Just heard this morning of the death of Andy Rooney, who formerly worked on the television show 60 Minutes. Note to my mom--- NOT THE SAME DUDE as Mickey Rooney.
Andy Rooney was also a well-known advocate of the belief system I like to call '4th Grade Atheism' --- atheism for rebellious Bart Simpson-type children.
The tenants of 4th Grade Atheism seem to be as follows:
1. There is no God and the Bible is bogus.
2. God is a mean old sociopath and the Bible proves it.
3. The words 'logical' and 'rational' are stripped of their traditional meaning and are now merely terms of praise for fellow atheists and their remarks, no matter how illogical and irrational those remarks might be.
I remember one episode of 60 Minutes where Andy Rooney really let his 4th Grade Atheism out to play. He was all upset at the sheer numbers of churches of various denominations he saw around them. They only use those buildings one hour a week, he whined. Shouldn't those nasty Christians have to all share a very few buildings instead?
Forget being appalled that any middle-aged man could remain so culturally illiterate as to think church congregations only use their church buildings one hour a week. Doesn't he realize that until the Commies come and abolish private property, we still have the right to dispose of our funds as we see fit. If folks want to pool their funds to build a building that's only used one hour a year, we have that right until all rights are abolished save those of the Central Committee members.
The 4th Grade Atheist in Andy Rooney was appalled, evidently, any time his delicate eyes had to focus on things like churches, synagogues, mosques, crosses, menorahs, yarmulkes and anything else that reminded him that he had to share the planet with people who didn't agree with him on the religion thing.
Rooney was canny enough, however, to confine his remarks to Christian churches. He never did a companion piece calling for shutting down mosques or synagogues, because if he did, he would have been called an anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim bigot, and he'd have been about as welcome at 60 Minutes as the Grand Dragon of the KKK.
Rooney's remarks on that occasion crossed the line from mere non-belief in God to actual hatred and intolerance of Christians. What harm does it do any of us to see churches, mosques, atheist club-houses, Wiccan groves or any other thing, that would justify taking away the rights of Americans to build and maintain such structures from their own private funds?
And when you take on Christian churches, you are taking on the number one engine for both fundraising and in recruiting boots on the ground for the charities that give aid to the world's poor and disadvantaged. Until atheist charities are created and atheists find some reason to give in the same proportion as Christians do, society depends on the existence of a significant percentage of Christians in the population.
3 comments:
I think your note was to me too. Oops, I should listen to my husband more carefully. I thought he said Mickey Rooney died.
The kids said, "Who's that?" I answered, "A very sweet actor from old movies." :p I'm a total dork!
On the other hand, I'm choosing as usual, to be different.
I'm not sure who Mickey Rooney was, however, I do know who Andy Rooney was. Now isn't that ironic? ;-)
Andy Rooney actually did take on a few special interest groups a time or two, including Native Americans. He also got canned or resigned twice for his lack of political correctness, but was re-hired again both times because ratings took a dive when he wasn't part of 60 minutes' programming.
I was aware that Rooney had been criticized, even suspended, once over an anti-gay thing I think, but don't know if he was actually fired.
My point, to the extent that I had one, that he wasn't ever in trouble with his show or his network over the anti-Christian bigotry thing, which to my mind ought to get you in the same degree of trouble as talking about the 'rich Jewish banker conspiracy' or claiming that 100% of Muslims believe their faith permits the killing of 'infidel' women and children during the course of Jihad.
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