this post was submitted on
1,275 points (64% like it)
2,810 up votes 1,535 down votes
shortlink:

atheism

subscribe1,031,530 readers

Help victims of the Aurora shootings

Help victims of the Sikh shootings

Welcome to r/atheism, the web's largest atheist forum. All topics related to atheism, agnosticism and secular living are welcome here. Please read our FAQ.
New posts: New Rising
Self posts: New Relevant
Non-image posts: New Relevant

Recommended reading and viewing

Thank you notes

Related Subreddits <--the big list
GodlessWomen YoungAtheists AtheistParents
BlackAtheism AtheistGems DebateAnAtheist
skeptic agnostic freethought
antitheism humanism Hitchens
a6theism10 tfbd AdviceAtheists
Events
10/5-6 NAPCON2012 - Boston
08/11 Regional Conference - St. Paul MN
Giving
DWB/MSF fundraiser
Kiva lending team
FBB's Appeal to Freethinkers to Fight Cancer
Camp Quest
Ex* Groups
ex-Muslim ex-Catholic ex-Mormon
ex-JW ex-Jew ex-SistersinZion
ex-Bahai ex-Christian ex-Adventist
Assistance
Coming Out
Atheist Havens
Start an Atheist Club at Your School

Chat: #reddit-atheism on irc.freenode.net

Watch: #/r/atheism on reddit.tv

Read The FAQ

Submit Rage Comic

Submit Facebook Chat

Submit Meme

Submit Something Else

a community for
to anything interesting: news article, blog entry, video, picture...
message the moderators

MODERATORS

reddit is a source for what's new and popular online. vote on links that you like or dislike and help decide what's popular, or submit your own! learn more ›

1274
1275

Rowan Atkinson on Religion (i.imgur.com)

submitted ago by 1337m00nm4n

all 92 comments
sorted by:
best
hot
new
controversial
top
old
best

[–]derpplease 44 points45 points ago

great quote, but it was really hard to read because I kept trying to read it in Mr. Beans voice

[–]smiling_panda 22 points23 points ago

Should be doing Blackadder imo.

[–]DeFex 12 points13 points ago

"I have a cunning plan!"

[–]Nezperdia 4 points5 points ago

Does it involve turnips?

[–]LordCake 9 points10 points ago

It's so cunning you could stick a tail on it and call it a weasel.

[–]twingem 5 points6 points ago

'You wouldn't know a cunning plan if one danced naked on a harpsicord singing "cunning plans are here again!"'

[–]NotaClipaMagazine 0 points1 point ago

"BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM... BOOM BOOM BOOM."

[–]twingem 14 points15 points ago

Especially the ultra-cynical series 4 incarnation.

I've often thought that a hypothetical series 5 set in a nuclear missile control room during the cold war would have made for great black comedy fodder.

[–]MrByzantine 6 points7 points ago

Guest-starring Rik Mayall as an over-sexed MI6 agent

[–]Sticky-Scrotum 1 point2 points ago

Woof!

[–]DancingWithKafka 3 points4 points ago

Although I loved the ending of the fourth series, I always thought the hypothetical ending to the fifth would have been amazing:

Blackadder is a bureaucrat working in the Russian Tsarist government circa 1917, and his uniform is black, hence the name. We see him go through all the beginnings of Communism, the struggle for power, Lenin's death etc. and at the end after promotions, demotions, time in the gulag etc. he ends up back exactly where he started, except in the final scene he is wearing a red uniform, and the song sings "Red-adder" instead.

[–]LiketheCar 0 points1 point ago

I loved the 2nd series Black Adder, but series 3 was my personal favorite.

[–]ramlosaappleftw 2 points3 points ago

Rowan Atkinson - Intensely disliking things since 1955.

[–]youbraceyourself 6 points7 points ago

Wow for a guy that doesn't talk that was powerful.

[–]JackRawlinson 0 points1 point ago

Man. It really is amazing that there are people out there that think Mr. Bean is all that Atkinson has done.

[–]youbraceyourself 0 points1 point ago

It was just a joke man.

[–][deleted] -4 points-3 points ago

Nope! This Atkinson fellow is literally the devil, and he says all atheists go to hell. Not sure why you would want to be posting about him here.

[–]wm3166 1 point2 points ago

What if the religion isn't?

[–]Blzbba 1 point2 points ago

I agree, Rowan. Islam sucks and is worthy of constant derision and scorn.

[–]GreenHashtag 1 point2 points ago

Why is he not knight'ed(is that right?) yet! It should be SIR Rowan Atkinson.

[–]GreenJupiter4 1 point2 points ago

Good quote, I certainly agree with it.

[–]Flagyl400 1 point2 points ago

I have such a soft spot for that guy. When I was about ten, I saw a sketch he did where he was dressed as the devil and welcoming all the different types of sinners to hell. Right at the end, he says something like "Oh, and Christians? Where are the Christians, hands up please? Yes, if you'll all just step this way, you see I'm afraid the Jews were right all along"

As a good little Catholic child, that actually made me think "Well fuck, what if we are wrong?". After a couple of years, that seed of doubt had blossomed into "Well fuck, maybe all the faiths are wrong!".

TL;DR: Rowan Atkinson made me an atheist.

[–]spacemonkey514 1 point2 points ago

Because religion itself doesn't walk around suppressing human rights or being abusive. Individual people do, especially people in positions of power whether it's in a democratic government or a corporation or a theocratic dictatorship.

[–]TheWac0Kid 0 points1 point ago

When the religion teaches these things and rewards you for doing them with concepts like heaven and punishes you with concepts like hell the religion is at fault just as much as the individual.

[–]Irish_mcdick 2 points3 points ago

Wasn't this just posted on the front page within the past 2 days?

[–]1337m00nm4n[S] 3 points4 points ago

Hey IDK. If it was, just send me the link and I'll take it down for you.

[–]Irish_mcdick 6 points7 points ago

You don't need to take it down on my behalf. I was just making an observation. I like the quote, but I could have sworn that I just recently saw this posted and it was bugging me that I couldn't figure out where I saw it.

[–]1337m00nm4n[S] 13 points14 points ago

I've seen it floating around facebook, maybe you saw it there. Anyhow, thanks for not telling me to 'kill myself' or something of the sort because you think that this may be a repost. Cheers.

[–]KillUrself_if_repost 5 points6 points ago

It's not too late!

[–]1337m00nm4n[S] 1 point2 points ago

You have an awesome username. Upvoted.

[–]BardofDale 1 point2 points ago

http://imgur.com/IMeAg and http://coffeelovingskeptic.com/?p=1243 although the second got only a couple upvotes

[–]elburrito 0 points1 point ago

such an awesome quote. fits perfectly with islam.

[–]FacsimilousSarcasm 5 points6 points ago

virtually all world religions

FTFY

[–]elburrito -2 points-1 points ago

fits modern islam perfectly

FTFY

[–]TemplesOfSyrinx 2 points3 points ago

The problem with inciting intense dislike of a religion is it often comes laced with inaccuracy (about the religion), sarcasm, name calling and, perhaps ultimately, ineffective results assuming the intent is do discourage people from embracing religion and its dogma.

What I see a lot of here in /r/atheism is stuff like snarky memes and facebook retorts that, I think, put religious people in the defensive. I think inciting intense dislike in that manner might tend to make people cling to their religion rather than convince them of other (lack of) belief systems. I realize that some of us live in areas of the world where there is intense religious fundamentalism and I sympathize. But, I still think that leading by example is a better way.

[–]DreamReliquary 2 points3 points ago

Intelligent conversation takes time and effort. What large masses of people want is hard hitting bite sized pieces of self validation.

[–]TemplesOfSyrinx 0 points1 point ago

True enough.

What large masses of people want is hard hitting bite sized pieces of self validation.

Yeah, preferably ones that either completely validate their own opinion or run 180 degrees in opposition so that they have something they can focus their hate on. Increasingly, people have no use for middle ground.

[–]MysticalRainbowPubes 0 points1 point ago

All different types of people are atheists that express themselves in different ways. Sometimes people just want to say "fuck this dumb bullshit" and there is nothing wrong with that. It's impossible to get every person that thinks religion is untrue to conform to your way of going about things. It's not a religion.

[–]TemplesOfSyrinx 0 points1 point ago

Sometimes people just want to say "fuck this dumb bullshit" and there is nothing wrong with that.

There's nothing wrong with that, true. But, in that sense, there's nothing wrong with saying anything. Given the importance of converting dogmatic religious people from their fundamentalism to a more reasonable world view at this point in humankinds history, I think it's worth putting some thought and logic into Internet posts and debates and arguments about religion rather than just letting of some emotional steam.

It's impossible to get every person that thinks religion is untrue to conform to your way of going about things. It's not a religion.

Can you elaborate? I'm not sure I understand what your trying to say. For example, what do you mean when you say "religion is untrue"?

[–]Beatlemaniacjng98 0 points1 point ago

Hmmm... would've been better is the picture was of his spot at the olympics

[–]I_STAB_HIPSTER_FILTH 0 points1 point ago

moh mah wah wagga wawawa mrr pop... Beannnnn

-Rowan Atkinson on religion

[–]Goofykid3435 0 points1 point ago

I love Rowan Atkinson. People always say their fav thing with him is Black Adder, but I'm Classic Mr. Bean all the way

[–]rmc330 0 points1 point ago

The man has the eyebrows of a god.

[–]imakefilms 0 points1 point ago

I read it in Zazu's voice! :)

[–]GMBeats95 0 points1 point ago

so i'm guessing you googled "the guy at the olympics playing the keyboard" and ended up with the quote.

[–]AdvocateForLucifer 0 points1 point ago

Because if you try to shove your morals down their throat after they've been indoctrinated, they won't listen.

[–]CYBERDYNE9000 0 points1 point ago

Exactly right. And that's why I downvoted the meme earlier today about Jimmy who leaves Christians alone on facebook.

Atheism is in a war with religion, and we've been building our forces for thousands of years, and only now are we strong enough to overthrow the archaic holy armies of history. We can't back down or give them any room to breath. We will win this war, it's just a question of when.

[–]MagicBob78 0 points1 point ago

Verified

Good quote.

[–]xteve 0 points1 point ago

I would apply that sentiment to any teaching that is outrageous and irrational.

[–]HydrogenxPi 0 points1 point ago

He's really aging well.

[–]spenser3541 0 points1 point ago

virtually all world religions.

[–]Navi845 0 points1 point ago

What a man

[–]elperroborrachotoo 0 points1 point ago

What is wrong with inciting intense dislike of a country if the activities or teachings of that country are so outrageous, irrational or abusive of human rights that they deserve to be intensely disliked?

[–]Irish_mcdick -1 points0 points ago

You don't need to take it down on my behalf. I was just making an observation. I like the quote, but I could have sworn that I just recently saw this posted and it was bugging me that I couldn't figure out where I saw it.

Edit: was meant as a reply, not as a new comment. Sorry.

[–]jster628 -1 points0 points ago

Mr. Bean can speak?

[–]too_lazy_2_punctuate -1 points0 points ago

i thought mr bean never spoke...

edit: fuck me for not knowing, right?

[–]acastorina 1 point2 points ago

In the film, he gives a speech in front of a large crowd about the painting Whistler's Mother.

[–]rattleshirt 0 points1 point ago

Just in case you don't know about Blackadder...

[–]too_lazy_2_punctuate 0 points1 point ago

nice name. any reason why you chose a vile turncloak piece of shit for a screen name?

[–]rattleshirt 0 points1 point ago

Rattleshirt isn't a turncloak, he has no cloak to turn and swears no allegiance. I picked it because he's one of my favourite characters in the series, he wears a giants skull as a helmet!

Edit: also just letting you know i didn't downvote you for not knowing about Blackadder too, it isn't exactly a massively popular program.

[–]too_lazy_2_punctuate 1 point2 points ago

well he accepted slynts pardon, and joined the "crows" as he put it. but yeah i guess i can see where your coming from. i think my fav character in the series has been jon. but its really hard to pick one since its such a great series.

[–]rattleshirt 0 points1 point ago

Yeah, the whole "king beyond the wall" was just gathering tribes together to break through the wall, since they're through they don't really owe any allegiance to Mance as they completed their objective.

And aye Jon is one of the best, can't wait for the next book for reasons we shouldn't go into without spoiler tags. After the last book i think Manderley made it into my top character list too.

[–]ThatIsMyHat -3 points-2 points ago

Who are you to judge which religions deserve to be disliked? Seems awfully arrogant to me.

[–]Feinberg -1 points0 points ago

Last I checked, we live here.

[–]Crallium -1 points0 points ago

What if he lives there, though?

Then he doesn't live here.

Then we're both fucked, and he isn't.

You may both live here and I may live there.

You never know.

[–]ZombieFaceXP -1 points0 points ago

Wait, He can talk??

[–]WaterAndSand -1 points0 points ago

Nothing is wrong with it, but, if I may borrow some wisdom from Jay-Z "a wise man told me don't argue with fools, cause people from a distance can't tell who's who"

This is the epitome of /r/atheism

[–]X05 -1 points0 points ago

Please, for the love of Zuul use the oxford comma, it makes reading everything easier and it makes you look classy. THANKS!

[–]deem40 -1 points0 points ago

Don't worry. Someone will love you, some day.

[–][deleted] ago

[deleted]

[–]JammySTB 3 points4 points ago

Because Rowan Atkinson is a very intelligent man. He has an MSc in Electrical Engineering from Oxford.

[–]Flagyl400 2 points3 points ago

We aren't. Actor =/= Character the Actor Plays, and I can't believe I've just had to explain that to someone.

[–]Feinberg 1 point2 points ago

We're treating him the same way we treat anyone who has intelligent things to say. Is there some reason we shouldn't like this statement?

[–]VentingSalmon 0 points1 point ago

He was also top spot on the TOP GEAR racing track.

[–]elmarko44 -2 points-1 points ago

I think one group deciding what deserves to be liked or ridiculed or intensely hated is how religions got started in the first place. FAIL Mr. Atkinson

[–]turbo_loadstone -2 points-1 points ago

He talks?

[–]sturd[!] 0 points1 point ago

Without a doubt, his best role!

[–]big_bad_brownie -3 points-2 points ago

Inciting “intense dislike,” or what most of us call “hatred,” fosters the dehumanization of the out-group and compels your in-group to take drastic and violent action.

The context of this quote is Atkinson’s stance against proposed laws prohibiting hate speech against Islam, which is a response to the increasing number of hate crimes against Muslims in the UK. I’m not in support of limiting free speech, but pretending you can publicly spew hate speech against an ethnic group, without contributing to alienation, violence and racial tensions is dangerously stupid.

Before you jump on the bandwagon with “Islam is not a race,” tell that to every neo-con and ignorant racist you’ve ever met. Tell it to Anders Breivik. Tell it to the victims of the Bosnian genocide.

[–]TheWac0Kid 0 points1 point ago

Hey, what's the view like up on that podium of pretension?

[–]big_bad_brownie 1 point2 points ago

This is r/atheism. If pretension were an Olympic sport, I'd be running alongside Turkmenistan.

[–]butteryT -4 points-3 points ago

http://i.imgur.com/POwVF.jpg

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy. © 2012 reddit inc. All rights reserved.

REDDIT and the ALIEN Logo are registered trademarks of reddit inc.

π Rendered by PID 18206 on app-13 running fc22e53.