MMI - Atheist Offers to Care For Your Pet after the Rapture

Atheist Offers to Care For Your Pet after the Rapture

Posted on November 10, 2009
Viewed 1448 timess
(31) comments

A New Hampshire atheist is offering Christians who believe in the Rapture a service to look after their pets when they get taken up into eternity...

According to USA TODAY, Bart Centre, 61, a retired retailing executive, is co-owner of Eternal Earthbound Pets, which charges $110 for the pet service.

"It's a money-making venture," he said, calling it a "win-win situation."

Click here to view his website.

Centre says he has called up a network of atheist families and friends in 22 states, who would step in to look after the animals.

Coverage is good for 10 years, he says. If there is no Rapture by then, he keeps the cash.

"There are no refunds," he said. "If I thought the Rapture was really going to happen, I wouldn't have the business."

He says he's gotten 4,000 emails, mostly from fellow atheists. About 10%, he says, are Christians who think it's a fun idea and wish him luck, and an undisclosed handful who have even signed up for the service.

You can read more here... and I want to thank Rick Cromey for the link to this article! Thanks, Rick! (If you run across something you think I should highlight here at MMI, please email me the link at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)!)

Todd

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Comments

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Bart on Wed, November 11, 2009

TYPO above: “The fact that it�s a nonissue it underscored by the fact my my clients have raised it as a concern,...”

should read: “The fact that it�s a nonissue it underscored by the fact my clients have NOT raised it as a concern,...”
David Buckham on Wed, November 11, 2009

Bart,

I think you misunderstood me. I am not trying to be argumentative. And I don’t mind that you completely ignore my concept.

Yes, your customers understand the “term”. If not, they are a bit foolish for not reading the print to know exactly what they are paying for. All I am suggesting is that if you don’t believe in the rapture, being an athiest I will assume you don’t, then you are selling a lie. It is theological, from my standpoint.

I am not attacking your idea, it’s great! I realize you are in it for the money. I was merely discussing a different way to pander your goods to Christians.

I kind of hoped we would be able to discuss it further, not bantering and arguing, but I get the feeling you don’t want to. I am truly sorry if you were offended or misunderstood me. It’s not the easiest to read intonation/voice in written word.

all about Christ,
David Buckham
Bart on Wed, November 11, 2009

David Said: “All I am suggesting is that if you don’t believe in the rapture, being an athiest I will assume you don’t, then you are selling a lie. It is theological, from my standpoint.”

David,
this convversation is getting “curiouser and curiouser” to quote Alice in Wonderland.

If you took the time to go to the site, read our FAQs, you’d see we plainly state we do not believe in Rapture, obviously since we are atheists. How my, or any atheist’s lack of belief in God/gods/Rapture thus renders the concept of Rapture a lie or our offering a lie is patently absurd.

First… we do not promote belief in the rapture.. some christian denominations / sects do that. If there is a lie being sold it is a lie being promulgated by theist shaman to their sheep.

Secondly… thinking people are not absoilutists. That is, we will always leave open a miniscule percentage of doubt that our positions/convictions are erroneous should objective evidence prove us wrong. i.e. 0.0000000000001% that there could be rapture (about the same degree of doubt i have that the earth is round, or that alien abductions are false)

Thus, our rejection of rapture as nonsense and willingness to insure pets of believers doesn’t render us liars, nor does it negate rapture doctrine as a lie. The degree of non-belief we have is no stronger than the degree of belief Rapture believers have.

One cannot prove the other a lie. One can only say that:
a) there is no objective natural evidence thus I reject is as fallacy; or
b) there is no objective natural evidence but I accept it anyway because that is what I want to “believe.”

Finally, if i wanted earthquake insurance for my home in NH…where there hasn’t been a home damaged by an earthquake in the history of the state… is the insurance company selling a lie by charging me next to nothing…i.e. $0.93 a month .. to insure my home against earthquake..even if they tell me that the likelihood of my needing it is 1 million to 1?
Think hard here. Try and see the correlation to my offering.

Inclosing:
I’m not offended, David. I just find your focus on this nonsensical and lacking in clear thought. That I have taken my time to even respond to it is simply my being polite and my willingness to try and get a theist to think critically and objectively. Albeit, it is usually a thankless and futile endeavor.

all about intellectual honesty,
Bart
aka Dromedary Hump
author of “The Atheist Camel Chronicles: Debate Themes and Arguments for the Non-Believer”
Bart on Wed, November 11, 2009

David——
PS: Please stop saying your argument is “theological”. It’s not.
Your argument is addressing the efficacy of my offering in the face of my disbelief; or the legitimacy of rapture doctrine (i’m unclear exactly which).

Therefore, you have been approaching this from an ethical tact only.

Nothing you discussed could remotely be interpreted as “the field of study and analysis that treats of God and of God’s attributes and relations to the universe; study of divine things or religious truth; divinity.” or based upon the “nature and will of God” as revealed to humans. .. which is the definition of theology / theological.
David Buckham on Wed, November 11, 2009

Bart,

If I wasn’t clear in what I said, I am sorry. I think the misunderstanding comes from an assumption that has lead to some false conclusions. If you want to clarify things or have an open discussion (which this has not been), I would be glad to.

No shots being fired here.

all about Christ,
David Buckham
Bart on Wed, November 11, 2009

David,

No harm done. But I think this has been whipped to death.
what else ya got?

all about reality,
Bart
aka Dromedary Hump
author of �The Atheist Camel Chronicles: Debate Themes and Arguments for the Non-Believer�
Bart on Wed, November 11, 2009

Yikes…i just read the “About us” page here.
I didn’t realize this is a believer blog. Heheh… I’ll be damned (oh wait, i all ready am
David Buckham on Wed, November 11, 2009

Bart,

It’s not whipped to death, not yet anyway. That was what, five posts over a few hours? I got plenty. In retrospect, I do feel I was not well thought through in my initial post, I know where I was going in my mind, but did not clearly state that. And yes, this is a Christian blog/site. And (according to my THEOLOGICAL studies, and yes I like that word, but we can define it fuller later) your not damned, at least not yet…

I was serious though about continuing discussion with an attempt at an open mind. Yes, I am believer and follower of Christ. You aren’t. So what? I do have friends that don’t share my beliefs. My email is dbuckham at gmail dot com.

all about Christ,
David Buckham
David G. Johnson on Thu, November 12, 2009

LOL @ Bart: “just read the ‘About Us’ page”

Now *that’s* funny stuff…

And of course the irony of your statement, “Thinking people are not absolutists.” is not lost on me.
Bart on Thu, November 12, 2009

David B,
I was joking about being “damned”. Obviously one who rejects supernaturalismas nonsense likewise rejects the silliness of post death torture.

I have typically found that when the religious speak about “discussion with an attempt at an open mind” it means “just listen to this proselytizing / ‘open your heart to jesus’ and open your mind…” etc.
Fortunately, my mind is already open. It’s open to objective evidence, proof, logic, natural law, the scientific method etc.
- It is open to accepting peoples differences unencumbered by bronze age cultist’s prejudices.
- It is open to cirtical review of books of myth and fable, and is imbued with the ability to understand their socioloigical intent and discern mythical nonsense from reality.
- It is open to studying and seeing the man-god construct similarities that have repeatedly been used for milleniums to create deities.
- Itr is open to being changed by better evidence, advanced science, and new discoveries.

It is because my mind is open that I accept a 4.5 billion year old earth based on scientific evidence. Similarly, Evolutionary theory, a 14 billion yr old universe that is expanding, that there is no firmament, that people did not come from mud and ribs, thatsnakes don’t talk, that rotting tissue does not regenerate and come to life, that the Earth is not flat, that virgins don’t give birth, etc., etc., etc.

You see to religionists asking a Freethinker to have an open mind means: “Empty your brain of reason and join us in our delusion.”
Sorry, my brain doesn’t work that way.

It is people who have absolutist perspective who refuse to allow object evidence, proofs, logic, science, discovery and reason to displace their preferred and unsupportable superstitions / religious indoctrination. It is they who lack an “open mind.” The prefer not to read /learn outside the cocoon of their comfort zone; they seek inventive justifications for “faith” when none exist; they reject the facts of biology and geology, and cosmology because they do not fit the prescibed belief/agenda.

Martin Luther said it best: “Reason is the enemy of faith.”

Finally, we don’t need to “define Theology.” The dictionary does that for us. Unlike binlical verse, there is no interpretation, “midrash,” or apologetic invention necessary when it comes to established word definitions.
Anywho…

Regards,
Bart
aka Dromedary Hump
author of �The Atheist Camel Chronicles: Debate Themes and Arguments for the Non-Believer�
David Buckham on Thu, November 12, 2009

Bart,

I can see your mind is made up about a great many things, or closed on those issues, if you will. It is sad though, to see you, with an open mind, seemingly paint Christians with such a narrow stroke. I am sorry you have had so many bad encounters with those who profess Christ.

I can promise you we are not all the same.

all about Christ,
David Buckham
Bart on Thu, November 12, 2009

DavidB,
My mind is made up/ I see…so my estimation of your concept of “open mind” is infact exactly as I predicted.

David, I said that when objective evidence is provided my mind is open to accepting new input. That somehow you refuse to understand that, or the meaning of “absolutist” is once again a failure of theists.

My mind is made up about the earth being round. Unless new evidence, repeatable, objective, observable, and vetted by the scientific method proves otherwise. Youcall that closed minded?
Peculiar.

I don’t believe in ghosts, alien abduction, 911 conspiracy theory, God, gods, or faeries. That is unless the kind of evidence I have described above is preented that would change that. I always leavemy mind open to new evidence.
You call THATclose minded because I fail to accept fables as real as readily as you do accept them without objective evidence and validation.

I’m guessing much of this is lost on you .

I am quite aware that there are many varied kinds of Christians. I have debated, and engaged all kinds. My wife is a theist. She would no more accuse me of being closed mind for not accepting things on “faith” as she would accuse me of being a canibal.

You said: ” I am sorry you have had so many bad encounters with those who profess Christ. ”

Wow, that didn’t take long…LOL.
In my book I have a chapter about Christian platitudes. You know, the kind of knee jerk hackneyed simplistic responses that are intended to cover all possible situations.

One of them is ” If a Christian hurt you at some time, I’m sorry.” That one is a classic. Your platitude is just another form of it.
It’s used in discussion with Free thinkers who reject the supernaturalism, and blind faith of Christianity; discredit religion as being more of a negative on society than a positiveand ; and understand that people have “beliefs” as a result of accceptence / internatlization of the prevaling culture’s indoctrination.

One of my greatest heros is Reverend Barry Lynn, Exc. Director of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. He is an ordained minister. I also call Jason Boyett, Christian author, a friend of mine. My town’s minister and her minister husband are friends of the family. I hardley need a reminder by way of another platitude that all Christians aren’t the same. But thanks just the same.

all about thinking,
Bart
Andymcadams on Thu, November 12, 2009

Bart,

If some Christians are that stupid then more power to ya. Oh…if animals don’t have a place in heaven…then were did the horses come from at the 2nd Coming?
Bart on Thu, November 12, 2009

Andy,

Well.. they came from the imagination of a very disturbed writer of Revelation. Where did you THINK they came from?

But you open a whole new can of wormst. This thing about animals going to heaven. Just think about this, Andy…

Christianity already has an exclusionary intolerant doctrine. One must believe in Jesus to get into paradise. Thus, all the great contributors to civilization and society who reject christianity / lack belief like Jonas Salk, Gandhi, Carl Sagan, Einstein… millions more, along with the innocent like Anne Frank…and billions more… burn in hell for eternity. Lovely…

NOW.. lets make it just a little worse. Lets say your cat fluffy, your dog fido, and your pet quid Nemo , and the billions of other animals on the planet (vertebraes and invertebraes one assumes) get to go to heaven in the Rapture and Hob-nob with you and Jesus. Meanwhile these thinking people of good repute , many of whom have improved life on earth, are tortured in Hell for eternity.

Seriously, could anyone come up with a more obscene, perverse, dispicable, and utterly mindless feel good doctrine than that?

Even muslim doctrine is better than that idiocy. Heck, the doctrine of Moloch would probably be more acceptable. THINK about it.

Bart
aka Dromedary Hump
author of �The Atheist Camel Chronicles: Debate Themes and Arguments for the Non-Believer�
Susan on Fri, December 04, 2009

I emailed Bart Centre, the owner of this pet rapture service and told him that I was Christian and it was my understanding that it is illegal to sell a service which you believe that you will never have to deliver. He became very angry and emailed me a note with a link for me to connect to. He said the link was his “lawyer” He lied.

It was not a link to a lawyer at all it was link to a picture of a sex toy molded in the shape of Jesus the Christ. Keep in mind this guy Bart Centre does not know who I am nor whether I am 15 or 50 years of age. Shame on him. He does not have Christians best interest at heart and he is a dirty old man, in my opinion.