Online troll or therapist? Atheist evangelists see their work as a calling

[rug]

By Kimberly Winston | Religion News Service December 1 at 4:21 PM

Two years ago, “Max” was a devout Catholic who loved his faith so much he would sometimes cry as he swallowed the Communion wafer.

Then came the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, where 20 schoolchildren and six adults were murdered by a troubled gunman. At that moment, a bell went off in his head, he said, ringing “there is no God, there is no God.”

Now, Max goes by his online handle “Atheist Max.” A 50-something professional artist from the Northeast, some days he now spends two or more hours online trying to argue people out of their religious beliefs in the comments section of Religion News Service.

Max left more than 3,600 comments in the past 12 months, making him RNS’ top commenter. Many of his remarks can be interpreted as angry, hostile and provocative, casting him in some minds as an Internet “troll” — a purposely disruptive online activist who delights in creating comment chaos.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/online-troll-or-therapist-atheist-evangelists-see-their-work-as-a-calling/2014/12/01/f7428d52-799f-11e4-9721-80b3d95a28a9_story.html

[immoderate]

1. Such is the nature of the evangelizing personality type.

You know, everybody thinks they're smart. Evangelizing types feel the need to impart their revelations.

--imm

[TlalocW]

8. I often joke

That there's no one more boring to talk to than a newly evangelical Christian...
Except for a newly minted evangelical Atheist...
And they're both beaten out by a teenager who has just "discovered" Led Zeppelin.



TlalocW

[bvf]

10. That would explain cafeteria christianity.

[stone space]

24. ...and cafeteria atheism. (nt)

[Lordquinton]

25. no such thing

The parallel doesn't even make sense. Picking and choosing from one dish?

[stone space]

27. Sounds like a rather impoverished atheism to me.

Picking and choosing from one dish?

Not to mention grim.

[cbayer]

2. Evangelists - love 'em or leave 'em.

[okasha]

3. Leave 'em.

[cbayer]

4. Yep - proselytize and you are done.

[Dont call me Shirley]

5. A belief that there is no god is a conclusion one must come to on their own. It cannot be forced.

[bvf]

6. Yeah. Atheists should just shut the fuck up. n/t.

[rug]

7. Yes, that's exactly what it says.

[bvf]

9. Pretty much.

[cbayer]

12. Well, that is not what this says. But what do you think about evangelizing?

[carolinayellowdog]

11. some believers are dogmatic authoritarian types, some aren't; same for unbelievers

Max didn't have a clue about pluralism and mutual respect when he loved the Church, and he still doesn't.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

13. 3600 posts in one year? Child's play.

Now 6400 per year, that's a different story...

[bvf]

14. Yes indeed.

Some people around these parts crank out about 3,000 posts in a quarter of the time.

Max isn't an atheist, btw, despite the handle. He says this in one of his RNS comments:

"I don't know if god is real or not."

Sounds more like someone still grappling with the question owing to 9/11, Sandy Hook, and all the other shit human beings experience that an omnipotent being could avert.

Still, he obviously annoyed someone at RNS enough to prompt the article.

[cbayer]

16. OMG!!! He's an agnostic??? But wait, you can't be an agnostic by itself,

you have to be an agnostic atheist or an agnostic theist and since he doesn't say he believes in god, he's an agnostic atheist.. It has to be true. I read it right here…. over and over and over again.

But, wait, maybe he's not a true scotsman. Yeah, that's the ticket.

He's says he an atheist, but he doesn't fit the rigid and dogmatic definition used by some on this site, so he must be a liar!

[stone space]

17. I'll have to admit that I find his Sandy Hook atheism a little weird, also.

Like most school massacres, Sandy Hook moved many people deeply.

Some of those so moved reacted by hugging their children and focusing their efforts on controlling the massive amount of high powered weaponry so freely available in our society.

Others were moved to hug their AR-15s and stock up on MOAR GUNZ and AMMO.

Both strike me as genuine reactions to a school massacre like the one at Sandy Hook, as people try to hang on to and cling to what is important to them in the face of tragedy, although I'll admit that one of them does appear somewhat misguided in my own view.

Atheists could go either way, I suppose.

But for somebody to be deeply moved by a school massacre to become an evangelical atheist just leaves me scratching my head in wonder. It gives me the impression of somebody who is angry at a literal non-metalic God who he blames for the massacre, an attitude which I have some difficulty reconciling with atheism.

[cbayer]

18. I find this guy's whole schtick a little weird.

What I am objecting here is this strident stance taken by some that one must be either a theist or an atheist and can not reside in some grey area. In particular, the case is often loudly made that one can not be an agnostic.

And then someone comes along and makes the case that the guy can't be an atheist because he's not sure.

It's all so mushy, isn't it? It all depends on whether someone fits your agenda or not.

Like all the non-believers that have been blocked from the atheist/agnostic group because they aren't the right kid of A/A. They dare to challenge the status quo and the ruling class.

Anyway, this guy is whatever he says he is, but he seems pretty obnoxious whatever that is.

[stone space]

19. Well, that's just weird, I agree.

What I am objecting here is this strident stance taken by some that one must be either a theist or an atheist and can not reside in some grey area. In particular, the case is often loudly made that one can not be an agnostic.

But some of the definitions promulgated in certain quarters strike me as specifically designed to help enable silly superficial arguments on the internet over nonsense like the so-called "burden of proof", and have very little real meaning of any depth or significance for atheists and atheism.

I find such definitions hard to take seriously.

(And apparently so does the person who originally named the A/A group at DU...lol.)

[cbayer]

21. Well that's what the whole article is about, isn't it?

It's about those who's intent it is to promulgate silly superficial arguments on the internet in order to cause chaos and disorder and to prevent unity.

Some may actually see themselves as missionaries who are intent on saving others, but most are just trolling, imo.

[stone space]

23. Well, in that case, perhaps the silly definitions are appropriate to the context...lol. (nt)

[cbayer]

22. I don't blame your for choosing this route.

But your experience is unique, fascinating and I hope that you will share it in a broader way at some point.

I think anyone would completely understand your decision to remain fairly anonymous here, but your experiences certainly captured me.

It is the fanaticism that becomes disturbing.

I hope that your troubled days will pass and that you will not be deterred from following your passion.

Thank you so much for sharing this here.

[bvf]

28. If you had typed that

in all caps it wouldn't be any harder to read.

[cbayer]

30. I know! And you loved it so much you had to reply twice.

Is it love?

[bvf]

29. and if you're done with your little outburst...

Last edited Thu Dec 4, 2014, 05:04 AM - Edit history (1)

"...you have to be an agnostic atheist or an agnostic theist and since he doesn't say he believes in god, he's an agnostic atheist.. It has to be true. I read it right here…. over and over and over again."

Where did you read that argument over and over and over again?

Links would help.

[cbayer]

31. Go back to your cave and take a look around.

You might even pose the question there.

You will get an earful, I promise you.

Make sure you make it clear that you think that agnostic can be a stand alone category and not just a modifier for theist or atheists.

You can use this guy as an example and link to your post where you said he's not an atheist.

Go ahead.

[bvf]

32. So I guess you can't

provide any links to stuff you've read "over and over and over again."

[cbayer]

33. Lol, I got blocked from your group for "quote mining".

While it was for "mining" the quote of a repeating troll who comes here to make atheists look bad and was supplied only upon request and was entirely and utterly bogus, I'm not going to play your game bvf.

But seriously, if you really want to know, just post the question in A/A. I dare you (that's an inside joke that I don't expect you to get).

Here, I will help you frame it: Can somebody be just an agnostic? Or you could post a poll in A/A asking people to indicate if they are an atheist or an agnostic or a combination. That should start a firestorm.

There was recently a thread in which there was a poll about people's religious beliefs which included both atheist and agnostic. You could take a look at that as well as the thread in A/A about it to get some more information.

Or you could just pretend like this isn't the case and stick with your faith based beliefs.

[bvf]

34. You do realize that being blocked from another group

in no way prevents you from providing links here, right?

Your excuse is as credible as "my dog ate my homework."

[cbayer]

35. You have completely missed my point.

I was blocked from the group because I provided a link.

I hope your dog is not hungry.

[bvf]

36. No, I got your point.

You'd like to post links to justify your argument, but unfortunately cannot.

I would then suggest that making statements about posts you are not allowed to link to is probably not the best way to go.

[cbayer]

37. No, you didn't.

[bvf]

38. You missed this, apparently.

I would then suggest that making statements about posts you are not allowed to link to is probably not the best way to go. 

Unless, of course, you actually want to do that, with the at-the-ready excuse that the rules won't let you back up your statements.

[hrmjustin]

26. True. i got as high as 9500 posts in 90 days here but after the NY primary in September

i got burned out and decided to calm down in my posting. I am post over 2000 posts per 90 days now.

[rug]

15. So is this:

He’s written “Jesus is despicable” or its equivalent more than once — red meat to some readers who come back at him with fervor. Other users have called him “mean-spirited” or “angry.”