Atheism Book Found in Home Linked to Fire Suspect

[Kylyssa]

Yes, that is the title of a news article.  You can read it here.

Now imagine trading the words "atheism book" for Bible and people would be insisting there was no connection.

I wonder what the backlash from this will be and if that area will be safe for atheists or not.

[Whitney]

I wonder what the backlash from this will be and if that area will be safe for atheists or not.

I'll let you know since it happened where I live.

[Kylyssa]

I hope people keep their heads.  Why on earth did they have to highlight the atheist book thing?  If they found a Bible the fact would be omitted from any reports.  They also found a book about demonic possession.  

Stay safe, Whitney.

[Whitney]

Stay safe, Whitney.

I think I'll be okay being in Dallas...it would be worse if I actually lived in the towns in which the churches were burned (I don't think any were in the Dallas area specifically).  However, it being in the Dallas news may increase religious kids picking on our community's youth....which is very sad.  

I think if anyone in DFW was going to do something to the atheists it would have been when Camp Quest Texas was on the news not too long after the "Don't Believe in God" billboards went up....some people sure did (and do) think we are corrupting the youth by not pushing religion on them.

Sidenote:  They would find all sorts of fun books to implicate me if I were ever (wrongly) accused of a crime; I think we might even have a copy of Catcher in the Rye on the bookshelf, next to the bibles is When Will Jesus Bring the Porkchops, and my blackberry has The Satanic Bible as an ebook along with an anti-bible ebook and Origins of Species (along with pro-Christian/Jew/Spirituality books, gotta throw them all for a loop you know )

[joeactor]

wait... really?

Ok, so I lived in Dallas for a while, but... really?

I guess that means if they find an I-Pod in a serial killer's home, we should all start boycotting Apple products.
... not that that's not a good idea anyway... but you know what I mean!

(sheesh - humans!)
JoeActor

[Tanker]

Typical Atheists. I bet he was breathing air and drinking water like his life depended on it too. Oh wait sec...



I agree with the others here what books he has matters little, unless the book specificly told him to do it, which I doubt.

[theTwiz]

I saw this article prior to it being posted here and my first thought was AH *expletive* *expletive* YOU STUPID *expletive*

[bfat]

I just read a little bit about the book on atheism that was in the house, and it seems pretty ridiculous to think that a book like this would inspire any kind of violence.  I'd be far more concerned with the book on demon possession--religious nutjobs who fear demons are far more likely to commit violence.  And how do they reconcile these two books being found together?  They might as well list that they found a copy of Harry Potter, and think that inspired his violence (of course, knowing some of the evangelicals out there and their terror of "witchcraft" in books for children, that actually might happen...)

[LoneMateria]

I just read a little bit about the book on atheism that was in the house, and it seems pretty ridiculous to think that a book like this would inspire any kind of violence.  I'd be far more concerned with the book on demon possession--religious nutjobs who fear demons are far more likely to commit violence.  And how do they reconcile these two books being found together?  They might as well list that they found a copy of Harry Potter, and think that inspired his violence (of course, knowing some of the evangelicals out there and their terror of "witchcraft" in books for children, that actually might happen...)

This is just the media being the media and the police being idiots.  They find something controversial in the suspects house and call it a link, this some crap happened with video games like Halo a while back when video games were the hot button.  If the same kid had a bible in his room after burning down a Mosque how likely would it be that a connection would be claimed?  Unless the kid actually said that was the reason why he did it, no one would claim there was a connection.  The only reason there is a connection is because the under paid and under educated police officers saw something they didn't like and are trying to call it evidence because they are idiots.

[Faradaympp]

WOW, really?, , as if things weren't bad enough, did you know that atheists are the most mistrusted minority in all america. People will feed on this like sharks, as many others pointed out if it had been a bible there would be no issue at all. This would be like making reference to the crusades, many people were killed and many libraries were burned in the name of the judeo-christian god(did I get that right?), does this mean that all catholics and christians are book burning, genocidal murderers? No they can be perfectly civilized people.

[Shine]

I actually live in one of the towns where an old Baptist church was burnt, about an hour north of Austin.  But I keep my lack of belief quiet in public, as the few times that I have mentioned anything slightly critical of Christianity have not gone very well.

There was one funny part about the whole thing.  (Well, I guess it might only be funny to my admittedly twisted sense of humor. )  After the Haitian earthquake, the church next door put up the message "PRAY FOR HAITI" on their board out front.  The Baptist church was burnt down about a week later; although the building was destroyed, no one was injured or killed in the fire.  The next day, the church next door amended their board to read "PRAY FOR HAITI AND FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH."

Sigh.  Because a natural disaster that claimed over 200,000 lives and a fire that claimed an old building are both equally worthy of divine supplication, I suppose.  I think I may have actually put my palm to my face while driving past it the first time.