Atheist Tuesday: Famous Lost Words, Pt. 2

44 CommentsAtheist Tuesday

Apart from being fabulously rich and famous, what else do these celebs have in common? You never know who you will meet when out sharing your faith….

BRAD PITT

“When I got untethered from the comfort of religion, it wasn’t a loss of faith for me, it was a discovery of self,” he says. “I had faith that I’m capable enough to handle any situation. There’s peace in understanding that I have only one life, here and now, and I’m responsible.” From Parade magazine, October 2, 2007.

ANGELINA JOLIE

In the September 6, 2000 edition of The Onion A.V. Club titled “Is There A God?”, celebrities were asked the question: Is there a God?

Angelina Jolie: Hmm… For some people. I hope so, for them. For the people who believe in it, I hope so. There doesn’t need to be a God for me. There’s something in people that’s spiritual, that’s godlike. I don’t feel like doing things just because people say things, but I also don’t really know if it’s better to just not believe in anything, either.”

GEORGE CLOONEY

“I don’t believe in Heaven and Hell. I don’t know if I believe in God. All I know is that as an individual, I won’t allow this life — the only thing I know to exist — to be wasted.” From the Washington Post September 28, 1997

BRUCE WILLIS

“Organized religions in general, in my opinion, are dying forms. They were all very important when we didn’t know why the sun moved, why weather changed, why hurricanes occurred, or volcanoes happened. Modern religion is the end trail of modern mythology. But there are people who interpret the Bible literally. Literally! I choose not to believe that’s the way. And that’s what makes America cool, you know?”

Evangelists: If you ever meet an atheist celebrity while out in the field, be nice. Polite. Who knows, they may even listen to you! And if you attend a show where fans gather, just give the law and Gospel. Watch your attitude. Even smile a little. Please, don’t act like this lady!

 

Comments (44)

  1. Mr. E

    Reply

    The man off screen, perhaps the camera man, says “Here is your Get Out Of Hell Free Card” at 08:27 minutes. The sign guy from the other video had a tract with the same title. I wonder if the “sign guy” from the other video and the two people in this video are from the same group.

  2. perdita

    Reply

    I know you and the slacktivist (Fred Clark) are on opposite sides of Christianity and you probably wouldn’t consider him a Christian, much less an evangelical, but he said something today that I think kind of fit the woman in the video:

    They’re not primarily about invitation, but about identity. Not about drawing others to Christ, but about drawing lines between us and them…

  4. lehman

    Reply

    Those were wonderful atheist testimonies, Steve… thanks so much for sharing them with us all! Keep up the good work!

  5. Steve Sanchez

    Reply

    Vagon asked: Do you need some content suggestions for your Tuesday post Steve?

    I like to vary my articles. I get all types of people visiting so I want to make it appealing in a broadcast sense. Thanks for asking.

    perdita,

    There are natural dividing lines between Christians and atheists. I post these comments to see how great the chasm is. And, for newbie evangelists to know what they are up against.

    Jim: I don’t care for their particular style of evangelism either.

  6. perdita

    Reply

    There are natural dividing lines between Christians and atheists. I post these comments to see how great the chasm is. And, for newbie evangelists to know what they are up against.

    I thought I was agreeing with you that what the woman in the video was doing was bad evangelism. She seems less about bringing others to Jesus and more about keeping them away and being smug about it.

  7. Nameless Cynic

    Reply

    Hmmm… four movie stars. All atheists. Are you trying to draw a conclusion from this?

    Because if it’s “Well, they’re rich, successful, happy, and they don’t have God,” I’d just like to thank you for this uplifting message.

  8. Dan

    Reply

    They are from a group called Cry to God. They are from our area (I’m a street preacher as well), and we have run into them on the streets a number of times. This is pretty typical for them. All condemnation and little or no grace. No discussion of Christ’s atonement on the cross, and no recognition of that fact that, outside of God’s amazing grace, they would likely be in that line too. Very oriented on works righteousness. So far they are not open to correction, although I pray they will be some day. We try to avoid being at the same venues, since we don’t want people to mistakenly associate us with them.

  9. Steve Sanchez

    Reply

    perdita, Yes, I agree with you. I thought you wanted an explanation.

    Nameless: Of course they are happier at this time without God. No demands on their persons; they can do what they want. Being with Christ does not make you more happy, necessarily, but you should become holier. Read Ecclesiastes to get a perspective of what happens when you have everything and forget God. Ultimately, you become very cynical and trust nothing and believe life has no purpose. Wait! Isn’t your nom de plume Nameless Cynic?

    Dan: Thanks for the info!

    Jim: I had a “dialogue” with Ruben Israel on Facebook awhile back. It was a fruitless endeavor. You can read the marked contrast between he and I here: https://stonethepreacher.com/2010/08/12/perspectives-inside-the-mind-of-a-sign-guy.html

  10. Vagon

    Reply

    Yeah I just thought it seemed like it was a bit of a repost. If you need suggestions atheists are interested in I’m happy to help and I’m sure the others here are too.

    “Ultimately, you become very cynical and trust nothing and believe life has no purpose.”

    I cant tell whether this was another poor attempt at mind reading or you confusing atheism with nihilism.

  12. Manhattan Beach Matt

    Reply

    Dan says:
    June 15, 2011 at 2:13 pm
    They are from a group called Cry to God.

    @Dan

    Thanks Dan for identifying the group in the video. I have found some more of their videos on youtube. WOW!

  14. Brother Shakleford

    Reply

    Atheism is the gateway philosophy towards nihilism according to the largest and most respected bastion of information… Wikipedia.

    Atheists tend to have over enlarged egos and can often be found staring at themselves in the mirror chanting “You are smarter than nonatheists.” Atheists are also prone to patting themselves on the back while reading atheist websites that validate their ideas.

    Furthermore most of the atheists I have encountered have been rather angry individuals who don’t have a high regard for their fellow human beings.

  15. Nameless Cynic

    Reply

    Ecclesiastes. The Book of the Preacher.

    That is one depressed cat, there, Steve-o. There is a certain wisdom in him (2:24, 3:22), but for the most part, he’s just a downer.

    But you see, that’s the problem of a pure black-and-white world-view. If there’s nothing but extremes, and no shades of gray, yeah, you can get cynical, untrusting and believe life has no purpose. But for the rest of us, that’s not really an issue.

    See, I’m cynical by choice – it’s a subtle difference. I trust people when warranted, and don’t when they prove untrustworthy. And why would you think that I don’t see life as having meaning? I have a wife who loves me and I’ve raised 3 pretty good kids. How can there be a better meaning than that?

  16. Nohm

    Reply

    Vagon wrote: “I cant tell whether this was another poor attempt at mind reading or you confusing atheism with nihilism.”

    Or a combination of the two.

  17. I love atheist tuesday

    Reply

    The one thing atheists hate to think about is someone, God, looking over them and seeing all of their sins. They don’t want a universe where they will have to be held accountable for what they have done in their lives.

    Atheists are guilty of creating their own fictitious ideas about the world solely so they can feel better about themselves.

  18. BathTub

    Reply

    Sweet, another troll for Jesus. Or is that just Stormbringer’s latest Alter-Ego?

  19. perdita

    Reply

    Or is that just Stormbringer’s latest Alter-Ego?

    I was going to say. Maybe Brother Shackleford, too?

  20. Vagon

    Reply

    @Rick Matthew 5:22
    @Brother shackleford trolololol
    @I_love_atheist_tuesday I’ve got great self esteem. Maybe not quite as high as you. I mean I do not think something that “created” the universe has a special relationship with me, but hey I really like my life. On second thoughts maybe it is a little bit higher. after all I do not need to pretend my particular deity is looking down on me to hold myself accountable for my actions.

  21. Patrick

    Reply

    I love atheist tuesday said: “The one thing atheists hate to think about is someone, God, looking over them and seeing all of their sins. They don’t want a universe where they will have to be held accountable for what they have done in their lives.

    Atheists are guilty of creating their own fictitious ideas about the world solely so they can feel better about themselves”

    Maybe atheists have other means of accountability? Like family, society and maybe they can still believe in “treat others as you would like to be treated”. God doesn’t have to come up with an idea like that. Many different religions and peoples in the past have come up with that one or some version of that, meaning the same thing.

    I think believers fear that since there is no God and the word got out, than everyone will go mad and start raping, stealing and killing everything in sight. Believers also cling to the idea of God as a creator because of their fear of life having no meaning other than what you make of it, can’t or don’t want to fathom the vastness of the universe, have an ego that wants their life to never end, and are afraid of freedom needing always some sort of father figure.

    There I.L.A.T., did I do a good job of analyzing you? lame isn’t it. Someone else judging you. You guys and all of your judging and so called “saving”. Hiding behind your Bible. If I believed in what you believed then I would tell you that “you are not off the hook yet. Watch how you treat others. Let God judge, don’t be the one to judge”. Pride is a sin too I seem to recall hearing somewhere.

    Bahtts

  22. BathTub

    Reply

    Actually I was referring to Brother Shakleford, that one wasn’t there when I replied. I see we’ve picked up a second troll for Jesus in one thread, congrats Steve.

  24. vintango2k

    Reply

    The one thing Christians hate to think about is someone, Allah, looking over them and seeing all of their sins. They don’t want a universe where they will have to be held accountable for what they have done in their lives.

    Christians are guilty of creating their own fictitious ideas about the world solely so they can feel better about themselves.

    Clever edits are fun =)

  25. Nameless Cynic

    Reply

    Bathtub, perdita,
    Now, now. They may actually just be Stormy’s trolls, but we need to reach out to them, in the spirit of Unbeliever Charity, in our attempts to save their mortal Id’s

    Bro Shaky,
    First, you understand that Wikipedia is a community-edited forum, and as such, is subject to abuse. That’s why the entry on Paul Revere’s ride is currently locked out, since Sarah Palin’s horde of zombie followers is trying to warp it to fit her uniquely illiterate description.

    Secondly, that particular entry mentions nihilism twice: once saying “Atheistic thought found recognition in a wide variety of other, broader philosophies, such as…” (followed by a longish list); and once in the following, extremely accurate sentence.

    For the same reason, atheists can hold a wide variety of ethical beliefs, ranging from the moral universalism of humanism, which holds that a moral code should be applied consistently to all humans, to moral nihilism, which holds that morality is meaningless.

    As a follower of the former, I see no problem with that. And since a similar statement can be made for Christianity, well…

    “Fundamentalists tend to have over enlarged egos and can often be found staring at themselves in the mirror chanting “Jesus loves you, but not them – they’re going to Hell.” Fundamentalists are also prone to patting themselves on the back while reading Christian websites that validate their ideas (but oddly, rarely the Bible).”

    There. Fixed that for you.

    And do I seem angry to you? (Just a question…)

    Loveday,
    Hate to fisk you here, but… well, frankly, it’s easier.

    The one thing atheists hate to think about is someone, God, looking over them
    See, you’re mixing up the terms “hate” and “don’t believe in” – subtle difference, I guess, but important to some.

    and seeing all of their sins
    “Sin” is a fungible term, which tends to change from time to time. For example, the Bible is opposed to your doing anything but rest on Sundays, or wearing garments made of two different fibers (might want to quietly pull off that cotton-poly shirt there, champ).

    They don’t want a universe where they will have to be held accountable for what they have done in their lives.
    Or, alternatively, they see far too many people not being held accountable for the things they’ve done, often in the name of God, and note the lack of Old-Testament-style justice being done.

    And they note those parts of the Bible that either blatantly contradict other parts, or approvingly mention things that any rational person understands would be immoral.

    Or they realize that “The Bible says it, I believe it, that settles it” is the essence of a circular argument. And if you replace “Bible” with “Lord of the Rings,” it makes no more sense (but is, at least, more entertaining).

    Atheists are guilty of creating their own fictitious ideas about the world solely so they can feel better about themselves.
    “Guilty”? I wasn’t aware that had been declared a crime.

    Regardless, you’ve got the process backwards. Let’s try this.

    “Atheists are waiting for Christians to justifytheir own fictitious ideas about the world which allow them to justify many of the worst behaviors possible and still feel good about themselves.”

    There. Fixed one for you, too. Now you don’t have to feel left out.

  27. I love atheists

    Reply

    “I’m probably 20 percent atheist and 80 percent agnostic. I don’t think anyone really knows. You’ll either find out or not when you get there, until then there’s no point thinking about it.” – Brad Pitt

    The above is a great example of atheist logic.

  28. Sister Seraph

    Reply

    Atheists love the idea that there is no God.

    Atheists love the idea that there is no higher power, authority and intelligence in the universe than almighty man.

    Why do they love such ideas?

    They love them so they can do whatever they want to do without any fear of being punished.

    The atheist morality goes something like this “Do whatever you want, just don’t get caught.”

  31. vintango2k

    Reply

    “Atheists love the idea that there is no God.

    Atheists love the idea that there is no higher power, authority and intelligence in the universe than almighty man.

    Why do they love such ideas?

    They love them so they can do whatever they want to do without any fear of being punished.

    The atheist morality goes something like this “Do whatever you want, just don’t get caught.”

    As someone who has associated with, and talked with atheists I find this line of reasoning stereotypical and rather juvenile. Atheists are fully capable of performing actions that are positive and negative and are usually fully aware of the consequences of those negative actions such as theft, murder, etc. etc., and the punishment that can follow should they get caught. Some do get caught while others do not, but the question I put forth is that do you think it is moral or loving to assign infinite punishments for finite transgressions?

  32. Vagon

    Reply

    I’m fully expecting a commenter called Uncle Ho to turn up, give a virtual high 5 to Bro Shaky and Sis Sera, then say something like:

    “I am an atheist and my evil communistic atheistic regime was created solely because I didnt like the good christian ideals of the american founding fathers. Plus we lost the war because we didnt have Jesus on our side.”

  33. Can't wait for atheist Tuesday

    Reply

    I am surprised that the atheists haven’t posted 100 comments in response to Brother Shakleford and Sister Seraph.

    I suspect that they might have posted but got deleted because they couldn’t refrain from cussing, blasphemy or incivility.

    LOL

  35. casual observer

    Reply

    Vagon great point!

    If I might add atheist communist regimes such as the former Soviet Union, Peoples Republic of China, North Korea and Vietnam like to persecute and kill nonatheists (Christians, Jews, Muslims etc etc).

  36. vintango2k

    Reply

    Ladies and Gentlemen… start your trolling. Has the conversation/debate really come to this?

  37. Nohm

    Reply

    “I am surprised that the atheists haven’t posted 100 comments in response to Brother Shakleford and Sister Seraph.”

    Because you’re all the same person, just posting under different names.

    Sock-puppets are weak.

  38. Steve Sanchez

    Reply

    Nohm’s right.

    I’ve deleted the comments from the person who posts snarky platitudes under different pseudonyms… except, of course, from the atheists.

  39. perdita

    Reply

    I’ve deleted the comments from the person who posts snarky platitudes under different pseudonyms… except, of course, from the atheists.

    😉 Hey, at least we keep the same pseudonyms!

  40. casual observer

    Reply

    Judging by the comments above it appears to me that the atheist posters are the ones that have resorted to being uncivil and attack the comments made by Christians.

    Calling posters “Brother Shaky” and such.

  43. Nohm

    Reply

    casual observer, considering that you and “Brother Shackleford” are the same person (the use of “nonatheist” is the giveaway), your complaints are weak.

    And when “Brother Shaky” is your great example of atheists being “uncivil” and “attack[ing] the comments made by Christians”, then you’re really reaching.

  44. Godfrey

    Reply

    What is up???

    Have the unbelieving atheists been defeated or are they sleeping or busy traveling or deeply thinking. Haven’t seen that many posts and was wondering what’s going on? Also one other question, do atheists only post on Christian blogs and sites or do they post on say Buddhists, Hindu, Muslim, or humanist sites? If so could you please post those sites that you frequent so I/people can monitor and post with you my fellow bloggers!!

    At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention. 1Kings 18:27-29

    At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

    Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.

    When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The LORD—he is God! The LORD—he is God!”

    Then Elijah commanded them, “Seize the prophets of Baal. Don’t let anyone get away!” They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.
    1 Kings 18: 36-40

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