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An open letter to the Muslims who are protesting the supposed inappropriate burning of their holy book.
Dear Protesting Muslims,
In order to provide a valuable lesson in maturity, I have decided to burn my edition of The God Delusion. Please be aware that you will not see hordes of atheists in the streets chanting inane slogans and inciting riots after this act. You will not see atheists shooting guns in the air and carrying on. While you act like a gaggle of dangerously psychotic mental patients off their medications, atheists will shrug their shoulders and continue to be productive members of society even when one of their best written books on godlessness went up in flames. In case you haven't understood the intent of this letter allow me to sum it up in two words: Grow up.
In case you believe that I am simply another anti-Muslim American beating up on Islam, I wish to point out that I have supported the building of the misnamed Monster Mosque near Ground Zero, and pointed out the Christian hysteria regarding Campbell's selling halal soup.
Now, let's get on with the book burning.
Here is my copy of The God Delusion.
Please note the near mint condition of the book. This was one of the few objects that I owned that I hadn't damaged in some manner. Within minutes of taking this picture I said my good-byes to a book that was critical in shifting me from a mealy mouthed agnostic to a out of the closet atheist. The two of us went outside in a late winter snow flurry to do the unspeakable act.
Here 'tis.
Sincerely yours,
Laughing in Purgatory
Dear Protesting Muslims,
In order to provide a valuable lesson in maturity, I have decided to burn my edition of The God Delusion. Please be aware that you will not see hordes of atheists in the streets chanting inane slogans and inciting riots after this act. You will not see atheists shooting guns in the air and carrying on. While you act like a gaggle of dangerously psychotic mental patients off their medications, atheists will shrug their shoulders and continue to be productive members of society even when one of their best written books on godlessness went up in flames. In case you haven't understood the intent of this letter allow me to sum it up in two words: Grow up.
In case you believe that I am simply another anti-Muslim American beating up on Islam, I wish to point out that I have supported the building of the misnamed Monster Mosque near Ground Zero, and pointed out the Christian hysteria regarding Campbell's selling halal soup.
Now, let's get on with the book burning.
Here is my copy of The God Delusion.
Please note the near mint condition of the book. This was one of the few objects that I owned that I hadn't damaged in some manner. Within minutes of taking this picture I said my good-byes to a book that was critical in shifting me from a mealy mouthed agnostic to a out of the closet atheist. The two of us went outside in a late winter snow flurry to do the unspeakable act.
Here 'tis.
Sincerely yours,
Laughing in Purgatory
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This is my favorite sentence in your wonderful essay: "atheists will shrug their shoulders and continue to be productive members of society even when one of their best written books on godlessness went up in flames." Well said.
ReplyDeleteDear Laughing in Purgatory,
ReplyDeleteVery well said. I'm sad you burned Dawkins's fine book. But the point is well made. The ideas within the book cannot be burned. All you've burned is paper with marks. The ideas live on.
Sincerely
Grumpy Alice.