Dear Mr. Atheist VS. Make America Straight Again

[ViolaSebastian]

So as an ardent fan of my favorite snark-crush Youtuber 'Dear Mr. Atheist,' aka ex-Mormon Jimmy Snow, I've been watching this drama unfold from the get-go and I think it'd be appreciated by Free Jinger. For the uninitiated, Mr. Atheist is a Youtuber who has reached 190,000 subscribers acting a foil to fundamentalist religion. He is openly pansexual, which I only mention because it pertains to the escalation of the situation I'm about to describe. A few weeks ago, Mr. Atheist, who has also made videos blasting FJ favorites such as Lori Alexander, Steven Anderson, and Girl Defined, made a video condemning the New IFB's plan to hold a conference called 'Make America Straight Again" on the anniversary of the Pulse Night Club Shooting IN Orlando. In the promotional Youtube videos for 'Make America Straight Again,' grade A choads such as Steven Anderson and Tommy McMurtry gave their usual disgusting anti-LGBTQIA+ screed, but topped it off by openly calling for violence against them. In response, Mr. Atheist called for Youtube to remove 'Make American Straight Again's' promotional videos, and encouraged his subscribers to report the hell out of the New IFB for calling for violence in these videos, which is against the Youtube terms of service. And, it should be noted, he succeeded in having these videos removed, although mirror videos keep popping up.

As a result, Tommy McMurtry made a response video, calling Mr. Atheist, "Mr. Pumpkin," because "a pumpkin is the biggest fruit on earth." McMurtry's video is exactly what you'd expect. As a result, Mr. Atheist called for all his subscribers to engage in "Google Tactics." Further, Mr. Atheist purchased "TommyMcMurtry.com," and invited his subscribers to send in photos of humanoid pumpkin people in provocative poses (NSFW, for the record). Mr. Atheist is continuing to encourage his followers to report the aforementioned videos with calls for violence, as well as actively trying to take down McMurtry and by extension, the New IFB through Google tactics. If you feel so inclined, do watch the videos and help out with his Google tactics campaign.

 

Edited June 4, 2019 by ViolaSebastian

[danvillebelle]

Thank you!

One of my kiddos is pan.  This mama is all in.  

ETA:  I just went to the website.  DYING.  ?

Edited June 4, 2019 by danvillebelle
more

[JermajestyDuggar]

I love Mr Atheist. I want to be friends with him IRL and go out for coffee so we can snark on fundies together. 

[PlentyOfJesusFishInTheSea]

I watched a few Mr Atheist videos and found him very smug, but I appreciate his clap back. I think I found him because he responds to Girl Defined videos sometimes.

But yeah, one of those atheists who is all, "All religions are so ILLOGICAL and people are STUPID for buying into them." I'm atheist too but I appreciate that (some? most?) human brains seems hardwired for pattern seeking, the comfort of community, etc.

[Pecansforeveryone]

@PlentyOfJesusFishInTheSea, I am an atheist, too, and I really enjoy Mr. Atheist. I am not trying to derail the whole thread but where does he call religious people stupid? Sincerely asked, please and thank you. I know Penn Jillette uses terms like "creatard" and "religitard", and I cringe every time he does. Does Mr. Atheist do the same thing? 

[JermajestyDuggar]

4 minutes ago, Pecansforeveryone said:

@PlentyOfJesusFishInTheSea, I am an atheist, too, and I really enjoy Mr. Atheist. I am not trying to derail the whole thread but where does he call religious people stupid? Sincerely asked, please and thank you. I know Penn Jillette uses terms like "creatard" and "religitard", and I cringe every time he does. Does Mr. Atheist do the same thing? 

I hate every single word that ends with --tard. It’s insulting to persons with intellectual disabilities. I haven’t seen all of Mr. Atheists videos but I can understand he might come off as smug. But I have never seen him say all religious people are stupid. 

[Pecansforeveryone]

@JermajestyDuggar, yes I could understand how someone could find him smug and I hate those tard words myself. I just wasn't aware of how he had made personal insults about religious beliefs.

[PlentyOfJesusFishInTheSea]

19 minutes ago, Pecansforeveryone said:

@PlentyOfJesusFishInTheSea, I am an atheist, too, and I really enjoy Mr. Atheist. I am not trying to derail the whole thread but where does he call religious people stupid? Sincerely asked, please and thank you. I know Penn Jillette uses terms like "creatard" and "religitard", and I cringe every time he does. Does Mr. Atheist do the same thing? 

I'll have to go digging but I'm pretty sure it was a video specifically about Mormons. I'll see if I have some time later to go look.

Edited to add: now that I say that, maybe it was about Girl Defined?

Edited June 4, 2019 by PlentyOfJesusFishInTheSea
remembered something

[JermajestyDuggar]

4 minutes ago, PlentyOfJesusFishInTheSea said:

I'll have to go digging but I'm pretty sure it was a video specifically about Mormons. I'll see if I have some time later to go look.

Ok if it was about Mormons in particular, I can’t say it would surprise me. He’s ex-Mormon and pansexual. I can imagine he feels quite bitter toward the Mormon religion. I’m sure they didn’t respect his sexual orientation. At all.

Edited June 4, 2019 by JermajestyDuggar

[PlentyOfJesusFishInTheSea]

This wasn't the one I saw, but at the beginning he says, "Why would I have a problem with the purposeful suspension of reason? That sounds legit." I read that to include all Mormons but I guess you could read it as (a) not all Mormons and/or (b) purposefully suspending reason does not equal stupid.

Anyway, I don't mean to derail this whole thing. I think he makes some good points but I find him pretty smug. Smug is often in the ear of the beholder, though.

 

[Closed Womb]

I love Mr Atheist.  That is all.  ❤️

[ViolaSebastian]

I've not watched all of his videos, but in my experience he's been pretty forthright about how and why people can get caught up in a system of belief that causes them to suspend reason--for example, he talks quite a bit about the BITE model and the role that shame plays in religious control--but @PlentyOfJesusFishInTheSea, there's no one who appeals to everyone and I respect that he's not your cup of tea. ?

[Conundrum]

I heart Mr. Atheist and did my part to help him out. I don't find him smug but I can understand how others may. 

[RosyDaisy]

I'm not an atheist, but I love Mr. Atheist!

[Hane]

I like Mr. Atheist, but he can get smug sometimes, so I just remind myself that he’s a relative “kid” (still in his 20s). He does have reasonable religious people like “God is Gray,” a liberal Christian, and a polytheist named Ocean on his podcasts fairly often.

[JermajestyDuggar]

I think I can come across as very smug when talking about religion sometimes. That’s why I don’t talk about religion much at all in real life.  I can’t help but act smug when people think the world is 6000 years old and we humans just hung out with dinosaurs like The Flintstones. It’s just so ridiculous! 

[ViolaSebastian]

I just realized our “Google tactics” emoticon could be a pumpkin. Coincidence? I think not. 

[Mrs Ms]

9 hours ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

I hate every single word that ends with --tard. It’s insulting to persons with intellectual disabilities. I haven’t seen all of Mr. Atheists videos but I can understand he might come off as smug. But I have never seen him say all religious people are stupid. 

Aside from custard ? Otherwise agree with every word!

[smittykins]

As someone who is officially considered developmentally(although not intellectually)disabled, I also hate -tard insults.  I even cringe when I see the r-word used in a context where it would have been considered appropriate at the time.

ETA:  At least Mr. Atheist seems to avoid the terms “imaginary friend” and “invisible sky-god,” which I’ve seen some other atheists use.

 

Edited June 5, 2019 by smittykins

[nausicaa]

17 hours ago, Pecansforeveryone said:

@PlentyOfJesusFishInTheSea, I am an atheist, too, and I really enjoy Mr. Atheist. I am not trying to derail the whole thread but where does he call religious people stupid? Sincerely asked, please and thank you. I know Penn Jillette uses terms like "creatard" and "religitard", and I cringe every time he does. Does Mr. Atheist do the same thing? 

Do you know if he still does this? I've been listening to his podcast for the past couple years and don't recall him ever using those words. He's actually very supportive of the intellectually disabled community in Las Vegas and IIRC has said he no longer uses the r-word or allows people to use it on his podcast because of his work with them. 

I'm always at work and half listening to the podcast so I could have this wrong. 

[CaricatureQualities]

I've been following Mr.Atheist for a while now and he's always been super respectful of different groups. He does a lot of response vids...like to Girl defined, to The transformend wife etc.... so if he comes across as smug or says something that could be considered not respectful of religion it is probably in direct response to something someone has said or implied in the video or blog he is reviewing.  Responses to people that are using their religion in a harmful or disrespectful way to others and to people that are usually not very respectful or understanding of atheists or LGBTQ+, or even different religions. If you are directly responding to the hateful smugness and flat out ignorance of some of these people, you're probably going to get a bet lippy sometimes and perhaps serve back some smuggness yourself. He does engage in discussion with Christians and is respectful of Christians and religious folk as are most of the atheist activists I follow...but respect goes both ways. He is often dealing with groups and/or people that have no respect for him or the communities he represents but are actively trying to hurt or hinder said communities. 

In this case the NIFB is actively calling for violence against gay people(and all freaks who are not christian cis hetero). The genocide of homosexuals for the betterment of society. What was it?....drag queens should be publicly hung high in front of kids.... I just heard that in a video from them (NIFB).

Mr. Atheist and other atheist activists are trying to take the NIFB down by contacting platform providers to make sure they know that the NIFB is violating their terms of service. Youtube, twitter, and especially pay pal as well as any other service they use to platform themselves and take in money.  

 

[CaricatureQualities]

Video from the Nonsequitur show: at about 45:00 they show a clip from an nifb video where a pastor (Micheal Johnson i think?) talks about hanging drag queens.... "drag queen story hour". The rest of the show they discuss the whole NIFB situation but I shared specifically to show that drag queen story I mentioned and how disgusting these people are with what they are saying. They will say they did not call to violence and are not calling for violence, but they do it every time they speak. This is why the NIFB needs to be deplatformed and cut off from receiving money.

[AliceInFundyland]

I will probably have to listen to this guy for myself.

... I despise leftist/atheist smugness/ condescension about religion. So much. I grew up with that and then ended up having several people be in my life who were quite decidedly Christian. And they're fantastic.

It's all part of what led me here and I love us for our differences.

I also don't understand why people aren't able to let go of words. I know of someone who used to be a teacher who won't quit with r*tard. Seriously?

[Terrie]

14 hours ago, AliceInFundyland said:

... I despise leftist/atheist smugness/ condescension about religion.

Athetists have their extremists the same as any group. And extremists are universally vile.

[ViolaSebastian]

15 hours ago, AliceInFundyland said:

I also don't understand why people aren't able to let go of words. I know of someone who used to be a teacher who won't quit with r*tard. Seriously?

I've had this same experience. A (now former) friend who was progressive in most other ways, but just straight up refused to stop saying that word, even when other people pointed out how derogatory it was. He actually started seeing a woman who worked with people with intellectual disabilities who dumped him because of that. And he still used it! Dude, get a clue.