Proclaiming "nothing is sacred," atheist P.Z. Myers took the Christian eucharist, pierced it with a rusty nail, and threw it into the garbage. Then he posed his action on the world wide web.
Who is Myers? He's a biology professor at the University of Minnesota and a close ally of Richard Dawkins. In fact, Dawkins has praised Myers, conducted public conversations with him, and I count several links to Myers' articles on richarddawkins.net. Dawkins also urged his fans to write in support of Myers.
Myers rose to semi-fame, or perhaps I should say notoriety, when he praised University of Central Florida student Webster Cook who stole the eucharist from a church and held it hostage. Apparently figuring that such antics were more likely to gain attention than his own relatively undistinguished scholarship, Myers decided to get into the act himself.
On his blog Pharyngula, Myers wrote "It's a Frackin' Cracker" and said that if someone would send him a eucharist he would "show you sacrelige, gladly and with much fanfare." Myers' desecration was widely viewed on the web and raised much comment, much of it infuriated--but we can assume that this was Myers' intention.
Asked whether he cared about injuring the feelings of Christians, Myers professed surprise. "I've got so many people writing me and saying that I have seriously hurt them. But what have I done? I have thrown away a cracker."
This would be like someone burning a cross and then saying, "I cannot understand why all those black people are upset? All I did was set fire to a piece of wood." If a child did it, you can possibly say he was innocent. But when a professor acts this way, isn't malevolence the obvious explanation?
The National Catholic Register caught up with Myers recently and asked him the source of his hostility toward religion. "Religion has been selling everybody a bill of goods for so many years. It's about time somebody spoke up and said it's a load of nonsense."
Asked whether Christianity deserves credit for founding the first Western hospitals, universities and even scientific breakthroughs, Myers said, "No. People made those contributions to Western civilization."
But werent' those people Christians acting on their religious convictions? "That's like saying that because for so many years people got smallpox, smallpox is to be credited for all the virtue men have done."
Here we see Myers' thought in all its glorious idiocy. No, Myers, the two are not even comparable. Smallpox has nothing to do with the building of Gothic spires and astronomical observatories and setting up institutions like Harvard and the Red Cross. Christianity was a powerful motivating force in why people did those things. You can find all this out by opening up a history book.
The problem with people like Myers and Dawkins is not that they are complete morons. It is that they are biologists who know something about one thing but pretend that they know a lot about other things. Consequently they come across sounding like morons. Have pity on them.
Reader Comments ( Page 3 of 35)
31. 23. Psst...the cookie isn't really Jesus's flesh. If it was, you'd be cannibalizing 2000 year-old zombie meat. How can you blame a guy for throwing THAT away rather than eating it? BrAiNs!
Mokele Mbembe
xxxxxxx
Thank you, as always for your unique perspective.
Pliny-the-in-Between at 3:27PM on Sep 10th 2008
32. Why doesn't the 'magic' go out of the cracker as soon as it leaves the church?
Surely it's 'power' is in the minds of the believers IN it's 'power', I suppose that they would be willing to admit this themselves even.
While we would, and should laugh at some guy in a grass skirt and a fright-mask waving a rattle at someone for religious or magical purposes, we shouldn't be laughing at some idiot desecrating(or should I say dessicating) a cracker?
What kind of mental midget do you have to be to not understand that a holy magical cracker is neither holy nor magical to a reality-based person?
To admit that you are offended is to admit that you would consider backing anti-blasphemy laws.
But any Christian who has not completely lost their marbles knows that (at least) a Christian being convicted of Islamic anti-blasphemy laws is PERSECUTION!
They know this in spite of their envy of the Muslim's anti-blasphemy laws concerning non-Christians!
A confused bunch indeed.
not-pboyfloyd at 3:33PM on Sep 10th 2008
33. The Eucharist is the reason I am Roman Catholic. I believe that once consecrated it is the “body and blood, soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ”! He would never dare desecrate a Koran, Torah or any other sacred symbol. Christianity is fair game. I will pray for this man and those who condone his actions. He is obviously a very angry and sad person.
janesophie1 at 3:37PM on Sep 10th 2008
34. NPBF,
To be fair a "reality-based person" wouldn't go to a church he doesn't believe in just to kidnap a cracker.
Does anyone want to talk about the LHC instead?
Mokele Mbembe at 3:37PM on Sep 10th 2008
35. Does anyone want to talk about the LHC instead?
Mokele Mbembe
xxxxxxx
Googles' logo for today is a classic!
Pliny-the-in-Between at 3:44PM on Sep 10th 2008
36. Mokele Mbembe
I don't expect you to believe in the Eucharist, but I do expect you to respect that other people do!
janesophie1 at 3:45PM on Sep 10th 2008
37. janesophie1; he did desecrate a koran.
Fanman; I read your post # as a lament that Christians would turn the other cheek. If that's not how you meant it, I'm sorry I misunderstood.
Moke: Yes! When are they going to start actually colliding particles?
Ryan Anderson at 3:46PM on Sep 10th 2008
38.
To anyone interested in reading the Myers' blog in question....
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/07/the_great_desecration.php
JS - please note the other desecrated items.
Doofus at 3:49PM on Sep 10th 2008
39. P-t-i-B,
That's my homepage!
Last night I actually heard this from the TV (this is classic):
"Could the world be ending in only a few hours? We'll tell you at 11:00."
Mokele Mbembe at 3:50PM on Sep 10th 2008
40. Now,Mokele Mbembe..
.. a reality-based person might try to debunk any magic-based idea at any time under any circumstances.
Maybe the Christians could have the guy imprisoned for kidnap or body snatching!
In reality though, what really happens to the Eucharest most of the time? It slowly moves through the digestive system turning brown. Then, with a squeeze, a wipe and a flush, it's back to the 'cycle of life'!
Honestly Janesophie1, if you are a Catholic for the magic crackers, you are an idiot!
not-pboyfloyd at 3:51PM on Sep 10th 2008
41. In response to number 10. Indeed the Catholics have very strict rules about handling the euchatist after mass. It cannot just be thrown away. My mother and sister argue about it every now and then when they have the duty. My sister's church consumes the flesh and blood so it doesn't go to waste. By mother's buries it on holy ground (into the sacred earth) Anyway, it is not thrown away. As I am an atheist, I think it is a bit silly.
jen at 3:55PM on Sep 10th 2008
42. If the Eucharist is the body of christ, then it has a spirit in it. If you eat it, thats like having an abortion, but with cannibalism mixed in. You should put the wafer up for adoption if you cant take care of it yourself. I know that foster homes for wafers arent as good as for the crackers or wheat thins, but its better than murdering an innocent wafer.
Pope Cack IV at 3:56PM on Sep 10th 2008
43. But Antichoice fanatics can stand in front of clinics and yell insults to woman who for whatever reason choose to end their pregnancy.
richard at 4:02PM on Sep 10th 2008
44. Ryan @ 37; thanks; that was classy. Actually # 2 was a little of both so here's 1/2 an apol. back atcha.
fanman at 4:05PM on Sep 10th 2008
45. Last night I actually heard this from the TV (this is classic):
"Could the world be ending in only a few hours? We'll tell you at 11:00."
Mokele Mbembe
xxxxxxxx
LOL That is a classic.
Reminds me of that old Carlin skit as Al Sleet where he is describing a radar image of a line of thunderstorms in great detail. Then he adds "the radar also detected a squadron of Russian ICBM's so I wouldn't sweat the thunderstorms."
Pliny-the-in-Between at 4:12PM on Sep 10th 2008