Reminds me a conversation I had with a girl when I was in high school. I told her I didn’t believe in god, and she asked me if I worshipped the devil. Totally unclear on the concept.
I swear you must read some of the same internet forums I do, you never fail to deliver wonderful responses to all the current popularly parroted nonsensical topics. Keep up the good work!
I’ve actually had this conversation.
Most recently with a person who claimed to believe in the inerrancy of the bible (King James) and also that he had been reincarnated several times and is 1500 years old.
Yes, there was alcohol involved.
my favorite
“I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.”
Stephen Roberts
my sister used to go to a non-religious school…now she attends a catholic one. In her first day, she told a classmate there was no cathesism in her previous school (I don’t know if the word actually exists in english…it means teaching about cahtolisism)…he asked her if she was Jew…he just couldn’t imagine education without religion…
Mateo, that’s not the word. It’s catechism, and I think it’s supposed to be capitalized. But I’m an ex-catholic so I prefer to use lowercase like a heathen and savor the delicious guilt.
Hola @mateo-argentino, que pasa en Argentina? I grew up in South Africa and yes the tentacles of the Catholic Church extend even unto Johannesburg. I too was subjected to a Roman Catholic catechism … the strange thing is … I can’t remember anything I was taught (probably fortunate). Just these foul-mouthed unshaven Irish priests smoking and cursing about the place.
If, like me, you have encountered the quote ‘dyl’ has as a favourite, you may be interested in this http://freelink.wildlink.com/quote_history.php it turns out that it is by Stephen F Roberts who thought it up in ’94 or ’95.
[I always respond “I don’t believe in gods.”] The effectiveness depends on the question. When asked “Do you believe in god” I usually find “which one?” fairly conversation stopping. A surprising number of religious types think that their god is the only one. Weird.
gsw – quite surprising indeed when you consider that the ten commandments says “You shall have no other gods before Me…”. This seems to be a clear admission that other gods do exist, you’re just not allowed to associate with them… much.
Daoloth…As always you mirror my mindset. I have often enjoyed poking the religiuos types in my realm with a pointed stick. They seem to love trying to convince us that we are wrong. Its almost like when women try to convert a homosexual. As if thier particular anatomy can somehow make them change. And yes I do believe that if there is a God it must be a woman….
I think that believers entering internet forums (fora ?) and expressing these misunderstandings can only be a good thing. There is often someone there with enough patience to explain the difference between atheism and their perception of it. It surprises me how many times you get Pascall’s wager trotted out, it seems that everyone whose religion includes some kind of heaven/hell concept thinks of it independantly. I usually respond by informing them that it is called Pascall’s wager and has been refuted in the hope that they will investigate it for themselves. It gets a bit tedious having to explain what a false dichotomy is over and over again.
Ah, but then of course, the “god of this world” has blinded our barmaid to the obvious truth M&J are trying to deliver.
I find it amazing that our author hasn’t yet introduced a certain devilish player into the strip yet … ! After all this time! Surely Old Nick would be good for a few laughs.
One muslim punishment is to have a wall pushed over on you.
So Mo should be used to the idea of brick walls.
This is regulated by the Iranian criminal code (and presumably elsewhere as it happens to homosexuals in Afghanistan).
“””” Article 110: Punishment for sodomy is killing; the SHARI’A judge decides on how to carry out the killing.
Killing define in FIGH as kill with sword; throw of mountain, demolish wall on guilty and burn this one may attach to others.”””””
(The English is not brilliant in this as it was written in medieval).
I guess “walling” is probably a lot easier than throwing mountains.
And not just homosexuals – it seems to apply to:
– Rape [(sexual intercourse take by force) & incest (sexual intercourse with intimate woman) ZINA]
– Sodomy [(anal intercourse) LAVAT]
– Lesbianism [(female homosexuality) MOSAHEGHEH]
– Pimping [manage a prostitution business (GHAVVADI)]
– Sexual Malicious Accusations (GHAZF)
– Intoxication [drunkenness (MASTI)]
– Civil Unrest [warfare and corruption on earth (MOHAREBEH VA EFSADE FEL ARZ)]
– Theft [robbery (SERGHAT E HAADDI)]
(With the exception of rape, incest and theft that lot pretty much describes Saturday night in my house).
It would be nice if this posting was a satire or piss-take – alas it isn’t.
Interesting point! Technically, it should be ok to worship other gods but they must always be considered less significant that the OT god (maybe that should be the OTT god or the OTTOT god?) or did it have that covered?
Wow! This is truly great timing! I had a long discussion with a fundi late last week. He came up to me and wanted to give me some Christian reading material. I told him, “thanks but no thanks. I’m not a believer.” He asked me why I don’t believe.
I told him my story of how I evolved from religion to reason though a process of questioning religious propositions that did not make sense, having an argument with an atheist whom I recognized was far more knowledgeable than I, then going back to school to study philosophy and world religions, which convinced me the Christianity, as well as other religions, was no more than a collection myths.
I proceeded to elucidate to him many factual and conceptual problems he should consider if he felt any need to find objective truth. After all I told him, he asked me, “Why are you angry with God?” It was head-banging-against-wall time!
I’ve come to the conclusion that fundis must have been birthed by some guy named doctor Fumble Fingers, and were promptly dropped on their heads at birth. The results were that their logic centers were damaged or destroyed. There is simply nothing there.
“(With the exception of rape, incest and theft that lot pretty much describes Saturday night in my house).”
saturday night in your house must be mayhem!!! It seems to include
– Sodomy [(anal intercourse) LAVAT]
– Lesbianism [(female homosexuality) MOSAHEGHEH]
– Pimping [manage a prostitution business (GHAVVADI)]
– Sexual Malicious Accusations (GHAZF)
– Intoxication [drunkenness (MASTI)]
– Civil Unrest [warfare and corruption on earth (MOHAREBEH VA EFSADE FEL ARZ)]
These days, I don’t even manage drunkenness! One or two beers at most. Muslims say we’re all muslims but we just don’t know it yet. I guess I’m just much more of a muslim than you. SHIT!!! What a bummer!! Any chance of an invitation? I need to get less islamic quickly!!
I think we have probably all been there. Like your namesake you adopted the path of materialism but the religionist don’t go there. That involves thought and considered thought and religiousism rarely go hand in hand.
Don’t you just hate it when they listen to every logical, sensible thing you have to say but it all goes straight over their heads and really they are just politely waiting to ask some really stupid patronising question which in their closed minds clinches the argument. Or they come out with some crap like “Well, God still loves you”. No he fucking doesn’t – if the nasty vindictive old bastard loved me he would have let me win the EuroMillions last Friday night.
To GNG
I would have to admit that that Saturdays are probably a bit sodomy-lite, free from pimping, reasonably short on lesbianism and the degree of civil unrest is probably somewhat limited but apart from that it is prettty much a fair description.
@john the geologist: so just how many fundies attend your orgiastic Saturday night frenzies then? Any chance of an invite?
It’s not reasonable to expect religious people to present a rational line of argumentation. They’re not necessarily stupid – just coming from a position of supremely confident belief in a “truth” which transcends reason.
And who needs reason anyhow, when you have a 100% infallible manual (written by God himself) which is guaranteed to contain a suitable verse to deal with any rational argument that comes your way?
If all else fails they will trot out 1 Cor 1:25 “the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom…” … hey, it’s GOOD to be an idiot, God said so.
I recently witnessed a conversation weirdly analogous to this. It was about Dominant Assurance Contracts, a way to finance public works from voluntary investments. A skeptic (and yet a New Dealer) kept asking: “What’s to prevent stealing or wasting tax money through this scheme?”, seemingly unable to parse the answer: “The absence of any involvement of tax money.”
Jesus & Mo (the characters) are absurd, blinkered, and oddly very sweet. J&M (the cartoon) is brilliant: sharp, delicious, irresistible. Salman Rushdie
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Often hilarious, frequently wry, these cartoons do what all the best cartoons do: they tell the truth through humour. Terry Sanderson, NSS President
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includes the freedom to mock any person, any thing, any activity, and
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March 16, 2016
It’s like two parallel universes talking to each other!
Reminds me a conversation I had with a girl when I was in high school. I told her I didn’t believe in god, and she asked me if I worshipped the devil. Totally unclear on the concept.
I swear you must read some of the same internet forums I do, you never fail to deliver wonderful responses to all the current popularly parroted nonsensical topics. Keep up the good work!
i agree with grouchy-one
Pertinent: http://lesswrong.com/lw/12s/the_strangest_thing_an_ai_could_tell_you/
Awesome.
I’ve actually had this conversation.
Most recently with a person who claimed to believe in the inerrancy of the bible (King James) and also that he had been reincarnated several times and is 1500 years old.
Yes, there was alcohol involved.
I always respond “I don’t believe in gods.” Changes the frame of the conversation.
[…] Jesus and Mo cartoon illustrates every conversation I have with friends and family when they find out I no longer […]
“I don’t believe in gods.” Thanks, Bodach! I’ll have to remember that one.
my favorite
“I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.”
Stephen Roberts
my sister used to go to a non-religious school…now she attends a catholic one. In her first day, she told a classmate there was no cathesism in her previous school (I don’t know if the word actually exists in english…it means teaching about cahtolisism)…he asked her if she was Jew…he just couldn’t imagine education without religion…
Mateo, that’s not the word. It’s catechism, and I think it’s supposed to be capitalized. But I’m an ex-catholic so I prefer to use lowercase like a heathen and savor the delicious guilt.
Brilliant!
Hola @mateo-argentino, que pasa en Argentina? I grew up in South Africa and yes the tentacles of the Catholic Church extend even unto Johannesburg. I too was subjected to a Roman Catholic catechism … the strange thing is … I can’t remember anything I was taught (probably fortunate). Just these foul-mouthed unshaven Irish priests smoking and cursing about the place.
“Allah has set a seal upon her ears”
Probably preferable to setting two she-bears upon her kids.
Oh, who hasn’t had this conversation at least once this week?
If, like me, you have encountered the quote ‘dyl’ has as a favourite, you may be interested in this http://freelink.wildlink.com/quote_history.php it turns out that it is by Stephen F Roberts who thought it up in ’94 or ’95.
Help, where has the ‘edit’ facility gone, I left out crucial words in my last post. It should have been
‘If, like me, you have encountered the quote ‘dyl’ has as a favourite ……. for the very first time…..’
[I always respond “I don’t believe in gods.”] The effectiveness depends on the question. When asked “Do you believe in god” I usually find “which one?” fairly conversation stopping. A surprising number of religious types think that their god is the only one. Weird.
gsw – quite surprising indeed when you consider that the ten commandments says “You shall have no other gods before Me…”. This seems to be a clear admission that other gods do exist, you’re just not allowed to associate with them… much.
Try saying “I don’t believe in her” and see the reaction you get.
Daoloth…As always you mirror my mindset. I have often enjoyed poking the religiuos types in my realm with a pointed stick. They seem to love trying to convince us that we are wrong. Its almost like when women try to convert a homosexual. As if thier particular anatomy can somehow make them change. And yes I do believe that if there is a God it must be a woman….
If you are lucky they will say: “how can you tell the sex if God doesnt exist?” and you can reply “you started it…”
My answer is “I’m not superstitious”
Hey at least a brick wall is dependable.
If I had a nickel for every time I’ve been in that same conversation…..
Next they’ll get some clubs to kill that seal on her ears…(even though Allah put it there)
“If I had a nickel for every time I’ve been in that same conversation…..” then I might have about a dollar fifty… 😉
I think that believers entering internet forums (fora ?) and expressing these misunderstandings can only be a good thing. There is often someone there with enough patience to explain the difference between atheism and their perception of it. It surprises me how many times you get Pascall’s wager trotted out, it seems that everyone whose religion includes some kind of heaven/hell concept thinks of it independantly. I usually respond by informing them that it is called Pascall’s wager and has been refuted in the hope that they will investigate it for themselves. It gets a bit tedious having to explain what a false dichotomy is over and over again.
Classic!
Comments are still trundling along for the last cartoon too, if anyone’s still interested… 🙂
Ah, but then of course, the “god of this world” has blinded our barmaid to the obvious truth M&J are trying to deliver.
I find it amazing that our author hasn’t yet introduced a certain devilish player into the strip yet … ! After all this time! Surely Old Nick would be good for a few laughs.
Them: “Why do you hate god?”.
Me: “Which one?”.
One muslim punishment is to have a wall pushed over on you.
So Mo should be used to the idea of brick walls.
This is regulated by the Iranian criminal code (and presumably elsewhere as it happens to homosexuals in Afghanistan).
“””” Article 110: Punishment for sodomy is killing; the SHARI’A judge decides on how to carry out the killing.
Killing define in FIGH as kill with sword; throw of mountain, demolish wall on guilty and burn this one may attach to others.”””””
(The English is not brilliant in this as it was written in medieval).
I guess “walling” is probably a lot easier than throwing mountains.
And not just homosexuals – it seems to apply to:
– Rape [(sexual intercourse take by force) & incest (sexual intercourse with intimate woman) ZINA]
– Sodomy [(anal intercourse) LAVAT]
– Lesbianism [(female homosexuality) MOSAHEGHEH]
– Pimping [manage a prostitution business (GHAVVADI)]
– Sexual Malicious Accusations (GHAZF)
– Intoxication [drunkenness (MASTI)]
– Civil Unrest [warfare and corruption on earth (MOHAREBEH VA EFSADE FEL ARZ)]
– Theft [robbery (SERGHAT E HAADDI)]
(With the exception of rape, incest and theft that lot pretty much describes Saturday night in my house).
It would be nice if this posting was a satire or piss-take – alas it isn’t.
@grouchy-one
Interesting point! Technically, it should be ok to worship other gods but they must always be considered less significant that the OT god (maybe that should be the OTT god or the OTTOT god?) or did it have that covered?
@Buford
“Next they’ll get some clubs to kill that seal on her ears…(even though Allah put it there)”
That would be ok with allah since the seal is very likely to be a non believer.
Wow! This is truly great timing! I had a long discussion with a fundi late last week. He came up to me and wanted to give me some Christian reading material. I told him, “thanks but no thanks. I’m not a believer.” He asked me why I don’t believe.
I told him my story of how I evolved from religion to reason though a process of questioning religious propositions that did not make sense, having an argument with an atheist whom I recognized was far more knowledgeable than I, then going back to school to study philosophy and world religions, which convinced me the Christianity, as well as other religions, was no more than a collection myths.
I proceeded to elucidate to him many factual and conceptual problems he should consider if he felt any need to find objective truth. After all I told him, he asked me, “Why are you angry with God?” It was head-banging-against-wall time!
I’ve come to the conclusion that fundis must have been birthed by some guy named doctor Fumble Fingers, and were promptly dropped on their heads at birth. The results were that their logic centers were damaged or destroyed. There is simply nothing there.
@John The Geologist
“(With the exception of rape, incest and theft that lot pretty much describes Saturday night in my house).”
saturday night in your house must be mayhem!!! It seems to include
– Sodomy [(anal intercourse) LAVAT]
– Lesbianism [(female homosexuality) MOSAHEGHEH]
– Pimping [manage a prostitution business (GHAVVADI)]
– Sexual Malicious Accusations (GHAZF)
– Intoxication [drunkenness (MASTI)]
– Civil Unrest [warfare and corruption on earth (MOHAREBEH VA EFSADE FEL ARZ)]
These days, I don’t even manage drunkenness! One or two beers at most. Muslims say we’re all muslims but we just don’t know it yet. I guess I’m just much more of a muslim than you. SHIT!!! What a bummer!! Any chance of an invitation? I need to get less islamic quickly!!
To Hobbes
I think we have probably all been there. Like your namesake you adopted the path of materialism but the religionist don’t go there. That involves thought and considered thought and religiousism rarely go hand in hand.
Don’t you just hate it when they listen to every logical, sensible thing you have to say but it all goes straight over their heads and really they are just politely waiting to ask some really stupid patronising question which in their closed minds clinches the argument. Or they come out with some crap like “Well, God still loves you”. No he fucking doesn’t – if the nasty vindictive old bastard loved me he would have let me win the EuroMillions last Friday night.
To GNG
I would have to admit that that Saturdays are probably a bit sodomy-lite, free from pimping, reasonably short on lesbianism and the degree of civil unrest is probably somewhat limited but apart from that it is prettty much a fair description.
@john the geologist: so just how many fundies attend your orgiastic Saturday night frenzies then? Any chance of an invite?
It’s not reasonable to expect religious people to present a rational line of argumentation. They’re not necessarily stupid – just coming from a position of supremely confident belief in a “truth” which transcends reason.
And who needs reason anyhow, when you have a 100% infallible manual (written by God himself) which is guaranteed to contain a suitable verse to deal with any rational argument that comes your way?
If all else fails they will trot out 1 Cor 1:25 “the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom…” … hey, it’s GOOD to be an idiot, God said so.
it’s so cute~! very real! cause there are people with such way of thinking 😀 great work!
On mon,wed,fri I believe in the basic existence of god. ON tues, thur, sat I don’t. Sun I take off for football.
Hm. Who does the barmaid think these two clowns are?
I recently witnessed a conversation weirdly analogous to this. It was about Dominant Assurance Contracts, a way to finance public works from voluntary investments. A skeptic (and yet a New Dealer) kept asking: “What’s to prevent stealing or wasting tax money through this scheme?”, seemingly unable to parse the answer: “The absence of any involvement of tax money.”
DonoWall