Wolf Blitzer Asks Atheist If She Thanked The Lord

[debrand]

 

 

Why would he assume she was religious?

 

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[Swamptribe]

Seems he kind of realized his mistake right away. She handled it gracefully.

[Turtle]

She did handle it very nicely.

The next video to come up after I watched that one was the older woman who found her little dog. And now I'm crying.

[LeatherCouch]

Because she's in OK where everyone from the abusive alcoholic at the bar to the child molester and murder declares themselves Christian. The atheist, no matter how wonderful of a person they are, is worse than any criminal just because they are atheist. I'm really proud of her for saying it, it took serious courage and there will probably be some fall out if she wasn't already out about it. If you watch the full interview she lets the God stuff slide first and then when he asks her directly you can see her stammer and work up her courage to be truthful.

[tabitha2]

because it is Oklahoma and he was probably accustomed to people all day talking about how prayers, god, miracles or the like got them out alive.

[treemom]

Honestly, I think its because it is a cultural norm. I use the phrase

"Thank God" when I never actually would.

[MrsYoungie]

The thing is she probably wouldn't have bothered contradicting him if hadn't kept on about it. Seems like he asked her, then asked again like You're going to thank god right? Right??? Aren't you???? until she finally said "no". I agree it was brave of her. Even up here in Ontario I find it can be risky coming out about my complete lack of belief. It's mostly ok to be namby-pamby "I believe in some kind of a higher power" but to admit to atheism? Someone asked me if I was some kind of Satanist. Seriously. And she wasn't even a fundy.

[thoughtful]

Ooops, Wolf.

And good for her. I hope she doesn't suffer any negative repercussions -- she's been through enough.

[singsingsing]

Because that's the script they use. It's along the same lines as that question, "Have you ever seen anything like this?" Which they always ask after some huge catastrophe or horrific event. They're fishing for a certain response.

[Loveday]

Because that's the script they use. It's along the same lines as that question, "Have you ever seen anything like this?" Which they always ask after some huge catastrophe or horrific event. They're fishing for a certain response.

My favourite is 'Can you give us a sense of what it's like...' whatever the situation is. I lost track of the number of times Diane Sawyer asked that one during the Boston bombing situation. And if I never hear the word 'firestorm' again it will be way too soon. :roll:

[longskirtlotsakids]

I'm soooo happy she was out and proud with it. I am so sick of the damn FB updates about Gawd and OK. Listen, if there was a God, he is an asshole for sending down a tornado and randomly picking people left and right to smite. Yes, you prayed and were saved, but how many of the dead and injured prayed and were not spared, idiot?

[sparkles]

I can't watch the video now because I'm at work but did he actually ask her if she thanked god? Definitely not part of any broadcaster's script I've ever heard, unless the broadcaster in question worked for a religious network. If he actually mentioned god then he's waaaay out of line, IMO. And good for her for shutting him down.

[Coconut Flan]

It seemed rude to me for him to repeat the question. I thought it was odd to ask also. Maybe everyone else he'd talked to had said "Thank God." so he thought it was different when she didn't, but still an inappropriate question to me.

[SallyDraper]

Thanks for posting the video. We were talking about this at work today and I was dreading the Youtube search to see it.

[bluelady]

I just think it was a very personal question to ask. At first, when he said "You gotta thank the Lord" - ok, fine. I take that as a very generalized statement, akin to "Oh my God". But to outright ask her if she thanked God? No.

I have christian beliefs and even I would be offended at that question. My belief system is mine and not something I want, or need, to share on CNN.

I don't think my response would have been as eloquent as hers was.

[JenniferJuniper]

Honestly, I think its because it is a cultural norm. I use the phrase

"Thank God" when I never actually would.

If he said asked her once, yes, but he persisted with "Now, do you thank the Lord?"

Good for her. No journalist should assume someone is thanking an imaginary sky friend because they were fortunate to survive a terrible event. And if the sky man allowed her to survive, he also must have also decided to kill the people who were not so fortunate.

[MamaJunebug]

Topic TL,DR (just because I'm on a tight schedule!) but I was charmed when the young woman said graciously, "I don't hold it against anybody who DOES thank The Lord!"

Classy young woman, she.

[terranova]

Honestly, I think its because it is a cultural norm. I use the phrase

"Thank God" when I never actually would.

I've been trying to cut this phrase from my vocabulary, same with "Jesus Christ", or just "Jesus". Somehow though, "Golly" or "Goodness" just don't cut it!

[treemom]

If he said asked her once, yes, but he persisted with "Now, do you thank the Lord?"

Good for her. No journalist should assume someone is thanking an imaginary sky friend because they were fortunate to survive a terrible event. And if the sky man allowed her to survive, he also must have also decided to kill the people who were not so fortunate.

Oh I still think he shouldn't have and she handled it gracefully.

I couldn't make him out, so I am trusting what is being reported here. But yeah, not really worked up about wolf blitzer. It is pretty common knowledge amongst my peeps that I pretty much don't believe in a god that would move and act in this world and I say thank god all the time when I hear great news or am relieved.

And I wouldn't be offended if someone called me on it. If wolf have a Christian temper tantrum I would feel like he was an asshole then.

[louisa05]

That was a ten second exchange out of literally hours of coverage on the news networks. Were it not for the internet and the ability to disseminate it and replay it over and over, probably no one would have noticed. And I actually thought he repeated it because he wasn't sure she heard or something when he first said it.

Also, it is silly to think of reporters in Oklahoma this week having a "script". They have no such thing. They are just interviewing endlessly and often, in these settings, don't even have producers providing background info for them before they do.

I also think that the notion that mobs of Christians gather with pitchforks or something to abuse atheists in Midwestern Red States a bit stereotypical and narrow. I have never heard of such behavior. We didn't even bother the teens who declared themselves atheists in Catholic school in my Midwestern Red State other than asking that they sit quietly in school masses (which occurred all of twice a month). It is possible that some family members object or pressure them, but I would think that would be possible anywhere and in any case where someone makes a religious choice different from parents and others. And sometimes Fundies come to our door here, but believe me, they harass you just as much for declaring Catholicism as Atheism and I'm sure a number of other spiritual choices would set them off as well. I know this. I have informed them we are Catholic before and it set them off a bit more than the time my husband told them we are atheists. (We are actually practicing Catholics).

[debrand]

Also, it is silly to think of reporters in Oklahoma this week having a "script". They have no such thing. They are just interviewing endlessly and often, in these settings, don't even have producers providing background info for them before they do.

I don't think that anyone believes there is a literal script. What I believe happens is that the reporters don't think through all their questions.

I also think that the notion that mobs of Christians gather with pitchforks or something to abuse atheists in Midwestern Red States a bit stereotypical and narrow.

I am tired so maybe your statement confuses me because I need to go to sleep. I'm not certain what your reference is in this statement.

We didn't even bother the teens who declared themselves atheists in Catholic school in my Midwestern Red State other than asking that they sit quietly in school masses (which occurred all of twice a month).

Can we have a link to this news story?

[louisa05]

I am tired so maybe your statement confuses me because I need to go to sleep. I'm not certain what your reference is in this statement.

Can we have a link to this news story?

1--I was referencing all the people concerned that the woman has been "outed" and hoping that she won't be harassed.

2--No news story. I taught in a Catholic school in a small very red Midwestern town for ten years. We frequently had kids who openly declared atheism yet their parents forced them to remain in our school. Two or three in the high school most of the time (and the high school had only around 100 kids). Eighth graders did confirmation preparation at school and were confirmed in the spring. In the ten years that I was there, at least five students asked not to be confirmed and were not in spite of parental objections. All had concluded that either atheism or agnosticism made the most sense to them. There was no pressure from the school or the parish priest to change their minds. They were simply told that if at some point they changed their beliefs, they could always ask to be confirmed in the future. Students who claimed atheism or agnosticism were not made to participate in religious activities other than attending school masses (held twice a month with the entire student body and staff which was why all students had to attend--it is not legal to leave students alone in this state) where they were asked to sit quietly if they were not comfortable participating (i.e. standing, kneeling, saying responses) which was the same policy applied to any student who was not Catholic (about 1/3 of the families were of other Christian denominations). There were not negative repercussions at the school for kids from Catholic families who decided they had a different belief system or wished to explore a different belief system whether that was atheism or something else. I'm sure that this happens, very quietly, at many Catholic high schools. Not everything turns into a news story.

[JenniferJuniper]

1--I was referencing all the people concerned that the woman has been "outed" and hoping that she won't be harassed.

2--No news story. I taught in a Catholic school in a small very red Midwestern town for ten years. We frequently had kids who openly declared atheism yet their parents forced them to remain in our school. Two or three in the high school most of the time (and the high school had only around 100 kids). Eighth graders did confirmation preparation at school and were confirmed in the spring. In the ten years that I was there, at least five students asked not to be confirmed and were not in spite of parental objections. All had concluded that either atheism or agnosticism made the most sense to them. There was no pressure from the school or the parish priest to change their minds. They were simply told that if at some point they changed their beliefs, they could always ask to be confirmed in the future. Students who claimed atheism or agnosticism were not made to participate in religious activities other than attending school masses (held twice a month with the entire student body and staff which was why all students had to attend--it is not legal to leave students alone in this state) where they were asked to sit quietly if they were not comfortable participating (i.e. standing, kneeling, saying responses) which was the same policy applied to any student who was not Catholic (about 1/3 of the families were of other Christian denominations). There were not negative repercussions at the school for kids from Catholic families who decided they had a different belief system or wished to explore a different belief system whether that was atheism or something else. I'm sure that this happens, very quietly, at many Catholic high schools. Not everything turns into a news story.

I'm sorry, but what does your post have to do with Wolf Blitzer trying to get someone to say on camera that she's thankful God spared her?

In my experience, most Catholic schools are quite happy to take the money of someone willing to pay tuition, regardless of whether the student is Catholic or not. My husband attended Catholic high school. His father was Jewish, his mother a Methodist and he's always been agnostic, but it was the best school within commuting distance for him. The school was fine with that, and never required him to actively participate in religious services. I think that's pretty standard when a Catholic school accepts the tuition of non-Catholic; they don't try to convert, otherwise non-Catholics would probably not consider attending their schools. So I don’t think your experience was all that special.

But again, what's the connection to the CNN clip?

[Swamptribe]

I was one of those atheist kids in a catholic school. And yes, I was forced to participate in religious activities. I just learned to lie about my beliefs a lot. It saved me the trouble. Though, they never bothered the one Jewish student in my sisters class, go figure.

Oh, and I've also been the atheist surrounded by the christians with pitchforks. I have been informed that my children should be taken away from me and given to a nice Christian family. I have been fired from job and been harassed or been harassed co-workers when the found out I was an atheist. I've seen the same things, and worse, happen to others. To the point where my husband and I would often just keep our mouths shut about our religious beliefs. It never ceases to amaze me how often people just assume that you are Christian.

[LeatherCouch]

:roll: It's good to know there is a private school in the midwest that doesn't treat their paying customers poorly just because they are atheists. I guess. Meanwhile, in Oklahoma public schools:

1) Nicole Smalkowski

2) Gage Pulliam

Bonus:

3) Camp Quest