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Tornado is about to hit an Oklahoma town and a woman makes a split second decision to grab her son and drive away as fast as she can.

It is chronciled here:

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-974878

CNN got word of her story and interviewed her in front of the wrekage that remained of her house:

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIDrmYyfWe8

Would you believe she actually received death threats for this interview?

She tells the entire story here:

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iUcD86YvlE

Comedian hears the story and starts fundraiser for her

http://gawker.com/comedian-raised-126k-for-atheist-tornado-victim-to-pis-1491724805

Just a fantastic story IMO

http://ardentatheist.tumblr.com/post/51433997527/atheists-raise-125-760-for-atheist-tornado

I remember the Doug Stanhope thing when it happened, he is a truly brilliant comedian (very offensive).

I must admit it felt a bit uneasy when he asked her twice about the Lord. Just seems really odd for a news anchor to ask such a thing. Murica I guess.

I particularly loved she kinda ignored the question the first time he asked it, but he persisted, because he wanted her to fulfill the prescribed narritive that CNN had for the story.

As Doug Stanhope said "We must thank the Lord for killing my next door neighbour and not me".

I love Rebecca and love Doug.

The most heartwarming thing I have read in ages.

"It's funny how hate can make you do real nice thing now and again"

Love it.

2 things really resonated.

The young lady was stood in front of the complete wreckage of her home. Gone, everything gone. But she was still smiling, she had her baby in her arms & you'd never know her life had just been devestated. Not a word of regret, nothing. You'd think she's just won the lottery.

And this was just so good, how she, hesitatingly, but honestly, said.....


Rebecca Vitsmun, did a very good thing when she said, “Actually, I’m an atheist”. She stood her ground in a very tough situation and she decided to be counted. This in a place where it’s still not acceptable to be atheist let alone safe to speak it out loud.
 
Moreover, she represented atheists in a very classy way. She even said, “I don’t blame anyone for thanking The Lord.”


She was not wearing an atheist badge, but she walked the walk.

It's quite comical in hindsight that the guy asking her if she thanked the lord, even though technically the lord just destroyed her house.

Erm yeah, cheers Lord.

wow thanks for this, missed it this week.

I dont believe in any god, i supose it makes me an atheist although i dont see the reason in needing a title for it. I could never imagine recieveing abuse for this view. Maybe its a generational thing, and an english/american thing also. Very few of my friends I would consider religious. Most of them now will even "come out" and say, ive been christened but im not a christian I dont believe and i dont want to say im a christian because thats offensive to christians, which i agree with.

I also am happy to say i dont believe now though but im happy to have my mind changed through life experiences that may tell me that my beliefs are "wrong" right now with the information I have I think im making the right choice.

I'm sure it took some courage to say "actually I'm an atheist" but beyond that there's not much to this is there?

Without Doug Stanhope's intervention this would be a non-story. The fact that people donated money to help her to rebuild her life, because she was an atheist, actually feels pretty sad and depressing.

to her it seems like it was a huge thing, the way she talked about it it reminded me of what some of my gay friends have gone through here. Although they didnt recieve any abuse once they came out.

I always remember the story of one of my mates who got drunk and annuced he was gay in the pub with 4 of his best mates there. There was a moment of are you serious or is this a joke? (he was not very camp, we didnt see it coming) Once we knew he was serious that was it everyone just carried out with there night. Nobody saw it as a massively big deal.

That is exactly the definition of an atheist.  Nothing more, nothing less.  It shouldn't need a title in the same way as not being a stamp collector doesn't need a title, but because it appears to be the norm for people to believe in gods, then those that don't are placed into a group.   

yet nowadays people are more inclined to wear their atheist badge and actively promote their views and belittle those who have a belief, whereas those of us who don't collect stamps just leave the philatelists to their own devices

I don't collect stamps.  :hello:

Bloody aphilatelist

but you believe in stamp collecting?

Yes, because of religious privilege and the way religion infects public life.

For example: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-30848534

Too good Iron.  ;tightend;

Why sad and depressing?

Christians and people of other religions have huge support networks, places to go and people to help when in times of need.

Atheists have no supoort networks. Especially in the USA. It's pretty much you against the world most of the time.

Doug proved this isn't always the case. Human spirit is strong.

I found the whole story heart warming and life affirming.

People sending her death threats because of her 'lack of faith' is sad and depressing.

Agreed.

bombing abortion clinics is sad and depressing too, as are so many other things that happen in the world and which can be attributed to groups who are linked in some way to some religious organisation.

However, as Keith says, 'human spirit is strong' and the strength of our heroine in proclaiming that it wasn't a god that saved her reflects that. I just found it sad that the fundraising took place because Doug Stanhope wanted to make a personal point about his lack of belief.

Given that one in three of the U.S. population now polls as being atheist/agnostic/irreligious and a further 20% have no religious affiliation it's hard to see them as  a downtrodden minority.

Don't think Doug was really doing it to make a point.

You know, he's a comedian.. he was making a joke.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I think he did it to to honour a very brave woman.

And although 20% have no religious affiliation, I doubt the number is anyway near that high in Oklahoma.

And if nothing else it caused Doug to come up with the line "It's funny how hate can make you do real nice things every now and then". Which I'm adopting as my new motto for life.

http://www.oklahomaatheists.com/

Lol.

'Oklahoma Atheists, a non prophet organisation'

i think the word atheist is a horrid sounding word its sounds so angry
i like the word agnostic much better  i am probably more atheist than agnostic but if asked would likely say agnostic more than atheist

I'm more puzzled than confused but if asked I would likely say more confused than puzzled.

I'm as surprised anyone has complete certainty there isn't a god, as I am by people who have complete faith there is a god.

What about Goblins, Santa, the Tooth Fairy etc?

Odds against.

But you're not ruling them out?

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiPe1OiKQuk

A lot of people believe in ghosts

A lot of people believe in "aliens"

A lot of people believe in a "god(s)"

Personally, i need proof of any of the above to really believe in them, however, of the three, the alien life form is something i would be happiest to put my money on.

Theist/Atheist deals with the belief/absence of belief in a god.
Gnostisc/Agnostic deals with knowledge, rather than belief.

So it's possible to be an atheist agnostic, a theist agnostic, an atheist gnostic or a theist gnostic.

Granted some combinations are far more likely than others.

If the universe is indeed infinite, I would back there being some sort of life elsewhere at 1.000000001.