Jon Stewart on the American Atheists Association

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Permalink Reply by Matt VDB on August 5, 2011 at 11:48am

He does misconstrue the point to poke fun at it, but I do agree that Silverman's statement was pretty dickish and isn't going to win atheists any points in terms of PR... Especially since the argument he makes isn't that good either: for most Christians, the WTC cross is a symbol of hope and a reminder that there's hope to be found even in the ashes of a tragedy.

Following that up with "Guess your God didn't care enough to save those people." is acting like a dick.

 

And to be honest, I'm not even too sure symbolic cases of this kind are worth filing lawsuits for. Surely we have better things to do.

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Permalink Reply by Jeremy Raines on August 5, 2011 at 12:05pm

Silverman might have been a little too "on point" for the comfort of your average person.

 

As far as Jon Stewart, I think he was pandering to his broader audience. I'm pretty sure that most of his audience is not atheist (although, you can hear applause in the studio after he reads Silverman's comment). Of course that's like making a "gay joke" or a "black joke" just because most of your audience is heterosexual and white.

 

Now that I think of it, that was a pretty mean-spirited jab at us. I wonder if Al Sharpton will ask him to apologize. Yeah, right.

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Permalink Reply by Matt VDB on August 5, 2011 at 3:13pm

The point of PR and public appearances is precisely to get the average person on your side and sympathetic to your cause (or at least understanding), so I'd say it's clearly a failure on that point.

 

And I didn't find the jab all that mean-spirited really. Just a little misinformed considering he just reacted to that small quote.

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Permalink Reply by Sassan K. on August 5, 2011 at 1:19pm

I personally haven no problem with the cross - it was found naturally - it wasn't created. We have bigger issues to worry about.

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Permalink Reply by Justin Gargala on August 9, 2011 at 8:21pm

This has been my point to so many offended Christians lately.  Thank you, I agree completely.

There are so many bigger battles that need fought right now, this cross is not even on the radar as far as I'm concerned.  Therefore, I have no problem with Jon making fun of what is there for him to work with.  

 

Of course, weeee know that every once in a while, lol, steel crossbeams might represent the shape of ... a ... cross.  It's not rocket-science.  But if people want to believe it is special we can chuckle as much as we please.  I can think of one hundred different lawsuits that could be filed about real issues affecting the church-state relationship, etc.  If you watch the Daily Show regularly, this could actually have been on our "You're Not Helping" segment.  

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Permalink Reply by Jedi Wanderer on August 10, 2011 at 8:49am

Hah, that's the comedy of it all right there! Of course it's gonna look like a cross... they're freaking CROSS BEAMS, of course they're gonna look like a cross, you shmucks!

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Permalink Reply by Jim DePaulo on August 5, 2011 at 3:39pm

Stewart has no sacred cows he offends everyone eventually – it's comedy. He's done a number on the fundies from time to time . Beside, Silverman has the diplomacy of Attila the Hun – he needed to have the stool kicked out from under him.
A better use of the money would be to offer to pay to commission and erect a sculpture that would reflect the universality of people of all beliefs or no belief that died on 9/11.
This shit is like the xmas wars - pissing against the wind.

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Permalink Reply by Jedi Wanderer on August 6, 2011 at 10:50am

I think that was the best suggestion I have heard. Instead of asking the cross to be removed, simply ask to have something of comparable size placed in the display which serves as a symbol for atheists, like the AA atom Stewart was poking fun at. Good point Jim.

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Permalink Reply by Pat on August 5, 2011 at 3:41pm

I, for one, didn't think Silverman was being a dick. I recall when all the christians were up in arms in the streets over a muslim center being built, and the vicious things said about them by the god fearing followers of "Jesus Meek and Mild." Oklahoma's state legislature, in an attempt to outdo other christian bigots, has passed a statute banning Sharia law (like an amendment authorizing the stoning of a rape victim is really going to slip on the budget bill). And this morning, I saw where New Jersey Governor Chris Christie appointed a Muslin-American attorney as a judge, and the moronic christian outrage over that.

Look on the bright side. Do you really think Silverman's comments are going to get the "true believers" to hate us any more than they already do? Who's really being the dick? And, as far as Stewart, he was doing what he did to poke fun at us. That's what he does - makes fun of people. I did think the comment about the not so successful carpentry business was pretty good.

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Permalink Reply by FreeThinker on August 6, 2011 at 9:44am

"I recall when all the christians were up in arms in the streets over a muslim center being built, and the vicious things said about them"

 

That doesn't mean we should stoop to their level.

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Permalink Reply by Pat on August 6, 2011 at 10:38am

Exactly what did Silverman say that was so horrible? I don't buy into that whole christian/islamic/judaic/theistic idea of "You say something critical about my religious belief, and you're persecuting me" horseshit. His exercise of free speech (admittedly politically incorrect but nevertheless accurate speech) may have hurt their feelings. So what!!

I guess that makes Richard Dawkins a dick for his, "The god of the old testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction..." quote.

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Permalink Reply by FreeThinker on August 9, 2011 at 7:49pm

It isn't that what he said was horrible, inaccurate, etc.  It wasn't.  I just think it is a fight that doesn't need to be fought because the damage it does to the perception of atheists outweighs the benefits.  You have to pick your battles and this is one battle I don't think should have been fought.

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