Denzel Washington throws Atheists under the bus.
Offline I just watched a video interview from the today show of Denzel talking about his new film "Safe House." He tells interviewer Matt Lauer about the research he did for his character. In doing so he casually throws out something he learned from a book on sociopaths.... that they're "usually Atheist!" I'm not a psychologist or a criminal profiler, so I don't know if there's any truth to that and quite frankly it's irrelevant. Throwing a misleading statement like that out there only reinforces any and all negative stereotypes against us. Considering that non-religious people make up around 14% of the US population and only less than 2% of the prison population it is extremely unfair to paint us with that brush. Just another ignorant person with a mic in his hand talking out of his ass, making us look like scum.
From the interview
"I read this book called 'The Sociopath Next Door,' and that was like my Bible, that I related to," he told TODAY's Matt Lauer. "The traits of a sociopath: No conscience, no sense of remorse, usually atheist, just always want to win, dominate.... He's about to get waterboarded and he's telling the guy he brought the wrong towels. He's still trying to win."
Atheists may not appreciate being lumped in with sociopaths, but Washington is unapologetic about the film's violence: "It's rated 'R' and it is what it is. It's an intense film, it's not a comedy."
I'm trying to figure out where to comment on this where Mr. Washington will see it, but sadly the article didn't have a comment section and his twitter acct. is unused. Not that it will do any good, but I think I'll send a quick email to the Today show.
"They always say the same thing; 'But evolution is only a theory!!' Which is true, I guess, and it's good they say that I think, it gives you hope that they feel the same about the theory of Gravity and they might just float the f**k away."
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But I think what he is saying would mirror the thoughts of many people. Just to balance this out, I would never date a christian, marry a christian, trust a christian completely. I expect all monotheists to display a central failure of personal integrity and to be morally inconsistent. So perhaps I'm just as bad as Denzel.
"Experiments are the only means of knowledge at our disposal. The rest is poetry, imagination." Max Planck
Hence why I said he is perpetuating (false) stereotypes.
"They always say the same thing; 'But evolution is only a theory!!' Which is true, I guess, and it's good they say that I think, it gives you hope that they feel the same about the theory of Gravity and they might just float the f**k away."
When the fuck is our species going to accept that we are ALL capable of the same range of actions and subject to the same psychology?
Sociopaths are not the invention of a label but are ratio evolution produces in a population. The word often gets misused as a slur to dissenters " Anyone not like me must be out for purely selfish reasons."
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog
I agree Brian, god people are capable of good but in my defense I would say it's the godly who believe eternal torment is a just punishment despite their total inability to measure the nature of justice and eternity.
I couldn't trust anyone who accepted and defended such doctrine. Literalist believers are inhuman. Interestingly, many christians battle with bible threats. I know a few in my family do and they sidestep it by selective interpretation of the text.
Who could worship a murdering god.
"Experiments are the only means of knowledge at our disposal. The rest is poetry, imagination." Max Planck
And I have yet to dream up an eternal torment that could break me, personally.
"Or live out the rest of your life in a pain amplifier"
“A meritocratic society is one in which inequalities of wealth and social position solely reflect the unequal distribution of merit or skills amongst human beings, or are based upon factors beyond human control, for example luck or chance. Such a society is socially just because individuals are judged not by their gender, the colour of their skin or their religion, but according to their talents and willingness to work, or on what Martin Luther King called 'the content of their character'. By extension, social equality is unjust because it treats unequal individuals equally.” "Political Ideologies" by Andrew Heywood (2003)
That's exactly the point. People do not want to see religion for what it is, it is a placebo label wrapped up in myth to justify the REAL evolutionary benefit of social tribalism. Ultimately what is going on is the same battle to become the alpha male. Religion is merely a hollow word that conflates real evolution to comic book status.
We all like to think we are fair and compassionate, but we fail to see our perceptions as flawed and our egos wont allow us to examine what we think works for us, so we project what we think works for us on others, even if it means ignoring the flaws in our logic.
No one wants to think they worship a genocidal monster, but humans will kill for this invisible non existent being, because they fail to see that all they are really trying to protect is their status in a social structure.
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog
It is unfortunate Denzel went there. I doubt he was intentionally trying to be hurtful.
I don't go around reminding everyone: “Inquisition torturers: no conscience, usually Christian.” “Nazi prison guards: no sense of remorse, usually Christian.”
If you're interested, please check out my blog post on the topic: http://biblefunmentionables.wordpress.com/2012/02/11/et-tu-denzel/