The Wild Wild West

Ah, my fellow atheists are such an embarrassment to me sometimes.  Well, most of the time.

Here's a cute article at Jezebel, passed along by Avedon, called "How to Be an Atheist without Being a Dick About It."  The author, one Lindy West, is trying to get the rest of us atheists to make nice, the way so many of my fellow gay people want us to be like normal, to put away the leather and cockrings and dildos and drag outfits, so we'll stop scaring the bigots.  Or if we must wear drag, let it be tasteful drag.  And you know, I can agree with West to an extent, because I've found fault with my fellow atheists often enough.  And Ms. West declares, yes, we have to be nice.  "If you want to be considered a nice person. I do want to be considered a nice person, so I try. Here's how."

So I started to read the article, and just as I was nodding off with boredom I saw a little sidebar off to the right, a link to a related article entitled "Fuck the Pope."  Its author?  Why, Lindy West again, showing the rest of us atheists how to be atheists without being a dick, without stamping on the tender sensibilities of our religious brethren, loving the sin and hating the sinner.  And in case you're wondering, I checked, because often the authors of articles are not responsible for their titles.  But the closing words of the article, Ms. West's own words are, "So yeah, seriously, fuck the pope."  I'm chastened, Ms. West, I have seen the error of my ways, I repent in sackcloth and ashes; you have set an example for all of us.