The Telegraph reports that...
'Professor Richard Dawkins has been accused of “parading his own failure of imagination” by failing to consider the possible existence of God in an attack by the author Howard Jacobson. Jacobson described the scientist and prominent atheist, author of the best-selling book The God Delusion, as “an angry man” who is pushing a form of “aggressive atheism”.'
No?! Really?! There were we thinking he was the reasonable, intelligent, likeable, gentle, persuasive kind! Crikey! I wish someone would employ me to state the bleeding obvious! I'm an affable sort of chap myself, just when someone proposes killing my potential unborn children, or those of my brothers and sisters and approves of taxing people who welcome new life into destitution, that I start to lose my rag a little!
The atheists seem to have got a lot more aggressive recently. I had a friend who apostasised about 7 years ago and became a humanist minister. (I know - but I haven't got time for the number of inverted commas I would like to use). She was pressed into service to do humanist funerals up and down the county, and used to drop in for a cuppa if she was up our way. She got a fee - but it didn't really cover expenses like petrol and childcare (she is bringing up 3 little atheists, so not a devotee of optimibum either - at least not for rich white people). So I went down to her house to lunch the other week, and asked how it was going. She said she gave it up - because her "manager" or whatever they call it had been hectoring her to exhort the virtues of humanism, more in her funeral services, and was urging her to be more pro-active in making converts. I would love to have said that I suggested that she downshift to being a Jehovah's Witness if she wanted a more laid back lifestyle - alas I only thought of that on my way home. She is a lovely person by-the-way - and doesn't take herself too seriously as a rule.
ReplyDeleteOh - and I forgot to mention - the senior ministers drop in for a mini-ofsted inspection on the funerals, naming ceremonies etc - just to check that the junior ministers are sticking to the "rules" and not doing anything unorthodox! I am not making this up.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely hilarious.
ReplyDelete'she is bringing up 3 little atheists,'
ReplyDeleteMint!
Its important atheists don't marry outside the non-faith! Creates problems down the line. What if one of the couple is an agnostic?
ReplyDeleteDilly...I hear they've a split between the new rite humanist service and the traditional humanist service. There are rumours of schism.
ReplyDelete