There have been times when individuals interested in saving my soul have come to my door and left me literature. If they are nice old ladies, I thank them kindly and then retreat back into my spiritual cavern.

If they are young and vibrant, however, I tell them that I am very well taken care of, thank you very much, but that they should visit my neighbors, as they are all heathens. Invariably, this news is met without even the trace of a smile. Am I telling the truth? Should they call for reinforcements? Or am I just another over-the-hill smart ass?

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I actually have impugned the spiritual honor of my neighbors in this regard; I am just working on the assumption this morning that, like most of the English-speaking world, only a small percentage are actually aware of my blog, let alone read it.

I thought about this for some odd reason yesterday, as I walked along the University of Arkansas campus, and two young fellows were walking along, finally sitting down in front of the Union.

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One of them was carrying a sign about repentance, and the other had a sign informing the world that, “Your Jesus is a fake.”

Not for the first time, I pondered the question:

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What is the real difference between a militant atheist and a militant Baptist intent on saving souls?

Yeah, I said “militant” atheist.

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In a twisted way, it’s sort of like the difference between those who re-enact Civil War battles and those who dress up in Starfleet uniforms – we’ll just forget the fact that there is a very real difference between the the battles of Gettysburg and Wolf 359.

And whole Baptists, Pentecostals, – maybe even the Jedi faith ( one of the fastest growing faiths on the planet) for all I know – have something in common with strident atheists.

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They insult people who don’t agree with them. Cue the denials.

Oh, they don’t come right out and call you a horse’s ass, but there is, in their manner, the feeling that if you don’t view the world through their eyes, and are not “saved” you are doomed to spend eternity in the lake of fire.

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The atheists who would sway you to their way of thinking, the ones who are not content to live-and-let-live? Well, you may not spend eternity in the lake of fire, but you are certainly doomed to spend this current life in the Great Grimpen Mire of Ignorance.

And like most missionaries of my acquaintance – save for the sweet little old ladies – those who would convert you to their way of thinking on either side tend to be remorselessly mirthless, as if persuasion of the unconvinced was not a task for the happy, or those who actually respected their fellow human beings.

I have met few from either side who could part company with someone who refused to see their side of an issue and cheerfully say, “Well, I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree.” Because all you can do is lay your argument out before a person.

Anything after that becomes a harangue.

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“Sources” say that Obama is the head of the Muslim Brotherhood

Looking over The Scowling One’s Facebook page (full of pictures of a perpetually scowling Steve Womack) I found this heartfelt plea from a constituent:

Steve, you guys in congress needs to stop Obama from tryiing to have a 3rd term in office. Obama has got to go, this man is breaking the laws of the Constitution, and that is grounds for Impeachment. Picture surface that Obama back in Aug 2012 at Camp David firing a rifle. It is sad to say that he sends billions of dollars to the Muslim Brotherhood to finance their terrorist activities, and sources say he is the head of that Organization. You guys need to Impeach Obama.

If the Internet went down for six months, and we were all reduced to reading books, instead of lunatic websites, maybe crap like this wouldn’t be so prevalent.

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Oh, those doofus ex-astronauts!

William McKinney from Scotland (Arkansas) has finally had enough of Representative Gabrielle Giffords, with her “anti-gun sentiment,” and her “bald-headed, astronaut husband,” to last a few lifetimes.

In his letter to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette last Wednesday, he also suggested that she take her feelings and her doofus husband and “simply disappear forthwith.” Well, can’t argue with that! Well, maybe with the fact that she isn’t exactly anti-gun, but why let that get in the way of a good letter?

And that’s right – doofus.

After all . . . astronaut? Hell, what’s so special about that? Lee Majors was an astronaut. I seen it for myself on the TV . . .

And they say that the pro-gun lobby lacks eloquence.

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Our music for today – Nina Simone

My blog was written today with the sounds of the wondrous Nina Simone in the background, on the CD “The Best of Nina Simone.”

Reflecting on the antics of our state legislature, I was wondering when her song “Mississippi Goddam” might soon be changed to “Arkansas Goddam.”

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Quote of the Day

As a teenager you are at the last stage in your life when you will be happy to hear that the phone is for you. – Fran Lebowitz

rsdrake@cox.net

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