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U.S. Atheists Reportedly Using Hair Dryers to 'De-Baptize'
Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 5:29 pm
by August
American atheists lined up to be "de-baptized" in a ritual using a hair dryer, according to a report Friday on U.S. late-night news program "Nightline."
Leading atheist Edwin Kagin blasted his fellow non-believers with the hair dryer to symbolically dry up the holy water sprinkled on their heads in days past. The styling tool was emblazoned with a label reading "Reason and Truth."
Kagin believes parents are wrong to baptize their children before they are able to make their own choices, even slamming some religious eduction as "child abuse." He said the blast of hot air was a way for adults to undo what their parents had done.
"I was baptized Catholic. I don't remember any of it at all," said 24-year-old Cambridge Boxterman. "According to my mother, I screamed like a banshee ... so you can see that even as a young child I didn't want to be baptized. It's not fair. I was born atheist, and they were forcing me to become Catholic."
Kagin doned a monk's robe and said a few mock-Latin phrases before inviting those wishing to be de-baptized to "come forward now and receive the spirit of hot air that taketh away the stigma and taketh away the remnants of the stain of baptismal water."
Ironically, Kagin's own son became a fundamentalist Christian minister after having "a personal revelation in Jesus Christ."
"One wonders where they went wrong," he chuckled to the TV show.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/07/17/at ... latestnews
At least these atheists recognize that their "Truth and Reason" is nothing but hot air....
Re: U.S. Atheists Reportedly Using Hair Dryers to 'De-Baptiz
Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 8:39 pm
by Canuckster1127
Makes no sense. If they believe there is no God and therefore baptism is just getting wet, then there's no reason to symbolically do anything. By instituting their own ritual to reverse the former, they are recognizing its legitimacy to begin with. This type of atheism appears to me to be less about denying the existance of God and more about acknowledging it and then shaking their fist in His face.
Re: U.S. Atheists Reportedly Using Hair Dryers to 'De-Baptiz
Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 8:52 pm
by narnia4
How "reason" became the motto for the New Atheist movement, I don't know. If theism is true, then they're wrong and haven't been too reasonable in laughing at God as they reject him. If they're right and there is no God, then free will and consciousness are but chemical reactions in a purely material mind and most likely illusory. If consciousness and free will are both illusory, then no "reasoning" actually takes place but mere chemical reactions that get a guaranteed result. Atheists would then be the complete products of their genes and environment, the same as religious people, meaning that no more "reason" takes place for atheists than for Christians or any member of any other religion.
So no matter how you choose to look at it, "reasonable atheist" is an oxymoron.
On a more serious note, I'm so tired of this "New Atheist" movement. As Ravi Zacharias has often said, "What are you denying?" They spend so much time shaking their fists and hating (and it obviously is hate) this "imaginary" being. If He is on the same level as Santa Claus then that says a great deal about these atheists. I don't believe in Santa Claus, and I don't waste my time holding anti-Santa rallies or putting a fire under my chimney so that he gets burned when he comes down it.
Re: U.S. Atheists Reportedly Using Hair Dryers to 'De-Baptiz
Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2010 12:35 am
by One of Many
I thought this was the humor section?? That's just sad
Re: U.S. Atheists Reportedly Using Hair Dryers to 'De-Baptiz
Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2010 7:25 am
by MarcusOfLycia
narnia4 wrote:How "reason" became the motto for the New Atheist movement, I don't know. If theism is true, then they're wrong and haven't been too reasonable in laughing at God as they reject him. If they're right and there is no God, then free will and consciousness are but chemical reactions in a purely material mind and most likely illusory. If consciousness and free will are both illusory, then no "reasoning" actually takes place but mere chemical reactions that get a guaranteed result. Atheists would then be the complete products of their genes and environment, the same as religious people, meaning that no more "reason" takes place for atheists than for Christians or any member of any other religion.
That's a great way of looking at it. I've had several debates with a very (I call him) rabid atheist. He's more mission-minded than a lot of Christians in his efforts to convert everyone he knows to the religion of secular humanism. In the times I've spoken with him he'll question literally everything until the discussion is almost about nihilism. But this might be an interesting thing to remind him, given his own position would make his reason just as valid or invalid as mine.
As far as the story goes, I read that the other day, too. If one combines that sort of ritualistic/evangelical atheism with secular postmodernism's denial of the existence of truth, I think it makes one's outlook on the future of our society fairly bleak to say the least. The outlook is sad, but I take comfort in the fact that anyone I've known (including myself) who has honestly sought after Truth has found Jesus Christ.
Re: U.S. Atheists Reportedly Using Hair Dryers to 'De-Baptiz
Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2010 10:01 am
by Cross.eyed
This is pathetic.
I am atheistic to all so called gods but the one true God.
Can you imagine the laughs if I were tell every one not to believe in neptune?
I would be treated as a psycho while these guys get an audience.
And they think we're insane.....
Re: U.S. Atheists Reportedly Using Hair Dryers to 'De-Baptiz
Posted: Sun Jul 25, 2010 9:52 am
by Kristoffer
Cross.eyed wrote:...atheistic to all so called gods but the one true God...
So you are a A
THORIST and a A
ZEUSist and also a A
TEAPOTist.(yes there are people worshipping a giant teapot in the world.)
Its funny that all of those gods were very specific and focused, the Greeks and Romans in archaic times had a god for everything. As much as I know those gods are not real It is kind of a shame that their cultures were so utterly destroyed I would of loved to see the Parthenon on a day of their worship, rather than just a silly recreation.
Re: U.S. Atheists Reportedly Using Hair Dryers to 'De-Baptiz
Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2010 2:19 am
by ryeguy123
scope monkey trial all over aga
in
Re: U.S. Atheists Reportedly Using Hair Dryers to 'De-Baptiz
Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 7:57 pm
by StMonicaGuideMe
LOL THIS IS RIDICULOUS.
It's funny how if too hot, it can set them on fire
Re: U.S. Atheists Reportedly Using Hair Dryers to 'De-Baptiz
Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2011 5:36 pm
by Murray
What is the point in this? Are they trying to make themselves feel better or something?
Re: U.S. Atheists Reportedly Using Hair Dryers to 'De-Baptiz
Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2011 6:36 pm
by Proinsias
people like ritual, even atheists
Re: U.S. Atheists Reportedly Using Hair Dryers to 'De-Baptiz
Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 8:13 am
by Dudeacus97
I remember seeing this on 60 Minutes. They also have about eight summer camps and Richard Dawkins visits the English one regularly.
Re: U.S. Atheists Reportedly Using Hair Dryers to 'De-Baptiz
Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 8:14 am
by Dudeacus97
I remember seeing this on 60 Minutes. They also have about eight summer camps and Richard Dawkins visits the English one annually. It's called "Camp Quest" and one of the activities involves trying to disprove the existance of several invisible pink unicorns that cannot be sensed and leave no evidence. Also, I think the hair drier was a joke.
Re: U.S. Atheists Reportedly Using Hair Dryers to 'De-Baptiz
Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 1:33 pm
by Beanybag
Canuckster1127 wrote:Makes no sense. If they believe there is no God and therefore baptism is just getting wet, then there's no reason to symbolically do anything. By instituting their own ritual to reverse the former, they are recognizing its legitimacy to begin with. This type of atheism appears to me to be less about denying the existance of God and more about acknowledging it and then shaking their fist in His face.
I thought it was kind of funny. It's just supposed to symbolize the opposite of baptism. I don't think they actually give it any special meaning, but if they do, it's strange indeed. It's certainly not about recognizing the legitimacy, but more about causing offense, flashiness, or mockery of some sort.
Proinsias wrote:people like ritual, even atheists
Very true.
Re: U.S. Atheists Reportedly Using Hair Dryers to 'De-Baptiz
Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 5:38 pm
by Furstentum Liechtenstein
The Roman Catholic Church will de-baptize people here in this jurisdiction but it is a complicated procedure. The man who discipled me actually went through it, and it cost him a lot of time and money. From a Protestant perspective, ''de-baptizing'' seems impossible (once you're a child of God, He won't let go) but for those churches that see baptism in the same light as Jewish circumcision, I guess it may make sense...even so, a former Catholic who wants to make a statement about his atheism would have to be un-
confirmed. This, alas, is impossible because once you're a child of God, He won't let go.
That leaves excommunication...
FL
