It seems after my previous “complaints” there was a bit of a backlog in the comments on the Blasphemy Challenge article and now my comment is there. Phew. First off let me appologise for any misunderstanding made.

On a more entertaining note, it is pleasing to the see the cranks and crackpots can be guaranteed to turn up to a post like this (does this mean I am a crank?) as some of the comments show: (This is long, the bit on the home page is trimmed, please take the time to read on. It really is worth it)

Concerned writes: The fact that they are appealing to young people is not surprising because atheisim almost borders on the juvenile. It requires some kind of mental immaturity to deny that a God exists. Why? Because you must possess the omniscience of God to know that no god exists anywhere in the known universe. If they were truthful they would call themselves an agnostic because they do not know if God exists. Or else “God deny-ers” because they seek to deny the God of the Bible.

Blimey. How is that for cutting commentary. It requires mental immaturity to not believe in an imaginary friend. Amazing. Concerned makes a bit of an error in that you do not need to “know” no god exists anywhere in the known universe (the internal logic of the sentence notwithstanding) in order to not “believe in God” (which was the crux of the challenge). For the Christian teachings is that God (the one people are Blaspheming in the challenge) exists everywhere, not hiding in some distant corner of a galaxy. If concerned was truthful he would call him(her)self agnostic because s/he does not “know” if God exists, s/he just believes it is so. As for the “God deny-ers” – what farce. Should Christians call themselves Thor deny-ers?

Moving on, the pearls of wisdom come hard and fast:

smite me writes: There is a God. When you can explain how the matter for the big bang came from, or the monkey we so called evolved from came from, I believe. God is always there even when you forsake Him. He knows your best interest and when you don’t get that job or go through a breakup,etc, he is looking out for you so something better may come from it.

Aren’t all these religious zealots geniuses eh? This is an absurd argument. There is a god because there is a god. How can you even begin to argue with that. (I wont go into the evolving from monkeys nonsense as this just shows the person hasn’t even bothered to learn what he hates about evolutionary theory).

There then comes a run of atheist comments and some reasonably religious ones (when I say reasonable, I mean not crackpot enough to repeat here) which basically say “This is so very sad, that is one sin, blasphmy[sic] against God that I don’t think your forgiven for.”

I toyed with not ridiculing the next poster, due to his age, but then I thought, what the Hell (pun intended? Maybe):

thats a dangerous thing writes: Well this angers me as a Christian that these athiests [sic] would stoop to such a low level by targeting kids! I am only 15 myself, and I am a Cristian [sic], we have a prayer club at my school and i am almost always there. I think these people should be sued for child endangerment.

But I will go easy on him/her. I think this is actually a bit of a support for Dawkins argument that religion is child abuse and simply brainwashes them. How dare Atheists target kids. You would never see Christians stooping so low (so says a Christian Child). The irony is amazing.

It is often touted by Atheists that “intelligent people” become atheists and those who remain tied to religion are less intelligent. Generally, I strongly disagree with this point of view as I know some imbecilic Atheists and some very, very intelligent yet devout people. I know the exceptions prove the rule and my small sample size is statistically irrelevant – however I feel the same argument can be applied to those who think Atheists are clever people. Now, having said all that, this next post highlights the “intelligence” of some of the more devout people:

y_daddy writes: This is a desperatly try to make something against GOD. No problem. HE RULES. And atheists they have a chance to turn their life to GOD, until their death. GBU Jesus Christ is LORD.

I don’t think I need to say any more on that comment.

Some people really don’t seem to get the point of the whole “Challenge:” (emphasis mine)

Paige H. writes: I am absolutly disgusted that people are blaspheming God and taping themselves doing it. Why would someone want to say the God is not real? God is very real! I am a Christian and I feel that it is wrong to blasphem aginst the one that created everyone and everything.

I can only assume Paige H. patiently writes letters to Santa every year and wonders why the tooth fairy has stopped visiting her house.

Hypocrisy remains strong in the the Theist as:

ancient-one writes: Why do atheist fight against God… if you don’t believe in Him,, why bother,, in all my years I have never asked anyone to sign a petition concerning the Jolly Green Giant or the monster under my bed.. because I know they don’t exist.. So if they really do not believe in God.. would they bother?? I do believe in God , but I also believe that God is misrepresented my a lot of preachers… pick up your Bible and read it for yourself..Make YOUR won decision. He LOVES YOU !

The first lines make me laugh. Why do theists fight against Atheism? If someone doesn’t believe in God why does it bother ancient-one enough to post a comment? Obviously he is happy in his belief so why try to make others join him?

Finally, this:

TruBeleiver’74 writes: It is important, as GODS creations, that we remember GOD made himself part of his own creation so that his creations would sacrifice him. This act can save us, his creations, from the righteous rules he made which sends us, his creations, to another area of his creation that is torture for the creations he sends there, hell. GOD sent himself to save us, his creations, from his righteous hell. Praise JESUS CHRIST our lord, accept him and live forever in his paradise or you will burn in GODS hell.

I really don’t know what to say about this. Is there a competition for how many times you can use the word “creation” in one post? Makes you wonder why he bothered with the other words between each use of the term “creation.”

One final, parting shot, it is interesting (and saddening) to note that generally the language used by Atheists in their comments is far, far better than that used by the theists. Maybe the idea that Atheists are more intelligent and better educated holds some water. (I hope not).