"We aren't just angry, we're effective"

[onager]

Title of a great Pharyngula thread from yesterday:

http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2011/05/we_arent_angry_were_effective.php#comments

It eventually turned into something that sounded like our very own Slough Of Despond, the R/T forum. In fact, it sounded just like a couple of our very own R/T regulars had invaded the thread:

--repeated invocations of a Certain Russian Political Leader
--dismissing people with advanced degrees - especially PhD's - who have the gall to write books and stuff.
--grandiose claims made while refusing to provide any evidence.
--overall stance of Internet Tough Guy Xian. (I nearly fell out of the chair laughing at that part. "Just wait till the North Korean Xians are free! They're tough, and they'll REALLY kick your atheist asses!")

This part was another real hoot. The poster was eventually revealed to be one David Marshall, who claimed:

Make it a debate of books, and you may lose again -- I've shown why the New Atheists, Pagels & Co, and the Jesus Seminar are wrong, respectively, in my last three books, without breaking much of a sweat. I'm thinking I may take on Ehrman, next.

Hmm. Interesting. I didn't remember seeing any of his books in my local shops, piled up in Christly counterpoint to Dawkins, Hitchens or Harris.

So a quick trip to Amazon.com, and here's one of Mr. Marshall's best-sellers:

Why the Jesus Seminar can't find Jesus, and Grandma Marshall Could: A Populist Defense of the Gospels by David Marshall

It was published, like all his books, by Harvest House. Which seems to be some sort of Xian semi-vanity press.

Since its publication in 2006 (IIRC), it has sold a whopping 133 copies.

And has 3 Amazon reviews - one of those is from a cranked-up non-believer who calls it "Garbage."

For much more fun, read the whole Pharyngula thread. It's worth the time.

[Warpy]

1. Thanks! That was well worth the read

All the yowling about persecution of the poor little majority Christians has already told me we'd been effective.

Now if we can figure out how to be tolerated, we'll be making progress.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

2. I love it that he always uses Comic Sans when quoting the idiots.

And that little troll icon for the block quotes. As they say, the Devil is in the details.