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The civilization of man has increased just to the same extent that religious power has decreased. The intellectual advancement of man depends upon how often he can exchange an old superstition for a new truth. The church never enabled a human being to make even one of these exchanges; on the contrary, all her power has been used to prevent them. In spite, however, of the church, man found that some of his religious conceptions were wrong. By reading his Bible, he found that the ideas of his God were more cruel and brutal than those of the most depraved savage. He also discovered that this holy book was filled with ignorance, and that it must have been written by persons wholly unacquainted with the nature of the phenomena by which we are surrounded; and now and then, some man had the goodness and courage to speak his honest thoughts. In every age some thinker, some doubter, some investigator, some hater of hypocrisy, some despiser of sham, some brave lover of the right, has gladly, proudly and heroically braved the ignorant fury of superstition for the sake of man and truth. These divine men were generally torn in pieces by the worshipers of the gods. Socrates was poisoned because he lacked reverence for some of the deities. Christ was crucified by a religious rabble for the crime of blasphemy. Nothing is more gratifying to a religionist than to destroy his enemies at the command of God. Religious persecution springs from a due admixture of love towards God and hatred towards man.

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« Ray Comfort is a parasite | Main | News from Australian atheists »

Fun with Twitter

Category: Weirdness
Posted on: October 20, 2009 6:35 PM, by PZ Myers

Apparently, twitter tracks hot trends in the tiny little conversations flying about, and the #1 hot topic today was "No God". The amusing reason why is that someone posted that boring and fallacious cliche, "Know God…Know Peace. No God…No Peace", a lot of Christians retweeted it, and a few atheists contributed to the confusion by saying "no god", and that's all it took to single out that one phrase and turn it into the top few words being bandied about.

Just to make it even more hilarious, various Christian twitterers (or whatever they call them) freaked out and started frantically submitting their magic mantra even more, which just blew it up even higher. And all the atheists are sitting back laughing and writing "no god" again!

Combine stupid text searches with a human feedback loop, and look at the silly behavior it can evoke.

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Comments

Posted by: perpetualstudent | October 20, 2009 6:52 PM

No God know peace

Posted by: Glen Davidson | October 20, 2009 6:52 PM

Well, the whole god thing is just word games anyway, so why not?

Glen D
http://tinyurl.com/mxaa3p

Posted by: Sherry | October 20, 2009 7:00 PM

I guess I could do twitter just to torment Christianists.
Since I don't have the patience to debate, maybe that's a way to do my part.

But twitter is just so bogus. Even Miley Cyrus quit.

Posted by: Mandolin | October 20, 2009 7:03 PM

As the bigoted arms dealer said to his atheist client: No God... no piece.

Posted by: SaraJ | October 20, 2009 7:06 PM

I did my part. That was the first time I tweeted in about a month!

Posted by: Kamaka | October 20, 2009 7:10 PM

Hahaha, found a real gem.

Wow the trending topic about no god makes me want to cry, hope all the non believers burn in hell, I say that with love.

Posted by: https://me.yahoo.com/idiotiddidit#5116d | October 20, 2009 7:11 PM

As Gregor Mendel said, "Know God, know peas."

Posted by: Tzi | October 20, 2009 7:18 PM

My favorite tweet so far is "No God makes me want to hurt someone. god. is. good. bitches." A lovely display of Christian love.

Posted by: Alverant | October 20, 2009 7:18 PM

Know God, no peace
No god, know peace

#10

Posted by: Zeroeye | October 20, 2009 7:18 PM

The 'No God' trend just got deleted.....

#11

Posted by: The Ungodly Goddess | October 20, 2009 7:20 PM

no pod; no peas

#12

Posted by: Sherry | October 20, 2009 7:21 PM

Censorship anyone?

The theocracy/corporatocracy is already here.

#13

Posted by: Sherry | October 20, 2009 7:25 PM

Anyone know is any other trends have been d-listed?

#14

Posted by: Peter G. | October 20, 2009 7:25 PM

Hmm1 I've never heard of a Denial of Intelligence Attack. Set the shields on stunned.

#15

Posted by: Cerus | October 20, 2009 7:26 PM

It looks as if No God has fallen from the Trending Topics. Seems suspicious though. More people are tweeting No God than the Know God, Know Peace tripe.

#16

Posted by: Sherry | October 20, 2009 7:27 PM

If I pray to Spam can I edit my past comments?

Truth is: the Religionists know we are here now.

Twitter blows
No god

#17

Posted by: Mike | October 20, 2009 7:27 PM

Now "Know Peace" is moving up the ladder, while No God has disappeared. Help! Help! I'm being repressed!

Everyone tweet No God, Know Peace to counter this nonsense.. lol.

#18

Posted by: MAJeff, OM | October 20, 2009 7:28 PM

Anyone know is any other trends have been d-listed?

Kathy Griffin?

#19

Posted by: Mike | October 20, 2009 7:32 PM

Twits, I think they call them. And if they don't, they should.

#20

Posted by: Kel, OM | October 20, 2009 7:36 PM

Well if you can put something into a catchy slogan, it must be true.

To those saying "Know God, know peace", are they aware of how much blood has been shed in God's name? Maybe they say it in the Orwellian sense "war is peace". I don't know in the end, all I know is that if you can package a cutesy message into a phrase or parable then it will be recited mercilessly as if it were something profound.

"There is no God, your belief is a lie. Embrace the fact that one day you'll die." - there, two can play at that game.

#21

Posted by: Jon | October 20, 2009 7:43 PM

If you hover over "Know God" in Trending Topics you can see that they've combined the phrases: https://twitter.com/search?q=%22Know+God%22+OR+%22No+God%22

#22

Posted by: RobertDW | October 20, 2009 7:49 PM

As Jon said, it's now combined - any mention of "Know God" OR "No God" will bump it up.

Strictly speaking, it should be an "AND", not an "OR".

#23

Posted by: Fred The Hun | October 20, 2009 7:50 PM

LOL! Know (in the biblical sense) god, works for me.

#24

Posted by: The Science Pundit | October 20, 2009 7:51 PM

Would this be what a Twitter Bomb looks like?

#25

Posted by: aratina cage | October 20, 2009 7:57 PM

That really is censorship to combine the terms under the pro-theist expression. However, anyone that clicks on the trending topic will see more expressions of "No God" than "Know God". :>

#26

Posted by: Mike | October 20, 2009 8:00 PM

Now that "Know God," is trending, it will be an interesting case to see if twitter de-lists that as well. If not, hmmm....

#27

Posted by: Tammy | October 20, 2009 8:09 PM

I had heard that the best advertisements for atheism were Christians... perhaps this is what they meant? ROFLMFAO

#28

Posted by: eddie | October 20, 2009 8:12 PM

Another case of know god - don't know irony.

#29

Posted by: Josh | October 20, 2009 8:13 PM

Twitter should have combined "No God" and "Know God" under "Know peace". Probably would have been a more clever and diplomatic solution. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted!

#30

Posted by: RagingBullwinkle | October 20, 2009 8:13 PM

It appears Twitter has combined both "no god" and "know god" as one trend. It's only listed under "know god" now. So even if you don't use the term "know god" at all, it will be listed under the latter.

Something stinks here.

#31

Posted by: DemetriusOfPharos | October 20, 2009 8:13 PM

I'm suddenly reminded of the Simpsons:

Captain Tenille: Tell me young man, what do you want out of life?.
Homer: I want peas.
Captain Tenille: Oh, we all want peace! But it's always just out of reach. So, what's the best way to get peace?.
Homer: With a knife.
Captain Tenille: Exactly! Not with the olive branch but the bayonet!

#32

Posted by: Howard | October 20, 2009 8:21 PM

maybe we should organize an atheist flash tweet event? just to be scientific and test if twitter really is discriminating...

#33

Posted by: aratina cage | October 20, 2009 8:28 PM

The twit-wars have given us delectable tweets like these:

I'd rather believe that there is a God and get played than believe there is no God and and find out there really is.

Know God. Plz don't mix up what God has creatd wid wat Satan has creatd.Don't mix up wat God wants u 2 do wid wat Satan wants.

All you really need to Know God, you can't say that someone doesn't exist if you don't try to have a great relationship with Him

It's impossible to organize an dictionary only by chance I know God through nature! An creator is irrefutable!

If there was no God, there'd be no Athiests!!

#34

Posted by: uknesvuinng.myopenid.com | October 20, 2009 8:40 PM

I managed to sign in, yay!

OT: Good Old Fashion Book Burning! At first it kinda sounds like fun, but then you realize they're burning the books because they aren't fundamentalist enough...

#35

Posted by: aratina cage | October 20, 2009 8:40 PM

Some more Christian Love

these shit trending topics NUMBER ONE no God? WHOEVER STARTED THAT can go have sex with a knive
...[followed by]...
BTW, Im SORRY i said whoever said the can go have sex with a knive,Sorry.

#36

Posted by: Brian | October 20, 2009 8:45 PM

Know God, give birth to a messiah.

#37

Posted by: Christy Gould | October 20, 2009 8:46 PM

Overall I found the No God trend a positive experience, it was nice to see the comments of so many other atheists and I have aquired some excellent followers and people to follow as a result. It is a shame if Twitter has indeed now chosen to silence the trend but I think we can be satisfied with a point unexpectedly well made.

#38

Posted by: The Chemist | October 20, 2009 9:02 PM

"If there was no God, there'd be no Athiests!!"

Hrmm, that does raise a thorny philosophical questions, albeit unintentionally.

Could there being Atheism without theism? I guess it goes over whether Atheism has a cultural component that makes it more than a purely negative ideology and whether it is more than a simple lack of a specific ideology. In the latter case it's a response, a response to an initial question. If it is simply a direct answer to a question diving using rationalism, then it can exist without theism.

Just shootin' the breeze here.

#39

Posted by: Tom S. Fox | October 20, 2009 9:16 PM

"No god" wasn't removed, it was just merged together with "know god".

#40

Posted by: aratina cage | October 20, 2009 9:17 PM

More Xianinanity:

Know God because it's going to be pretty hot at the other place

honestly we should make Know God. the #1 topic because despite this twitter crap he STILL loves everybody on this network so REPOST know god

Know God because He loves you - and not just because you're scared of Hell. In fact, that should be the least of your worries.

no God- separation from peace forever and burning in Hell... Know God and have eternal peace and spend an eternity with Christ forever.

I #KNOW GOD will not put more on me than i can bare [LOL! -aratina]

How can you guys say no God so liberally? Dont you know he is the name above all names. He made you and everything else.

There is a God exist because I know God just like I know my mom because if she didn't exist I wouldn't be able to know her.

Those that truly Know God are tolerant and kind. Those claiming Christianity but are intolerant/hateful don't really Know God

If you don't #KNOW GOD then you should because he'll get you through everything. and he loves you!! And he died for you

If there is no God, our existence is pointless and all moral positions are arbitrary. Killing a child = baking a cake.

The fact that atheists r spendin 25gs to put up ads against God....shows they fear ppl really do KNOW GOD exists!

If i didn't know God, i'd be dead.....

Such shallow beliefs, such funny mental contortions.

#41

Posted by: Christina | October 20, 2009 9:18 PM

Could there being Atheism without theism?

I'd say no. Without theism, atheism would be like "asantaism". No one is an "asantaist", because it's taken for granted that Santa doesn't exist.

#42

Posted by: NewEnglandBob | October 20, 2009 9:20 PM

I have no twitter, therefore know peace.

#43

Posted by: Christina | October 20, 2009 9:21 PM

Some more Christian Love:

http://attemptsatrationalbehavior.blogspot.com/2009/10/no-god-inspires-some-good-christian.html

#44

Posted by: Lisa the GP | October 20, 2009 9:22 PM

You want to know what happened to 'No God'?

Twitter combined the topic with 'KNOW God', so now whenever you tweet 'no god' it winds up trending to the 'Know God' title.

In other words, when ATHEISTS tweet it credits the THEISTS for traffic.

Also you cannot search one term without the results being swamped with results from the other term.

The originator of the topic was apparently a minister with 300K twitter followers. I guess that means twitter values him more than the atheists who were perpetuating the 'no god' trend.

The practice of clothing a genuine trending topic with its exact OPPOSITE trending topic of discussion is quite disturbing with its implication for free speech on the internet.

To what degree is this a move to SHAPE social media interactions instead of merely providing a venue for them?

#45

Posted by: aratina cage | October 20, 2009 9:53 PM

These holy tweets are mostly annoying:

There's actually No God in the illusory universe only the projection of unconscious guilt Reality is Oneness with Him beyond consciousness

I KNOW GOD! HE IS REAL AND LIVES IN ME!!!

WEAKNESS w/in CHURCH strays those who search God 2 claim: "NO GOD!" Influenced by mere man 2 keep u from God? Butch up ATHEISTS & KNOW GOD.

#Know God it's the best relationship you will ever invest your time and life into :)

Message to all those who know God--pray for those who believe there is no God. :-)

I am so thankful Jesus delivered me from crack cocaine #Know God

SAD THAT "NO GOD" ADS IN NY SUBWAY STAND, WHILE ANY ATTEMPT TO PUT PRO GOD ADS WOULD INVITE FIRING SQUADS & ACLU. ATHEISM IS A RELIGION

The scriptures tell us what it takes to know God. Keep his commandments. But most are unwilling to give up their lives...[This message brought to you by the American Taliban]

No God = No Life......So what does that mean for me???

my ancestors were never monkeys -_- #Know God.

Dear Twitter, thanks for censoring "no god." My sheeple were getting their wittle feewings hurt. [Ain't it the truth?...Oops, how did that get in here?]

#46

Posted by: The Chemist | October 20, 2009 10:08 PM

@Christina

Well, as a kid I was an Asantaist, while surrounded by Santaists. Does that mean I grew out of Asantaism? It seems wrong.

#47

Posted by: Justin | October 20, 2009 10:13 PM

Interestingly, atheists seem to outnumber the theists despite twitter's bigotry.

#48

Posted by: sqlrob | October 20, 2009 10:45 PM

Looks like "Know God" trending topic is now gone. Fall off or removed?

#49

Posted by: Maria | October 20, 2009 11:00 PM

I thought it was good fun. I found a lot of witty people to follow today.

#50

Posted by: KATHYxx | October 20, 2009 11:46 PM

http://trendistic.com/no-god/know-god/censorship/_24-hours

look at this. The number of No God tweets blows Know God out of the water, and most of them pushed the theist's topic up instead. If that's not fishy I'm a hedgehog.

#51

Posted by: FirstTimer | October 20, 2009 11:47 PM

Can't resist:

Know God?
No!
Know: no God.

#52

Posted by: cpsmith | October 21, 2009 12:07 AM

No God, no twitter: Happy me. =)

#53

Posted by: The Ungodly Goddess | October 21, 2009 12:19 AM

Theists, as a group, tend to get very reactionary when they realize that not everyone believes in the same invisible guys that they believe in.

(If it was so damn essential to be "believed in", you'd have thought that their god(s) would have been visible at the very minimum.)

It would be interested to scan the brain of a believer to see how it compares to a nonbeliever's when it encounters the phrase "NO GOD".

#54

Posted by: redkamel | October 21, 2009 1:30 AM

Correction: "Combine stupid text with a human feedback loop, and look at the silly behavior it can evoke" ZING!

#55

Posted by: Strangest brew | October 21, 2009 4:23 AM

Cannot be particularly bothered in following the tweets on this nonsense, but from the 'theist' quotes provided, one does consider it a miracle that these clowns actually remember to breath without tripping over their own IQ!

In a way tis depressing, in another way it is a wonder how natural selection has not weeded them out the gene pool yet!

That collection of inanities was provided by the ...presumable...'opposition' to atheism.
Do not know whether to laugh or cry!
But do know it is a concern, the good xian hoping that someone has sex with a knife sums up the level of true xian sentiment, without the camouflage of pompous righteous lies!
okay a 'sorry' was offered, but the first reaction was a genuine reaction otherwise it would not have been made, what or who could possible think that is appropriate as a comment?

The question is would the perp bomb an abortion clinic or murder homosexuals?

By that response...you betcha!

Someone somewhere gives these folks the zombie idea that that is an acceptable response to a challenge to their delusion.
Someone is guilty of hate crime, the perp delivered it but someone primed the fool.

Being that sick and twisted has got to be the result of a goddly church and jeebusbot preacher encouraging that line of non-reason, that depth of viciousness is not a natural reaction, the perp is mentally unstable, and that is the fault of theistic brain washing.
What price the catechism that religion is a good thing?

#56

Posted by: Matt Heath | October 21, 2009 5:11 AM

It wasn't just someone who posted that boring and fallacious cliche; it was "Reverend" Run from Run-DMC. I don't know why that makes it funnier, but it does.

#57

Posted by: Carlie | October 21, 2009 6:18 AM

I've noticed this kind of thing on Facebook, too. There are people whose status updates are nothing but God this and God that, Bible verse here, prayer there "Thanks God for X!", etc. ad nausaeum. The funny thing is that I see the most of it from the people who were the most wild when I knew them ages ago - are they trying to make up for their early years or something?

#58

Posted by: IanW | October 21, 2009 7:35 AM

Twits use twitter so why not twit them?

#59

Posted by: rolanlegargeac | October 21, 2009 7:47 AM

The Chemist #38

Could there being Atheism without theism?

Yes but it would be seen as 'normality' so no big deal. Maybe some philosophers blue-skying much to the amusement of all.

#60

Posted by: Daniel | October 21, 2009 9:09 AM

Following the twitter NO God thing led me to this gem by George Carlin: http://bit.ly/2EJ8UF

#61

Posted by: kopd | October 21, 2009 9:17 AM

No God. No Twitter. Know Peace.

#62

Posted by: David Marjanović, OM | October 21, 2009 10:09 AM

Know Cthulhu.

To those saying "Know God, know peace", are they aware of how much blood has been shed in God's name? Maybe they say it in the Orwellian sense "war is peace".

Or in the sense that war leads to eternal peace for lots and lots of people.

"If there was no God, there'd be no Athiests!!"
Hrmm, that does raise a thorny philosophical questions, albeit unintentionally.

No. The idea is that without a creator nothing at all would exist.

#63

Posted by: kopd | October 21, 2009 10:22 AM

Know Cthulhu.

No thanks. I value what little sanity I have salvaged since my deconversion. ;-)

#64

Posted by: kopd | October 21, 2009 10:42 AM

Italics fail in the previous post. Oops. Anyway...

Daniel: Thanks for that link. That is a good vid.

#65

Posted by: James Sweet | October 21, 2009 11:20 AM

Oh man, if only I'd seen this, maybe I could have redirected some of the traffic to No Jesus, No Peas. D'oh...

#66

Posted by: Les Hemmings | October 21, 2009 12:05 PM

But we'll be back with #nogodtuesday next week! :o)

#67

Posted by: Kagehi | October 21, 2009 4:46 PM

Hmm. Had planned to sign up and post something like this:

"Know God? Chemosh, Dagon, Baal, Milcom, Hada, Qos, Yahweh, their *father* Elohim? Why pick Yahweh out of all of those?"

But, I can't get on at the moment.

#68

Posted by: Urmensch | October 21, 2009 8:47 PM

Somone should create a social networking tool specially for Christians.
I vote that they call it Witter. They never stop wittering on.

#69

Posted by: Rafael | October 21, 2009 9:24 PM

Sorry, sir, but that's not "stupid text search". That's bigram analysis. Computer scientists worked hard to make that possible, and it's quite impressive that twitter is able to handle so many bigrams in such a fairly real-time fashion. Of course, it's not as computers are able to understand semantics, but we're on the path to there and we have gone a very long way from "stupid text search" to what we have today.

#70

Posted by: Willem2 | October 21, 2009 11:00 PM

As long as folks are looking for easy to twitter slogans, I'll contribute: "Eternal torture is next to godlinesss"