Unnecessary (and utterly stupid) Hate Mail

Continuing the saga of the hate mail that ends up in my various inboxes, today we have one that didn't even have to be written. I recently set up a Meet-Up group page for FLorida Atheists and Secular Humanists (FLASH) Parents, HERE. Meet-Up then sends out a mass email to people interested in the various categories that I listed the group under. In this case it was "parenting", "atheist", "secular humanism", "stay at home moms", and "parents & families".

And thus, I received my first hate mail!

The following message was sent to you by a Meetup member (Note,
they're not a member of your Meetup Group.)

* It was sent to you by: XXXXXXX (User ID: XXXXXX)

* XXXXX requested a response. To respond simply reply to this
email. (Note that when you reply, XXXXXX will have your email
address.)

What XXXXXX wrote:
----------------------------------------------------------------
This is sick!!!! Why would you send me an invitation to your BS
Athiest Group? I do not wish to receive anything from this
group. Have a blessed day.
----------------------------------------------------------------

Notice a couple of things. First of all, she didn't even have to reply to the invitation. She could have just ignored it and moved on with her day. I get tons of Meet-Up invites because I'm signed up for several categories, and I just ignore the ones I'm not interested in. But no, XXXXX here had to take all of her Christian love and goodness and write me a nasty one. Secondly, the idiot doesn't even know how to spell Atheist, despite the fact that the email she received had it plastered all over it.

So anyhow, I was going to let it go, but if you know me, you know I don't let things go, so here was my response:

Thank you so much for responding so kindly to the Meet-Up invitation you received. I am sure you are unaware that Meet-Up sends new group announcements to everyone who is signed up for certain categories and since it is obvious you are signed up for "parenting" groups, you received an invite. I did not seek you out and send you the invitation personally.

It is obvious from your note that you are a kind and caring person, and that you are teaching your children tolerance and respect for other beliefs that are not your own.

Thank you for being the epitome of the hypocritical religious person, who in one sense can write such a nasty and unnecessary note in response to a mass invitation and then turn around and wish me a "blessed" day. Thank you. Thank you for reinforcing the stereotype of the bigoted, intolerant, religious fanatic. You are a testament to your faith and a shining example for all Atheists and Secular Humanists everywhere.

Warm Regards,

Alessia Lane

Organizer FLASH Parents

Organizer Ex Libris: A Book Club With Brains

Assistant Organizer: The Hollywood Moms Meet-Up Group

Atheist Hate

I couldn't let this go for some reason so I wrote a letter to the Tyra show. I don't even watch her show, but I just couldn't let this go without a comment. Here is my letter below:


I just recently caught a clip of the Tyra show that featured Steve Harvey and I was disgusted and appalled at his comments about atheists. I was more offended at the reaction that Tyra gave, laughing as he made disparaging comments about a group of people as having no "moral barometer" if they do not believe in god.

Let me introduce myself. I am a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a college graduate, an activist, and a human being. I am also an Atheist. I do not believe in god, gods, goddesses, or any sort of divine creator of this universe. My husband is an Atheist, and we are raising our child free from religion. This does not mean that we are teaching him religion is wrong and that we are right, it means that we are teaching him that the world is a gigantic place, and the millions of people that inhabit it, all look, feel, and believe differently.

We are not "immoral" people. We love, we laugh, we cry, we yell and scream, we tickle, we eat too much, and we spend too much time on the internet. Our "moral barometer" is based on our human consciousness of what is right and wrong. We do not kill, or steal, or hurt people, not for fear of the wrath of some imaginary cloud being, but for the mere fact that, as human beings, our NATURAL intellect dictates that these things are wrong.

Steve Harvey's comments were bigoted and prejudicial. If someone were to juxtapose the words "Jew" or "Muslim" or "Asian" into his statements about Atheism, would the audience have been so quick to titter? And would Tyra have allowed such hate-speech to be spoken so freely without comment?

The reality is that this country is made up of many godless individuals. There are many of us who do not believe in god, who lead normal, productive, and yes, MORAL lives. The Freedom From Religion Foundation put the percentage of Atheists in this country at 14% at last count. We are still citizens of this nation. We vote, we pay taxes, and we deserve the same respect given to any other individual, whether they be god-fearing or not.

If Steve Harvey, or anyone for that matter, wishes to base their opinion on someone on whether or not they believe in god or not, I am sorry to say that they will be missing out on some very interesting people. Some of the greatest minds in the world are god-free: Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, the late great author Douglas Adams, astronomer Carl Sagan, scientist Marie Curie, James Watson and Francis Crick who discovered the double helix and the origin of DNA, Seth McFarlane of Family Guy fame, author Kurt Vonnegut, George Clooney, Lance Armstrong, Natalie Portman, Katherine Hepburn, the list is endless.

What a sad existence it must be to be so closed minded and believe that your god would allow such hatred.

My conscience is my guide. There is no need to cling to spiritual fantasy. Our lives and our child's life are enriched by reality, not illusion.