An atheist goes for a walk and is accosted by a couple of Christians, and he defends himself…no, more than that, he goes on the offensive. It's great to watch. This is what we all have to do: no more appeasement, no more making excuses for the foolishness of others, just smack down their yapping noises aggressively, confidently, without compromise. And he laughs good-naturedly at their crazy ideas. Perfect!
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PZ Myers is a biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris.
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More articles by PZ Myers can be found on Freethoughtblogs at the new Pharyngula!
I like this guy's style
Category: Godlessness
Posted on: February 13, 2007 11:00 AM, by PZ Myers
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Comments
Posted by: George | February 13, 2007 11:09 AM
P. Funk! My new hero.
"Evidence, man! ... Show me evidence!"
Posted by: notthedroids | February 13, 2007 11:11 AM
Excellent!
I thought he was a touch weak at the very end when they tried to trip him up on the "theory" bit, but even then he held his own.
His attitude was perfect.
Posted by: abeja | February 13, 2007 11:12 AM
I love it!
My heroes are PZ and P. Funk.
Posted by: coturnix | February 13, 2007 11:13 AM
Oh, I enoyed that very much last week...
Posted by: Abbie | February 13, 2007 11:13 AM
But why was the camera there?
Posted by: JackGoff | February 13, 2007 11:14 AM
P Funk for Prez! 8^D
Posted by: j | February 13, 2007 11:34 AM
How do we know this wasn't set up?
Posted by: jayson B | February 13, 2007 11:35 AM
I'm fairly certain in actuality that these are some of pfunk's friends. They try to get him to convert, and he just blows it off as he does in this video. He isn't, however, being accosted by strangers.
Posted by: Mike W. | February 13, 2007 12:06 PM
http://pfunk1.com/
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PFUNK1
He has done more then just that video.
Posted by: arbitrista | February 13, 2007 12:22 PM
I grew up in the South and put up with this crap all the time. It seems like every time I was in a public place someone wanted to come up to me and talk about Jesus. And I'm not even an atheist! It made me pretty belligerent on the subject of evangelism. It's just rude and presumptuous.
Posted by: Alexander Vargas | February 13, 2007 12:24 PM
P-funk remained completely civil. He never stoops to insult. This is what makes the difference between a P-funk and your regular PZ, who has to splatter almost every post with insults.
P-Funk is not the least "weaker" for not using insults. In fact insults would have immediately degraded all he represents.
Learn, PZ, learn
Posted by: A lemur | February 13, 2007 12:27 PM
By the way, if you haven't run across it yet, go to youtube and do a search on Mr. Diety. Very funny stuff.
Posted by: Protobiochemist | February 13, 2007 12:45 PM
On a totally unrelated note, I stumbled across this offering from CBC, a bit of Canadian TV actually worth watching (hockey aside of course!).
http://www.cbc.ca/thehour/video.php?id=1357
It's an (excellent) interview with Chris Hedges, author of "American Facists". Definitely another book I need to read. I can forgive moderate theists when the go on rampages against wingnuts...
PBC
Posted by: TheBrummell | February 13, 2007 1:54 PM
...your regular PZ, who has to splatter almost every post with insults.
Wait. I don't understand. Why, exactly, are insults bad?
Posted by: Flaccid Bee | February 13, 2007 2:30 PM
P-funk remained completely civil. He never stoops to insult. This is what makes the difference between a P-funk and your regular PZ, who has to splatter almost every post with insults.
P-Funk is not the least "weaker" for not using insults. In fact insults would have immediately degraded all he represents.
Learn, PZ, learn
Ed Brayton, is that you?
Posted by: stogoe | February 13, 2007 2:40 PM
It wouldn't surprise me in the least if Ed Brayton were sock-puppeting as Vargas, but no, I think they're separate. Although my respect for Brayton can hardly lessen, so if it is a Brayton sock-puppet he might as well just come on out of hiding.
Posted by: tikistitch | February 13, 2007 2:48 PM
Thanks, PZ. I was so depressed this morning reading about the Flintstones fans trying to take over Kansas schools--AGAIN! P Funk gives me reason to carry on.
Posted by: Alexander Vargas | February 13, 2007 2:59 PM
haha
Guys... "you see Ed people"
Posted by: Crudely Wrott | February 13, 2007 5:10 PM
I posted the following at GIFS:
Heh heh. Good form.
My Dad used to say: "Be wise, kind, and a little bit blind."
Timothy admonishes in the NT to be "as cunning as serpents and as harmless as a dove".
Observation and experience indicates that the best results can often be obtained by judicious use of these principles coupled with a willingness to meet silliness head on. Pow! [nod to PZ here]
In all things there is a balance. The hard part is being both lever and fulcrum when confronting uncritical acceptance of woo.
May we all become adept artists of equilibrium.
Posted by: Sean | February 13, 2007 5:50 PM
It wouldn't surprise me in the least if stogoe were sock-puppeting as DaveScot, but no, I think they're separate. Although my respect for stogoe can hardly lessen, so if it is a DaveScot sock-puppet he might as well just come on out of hiding.
Does this make more sense with name substitutions? Hell no. In either case it is a load of dung. So why did you bother to take the time?
For all your predilection for dismissing others as concern trolls, a long term reading of your posting history would turn that accusation back on yourself. There are times and places for dismissals without rebuttal. There are times and places for calling a demented fuckwit a demented fuckwit. This does not mean that anyone who does not agree with the entirety of your worldview need be handled in such a manner. Sometimes rational people can appraise the same facts from differing perspectives and come to, gasp, differing conclusions. Intolerance for those who differ from you in any manner inevitably leads to the existence of an unconvincing body of intellectually stale groupthinkers.
Posted by: Chinchillazilla | February 13, 2007 6:06 PM
I want to give that man a giant godless hug. He's lifted my spirits for the world I'm about to enter (like, adult-wise).
Posted by: BlueIndependent | February 13, 2007 9:40 PM
It's hard to say if it's set up or not. I doubt there's a lot of people that would just strike up that kind of conversation on the street, let alone keep following the "opposing side" all the way to his personal destination. Either it was set up (in which case it feels pretty darn authentic), or the two Christians happened across a good person on the street that wouldn't have been creeped out in the first 5 seconds and gone walking off in another direction. I'm not sure even I would've put up with that if I were in P FUNK's shoes.
Real or not, P FUNK had a plenty good command of the opposing subject to throw the claims right back almost on cue (although this could be a function of the setup if it was), and he sounded genuine.
Posted by: Lago | February 13, 2007 10:15 PM
"P-Funk is not the least "weaker" for not using insults. In fact insults would have immediately degraded all he represents.
Learn, PZ, learn"
I guess you only saw the one video of P-Funk? Trust me, he can get quite mad...
Posted by: Caledonian | February 13, 2007 10:16 PM
Actually, no, they can't. That's what rationality is all about.
Posted by: 386sx | February 13, 2007 10:26 PM
It's hard to say if it's set up or not. I doubt there's a lot of people that would just strike up that kind of conversation on the street, let alone keep following the "opposing side" all the way to his personal destination.
He's kind of minor celebrity who is fairly well versed in the arguments (he has something like 60 YouTube videos), so he may well have been targeted by some local fundies. Given their argument (when the P man says he wants God to show him personally that God is indeed God) that God could be a bum on the street and P wouldn't know it, I would say that yes, they are genuine fundies. Cuckoo!
Posted by: raincoaster | February 13, 2007 10:32 PM
More Canadian tv: Bubbles from the Trailer Park Boys expresses his freedom of belief and expression in patented fashion, to the consternation of some door-to-doorers.
Posted by: Rey Fox | February 13, 2007 11:44 PM
"He's the creator of the universe, he could figure it out." Favorite line right there. I have to wonder though, how one hip hopster can name himself after an entire funk combo.
Posted by: grendelkhan | February 14, 2007 12:22 AM
Man, that's the sort of thing I could never do. I can't stand crosstalk; I couldn't even watch that CNN panel without cringing at people talking over each other. Give me an internet forum; give me a structured debate where nobody shouts over anyone else. P-Funk has an impressive set of chops that I simply don't have--excellent on him.
Posted by: Flaccid Bee | February 14, 2007 8:17 AM
Intolerance for those who differ from you in any manner inevitably leads to the existence of an unconvincing body of intellectually stale groupthinkers.
That reminds me of another blog...
Posted by: stogoe | February 14, 2007 1:42 PM
Sean, your re-write would work better if your two examples actually espoused similar views. Me and DaveScot? No way. I have never whacked off to the History channel, so we're definitely not the same person.
Which leads me to believe you don't give a crap who I am or what I've said before(it's okay, really), you're just a misguided backer of Brayton or Chris from Muddling Memory lashing out and inadvertently giving comfort to Vargas.
Clearly, I'm no concern troll. Not in my memory have I ever used my street cred to claim immunity to criticism. I'm more of a cackling mocker, I'd wager.