PZ Myers

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The atheist PZ Myers declared, "...I don’t object to bestiality in a very limited set of specific conditions...".[1][2]

See also: Atheism and bestiality and PZ Myers on bestiality

Paul Zachary Myers, better known as PZ Myers, is a liberal, atheist and evolutionist activist in the creation-evolution controversy, contributing to The Panda's Thumb and Pharyngula blogs. Myers is also an associate professor of biology at the University of Minnesota Morris (UMM)[3] Myers is also a co-founder of Freethought Blogs.

PZ Myers commented, while listening to Michael Behe lecture on Intelligent design, that "In science, we scream a lot."[3] Myers' emotionalism and combative nature may have helped earn him the label of being an "online provocateur" having an "eccentric voice" by the newspaper USA Today.[4] In a 2014 lecture, Myers said he is known for being a "weird," "loud," "radicalized" and "firebrand" type of "New Atheist."[5]

In 2012, PZ Myers declared, "...I don’t object to bestiality in a very limited set of specific conditions...".[1][6] See also: PZ Myers on bestiality and Atheism and bestiality

Subsequent to the decline of the New Atheism movement, Myers wrote, "History will not remember me..." (see: PZ Myers' loss of influence).[7] In July 2017, Myers renounced the New Atheism movement.[8] Concerning formerly being a new atheist, Myers said in 2019: "...I was naive and stupid".[9]

In August 2017 PZ Myers renounced the atheist movement at large and wrote: "Atheism has squandered its momentum on a defensive old guard and apologists for neglect of events happening in our world. I’m going to have to suggest that we all abandon it. Let’s find an organization that openly states that they want to dismantle the structures of white supremacy and sexist oppression."[10]

Atheist Michael Nugent said of Myers:

PZ Myers says that “we (now) have an atheism where it is acceptable to rail against feminism, because feminists should be raped and killed.”

Even by PZ’s own standards, this is his most delusional smear yet...

It is incredible to think that reasonable people once took him seriously.[11]

In August 2017, Myers indicated that he considers humanism to have a more promising future than the atheist movement (Secular humanism is an atheistic form of humanism. Myers is referring to secular humanism when he declared humanism has a more promising future).[10]

However, in October 2017, Myers wrote to his fellow progressive atheists: "We need to just reclaim the title of Atheism as our own."[12] Myers, like David Silverman (a former president the American Atheists), likely recognizes that many people don't know what the word humanism means (Research indicates that 90% of Americans don't know what the word humanism means).[13]

Contents

Freethoughtblogs

See also: Freethought Blogs and Internet atheism

Freethought Blogs is a spinoff of ScienceBlogs launched by PZ Myers and Ed Brayton.

Web traffic of Freethought Blogs dramatically declines in terms of Google referral traffic

See also: Internet atheism

Freethoughtblogs.com has seen a dramatic decline in the amount of Google referral traffic that it receives.

Google uses over 200 factors to evaluate the quality and the relevance of a website to various topics.

Majority of Freethoughtblogs.com audience is male

See also: Atheism and women and Atheism and sexism and Atheist feminism

According to the leading web marketing website Similarweb.com, the majority of Freethoughtblogs.com traffic consists of males.

Despite the pro-feminism stance of Freethoughblogs it hasn't been able to attract a higher percentage of a female audience. The majority of atheists are men (see: Atheism and women).

Banning of Thunderf00t from Freethought Blogs

See also: Atheist factions

On July 13, 2012 produced a video criticizing PZ Myers involvement in his banning from Freethought Blogs. The video accuses PZ Myers of a lack of integrity and engaging in censorship.[14]

Vox Day wrote that Thunderf00t's removal from Freethought Blogs exemplified PZ Myers's unwillingness to intellectually engage his opponents and his lack of integrity.[15]

The issue which appeared to spark the contention was how to properly deal with the significant amount of misogny within the atheist community (see also: Atheism and women).[16][17]

Thunderf00t on the impact of Freethought Blogs on social justice

In October 2014, the popular YouTube atheist Thunderf00t indicated that the bloggers at Freethought Blogs accidentally put him on their email list and that they spend a considerable amount of time emailing each other engaging in petty matters. In fact, he indicated that they spent more time emailing each other than engaged in actual blogging. He also questioned the impact of the bloggers of Freethought Blogs on social justice.[18] Furthermore, he indicated that their attempt to make him a pariah within the atheist community had virtually no impact.[18]

In addition, Thunderf00t commented on how Jen McCreight, the founder of the atheist feminist movement Atheism plus abandoned her movement within two weeks. And how Richard Carrier "the intellectual artillery" of the movement, quit promoting the movement within a month.[18]

Richard Carrier's defamation lawsuit against Freethought Blogs

See: Richard Carrier's lawsuits

Atheist Ireland publicly dissociating itself from PZ Myers

See also: PZ Myers and social justice and Atheism and social justice and PZ Myers and politics

The Irish atheist Michael Nugent wrote to PZ Myers in September 2014:

Some of the content of your blog is hurtful and unjust in itself, it also undermines the effectiveness of attempts to promote compassion and empathy and social justice, and it is additionally harmful because of your prominence as a perceived spokesperson for organised atheism...

PZ, is this really how you want to be remembered? Having defended you against unjust attacks from others, I am now asking you to take a long hard look at what you are doing, consider apologising to people who you have unjustly hurt and defamed, and start focusing on actually promoting compassion and empathy and social justice if those ideas are important to you.[19]

In April 2015, Atheist Ireland announced, "Atheist Ireland is publicly dissociating itself from the hurtful and dehumanising, hateful and violent, unjust and defamatory rhetoric of the atheist blogger PZ Myers."[20] The atheist biologist Massimo Pigliucci said of Myers, "one cannot conclude this parade without mentioning P.Z. Myers, who has risen to fame because of a blog where the level of nastiness (both by the host and by his readers) is rarely matched anywhere else on the Internet...".[21]

Due to its notability requirements, the website Wikipedia® (which was founded by an atheist and agnostic), does not make mention of any specific accomplishments PZ Myers may have achieved in the area of social justice. Wikipedia does mention the social justice accomplishments of Christians such as William Wilberforce, Harriet Beecher Stowe and others.

Inappropriate commentary on the suicide of comedian Robin Williams

See also: PZ Myers on the death of Robin Williams

In August 2014, very shortly after the suicide of the popular, American comedian/actor Robin Williams, PZ Myers made a callous and socially/emotionally tone-deaf blog post on the matter compounded by him subsequently indicating in the blog post comment section that he should have been "more rude".[22]

Fellow atheist and evolutionist Jerry Coyne wrote in response to Myers' commentary on the suicide of Robin Williams:

This is one of the most contemptible and inhumane things I've ever seen posted by a well-known atheist. It reeks of arrogance, of condescension, and especially of a lack of empathy for those who loved and admired Williams not because they knew him, but because he brought them happiness and made them think.[23]

Myers was angry because he felt that the news of Robins Williams death was crowding out the news story of the African-American Michael Brown who was shot by a police officer (a race riot subsequently ensued).[24] Myers was criticized by one of the bloggers at Hemant Mehta's blog The Friendly Atheist due to his "his heartless, classless body blow to the still-warm corpse of Robin Williams."[24] In addition, Myers' hypocrisy was pointed out as he had made no blog posts previously about the Michael Brown matter and additionally Myers a day earlier, made "a substance-free 15-word post whose main attraction was a photo of a cute bulldog puppy."[24]

In 2011, fellow New Atheist and evolutionist Richard Dawkins was also criticized for his social ineptitude due to the events surrounding Elevatorgate incident (see also: Women's views of Richard Dawkins).

PZ Myers turns off the social aspect of his blog

See also: Atheism and social skills and Atheism and narcissism

Michael Nugent reported in 2015:

PZ Myers has now closed down the social interaction aspect of his blog, after blaming his commenters for attacking an insider in the way that he has always encouraged them to attack outsiders. He also complains that FreeThought Blogs itself is ‘less a unified group than a disparate collection of loosely affiliated blogs that have found a convenient hosting service.’

PZ’s new view on community-building is that ‘we are all objects in space, drifting, occasionally bouncing off each other or tugging gently at each other’s masses. And that’s about it.’ PZ now says that he ‘will be a cold dark ember of a star, following my own whims, drifting alone, not trying to create a hospitable atmosphere.’

This shows that PZ Myers has learned nothing useful from the Little Shop of Hatred that he created and nourished until he lost control of it. Yesterday I wrote that, while I welcomed PZ’s diminishing influence in the international atheist movement, I would also welcome a genuine conversion by him to civility and empathy and fairness and justice. This has not happened. So be it.[25]

In 2012, Myers wrote concerning his blog:

I AM THE BOSS, and don’t you forget it. I have sole and absolute power here; I can ban you, I can destroy your comments, I can shut down whole threads. I am a being of caprice; I don’t have to justify anything I do. So when I tell you to stop doing something, stop. Don’t argue with me. You don’t like that I banned your friend? Tough. Don’t complain to me. I will do as I will to make this place the kind of party I want to attend, and that’s all that matters.

This law supercedes all other rules.[26][27]

PZ Myers rejoicing at the accidental death of a Brazilian priest and then fantasizing about killing priests

In 2008, Myers rejoiced at the death of a Brazilian Roman Catholic priest who died a premature accidental death and then Myers fantasized about personally killing other priests.[28][29]

PZ Myers' prediction that the atheism movement will stagnate or shrink unless atheists change

See also: Atheist movement and Decline of the atheist movement

On September 27, 2014 in a blog post entitled The Atheist Disillusionment, PZ Myers declared:

I will make a prediction, right here and now.... The number of people identifying as atheists will stagnate or even shrink, because organized atheism is happily in the process of destroying itself with regressive social attitudes, scandals, and their bizarre focus on irrelevant metaphysical differences that don’t help people...

Unless we change.

I don’t know that we can.[30]

In 2017, an article entitled Apparently, the atheist PZ Myers recognizes that the New Atheism movement failed and that the 21st century is going to be a century of desecularization indicated:

PZ Myers just admitted: "History is not going to remember me...".

Although he was mocked for it, PZ Myer dubbed himself the 5th horseman of the New Atheism movement...

Remember, history is written by the victors. And PZ Myers just admitted that history will not remember him.

Surely, if atheism was going to triumphant the history books would note the 5th horsemen of the New Atheism movement! Myers would deserve at least a footnote. But PZ Myers recognizes that he will not receive even a footnote.[31]

See also: Decline of the atheist movement

PZ Myers on the sexual harassment allegations against Michael Shermer

See: PZ Myers on the sexual harassment allegations against Michael Shermer

PZ Myers on Islam

See also: Atheism vs. Islam

PZ Myers declared that Islam is a "religion of ignorance and hate."[32] Myers contends that those who believe that any criticism of Islam is unacceptable are being unreasonable.[33] However, Myers is against stereotyping all Muslims as being Muslim terrorists.[34]

PZ Myers on YouTube atheism

See also: YouTube atheism and Atheism and logical fallacies

PZ Myers wrote about YouTube atheism which is dominated by anti-social justice warrior atheism:

I haven’t been on YouTube for quite a while...

I stopped bothering because I didn’t want to be associated with these goons, and it didn’t matter what I said…any video would be swarmed with abuse. Every once in a while I tell myself I shouldn’t surrender the medium so easily and that I should at least make a little effort now and then, but meh…I’d have to come up with a vainglorious name, figure out how to animate a goofy avatar, and learn how to overlook a lot of gross logical fallacies.[35]

PZ Myers says atheists are largely a population of internet nerds and geeks

PZ Myers

See also: Atheist nerds and Atheism and social outcasts and Internet atheism and Atheism and marriage and Atheism and women

In 2013, the PZ Myers declared:

If we're going to expand our base and we're going to draw in more people to recognize the virtues of living in a secular world, we need to appeal to more than just that geek and nerd subset of the population. We need to have a wider base. ...I seriously believe that we're on the cusp of a crisis. We're not there yet but it's looming in front of us. Will we adapt and thrive and change the world? Or will we remain an avocation for a prosperous and largely irrelevant subset of the population? Will we become something more than a scattered society of internet nerds? That's what we have to do.[36]

In response, Evolution News and Views wrote:

A crisis looms, in Myers's view, because he looks around himself and sees a not very promising basis for a mass movement. He's right. There is indeed a quality of geeky isolation from reality, common sense, and the fullness of life that I see as a motif in atheist and Darwin activism alike.[36]

PZ Myers wrote about himself: "I’m a nerd. A colossal, boring, asocial nerd, and a homely one at that, and I always have been. You might also be surprised to learn that I totally lack all confidence in myself and my appearance, and it only takes a little bit to impress me."[37]

PZ Myers and Creation Museum buffoonery

See also: Atheism and mockery

Front of the Creation Museum.

In August 2009, Myers led a group of over 300 atheist and agnostic students on a tour of the Creation Museum.[38] During the visit, Myers had noticeably greater difficulty than others climbing on and off a dinosaur model due to the fact that he was overweight and out of shape (See: PZ Myers riding the triceratops at The Creation Museum - VIDEO). In addition, the purpose of the dinosaur model is clearly for children to sit on for photographs.[39][40]

See also:

PZ Myers self-appointing himself the fifth horseman of the New Atheism movement

See also: New Atheism

The term New Atheism which first appeared in the November 2006 edition of Wired magazine, is frequently applied to a series of six best-selling books by five authors that appeared in the period between 2004–2008. These authors include Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, Richard Dawkins, Victor J. Stenger and Christopher Hitchens.[41] The four most prominent writers of the New Atheist movement are Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens and Daniel Dennett and they have commonly been called "the four horsemen" of New Atheism.

PZ Myers was mocked by atheist Michael Nugent for self-appointing himself the "fifth horseman" of the New Atheism movement.[42]

Myers wrote in 2009:

Another problem with the Four Horsemen analogy is the number. As we all know, there are quite a few more vocal people who have been active in atheism and humanism and secularism in general than just the four. What about Victor Stenger or Pascal Boyer? Richard Carrier, Julia Sweeney, Dan Barker? Don’t they get horses? And what about me? You know, I’m as atheist as those others and I’m probably “atheier” than some of them. (Although I do have to admit I haven’t written a book yet. I’m on sabbatical this year to finish my book, so maybe I’ll get a horse after all.)

So I’m going to very prematurely declare myself a fifth horseman. I picture myself, though, as a little guy on a very small pony trotting after the other four. However, I’m waving a great big banner that has the words, “The Internet” on it. That’s me.[43]

The atheist Michael Nugent specifically said about PZ Myers dubbing himself the first horseman of the New Atheism movement:

“After that he just got worse and worse, and there seemed to come a point where he decided that the low-level infamy he could glean by slamming and slurring fellow atheists was his best shot at getting attention, since it was becoming really clear that he wasn’t going to make it as any sort of “fifth horseman”. His poor old nag fell at the first fence.”[44]

In 2019, after being mocked for aspiring to be the fifth horseman of the New Atheism movement, Myers wrote:

"...we never had an atheist tetrarchy, and it’s silly to think I aspired to become part of a non-existent, imaginary leadership. It’s flattering that some people think I was close enough to want to join that club, but honestly, I was also close enough to see how empty the title was, and to have a realistic view of its meaning. Which was nonexistent, except in the minds of people who desire some kind of intellectual domination.[45]

PZ Myers' blog audience

PZ Myers

See also: and Internet atheism and Internet evangelism: Christians vs. atheists

In 2010, the Christian apologetics website True Free Thinker wrote:

Scienceblogger Chad Orzel described the commentators on PZ Myers ' Scienceblogs.com site Pharyngula, and other Scienceblogs.com commentators, as "screechy monkeys."[46]

A somewhat similar report was made concerning the audience of Richard Dawkins's web community. In February 2010, the news organization The Telegraph reported that the atheist and evolutionist Richard Dawkins was embroiled "in a bitter online battle over plans to rid his popular internet forum for atheists of foul language, insults and 'frivolous gossip'."[47] In addition, Richard Dawkins has a reputation for being abrasive.

Myers is one of the more prominent bloggers at Freethought Blogs and the blogging website has been losing a significant amount of web traffic since 2012 according to Quantcast which directly measures its web traffic.[48] See also: Decline of New Atheism

PZ Myers' blog audience and their reported Asperger's quotient test results

See also: Atheism and autism and Atheism and brain function

Individuals with autism have a tendency to use different portions of the brain (yellow) for a movement task compared to a control group (blue). See: Atheism and autism

Asperger's syndrome (sometimes referred to as "High-Functioning Autism" or "HFA") is an umbrella term used to classify problematic behaviours similar to, but less severe than, those within the lower reaches of the autistic spectrum.

Vox Day has written about atheists being "socially autistic".[49][50][51]

Vox Day wrote concerning PZ Myers' blog Pharyngula:

It's by no means a scientific test, but it is interesting to note the coincidence that 59 of the virulent atheists over at Dr. PZ Myers place report an average score on the Asperger's Quotient test of 27.8. And this does not include the two individuals who actually have Asperger's but did not report any test results."

As PZ himself said: "I took the test and scored a 24, an “average math contest winner.” You need a 32 to suggest Asperger’s, and a 15 is the average. So there. I don’t have Asperger’s, I’m just cruel and insensitive."[52]

Below is some information that Aspergerstest.com gives concerning interpreting their Asperger's quiz results:

Basically the range for possible answers is 0 to 50. The information below shows you the different ranges as recorded from others sitting this same AQ quiz over the years.

0-11 low result – indicating no tendency at all towards autistic traits.

11-21 is the average result that people get (many women average around 15 and men around 17)

22-25 shows autistic tendencies slightly above the population average

26-31 gives a borderline indication of an autism spectrum disorder. It is also possible to have aspergers or mild autism within this range.

32-50 indicates a strong likelihood of Asperger syndrome or autism.

In fact, scores of 32 or above are one of strong indicators of having as ASD.[53]

However, there is evidence which suggests that a large portion of PZ Myers' blog audience are narcissists rather than individuals who have Asperger's Syndrome (see: PZ Myers' antitheist blog audience and the issue of narcissism vs. Asperger's Syndrome).

PZ Myers and militant atheism

PZ Myers is a militant atheist who has openly advocated the elimination of religion, likening it to illiteracy.[54] His language is extremely militant at times, and laced with expletives. In a diatribe in which he described those who believe in the Bible as "lunatics" and "bigots," Myers said: "I say, screw the polite words and careful rhetoric. It's time for scientists to break out the steel-toed boots and brass knuckles, and get out there and hammer on the lunatics and idiots."[55]

PZ Myers frequently rants against religion, religious people, and religious institutions (e.g. churches) on his blog. Myers has called evangelical Christianity "a blight upon the earth,"[56] religious people "ignorant, deluded, wicked, foolish, or oppressed victims of obsolete mythologies,"[57] and considers every church to be a "parasitic institution that contributes nothing to the tax base and encourages further ignorance in the population."[58]

Myers has yet to offer scholarly work on the subject of atheism[59] In addition, given Myers' diatribes that religious people are allegedly ignorant and deluded, it is quite ironic that Myers has yet to offer any compelling atheist apologetic material rebutting the studies that indicate the irreligious are generally more superstitious than evangelical Christians.

Militant atheism and PZ Myers' lack of intellectual rigor

See also: Irreligion and superstition and Atheism and irrationality and Atheism and logic

Dr. Stephen Meyer published an article favoring intelligent design in a peer reviewed science journal which had traditionally only published material advocating the evolutionary position.[60]

The Christian apologetic website True Free Thinker declares concerning the intellectual slothfulness of PZ Myers:

That PZ Myers is emotively vociferous is evident to anyone who reads, well, virtually anything that he has ever written on any subject at all.

It is likewise evident that he is intellectually mute. How so? Where are his scholarly works on the truth of atheism? He has produced none.

He merely presupposes God’s non-existence without evidence...

Where then are his proofs of atheism and disproof of theism? None exist but merely emotive besmirchments of straw-men and straw-gods.

His lack of scholarship and intellectual rigor in these areas, as well as the truth of my statements above, may be demonstrated in the following examples (which are a mere few of many).

PZ Myers dismisses Vox Day’s book The Irrational Atheist: Dissecting the Unholy Trinity of Dawkins, Harris, and Hitchens while admitting to only having read a few chapters.

Yet, he refuses to debate Vox Day on the existence of God, or evolution for that matter (Myers being a professor of biology) based on dismissing a book he barely read (yes, it is merely a lame excuse which he peppered with a barrage of emotive ad hominems) — see Speaking of Assiduous Absconders…Yet Again, Vox Day Challenges PZ Myers to Debate.

PZ Myers also dismissed Stephen Meyer’s book Signature in the Cell: DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design referring to it as a “stinker,” “drivel” and “Discovery Institute Bulldung” whilst stating that, “Stephen Meyer lies.” Yet, he stated all of this, and more, whilst stating, “I suppose I’ll have to read that 600 page pile of slop sometime…”....This fact alone shows that he needs to read it, as Intelligent Design proponents are constantly begging their opponents to stop mischaracterizing Intelligent Design theory as holding to something to the likes of it’s so complex, it must have been . . . designed!

PZ Myers also refused to debate anyone from Creation Ministries International (CMI) even while he was in Australia for the preaching-to-the-choir-back-patting Global Atheist Convention - The Rise of Atheism – the “biggest ever atheist event in Australia’s history”...

Clearly, PZ Myers is popular because he scratches where many atheists itch: atheism is an emotional rejection of God very, very thinly veneered in a facade of scientific and intellectual respectability. Thus, PZ Myers plays upon and stokes the fires of emotion yet, he has not, is not and who knows if he ever will engage the intellect.[59]

Refusal to debate at atheist global conference and brief radio debate

See also: Richard Dawkins' public refusal to debate creationists

In 2010, the worldwide atheist community was challenged to a debate by Creation Ministries International as prominent atheists were speaking at a 2010 global atheist convention in Australia.[61] Richard Dawkins, PZ Myers and other prominent atheists refused to debate Creation Ministries International.[61] Generally speaking, creation scientists tend to win the creation vs. evolution debates (see: Creation vs. evolution debates).

The website True Free Thinker declared concerning the refusal of Richard Dawkins, PZ Myers and other prominent atheists to debate the creation scientists and other staff at Creation Ministries International:

In keeping with his constant attention getting shenanigans and his equally constant absconding from debating apt challengers via a barrage of illogical and excuses, the moniker of cowardly clown fits Richard Dawkins more than ever (see Send in the Clowns – Richard Dawkins Obliges).

Enter Jonathan Sarfati (PhD in chemistry),senior scientist at Creation Ministries International, who recently published the book “The Greatest Hoax on Earth? Refuting Dawkins on Evolution.” Interestingly, Jonathan Sarfati sought to publish the book by the time that the 2010 Global Atheist Convention—billed as “The Rise of Atheism”—of March 12–14 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Center in Australia.

The most intelligent, well informed and vociferous atheists in the world, including Richard Dawkins, Dan Barker, PZ Myers, et al, were challenged to debate while their worldwide choir was gathered in one place and yet, one by one they each found excuses to cower from debate even whilst proclaiming to their adherents the intellectual superiority of atheism.[61]

In January 2008, Myers participated in a brief radio debate with Discovery Institute fellow Geoffrey Simmons on Minneapolis/St. Paul radio station KKMS.[62]

PZ Myers refusal to debate Vox Day

See also: Atheism and cowardice and Atheism and debate

On September 4, 2011, Vox Day wrote concerning PZ Myers:

I have heard from numerous atheists who find his intellectual cowardice to be more than a little troubling given his usual tendency to create conflict rather than to avoid it. And he has handed an out to every single individual he ever hopes to challenge in the future. Why should they debate a nobody like him, a clown who isn't even a bigshot in his own field?

As for the PZ Myers Memorial Debate, we are still in search of an atheist to champion the argument that the logic and evidence for the nonexistence of gods is stronger than the logic and evidence for the existence of gods. It is certainly informative to see how many atheists do not appear to believe they are able to effectively make this case; in light of this, many Christians may find this to be a useful tactical approach when confronted by aggressive atheists in the future. This tends to confirm my previous observations that while atheists like to challenge the beliefs of others, they are very ill-prepared, and in many cases downright unwilling, to defend their own. So, if you want to shut them up, simply go on the attack. They'll run away with alacrity.[63]

On August 28, 2011, Vox Day declared concerning Myers:

What you clearly do not understand is that, by his own admission, PZ relies heavily upon emotional arguments rather than logical ones when he cannot simply appeal to an established scientific consensus. "I'll also cop to the obvious fact that, knowing that reason will not get through their skills, I'm happy to use emotional arguments as well. Passion is persuasive." His tendency to rely upon emotional rhetoric and passion rather than reason is precisely why he is afraid to debate people who rely primarily upon logic, because his ability to present reason-based arguments is relatively low. His ability to utilize reason is simply not equal to the skill of others who make use of it more effectively. PZ is without question an effective preacher to the godless choir of science fetishists, but he is remarkably unskilled at presenting convincing arguments, let alone conclusive ones, to those who do not already agree with him. Unlike you, he knows he is not an effective evangelist.[64]

PZ Myers' commentary concerning atheist meetings

PZ Myers recently commented that atheist meetings tend to be significantly more attended by males.[65] Mr. Myers commentary concerning atheist meetings is not surprising given that survey data and website tracking data of prominent atheist websites indicate that in the Western World, atheism appears to be significantly less appealing to women.

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

See also: Irreligion and superstition

Myers appeared in the film Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. In the film, Myers compared religion to knitting and said it should be nothing more than "something fun that people get together and do on the weekend and really doesn't affect their life as much as it has been so far."[66] Up to and after the release of the film, PZ Myers viciously attacked the film and its makers many times and engaged in bizarre behavior. Two of the most notable incidents involved his failed attempt to gate-crash a showing of the film at the Mall of America[67] and his crashing and disruption (including plugging himself) of a conference call held by Expelled's producers after calling in early (likely to eavesdrop) and overhearing and then dishonestly using the phone code that allowed two-way communication.[68][69] Most bizarrely, in the latter incident, Myers interruption of the producers' call began with his referring to himself in the third person, probably in an attempt to conceal both his identity and the fact that he used a phone code he was not authorized to use.

PZ Myers on abortion

The perverse and cruel atheist Marquis de Sade was an early advocate of abortion in the Western World.[70]

See also: Abortion and atheism and PZ Myers and abortion and Atheism in medicine and Atheism and mass murder and Atheism and morality

PZ Myers is not only "pro-choice", but he said he is "even willing to say" that he is pro-abortion.[71]

The website Evolution News and Views wrote:

Myers again, on abortion:

'what's at stake is a mere embryo, so it's no big loss if it's flushed and incinerated, and I don't have any illusions about whether this is deciding the fate of a human life -- it's not. There's no person...'

Myers' ugly assertion -- 'it's no big loss if it's flushed and incinerated...[t]here's no person -- demonstrates the New Atheist moral vacuum. New Atheists insist that there is no objective moral law; morality is nothing more than an evolved adaptation, or what each of us decides, ad nauseam. Yet if there is no objective moral law that transcends the individual will to power, then power, not justice nor mercy nor even love for one's own child, governs human conduct. Atheist morality boils down to this: '... because we can'. That has been the moral code of atheism in power for a century.[71]

In 2011, Myers wrote that when he sees dead baby pictures: "I look at them unflinchingly and see meat."[72]

Christian apologist Ken Ammi wrote in response to PZ Myers remarks concerning abortion:

What a tragic figure, what a deprivation of all that is human and humane, what a sad, sick and depraved soul: what a by product of atheism.

Beautiful, healthy, innocent and defenseless human babies who were brutally murdered in unimaginably brutal and inhuman, inhumane, and subhuman manners are to be likened to rats, mice, dogs, and misc amputated body parts. In his reductionist eyes it is all merely temporarily animated meat.[72]

PZ Myers's views are not surprising given the history of atheism in relation to the abortion issue. The Journal of Medical Ethics article declared concerning the atheist and sadist Marquis de Sade:

In 1795 the Marquis de Sade published his La Philosophic dans le boudoir, in which he proposed the use of induced abortion for social reasons and as a means of population control. It is from this time that medical and social acceptance of abortion can be dated, although previously the subject had not been discussed in public in modern times. It is suggested that it was largely due to de Sade's writing that induced abortion received the impetus which resulted in its subsequent spread in western society.[70]

Population control is based on pseudoscience and ill founded economic assumptions.[71]

Atheist PZ Myers comment about Dawkins' attitude towards women

See also: Atheism and women

In 2014, PZ Myers said of New Atheist Richard Dawkins' attitude towards women: "At a time when our movement needs to expand its reach, it’s a tragedy that our most eminent spokesman has so enthusiastically expressed such a regressive attitude.”[73]

Communion host incident

On July 8, 2008, PZ Myers posted an entry attacking Roman Catholic beliefs regards Communion. He was reacting to a news story, in which a student at the University of Central Florida described a physical confrontation over his failure to consume a communion wafer.[74][75] After ridiculing some people as "petty, hateful, and stupid," and asserting that "nothing makes them stupider than religion," Myers requested that his readers steal consecrated Communion wafers for him, so that he could desecrate them on camera. This rant predictably resulted in a strongly negative response from Catholics and those who support freedom of religious expression;[76] Myers has since complained about the "hate mail" and "death threats" he has received, comparing the defense of Communion to a "witch hunt." To date, the University of Minnesota has not taken official action against Myers for his inflammatory remarks, other than to remove the link to his blog from his faculty page. PZ Myers followed through with his threat, desecrating a eucharist and tearing out pages of a copy of the Koran and a copy of Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion.[77]

Meanwhile, Myers posted two vitriolic emails he had received and included the email addresses where they supposedly had come from. Predictably, his readers responded with their own threatening and harassing emails even though at the time it was not clear whether or not the email addresses had been spoofed One was allegedly from someone at 1-800-Flowers, though the husband of the user of the address subsequently owned up to sending the e-mail.[78] The account owner was fired by the company. Myers commented on the firing, saying, "She apparently did something stupid, which I don't have sympathy for. I would just rather not see people getting fired over an e-mail message."[79] Myers attempted to save face, claiming that the unsurprising behavior by his readers was not the intent behind his posting of the email addresses, and called for his readers to stop "dunning these people with email, threatening them back, signing them up for spam, or otherwise being a jerk." These pleas fell on deaf ears, while PZ Myers continued to avoid doing the obvious thing in simply removing the email addresses from his blog.[80][81]

PZ Myers' blog posts often lack substance

See also: Internet atheism and Irreligion and superstition

In 2010, the Christian apologetic website True Free Thinker declared:

Just a few years ago PZ Myers fellow Sciencebloggers were complaining about his general lack of substance and about his cult of personality amen chorus of adherents whom were dubbed the screechy monkeys. PZ Myers should be thankful that Scienceblogs is not about science blogs and does not demand science on its Scienceblogs or else 99.9% of all posts on his pseudo-science blog would have to be deleted or, would have never been posted in the first place.

Now it is PZ Myers who is complaining about his fellow Sciencebloggers as he states that Scienceblogs has been facing a steady erosion of talent. The key question is What sort of talent? Talented at doing what?

If he references the talent to elucidate matters scientific then he is quite lacking himself.

If he refers to peppering virtually every post with ad hominems, mythunderstandings, promulgating of prejudice and positively affirming Gods non-existence without evidence then he is the pseudo-science blogger par excellence.[82]

PZ Myers on bestiality

PZ Myers said, "I don’t object to bestiality in a very limited set of specific conditions...".[1] When asked what conditions were acceptable for bestially to be morally acceptable, Myers was silent.[1] See also: PZ Myers on bestiality and Atheism and bestiality

See also: PZ Myers on bestiality and Atheism and bestiality and Evolutionary belief and bestiality and Atheism, academia and bestiality and Atheism and social intelligence

PZ Myers wrote about bestiality: "So, to answer clueless thick-skulled Christian idiot’s question, I don’t object to bestiality in a very limited set of specific conditions, but do not support it in any way."[1][83]

A Christian commented on Myers's statement:

If you are sensing that there is something amiss with a person stating he neither supports nor opposes bestiality, then you are more perceptive with regard to moral reasoning than PZ Myers is. Myers once stated his morality is based on feelings of empathy. In an interview he stated, "If I punched you in the face, you would feel bad and I would feel bad ..and that's where morality comes from." Ironically, Myers offers a cartoon that mocks plaintive logic, that is, logic based on feelings, which is exactly the same basis of morality Myers appealed to in his interview.

When I sent Myers an email asking him to clarify what "specific conditions" would make bestiality morally acceptable in his opinion, he declined to address my email and my second article on the subject. There is really only one likely scenario in which it seems Myers would accept bestiality, also known as zoophilia, and that is if it is apparent that the animal is not being harmed and if it is demonstrating some kind of approval, enjoyment or "consent" in the act. The problem for Myers here is quite simple. If nothing must be held sacred, then why should bestiality be considered acceptable only under certain conditions and not always? Why should animal rights be an issue if animal rights are not sacred? These are logical contradictions he needs to address. What is happening here is that Myers is revealing in his quote that he does in fact believe that some boundaries must be held sacred.[1]

Myers also wrote, "...over the years I’ve become something of a connoisseur of cephalopod porn…and I’m sorry to say that 99% of it is crap, expressing a total lack of comprehension of why cephalopods have sensual appeal."[84]

Atheist animal trainer objects to PZ Myers' comments about bestiality

On May 22, 2012, PZ Myers specifies under what conditions he thinks the practice of bestiality would be acceptable.[85]

On November 14, 2014, an atheist animal trainer wrote in response:

We now have the PZ Myers Humanist Guide to Bestiality:
  • 1. IF you are interested in having sex with an animal, AND;
  • 2. That animal is willing to have sex with you, AND;
  • 3. No real harm comes to the animal, AND;
  • 4. You can avoid social stigma by hiding your act;

>> THEN sex with an animal is ethical...

PZ Myers possesses numerous character flaws that make him ill-suited as an A/S/humanism spokesperson and representative: his explosive temper; his violence-tinged threats; his foul language; his preference for personal insults over reasoned debate; his propensity to smear and slander any & all who oppose him;..his willingness to abandon skepticism and science to serve the pomo constructs of radical feminism and social justice warriordom.

Of all these, nothing is more odious, repulsive, or damaging to the reputation of A/S & humanist activism, than Myers’ condoning of bestiality.[86]

Michael Nugent's commentary on PZ Myers' material about human/octopus sexual relations

On November 17, 2014, atheist Michael Nugent wrote:

PZ has several times written about and linked to pornography involving women and octopuses described as ‘hentai tentacle rape’. In one post, PZ wrote: “I know some people will be aghast at the exposed mammalian flesh and weird exploitation of women… but it’s got tentacles everywhere, and molluscs…” In another post, he wrote: “Although nothing beats a sea slug for that vulval feel, I’m afraid. Mmmm, Aplysia, if you weren’t so cold, I’d… ahem.”[87]

PZ Myers' daughter Skatje Myers' comments on bestiality

See also: Atheism and bestiality and Skeptic Skatje Myers' comments on bestiality

Skeptic Skatje Myers, the daughter of evolutionist and atheist PZ Myers describes herself as "atheist, agnostic, rationalist, complicated vegetarian (sans dairy and eggs mostly, avec dumpster diving, by-products, and ethical sources), existential and moral nihilist, social democrat”.[88]

Vox Day wrote in an article entitled Atheist Dad of the Year:

If I were ever to have attacked atheism by arguing that on the rare occasions when atheists manage to successfully reproduce, their children would likely grow up possessing beliefs that are utterly immoral by Western moral norms and abhorrent to the average individual, many people would howl that I was unfairly engaging in baseless conjecture, regardless of the logic presented.

So, it's more than a little amusing to see PZ Myers angrily defending his daughter's public argument against anti-bestiality laws. Now, it's certainly the girl's right to advocate on behalf of whatever legal cause she feels is important to her, but this particular choice of subject really doesn't provide the most convincing evidence against the oft-repeated charge that atheists are hopelessly immoral. And if there's nothing rationally objectionable about the practice, then from whence comes this defensive paternal outrage?

The ironic truth is that Miss Myers is absolutely correct; once the basic concept of Natural Law is abandoned, there is no rational basis for banning anything from necrophilia to cannibalism other than a vague sense of "ickiness" inherited from preceding generations possessed of a more conventional morality.[89]

Skatje Myers, the daughter of atheist PZ Myers, wrote:

Sexual relationships between humans and animals come as such a shock to people, but it doesn’t to me. There can be very deep, meaningful relationships between humans and their pets...

That said, I remind you that my position isn’t based on my own personal wants. I just don’t see any reason to ban it other than the same reason things like homosexuality and sodomy were banned: it’s icky. I think it’s bad practice to put social taboos into legislature when no actual logical argument can be made against it.[90][91]

See also:

Skatje Myers on morality

On August 18, 2011, Skatje Myers wrote:

I’m a moral nihilist. I have no reason to believe that morality is anything other than preferences.

I have those preferences, of course — essentially it’s just intuitional leanings. Any need or desire to follow those leanings is purely for my own enjoyment. I decide what is right and wrong based on what I feel is right and wrong, and I follow them only because of a self-created obligation to myself. I demand that others follow the same “rules” I have for myself, because I want them to. It makes the world the way I want it to be.

The way I see it, every other system of morality is based on unjustifiable claims too, so why follow someone else’s invented ideas of right and wrong?[92]

PZ Myers comedy and satire essays

On January 3, 2011, PZ Myers wrote: "The poster boy for stupid atheist fatsos, unfortunately, is me."[93][94]

See also: PZ Myers comedy and satire

Below is some comedy and satire essays about PZ Myers.

External links

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Atheist Achilles Heels: Objective Morality and Sacred Life
  2. The “objective morality” gotcha
  3. 3.0 3.1 The Mad Scientist City Pages, Volume 26 - Issue 1303, November 23, 2005 Cover story
  4. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/Religion/post/2011/06/atheist-national-geographic-pz-myers/1
  5. Which Is the Real PZ Myers?, Evolution News and Views, Casey Luskin June 9, 2014 12:07 PM
  6. The “objective morality” gotcha
  7. Apparently, the atheist PZ Myers recognizes that the New Atheism movement failed and that the 21st century is going to be a century of desecularization, Examining Atheism
  8. The New Atheism is dead. Long live atheism.
  9. The train wreck that was the New Atheism by PZ Myers, Freethoughtblogs.com, January 25, 2019
  10. 10.0 10.1 Get Out! A message for the atheist movement by PZ Myers
  11. The increasingly delusional smears of PZ Myers by Michael Nugent
  12. "Another attempt to divorce atheism from the asswaffles"
  13. Why Call Yourself An Atheist?
  14. FreeThoughtBlogs and PZ Myers
  15. Vox Day on Freethought Blogs
  16. Thunderf00t, check your email - PZ Myers
  17. Thunderf00t on how to handle misogny in the atheist community
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 Atheism+ Stream: How SJWs pushed their way into Atheism
  19. The LBJ legend and my email to PZ Myers by Michael Nugent on September 19, 2014
  20. Atheist Ireland publicly dissociates itself from the harmful and hateful rhetoric of PZ Myers by Michael Nugent, April 7, 2015
  21. Reflections on the skeptic and atheist movements By Massimo Pigliucci Scientia Salon, Posted: May 13, 2015
  22. Robin Williams brings joy to the hearts of journalists and politicians once again
  23. On Robin Williams's Death, a Revealing Dispute Between Atheist-Evolutionist Spokesmen
  24. 24.0 24.1 24.2 P.Z. Myers is (Surprise!) Unmoved By Suicide of “Wealthy White” Robin Williams
  25. PZ Myers and the Little Shop of Hatred by Michael Nugent, 2015
  26. The hurtful and harmful smears of PZ Myers, “The Happy Atheist” by Michael Nugent
  27. The New Rules by PZ Myers
  28. P.Z. Myers is (Surprise!) Unmoved By Suicide of “Wealthy White” Robin Williams, Friendly Atheist blog
  29. It must have been an act of god, Posted by PZ Myers on April 21, 2008
  30. The Atheist Disillusionment - PZ Myers, September 27, 2014
  31. Apparently, the atheist PZ Myers recognizes that the New Atheism movement failed and that the 21st century is going to be a century of desecularization, Examinning Atheism
  32. "Mohammed’s dead hand still ruins lives from the grave"
  33. Ex-Muslims of North America
  34. If you see something, say something, PZ Myers
  35. YouTube, where atheism goes to rot
  36. 36.0 36.1 in Seattle, PZ Myers Reflects Candidly on His Constituency
  37. 1-800-FLOWERS, for when you absolutely don’t care about getting a terrific experience by PZ Myers
  38. "Creation Museum: Is This How World Began?" (ABC News)
  39. http://blogs.answersingenesis.org/aroundtheworld/2009/08/16/children-and-the-creation-museum/
  40. "A firebrand visits Creation Museum" (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
  41. http://www.colorado.edu/philosophy/vstenger/battle.html
  42. Chronology of misrepresentations and smears in the atheist movement by PZ Myers and others by Michael Nugent on November 4, 2014
  43. Comes a Horseman by PZ Myers • 13 October 2009
  44. Chronology of misrepresentations and smears in the atheist movement by PZ Myers and others by Michael Nugent on November 4, 2014
  45. Don’t you just love reading myths about yourself? by PZ Myers
  46. http://www.truefreethinker.com/articles/pz-myers-and-pavlovs-monkeys
  47. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/7322177/Richard-Dawkins-in-bitter-web-censorship-row-with-fellow-atheists.html
  48. Freethoughtblogs - Quantcast
  49. The socially autistic atheist by Vox Day, August 02, 2007
  50. A lesson in atheist social autism by Vox Day, August 13, 2014
  51. Atheists and Daddy issues by Vox Day, August 23, 2012
  52. PZ admits he's wrong by Theodore Beale, Friday, August 29, 2014
  53. Interpreting Asperger's Test Results
  54. http://www.atheistrev.com/2008/03/pz-myers-on-eliminating-religion.html
  55. https://web.archive.org/web/20070420142719/http://pharyngula.org/index/weblog/comments/perspective/
  56. Left or right, religion and politics don’t mix
  57. I’m surrounded! Posted by PZ Myers on July 11, 2007
  58. How do you save small town charm?, Posted by PZ Myers on July 18, 2007
  59. 59.0 59.1 http://www.truefreethinker.com/articles/pz-myers-emotively-vociferous-intellectually-mute
  60. http://www.discovery.org/scripts/viewDB/filesDB-download.php?command=download&id=1489
  61. 61.0 61.1 61.2 http://www.truefreethinker.com/articles/richard-dawkins-cowardly-clown
  62. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rk5Y3VoBeVQ
  63. Running, running by Vox Day
  64. Can one dodge a dodger?
  65. The Woman Problem
  66. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHiZjOH1NmQ
  67. https://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/21/science/21expelledw.html
  68. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYAblaZmogA
  69. I always aim to misbehave
  70. 70.0 70.1 https://jme.bmj.com/content/6/1/7.abstract
  71. 71.0 71.1 71.2 http://www.evolutionnews.org/2010/11/pz_myers_on_abortion040971.html
  72. 72.0 72.1 http://www.examiner.com/christian-apologetics-in-albuquerque/pz-myers-best-reason-for-rejecting-atheism-murdered-babies-are-just-meat
  73. Richard Dawkins has lost it: ignorant sexism gives atheists a bad name by Adam Lee, The Guardian, September 18, 2014
  74. 'Body Of Christ' Snatched From Church, Held Hostage By UCF Student, July 5, 2008 [1]
  75. 'Body Of Christ" Returned To Church After Student Receives Email Threats, July 7, 2008 [2]
  76. PZ MYERS HATEMAIL
  77. http://discoverthefaith.com/2008/07/26/update-on-professor-myers-desecration-of-eucharist/
  78. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/071608-woman-fired-over-death-threat.html
  79. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/071608-woman-fired-over-death-threat.html?page=2)
  80. Stop it now. please
  81. Mail dump
  82. http://www.truefreethinker.com/articles/pz-myers-contra-scienceblogs
  83. The “objective morality” gotcha
  84. Cephaloporn, a critique, PZ. Myers, Freethoughtblogs
  85. The “objective morality” gotcha, PZ Myers, May 22, 2012
  86. PZ Myers, Animal Lover
  87. “Do your belly dance.” “Get off my stage. I’ve got work to do.” What if PZ Myers judged others’ sexism as he judges himself? by Michael Nugent on November 17, 2014
  88. Skatje Myers on The Separation of Church and State
  89. Atheist Dad of the Year
  90. Just when you think Slimy Sal couldn’t sink any lower - Skatje Myers, Daughter of atheist PZ Myers - in blog comments section of PZ Myers' blog post
  91. Skatje Myers' Website is currently under construction, RSS feed - Lacrimae Rerum,blog of Skatje Myers, blog article - Zoophilia Oct 2, 2007
  92. Skatje Myers' website is currently under construction, Morality by Skaje Myers
  93. Cookies & booze & lesbians by PZ Myers
  94. Cookies & booze & lesbians by PZ Myers