Just Say "No" to Christian Bullying

by Astreja

This afternoon I was reading the comments on the ExChristian.Net blog and came across the following screed, posted by someone named "Rick":

God through Christians have told you what the consequences are in the end so you know. And when you stand before Him at the end of all things He'll say why didn't you believe in me?

Sorry, Rick, but there's no evidence for your god. There's just a bunch of Christians claiming to speak for a god. Why should we take your word for it?

And you will say, I'm sorry you didn't make yourself known to me, the evidence wasn't there and those idiot Christians pretty much ruined my life. And no one told me you exist. And He will say yes you were told many times, you just needed to look at the heavens, watch nature, and understand how your body works, and listen to My word through those imperfect Christians to know that I exist.

And here the believer constructs a fantasy conversation based on an unfalsifiable assertion about life after death. Notice that the god in question is conveniently defending its incompetent messengers and making excuses for the lack of evidence. (Never mind why a god would resort to having a bunch of mortals convey its message -- The fact is that the evidence really isn't there, and any right-thinking deity should at least have the wits to see things from an unbeliever's point of view.)

Finally, the apologist resorts to the 1984 jackboot-to-the-face-forever method:

The only thing is there will be nothing you can say to Him because he is the Judge and it will be your trial. This might sound like fiction to you but you will see. It's a fair warning. Oh and as I see it this is not a threat to you, remember you don't even believe this stuff so it shouldn't phase you one way or the other, right?

Disgusting, but sadly all too familiar. You'd be hard-pressed to find a fear-mongering believer who actually does own up to the threats that he makes, rather than pretending to relay messages from a silent and invisible imaginary friend.

There is no excuse for bullying of this sort. None. It's time to take action against the human voices who are deliberately abusing other people in the name of their favourite god. Let's see some real-world consequences here.

If your employee says this to another employee on your job site, fire him.
If your girlfriend says this to you, dump her.
If your dad says this to your 4-year-old son and makes him cry, cut off all contact.
If a clerk in a store says this to you, complain in writing to his superior and keep escalating the complaints all the way to the top until you get satisfaction.

These people do not deserve the benefit of a doubt. They are trying to hurt you emotionally and psychologically, and will continue to do so until you fall in line with whatever they believe.

Let's fight back with all we've got, and keep fighting until this kind of behaviour is no longer tolerated in civil society.

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