P.Z. Myers has never been one to shy away from controversy or confrontation, especially when it comes to his favorite target – religion. In his latest step of escalation, Myers published a picture on his blog which contained a communion wafer with a rusty nail through it as well as pages riped from a Qur’an.
This was a planned stunt by Myers. He has often stated his desire to obtain a communion wafer for the purpose of defiling it. He asked readers of his blog to help him in this, since, as he said, he could not get into any Catholic Churches near him because they were on the look at for him.
How effective will this more aggressive method characterized by Myers, Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins and others be in 1) convincing others to become atheists, 2) winning the "PR battle" in the public sphere? Is that even their goal or is it simply to ridicule those with whom they disagree?
I personally don't think this is a big deal – in fact, I think religious people need to be offended to see their slavish dedication to religious symbol and ritual, rather than a devotion to love and truth.
I think that the killing of the unborn is horrific and much more offensive than a nail through the eucharist, or someone tearing pages out of a holy book. Who cares? They are just rebellious children trying to get a rise.
I'll never forget the time i went to speak to a baptist youth group, and they all gasped when I threw my bible down on the table. I was incredulous. Is *that* what they thought was important? A printed book?
What's really important is the souls of men, and the cries for justice from the downtrodden. That's what should be considered valuable and handled with care.
Heck, I'll publish my own pictures offending the sensibilities of religious people if it will cause them to stop being religious and start being people who follow the Spirit of God.
I agree with seeker. Who cares what some guy does with a piece of unleavened bread? If that convinces someone to be an atheist, well… whatever. I would say the goal is to get people to say "stop it" to which they'll reply, "YOU started it!" and so on and so forth….
It all sounds kind of childish to me. My immediate reaction was “whatever, grow up”.
I can see you people aren’t Catholic.
You’re right about that – though many Catholics are Christian, strictly speaking, Catholic doctrine is not biblical, and so not Christian. Their worship of dead saints, their use of Old Testament forms like priests, altars, and incense, and their idolization of relics are not New Testament Christianity, they are dead religion.
Heck, let’s offend them together. Even the Eucharist is used in an idolatrous style in Catholicism. If you want to offend a protestant, you’ll have to insult one of our cult-of-personality leaders.
I would agree that religious people are offended way too easily. Personally, it has no shock value for me.
However, I do think it was childish (as was said) and just immature of Myers to do this.
What does it prove? That he will offend religious people just to get a rise. What good does that do?
I have no problem with offending people in order to make a point or illustrate a truth, but I don’t think Myers accomplished that or was even going for that.
He comes across looking like a petulant child crying out for attention from the grown ups.
…though many Catholics are Christian, strictly speaking, Catholic doctrine is not biblical, and so not Christian.
This is a battle that's been raging for some 500 years and I, for one, am not getting involved in it.
This is a battle that's been raging for some 500 years and I, for one, am not getting involved in it.
That's fine, but as a biblical, New Testament Christian, I blanch when people try to defame xianity by listing the litany of Catholic missteps and atrocities, since they persecuted biblical Christians throughout, until biblical xians like Huss, Luther, and the like finally broke free from Catholic abuse of xianity.
While many Catholics are my 'brothers and sisters' in the faith, we both have bad doctrine and idolatries that we ought to forsake in light of scripture, and if we are not willing, well, then we probably can not walk together, nor with Christ, if you ask me.
Jesus acknowledged the truths that the Pharisees proclaimed (though they often failed to practice them), but he was very willing to offend their religious sensibilities.
Heck, it's fun to offend others, I think we all have a peurile delight in tormenting caged monkeys, and offending superstitious and religious idolatries. Perhaps that's some of why Meyers does it – for the sheer fun. Not very mature if you are trying to separate yourself rather than reconcile people to the truth, but still, fun.
"Superstitious and religious idolatries"? Pot. Kettle. Black.
btw: We just had a big earthquake. I was outside my door and witnessed the apartment complex shake violently back and forth. I was so amazed that I forgot to be scared.