Tired of Ray Comfort? Think his brand of fundamentalist preaching and willfully ignorant blogging needs to stand the repeated criticism of atheists? We're here because we think so, too.
To Mr Ray Comfort From the entire Raytractors community
Originally started as a means to mobilise and bring together those who oppose the misinformation, dishonesty and wilful ignorance promoted by your good self, this group very quickly grew into a large and diverse community. Composed of individuals with no common thread other than their response to you, they grew exponentially, attracting like-minded and not-so-like-minded people from across the net.
But all things must come to an end...
Their time had come. As the blog died, remaining only as a fossil testament to what once was, the individuals who made up this community walked away from the one who inspired them, who caused their community to exist in the first place. As time went on, they found that they could not confine their criticism to one man: the sheer irrationality that he embodied was not his alone. Their very name, the banner they went under, was limiting them.
And so, they changed. Their identity could no longer support who and what they were, so they adapted, evolving into something different at a glance but the same at heart. They built a new environment more conductive to discussion and communication than the blog they had for so long run in tandem to your own, and they named themselves anew, that all who saw them would see and understand that they were not the mere detractors of one purveyor of lies, but the opponents of all those who would use misinformation, pseudoscience and intellectual dishonesty to promote bigotry and hate amongst those who are unable to establish truth for themselves.
They drafted a letter, in third person and in past tense because it sounded impressive and important, and they sent it to the one who had brought them together in the first place. In this document, they announced their newfound independence, and wished Mr Comfort the best in the future. Although they would continue to read and comment on the words uttered by this one, they no longer defined themselves by him, and they would exist as an entity separate from him. They again extended the same invitation to him and his followers that they had previously: if any of you wish for an honest and free exchange of ideas and opinions, without the censorship, format and rules designed to stifle inquiry and prevent individuals from providing evidence and support for their opinions, then you are welcome to join us at the new venue, which you can access from the old BlogSpot. You will be welcomed with open arms by those who used to be the Raytractors.
And so, in a final act of dramatic timing, they signed off with the name they had chosen for themselves, their new identity, which identified them not as your detractors... but as something more.
Goodbye Ray. And thank you for bringing us together.
Would you agree that Christianity has nothing intelligent to say about any of these three important topics?
Do any other atheists (or even non-fundamentalists) wish to agree with me also that in addition to the rationality, a side benefit of not being religiously committed is that you can have a more sane, balanced, empirical understanding of these three topics?
Hi Raytractors. Love your blog. I occasionally post comments there under the name "muffin".. Just thought I'd introduce myself.
Comment by BeamStalk on September 18, 2008 at 6:46am
Hey this is Rocky "BeamStalk" S. on Ray's blog and on the Raytractors blog. I accidentally used a pseudonym the first time but after dealing with some of the sociopaths on there, I am glad I did.
Comment by Stephen Cardie on September 5, 2008 at 2:18pm
Welcome, sir! Hopefully the rest of the blog list will make their way over here, there are more than 30 people actively discussing the ignorance he spews. You can find me as "theShaggy" over there.
Had to join, Ray's got the most laughable arguments for the existance of god and refuting evolution of the "big three" (Hovind, Ham and Comfort) of christian creationists... that he get's Kirk Cameron to follow him around is just hilarious.
Comment by Stephen Cardie on September 4, 2008 at 8:16pm
We need a better, new logo. Anyone want to make something?
I have no problem with other people using pseudonyms. I understand that others have different situations to me. This is a personal decision based on the simple fact that there is now really no reason for me, personally, to continue using a pseudonym…
Good post. I hate to admit it, but I still get superstitious when a situation gets way out of control. "God get me through this." I don't believe in God, but it still calms me a bit.
BTW Howard and John D ~ Check out the video I posted on Praying t…
Well, as a tenured professor, I don't have that employment risk.
But here I am, surrounded by a bunch of so-called scientists,
and every public occasion it is still automatically assumed that everyone is 'christian', i.e. grace before dinner, refere…
I must say I have negative feelings when it comes to homeschooling of any type unless there are medical issues that preclude a public education. I freely admit they are based solely on the isolation from the mainstream I felt as a child. From the 5t…
That brings up an interesting question... What do they do with their kirpan while flying? I seriously doubt they're allowed to bring it on board, so they'd have to put it in their checked luggage. If they're willing to make that concession, then the…
Excellent post Howard - I never really thought of "#4 Unhelpfulness disguised as helplessness". This must be one of the ways prayer actually makes the world a worse place. It provides an excuse for inactivity by claiming it really does do something.…
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