Corruption in the Atheist Camp

"It's good to be back for the Sunday Atheist services, and thanks Ray for the kind, but misguided, words. Conversely to Ray's purported answer to what he sees as corruption, yes the biblical corruption in which we are all deemed corrupt sinners from birth, my outlook on life is vastly different. Ray used a form of the term corrupt five times in his sermon. He sees corruption everywhere. I must wonder of he looks under his bed for corruption before retiring at night." Froggie

It seems that my friend Froggie lives in a pond of his own, and needs to hop into the real world and look around. There’s corruption everywhere, and you need not look under your bed to find it.

For example, Richard Dawkins is suing Josh Timonen for embezzling money from his charity. For those who don’t know, Josh was entrusted with the U.S. atheist outreach to unbelievers.

A similar thing happened years ago with American Atheists, Inc., when one of their staff stole $54,000. The leader of American Atheists was also extremely corrupt. According to her own son, "she stole huge amounts of money. She misused the trust of people. She cheated children out of their parents' inheritance. She cheated on her taxes and even stole from her own organizations." The accused member then went on to murder the American Atheist leader, and members of her family. He then cut up their bodies into more than a dozen pieces. Tragic and horrific though this is, according to atheist philosophy, he did nothing morally wrong--as there are no moral absolutes. As an evolved ape, he simply made some wrong choices and got caught.

Josh Timonen was in charge of the sale of T-shirts, hats, mugs, trinkets, and other anti-God-money-making junk. He was so respected by the professor that he dedicated his latest book to him. Dawkins said of him, "Josh's creative talent runs deep, but the image of the iceberg captures neither the versatile breadth of his contributions to our joint endeavor, nor the warm good humor with which he makes them."

He was very creative indeed, and his versatility was an iceberg than ran deeper than was imagined. It was another betrayal, but this keeper of the bag took more than 30 pieces of silver. According to Courthousenews.com "he ran the online store for 3 years, during which he claimed the store cleared only $30,000 and 'was just squeaking by'." But according to Mr. Dawkins, Josh actually pocketed $375,000. He claims Timonen made off with 92 percent of the money generated at the store in 3 years.

Professor Dawkins has lodged a legal suit against Timonen and his girlfriend. In the complaint for the suit, he humbly described himself as "the world's best known and most respected atheist."

According to "The Happy Atheist," Josh Timonen said in his own defense:

"It's a sad, sad day today. All I'll say at this point is that the truth will prevail. It won’t begin to fix the damage that's been done, but the truth will prevail. With the internet, you can so easily spread outrageous lies, destroy someone’s reputation, self-worth and dignity, and not even have any evidence to back up your malicious attacks. And it amazes me that so many people are so quick to spew venom about people and a situation they know nothing about. Even after my name is cleared, the words and attacks will remain…A quick aside about the closing of the RichardDawkins.net forum: I can understand that this decision was devastating to many of the forum users, and for that I am sorry…This year has certainly been the darkest time of my life, the ultimate betrayal, and then the hordes of mostly-anonymous internet users decide to pile it on. It’s making it very hard for me to see the light at the end of this tunnel, where I might regain some kind of hope for humanity, and find motivation again to dedicate my life to improving it in some small way."

However, if you want a glimpse of real corruption, take the time to look in the mirror. We are all corrupt, but the majority of us refuse to do an objective self-examination. We are like a man who has breath and body odor that could kill a house plant, but he's the only one who isn't aware of his true condition. He needs an objective assessment. Here is humanity’s objective (outside source) assessment:

"As it is written, None is righteous, just and truthful and upright and conscientious, no, not one. No one understands [no one intelligently discerns or comprehends]; no one seeks out God. All have turned aside; together they have gone wrong and have become unprofitable and worthless; no one does right, not even one! Their throat is a yawning grave; they use their tongues to deceive (to mislead and to deal treacherously). The venom of asps is beneath their lips. Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction [as it dashes them to pieces] and misery mark their ways. And they have no experience of the way of peace [they know nothing about peace, for a peaceful way they do not even recognize]. There is no [reverential] fear of God before their eyes" (Romans 3:10-18).

Then the Scriptures point to the moral Law. That’s what shows us our true condition. If you refuse to take notice of the Ten Commandments, you will carry on in your corruption and reap the eternal consequences. But if you obey the gospel (repent and trust alone in Jesus for your eternal salvation), there is glorious "hope for humanity."

Pic. Josh and Richard in happier days.

Notes:
Bryce, Robert (1999-06-04). "Preying on Atheists". Austin Chronicle. http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/vol18/issue40/pols.athiests.html. Retrieved 2007-12-01.
Murray, William J. "Madalyn Murray O'Hair Murder: Statement of William J. Murray". Religious Freedom Coalition. http://www.rfcnet.org/news/default.asp?action=detail&article=144. Retrieved 2007-12-01
http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/10/22/31283.htm
http://www.happyatheistforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=6045