeforatheists, but now I'm having to seriously consider removing my affiliation with them, :(.

[darth-eldritch.livejournal.com]

Excellent sporking. I couildn't watch the whole thing because of RAGE.

As you have seen in that other comm, how many people failed to see what was so wrong with this (thusly making at least their version of Atheism a belief system like any other dogma) Atheism itself can become privileged if enough people become Atheist and push their views on the disadvantaged.

This is what I want people to see; that with time and circumstance, any religion, or thought system, can become dogma and take the place of privilege.

This guy is also doing a lot of damage to reasonable Atheists like yourself, because he is destroying the argument that Atheism is every bit as moral as any other religion claims to be. He is displaying an absolute lack of a well thought out and disciplined sense of morality.

Rest assured this family is getting the help they need. That's one thing, Christians don't stand by a let this happen.
The crowning touch that Mike will need to see is Aaron and his family testifying in church later that week that they had been tested and they stood firm in their beliefs, and now they have new Christian friends and the help they need. Thank God for sending them this challenge that later revealed blessings.
Good going, Mike!!! You've done Christianity a great service!

The absolute best thing Mike could have done is show this family generous charity, getting them what they need at the moment, getting the parents jobs or helping them get either of them on disability if that's what they need. He had an oppurtunity to show how decent Atheists can be and he blew it.

Thanks for posting this, Teleen. :))))))))

[teleens-journal.livejournal.com]

In truth, most of the people over in antitheism were against Mike, which I actually found heartening, :).

Good going, Mike!!! You've done Christianity a great service!

That's exactly how I felt about it too.

[meshell-mybell.livejournal.com]

This man can't understand that these people have a faith. It isn't a fear that they will upset God for crossing his name out. They are probably happy and not the kind of happy this guy would understand. He seems to me to be so materialistic and finds only happiness in what he has while people like that family find happiness in knowing their alive and that they still have one another. They also believe that God will provide. I understand this. It isn't to say that they sit on their asses waiting for charity. But, this man just came up to them and tried to put a price on their faith. It didn't work because they they got to keep the God from the sign and the money. In their eyes, it only proved their Faith. God provided for them.

I'm not saying he's wrong for being an atheist. I know many. I do believe in God but that doesn't make me a better person. He is wrong for being a dick. For finding fault in something he can't understand which makes him no better then early Christians that treated all other religions as crap out of ingnorance.

Yes, the money could help them but it's not all that matters. When I was young, my mother and my sister and I were homeless. I never even realized it until I was an adult and someone pointed it out to me. I didn't know that people didn't live in motels and moved from one to another. We never slept on the street so I didn't put the two together. I had my sister to play with and my mom to love us. I was a happy kid, ignorant of the world. Again, something this man would probably not understand.

Ahhh, there are people like him in every religion and race. Self satisfying tools that can't see the other side of things. He doesn't have to convert his beliefs, just accept that others don't have the same ones he does.

Thanks again for sharing this. (Sorry for my ramblings.)

[teleens-journal.livejournal.com]

In my eyes, this was never really about faith, but about someone in a more advantaged position trying to get someone who was less advantaged to do something that they personally found offensive and then not understanding why they wouldn't jump at the chance to do what he wanted for some money.

He doesn't have to convert his beliefs, just accept that others don't have the same ones he does.

It can be difficult to do this as an atheist when one sees the evil that ORGANIZED religion brings about. However, as this video proves, it's not about religion, it's about people being either decent or douchecanoes.

You're welcome to ramble here anytime, :).

[reddwarfer.livejournal.com]

Atheism, just like any religion, is a personal choice and a personal point of view. However, according to all common sense and logic, there is no proselytizing in Atheism. There is no good book telling us we need to convert other people to the cause. This is just being a dickhead for the sake of it. And the worst part is, there is no way that Aaron could have won here. If he was willing to take the money, I'm sure the film maker would have called him on that, too. Like he was just giving lipservice to his religion instead of fully feeling it.

[teleens-journal.livejournal.com]

All of this, which was why I called bullshit on rpeate saying that Mike wouldn't have posted the video if they'd just crossed out 'god' in the sign.

[smirnoffmule.livejournal.com]

What in the hell is wrong with that man? D: It goes past a point where it's not even about religion any more, it's about some arsehole flashing his cash around, basically being all "Dance monkey dance." Because god forbid a homeless guy should want to cling onto a shred of dignity or personhood or something.

[iceshade.livejournal.com]

AGREED. THANK YOU.

[teleens-journal.livejournal.com]

This was my reaction as well.

[masterde.livejournal.com]

You know what, there's a lot of Mike-bashing going on here, which is no better than Mike bashing Aaron's beliefs. Each is equally entitled to their beliefs and their expression of it. Some people would find a sign that said, "God Bless," as offensive.

For example; A hardcore non-believing hates organized religion Atheist. You know they're out there. That person might not be inclined to give Aaron any money because of his sign. Does that make the Atheist a bad person? No. They're just expressing their faith, just as Aaron is. But the Atheist isn't wearing a sign that says "Good people give money," because as a good person, I would be offended by the implication that by not giving this person money, I'm a bad person. Just as the Atheist might be offended by the sign because they believe God has nothing to do with the Atheist giving money. Or perhaps not even wanting to be patronized to be blessed by some God that doesn't exist. The Atheist would think poor Aaron is misguided and needs to do something other than stand on the street and beg for money. It's not a test from God of Aaron's faith. It's Aaron's laziness or mental illness or belief in a fictitious figure that will provide for him and his family no matter what Aaron does or doesn't do (God or Fate, basically).

So while Mike was expressing his religious views, however patronizing he was, he has every right to his beliefs. That's no different from Aaron's sign say, "God Bless." Aaron believes that God will bless anyone who assists him. He has a sign that proclaims this. (Okay, so it doesn't say "give me money and God will bless you," it just says "God Bless" in general.) A nice sentiment but just as offensive to some as any person too lazy to put in an honest day's work is offensive to some.

I didn't see Mike's offering of $20 to cross out the word God as offensive. He was just trying to express his belief that God, if He/She exists, doesn't have anything to do with Aaron getting money.

I personally find Aaron's sign offensive because I don't believe in his God and wish to have nothing to do with Him but Aaron is forcing it upon me by placing a sign in my face saying that his God blesses me.

Mike's views can be seen as just as extreme as Aaron's and vice versa. But bashing Mike for his beliefs and actions because of them while giving Aaron a free ride is hypocritical. You can't just say, 'Well, Mike's not living on the street so he's taking advantage of the situation.' Well, Aaron is using the invoked power of the name of his God to illicit what? Sympathy? Money?

Both are trying to make a point. Aaron didn't deserve to be Mike's social experiment any more than everyone else being made to feel bad for not giving money because of the invoked name of God and it's mentally internalized power.

Now, Mike did outright attack Aaron's beliefs in a very rude way. Mike could have done the same job but in a different fashion. But Aaron could just as easily have taken God off his sign (and taken the $20 or refused it) and been none the worse for wear. If God's going to bless someone for giving Aaron assistance then no sign is needed. A sign that says, "Thank you," carries just as much of a blessing as Aaron's sign did.

So call Mike out for being an asshole but don't forget about Aaron's sign and the mentally internalized compulsion it makes some people feel the need to give money. They're both doing something wrong in that scenario.

And for the record, I watched the video from start to finish twice. I didn't see either one as being more devout to their beliefs than the other. I don't like how Mike attacked Aaron but Mike's points aren't negated because he was a jerk.

Now, flame away at me. I expect at to at least be told I'm a jerk for siding with Mike. But someone has to stick up for Mike. He's just as right as Aaron.

[teleens-journal.livejournal.com]

I've already been through this as much as I care to with rpeate at the OP. If you'd like to see what I would have said to you, please look there. Otherwise, because you're already my friend and I like you in spite of times like this, ;), we'll just agree to disagree.

Oh, and no one else is allowed to 'flame' you, either. Polite discourse only, :).

[iceshade.livejournal.com]

I'm only going to address one or two of your points, because I just raged in my own comment below and this is getting long enough.

I'm religious. In a general sense I don't find his request to cross out "god" offensive. What I found offensive was that he did it to try and insult another person's religious beliefs.

How do I know this? Because he videotaped it. Once you're being recorded in this way, (and it's clear it wasn't just for Mike's personal video collection) you no longer only represent yourself, you represent your people- whomever those people may be. That's what being a part of a community means. This was clearly going to publicized (or why the fuck would there be a video camera?), which put Aaron and his family on the spot. Mike wasn't asking Aaron personally, he was doing it to mock religiosity as a whole, and the way Mike went about about it is enough to make anyone automatically go on the defensive.

I understand that some people may also be offended by Aaron's use of "god" in his sign. There are two ways to deal with it WITHOUT making a scene: ignore it (HOLY SHIT, I KNOW, RIGHT?) or go up to him and politely say something like "your use of the word 'god' on this sign offends me, [here's why]. Would you mind removing "god" from your sign or making a new one, please?" and engage in polite discourse. And if Aaron chooses to make a scene about it, then fine, he's in the wrong. But in this case it was Mike who was being the dick.

But someone has to stick up for Mike. He's just as right as Aaron.
Maybe in theory, but not the way he went about it, sorry.

And for the record, I'm Jewish, not Christian-- before you think I'm automatically arguing because of common religion.

[reddwarfer.livejournal.com]

I'm not gonna flame you, although I find the implication offensive that if this guy is homeless, he's "too lazy to put in a hard day's work" because, you know, it's not always the case and there are reams of studies that prove that not having a permanent home address makes it extremely difficult to get a "honest" job.


Anyhow, my thing is this: Aaron did refuse the money. Mike kept pressing the issue. When it comes to respecting other people's beliefs, he didn't. The homeless man wasn't waving a book, demanding that Mike convert or demand anything of him at all. Aaron's sign is Aaron's sign. It's not disrespectful of my atheism that some other guy has a sign saying he believes in god. It can't make me do anything. It doesn't affect me. I can choose not to approach that man. I can choose not to engage. I can choose to donate my money to causes that don't have a religious facet. I can choose to donate to people with signs that just say thank you.

Mike made a choice to deliberately find someone who was in a desperate situation. He deliberately made a decision to give someone in said situation two untenable choices: take money and deny an important part of his identity or to not have something to take care of his family.

I do not think he's just as right as Aaron in action although I do think he has just as much right to his belief system.

This isn't about a sign or about being forced to see God Bless on someone's sign (and if that's the worst part of your day, it must be lovely to be you) and it's not about the fact that Aaron could have feasibly crossed out the word and brush it off for money because that's what some find a reasonable action. It's about the fact that a person in a place of privilege used said privilege to take advantage of someone else to make them deny a part of their identity, to denigrate them.

What I hear is, since we don't believe in God, we're tired of having be a part of the larger political landscape, that we shouldn't have to bother to respect those who do believe. That is not who I am. I respect that religion is as important to others as my lack of religion is to me.

[essentialsaltes.livejournal.com]

Thanks for going to the trouble of transcribing the vid, and for your many excellent comments in the thread.

[teleens-journal.livejournal.com]

You're welcome for the trouble and thank you for the compliments, :).

[iceshade.livejournal.com]

My brain caught fire about halfway through, even with your sporks (which were awesome, btw) so I may have missed some stuff that was addressed.

Look, asscactus, once there are conditions attached to the "charity", it's not fucking charity anymore. He called it "free money"-- O HAI BULLSHIT, YOU'RE UP EARLY TODAY!

The fact is, and I know some people said this already, it was a no-win situation. Crossing out "god" on a sign doesn't mean you're denying anything, and, yes, they could have always made a new sign, but once Aaron was approached he was screwed. Because if he'd said "yes" and done it he would have been ridiculed for being weak and how faith is weak, and ~look how easy is it to manipulate believers, woo~ etc. And as we saw, once he said "no" he couldn't take it back without being ridiculed for the same reasons, and if he hadn't taken it back: OMG LOOK HOW OBSTINATE THESE RELIGIOUS NUTTERS ARE. FUCK ME SIDEWAYS, THIS IS WHY WE HAVE GLOBAL WARMING ASDFGHJKL (or some other bullshit reasoning).

Also, and I'll have to double-check the specifics of this, so don't quote me or anything, but you're not supposed to destroy god's name. However there's a debate on what exactly that means. I know in Judaism that anything with god's *full* name written *in Hebrew* and not just as a generic word for "gods" is sacred and not supposed to even be thrown out with regular trash, but I have no idea how that translates into Christianity and Islam.

[teleens-journal.livejournal.com]

The only reason my brain didn't catch fire while I was transcribing was because I was doing it in two-second chunks and was thus able to escape most of the rage. Still, I wasn't kidding when I said there were literally times when I had to stop because I was overwhelmed with grief at the sheer fuckstickery here.

Look, asscactus, once there are conditions attached to the "charity", it's not fucking charity anymore. He called it "free money"-- O HAI BULLSHIT, YOU'RE UP EARLY TODAY!

Perfectly said - I wish I'd thought of this angle.

I'd totally forgotten about the 'destroying the name of god' part and honestly have no clue how it translates in Christianity. I'd say that it probably varies from sect to sect, though I KNOW (from vague church memories as a kid) that there are specific rules for disposing of bibles...

[eve-from-oz.livejournal.com]

so full of rage right now I can barely think so here's my short reaction:

Mike,

basic human decency <--- get you some!!!

[teleens-journal.livejournal.com]

rpeate is no better. In some ways, he's worse, :(.

[peristaltor.livejournal.com]

That pretty much sums it up. Thanks for posting the transcript.

[teleens-journal.livejournal.com]

You're quite welcome, :).

Late to the Discussion

[pfeffermuse.livejournal.com]

Here via a link on Unfunny_Business.

Just wanted to say what a wonderful person you are for maintaining your civility in the discussion on the antitheism board.

I couldn't believe that low-blow rpeate lobbed at you. For lack of a better term (and for the sake of my blood pressure), he's an utter and absolute scumbag; worse than that Mike idiot.

Brava to you!

Re: Late to the Discussion

[teleens-journal.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much and for your comment over there - I really appreciate it, :).

I actually sent him a PM after leaving my 'douchebag of the year award' comment and he wrote back with some bullshit about 'he hopes I find peace'. I hope he gets (survivable) ass cancer, but that's me...

So very glad I left... so very, very glad.