Meme Madness Monday

Ha ha ha ha ha - it's funny because it's true

Who can resist some good alliteration? Today is Monday, so it's time for some meme madness!

I am going to look at some memes about atheists that I found on the interwebs today. A few things first: I am not trying to stifle anyone's expression. The point of the exercise is not to get the meme removed or even to tell the mememaker he/she is wrong. I am not "offended" by the meme (although some of the dubious designs might offend my sense of taste and graphic design). The reason for talking about these memes is to expose the underlying thinking that produces the "humor" and show how it is a strawman, plain erroneous, or full on projection.

With that in mind, release the memes!

Meme I see (above) : "I like to tell atheists to go to hell. Technically they can't get mad and it just makes me feel good."

The meme is almost breath-taking in its honesty. You get a thrill telling atheists to go to hell. So much Christian love.

So in the "logic" of this meme, the person talking imagines that they tell an atheist to go to hell, which makes them feel good, and the atheist cannot get offended because they don't believe in hell. The opener "I like to tell" seems to imply that this gambit can be employed for any reason on the whim of the speaker not simply in response to anything particular. I imagine co-workers: "Hey, Sam, can I borrow your stapler?" "Go to hell (chuckle)!" "Hey, wanna come out for a drink after work?" "Go to hell (chuckle)!" "Did you get the memo I sent?" "Go to hell!" and so on.

Even as a rejoinder for a religious conversation, it seems odd: "Why do you believe in god?" "Go to hell!" "I don't believe in sin." "Go to hell." Well, it makes more sense, sort of, but it's still strange. I mean, the atheist had better be acting in a belligerent or insulting way to illicit this response.

I guess what I find bothersome is the glee the speaker purportedly feels for an antisocial, illogical response.

For the record, atheists can get mad at you for telling them to go to hell. It doesn't matter that we don't believe in hell. The lack of existence of said hell is not a determiner here. If I say "God damn it", I don't actually believe that god is going to damn the object or situation to hell. The phrase is an expression of anger or frustration not a directive. Likewise, "Go to hell" is not meant literally. It can mean "I hate you" or "You are a hateful person" or "I don't have anything better to say."

           

If this gives Christians satisfaction to feel this way, well, good for you, but if I encountered someone like this in real life, I would think they were a real jerk.

Meme 2: "When you're an atheist and you haven't told anybody in ten minutes"    

Hello, projection!

I know that it may seem odd that someone with an atheist blog would have an issue with this meme, but these are two different situations.

I noticed there are several memes that feature teenage boys, often with a punk or nerd look, and the meme seems to posit that atheism is a form of rebellion experienced by male youth. The objective is for those of us with more experience and understanding of the world to laugh and point at the misguided souls who just need to grow up. Basically, these memes position atheism as a phase, usually for those boys who do not fit some conventional Leave it to Beaver type we used to call "All-American."

Sure, I have a blog, and among my daily readings there are several atheist blogs I like to check out, but in my daily interactions, I do not actually accost people and tell them about my atheism. I also do not encounter atheists who make a big deal of their non-belief.

What I find interesting is that it is usually Christians who need to identify themselves. In the past six months, I've lost track of how many people have said "I'm an unapologetic Christian" or "I'm not embarrassed to say I'm a Christian" or some variation thereof. What caught my ear each time was the sentiment expressed that some people might be ashamed to self-identify as Christians, and I wondered what country they live in.

I feel surrounded by Christian messaging. Just returning from the Philadelphia airport I saw three Christian billboards. Driving through West Virginia in March, I saw billboards informing me that hell was real (the fact that they were positioned next to a "gentlemen's club" gave me a chuckle) and that I should repent. In Ohio, on the road between Columbus and Cincinnati, someone has put the ten commandments in their field next to the highway. On social media, I scroll through posts of people requesting prayers, saying they'll pray, and praising the lord. When something positive happens, they post #blessed.

In the media, Christian stories abound, and it is impossible to miss the subtext that here's a person who is humble, it must be so, they prayed to god. There are Christian television channels, Christian talk radio and lately, a bunch of Christians had a photo op with the president of the US laying on hands.

So, back to the meme, what strikes me is that there is a little projection going on. There is a subset of Christians who really need to express their religious beliefs and they presume atheists must feel that way too.

And just for the record, the idea that atheism is a phase experienced by a sullen teen is worn out and needs to be discarded. Atheists come in all shapes and sizes, ages and ethnicities.

I don't find either of these memes clever or truly witty. They seem to be some theists blowing off steam, which is fine, I just wish they'd get a new schtick.

Happy Meme Day, everybody!