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Tuesday, September 18, 2007

YouTube restores Rational Response Squad's account (and commentary about supporting a group of atheists)

Early this morning Brian Sapient of the Rational Response Squad posted on the group's site that YouTube had restored their account.

You might remember a few days ago when I wrote here about how the atheist Rational Response Squad had apparently been targeted by a Christian organization. Creation Science Evangelism Ministries allegedly filed "false DMCA copyright requests" against the Rational Response Squad with YouTube, and YouTube subsequently yanked Rational Response Squad's account. But as you can see, it is now back up.

In the past few days since posting on this blog that I would "give the Rational Response Squad my full support in this matter", plenty of e-mail has come into my box about that. A lot of the sentiment is reflected in the comments made on the earlier post. And many people are really, really angry that I took up sides with a group of atheists on this issue. Especially in light of what, supposedly, Rational Response Squad has done in the past.

The first time that the Rational Response Squad ever appeared on my radar screen was during the weekend, when this affair with YouTube made news. I don't know what the Rational Response Squad has done before.

Saying that I'm supporting them in this matter does in no way certify or imply in the least bit that I'm somehow endorsing their attitudes and tactics in other matters.

But don't take that to mean that just because I do follow Christ, that it's supposed to mean that I automatically endorse "my side" in every situation, either.

This thing is for the Rational Response Squad to hash-out with Creation Science Evangelism Ministries. I don't have a dog in that hunt...

...although I do feel compelled to say this to Creation Science Evangelism Ministries: you guys aren't "getting" it at all. And these kinds of shenanigans aren't doing the ministry of Christ any favors. If anything, this enmity against the Rational Response Squad is hurting our cause, which is supposed to be one borne in love. I can't see that happening here at all.

Why did I, a Christian, lend my support to a group of atheists in this situation? Because it was the Christian thing to do. Nothing more and nothing less. If that doesn't satisfy you then maybe it'll please you to know that it was at least the American thing to do. As in the real America: the people that used to be able to disagree without feeling obligated to destroy each other. The people who used to be wise enough to realize that if it could happen to others, it could happen to them too.

This shouldn't happen to atheists any more than it should happen to Christians.

3 comments:

Frank Walton said...

Brian J. Cutler (aka Brian Sapient) has actually done a shameless attack on my man Jack here. Chris, dude, don't defend scum.

Chris Knight said...

I'm not defending them on what *they* have done. But I am defending them if the DMCA is being abused against them, as it apparently has been.

Voltaire once said something about "I may not like what you got to say, but I'll defend your right to say it."

Differences of philosophy should be argued *honestly*, without dirty tricks and back-handedness being used for unfair advantage.

It really shows a lot of weakness on Creation Science Evangelism Ministries' part: that they do not seem capable of standing on God's love and grace, that they have to resort to the meaner tricks of this world. I have to ask: where is the testimony in *that*?!?

Frank Walton said...

Look, I see what you're saying but why haven't you even addressed the fact that there are Christians who have been banned from youtube because of the Rational Response Squad? They practically pulled the same stunt as Kent Hovind yet Christians stay banned but RRS don't. Did you not know of that?