660 Comments
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NOGODZ20's avatar

Why do xtians find atheist displays "objectionable," yet have NO objections to a beaten, bleeding man nailed to and hanging from a wooden torture/execution device? Something Catholic children see every time they go to Mass?

Xtians are sick sick sick.

Joe King's avatar

You know the answer: Christian Fucking Privilege. They insist that they have the correct beliefs, and anything directly counter to that is evil and not allowed by default.

Nat Barron's avatar

That is also known as fascism in some circles.

oraxx's avatar

In spite of the fact they can't prove any of it.

Kathlyn's avatar

Beat (!) me to it. I was just going to mention the crucifix, something I grew up seeing (in 10’ form over the altar in our parish church, and myriad smaller ones around primary school) - gruesome!

Also, that 1 day rule. Bet their nativity scene was up for a lot longer than that each year!

Maltnothops's avatar

This was exactly my thought.

Also, “Catholics aren’t Real Christians “.

oraxx's avatar

Attempting to determine who was, or was not, a TRUE Christian has spilled enough blood to float the Navy.

NOGODZ20's avatar

How about Eastern Orthodox, Lutherans, Anglicans and Episcopalians? They use crucifixes, too. :)

Maltnothops's avatar

Also not Real Christians! Just ask any Christian who isn’t Eastern Orthodox, Lutherans, Anglicans and Episcopalians.

NOGODZ20's avatar

45.000 sects each thinking they're right and everyone else is wrong.

foofaraw & Chiquita(ARF!)'s avatar

It may be more like 8,000,000,000.

But then, the classic answer to "What is a cult?" is, "Any religion that isn't yours."

OMGeneres's avatar

I don't remember where I saw this:

"In a cult, there's a person at the very top who knows it's all bullshit. In a religion, that person is dead."

wreck's avatar

I N R I = I'm Nailed Right In

Daniel Rotter's avatar

Yeah, when it comes to images of Jesus on a cross, Christians don't get, um, cross.

XJC's avatar

Jesus died for Donald Trump’s sins. Happy?

Maltnothops's avatar

If you don’t sin, then Jesus died for nuthin’

foofaraw & Chiquita(ARF!)'s avatar

If you're a squeaky clean repub. and/or evangelist, you'll never have a chance.

The ONLY ones to succeed have the very WORST possible redemption stories.

(Apparently it's a feature...)

Walt Svirsky's avatar

There are more “objectionable displays” at Comic Con, for crying in a bucket! I’m glad the ACLU is around to make life miserable for the worst hypocrites on earth.

NOGODZ20's avatar

"Harmful to minors." Said by the religion that is full-to-overflowing with child predators. A fact we see on a near-daily basis.

Daniel Rotter's avatar

"Harmful to minors" is an ironic charge, given that the entire foundation of the Christian religion involves it being a good thing that an underage girl got pregnant.

foofaraw & Chiquita(ARF!)'s avatar

1) Open skull

2) Extract brain-like material

3) Close skull.

Work done.

Joan the Dork's avatar

If Hemant didn't have a life outside of work, we'd be seeing it twice daily- or more.

NOGODZ20's avatar

The commentariat posts the ones that Hemant doesn't cover. Seems there's a never-ending supply.

NOGODZ20's avatar

Anyone want to tell Frankensteen that the holiday tree behind him is a pagan symbol and a violation of Jeremiah 10:1-5.

Is he gonna turn around and tear it down now as an "evil?"

Daniel Rotter's avatar

"Mr. Steen, tear down this Christmas tree!"

Joan the Dork's avatar

Bears mentioning that the only people who have ever banned Christmas in this country, or the colonies that preceded it, were Christians.

NOGODZ20's avatar

And in Europe, the very-xtian Oliver Cromwell banned xmas.

Lynn Veit's avatar

Malevolent Malvolios, they have always been. They've just shifted targets over the centuries.

Tinker's avatar

If Christians were actually worried about children being indoctrinated, abused or harmed in other ways they wouldn't be Christians.

Joe King's avatar

"𝑁𝑜 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑛. 𝑁𝑜 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑡𝑜 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑆𝑎𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑐 𝑠𝑦𝑚𝑏𝑜𝑙𝑠, 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑆𝑎𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑐 ℎ𝑦𝑚𝑛𝑠, 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑆𝑎𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑐 𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑠. 𝑁𝑜 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑡ℎ 𝑖𝑛𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑑𝑒𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑡 𝑤𝑒𝑎𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑎𝑏𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑡ℎ. 𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑔𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛. 𝐼𝑡’𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑐ℎ. 𝐼𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑙."

𝐻𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑎𝑙𝑠𝑜 𝑎𝑠𝑘𝑒𝑑 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡, 𝑖𝑓 𝑎𝑛𝑦, 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑔𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑓𝑠 𝑚𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑏𝑒 “ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝑡𝑜 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑛.” 𝐻𝑖𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑒? “𝐴𝑛𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝐺𝑜𝑑 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡.”

To this asshole, anything that doesn't explicitly push Jesus is harmful to children. A game of volleyball? Harmful to children unless there is a prayer before the game starts. School lunch? Poison until the kid is forced to say grace.

When you try to explain to him (using small words so he is capable of understanding) that not everyone believes the way he does and that's OK, he jams his fingers into his ears and says " la la la I can't hear you". Good luck progressing to the fact that those others should have the same respect and opportunities that he is demanding for his religion alone. And this guy wanted to be governor.

Troublesh00ter's avatar

“𝐴𝑛𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝐺𝑜𝑑 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡.”

More like: "Anything that isn't CHRISTIANITY FIRST." If this asshat is going to say the quiet part out loud, the least he can do is say it right. People like him want exclusivity in the public square. They may not recognize that that is their goal, but then, they're too close to it. WE SEE IT.

And we don't like it, not one lousy little bit.

Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

“𝐴𝑛𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝐺𝑜𝑑 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡.”

Like Hindusim? Buddhism? Pastafarianism?

oraxx's avatar

Where there is the expectation of privilege, equality will be seen as persecution. No group in America feels more entitled to privilege than Christians. They do not want to have to compete in the market place of ideas, and their only response is to try silencing those who oppose them. It is never the job of our secular government to backstop anyone’s religion.

James Clark's avatar

Just another case of religious freedom for me, but not for thee.

Personally, I would like to see a display that focuses on the fact that Christian Christmas is a usurpation of pagan winter solstice celebrations.😁

Psittacus Ebrius's avatar

"He was also asked what, if any, other religious beliefs might be “harmful to children.” His response? “Anything that is not God first.”

To former director of Iowa DAS Steen: Are you aware that the name of your state is derived from the Native American word Ioway? Or that Anamosa, Camanche, and Decorah are cities and towns which are also derived from Native American tribes? Do you find their religious beliefs harmful to children? Aren't there more important issues in your state that demand your attention?

RegularJoe's avatar

Elkader is a lovely little town in NE Iowa. It's named after a Muslim Algerian leader, the Emir Abdelkader. When the community was platted in 1846, the founders, Timothy Davis, John Thompson and Chester Sage decided to name it for the young Algerian who was leading his people in resisting the French conquest of Algeria.

Psittacus Ebrius's avatar

I should also mention that the Toledo Industrial School opened in 1898 to "enforce" cultural and religious assimilation of Meskwaki children. Something conveniently ignored by Mr. Steen.

RegularJoe's avatar

Adding insult to injury, the school was built just miles from the Meskwaki Settlement despite heavy protests from tribal leaders. Because local parents resisted sending their children, officials brought in Native children from across the country. The school faced numerous legal battles from parents fighting for their children and was the subject of investigations by the U.S. Department of the Interior into the mistreatment and forced assimilation of Indigenous students.

Psittacus Ebrius's avatar

I have no doubt that Mr. Steen and other Christian Nationalists will want to make sure that this part of U.S. history stays out of the history books, or is re-written in a CN light.

Lynn Veit's avatar

If the CNs win, we may all find our children forcibly enrolled in Christian Industrial Schools.

Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

Hey, I’ve got a Christian wahoo on yesterday’s post trying to convince me that we are proselytizing after he proselytized to me. I reported his comment for proselytizing but he’s still going. Anyone want a chew toy? MrfreenChrist.

Ooops, now I see he’s here too. Have fun y’all.

NOGODZ20's avatar

Surprised he isn't gone from this article by now for his blatant violations.

Nat Barron's avatar

If they really want to ban satanic displays they should ban the cross amongst other so called Christian symbols as well.

Troublesh00ter's avatar

Do that, and the Christians would scream persecution at the tops of their lungs.

Nat Barron's avatar

That's because they are so desperate to claim victimhood status. They think if they can then that means they're "being like Christ" which they still cannot tell you who that even is really.

Anri's avatar

One of organized Christianity's most desperate issues is that they insist on simultaneously being the standard, default culture and also a desperately oppressed, vanishingly small minority.

It's meme-worthy.

"This country always was, and always will be, a Christian nation."

"This country cruelly discriminates against Christians."

"They are the same picture."

Nat Barron's avatar

That's literally a projection on their part then. It's narcissistic really and just not true.

Anri's avatar

Well, when you've been told from a very early age that the Omnipotent Super-King of All The Universe loves you specifically and personally, more than you can imagine, I would have to think it alters your perceptions somewhat.

Nat Barron's avatar

You're exactly right on that. However when you can see it from the outside perspective as I've described whether you grew up in it or not then it starts to take on a whole new meaning.

Boreal's avatar

When Dunning-Kruger academy sends its grads here, they ARE sending their best.

Troublesh00ter's avatar

Which ain't sayin' much!

Bensnewlogin's avatar

“We’re doing this for the children” is like patriotism. It’s the last refuge of the scoundrel.

“ No more marketing to children. No more trying to get them to create Satanic symbols, sing Satanic hymns, partake in Satanic rituals. No more having youth involved in costume contests that depict weapons used to abuse youth. This is not religious expression. It’s not free speech. It is evil.”

Marketing to children? Sounds like Christianity. Satanic symbols? I like wearing torture devices around my neck, but those are Christian symbols. Singing in satanic hymns? How is that any different than singing Christian hymns. Youth involved in costume contests? We can include Christianity and child beauty pageants in this one.. weapons used to abuse youth? Christianity is a weapon used to abuse LGBT youth. Christianity make sure that kids grow up fearing that if they do one wrong thing, they could end up burning in hell forever.

Not to mention:: “now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. And if I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.”

Lynn Veit's avatar

Spot on. By the time I was 8, I had already sat through so many graphic hellfire and brimstone sermons alternating with Rapture/Tribulation sermons, drawing in shaky breaths and counting down the minutes until the final amen...when I could bolt from my seat and run out into the sun, look at cars parked in the parking lot, watch cars drive past on the highway...anything to calm down and try to feel normal again.

Religion is child abuse. If they are so worried about "harming children" they need to look at themselves.

Lynn Veit's avatar

To this day, I am pretty sure my insomnia stems from this. I remember being afraid to go to sleep because I might die. Or I might wake up the next morning and find my parents and sister gone, and me Left Behind

NOGODZ20's avatar

One can hardly be surprised by the lack of evidence for their claim of atheist displays being "harmful to minors." They STILL haven't produced any evidence for the existence of the faerie tale beings they bend knee to.

Lynn Veit's avatar

"Wont SOMEbody think of the children?"

Okay. How about, for starters, we sue the RCC, the SBC, and the LDS into the ground?

Troublesh00ter's avatar

Asshats being asshats. And hell, yes, sue then out of their eyeteeth!

RegularJoe's avatar

Sue them 'till it hurts the school district budget severely. Taxpayers should feel the pain for stupid votes.

Mr.E's avatar

think it would be more effective to hold the perpetrators accountable, but it is the voter who put these horrible human being in power.

Lynn Veit's avatar

Not surprised. When we lived in Minnesota, every time we drove through Wisconsin to admire the scenery, so much of it was ruined with Trump signs and Trump billboards and Trump flags. Even a row of hay rolls in an otherwise picturesque open field spelled out that hideous toad's name.

RegularJoe's avatar

As an Iowan, this brings me great joy!

May they be awarded punitive damages in an obscene amount. 🙂