This whole thing is far too funny not to share.
When I was doing the Canadian Atheist Bus Campaign with the Freethought Association of Canada I got a lot of death threats. People got my personal cell phone number and would call me at all hours of the day and night to scold me. I would get lectured, threatened and yelled at. But it has taken a rabid atheist or secular humanist to formulate his own personal vendetta against me… striking at my name at every chance possible.
In case you can’t read it:
“Katie Kish is a christian spy and saboteur. Check her profile. Everyone should join her group spying on atheists for xtians so we can see what she’s up to. She is President of the Freethought Association of Canada and was employed by CFI. This is too bizarre to make up.”
and
“Katie Kish is a christian spy and saboteur. Check her profile. Everyone should join her group spying on atheists for xtians so we can see what she and her friends are up to. She is President of the Freethought Association of Canada and was employed by CFI. She is a good spy.”
and
“Google spying on atheists for Xtians and you will see her picture. Maybe now she wants recognition for serving the Lord. Why not ask Katie why she said she was a Christian.”
What is depressing is that if you google it my picture doesn’t actually come up. The Facebook group that Facebook automatically made when I (jokingly) listed it as an interest comes up… and my picture is there.
This whole thing started when Rod and I were both on the board of the FAC. He wanted to send a copy of Victor Stenger’s “God: The Failed Hypothesis” to someone in government who was open about his Christianity (and I think a supporter of Creationism, which is why everyone was so pissed off). I basically told Rod that we shouldn’t send it. I said it would be offensive and a bad PR move on the FAC’s part. I think I also mentioned that it was sort of not on topic, and that we might consider sending science education books to multiple politicians, which would have a much better press headline.
Rod got pissed off and said I was censoring him while trying to protect someone’s faith. He continued to say that I had been in contact with a United Church Minister and was probably starting to get confused (or something) about faith. I feel like I should mentioned that I’ve been in contact with a United Church Minister every single day for the past 13 years of my life – as my step-dad is one. He started to say that I probably shouldn’t be employed by FAC because I wasn’t an atheist and was therefore not looking out for the best interest of the group.
The FAC board decided to have a meeting about it. At the meeting Rod further accused me of censoring him and being to kind to religion. At the time thought I was an atheist, and so said so (I’m obviously not anymore and am very open about it). The board also took an official vote on sending book. I abstained from the vote, so that Rod could no longer blame me for the book not being sent, 3 board members voted not to send the book and Rod voted to send it. Despite my attempt to stay out of it Rod still holds me entirely accountable for that book not being sent. (Yes, we’ve told him many times he can send it on his own, but apparently that’s not good enough).
Now I’ve pretty much tried to steer clear of this guy ever since all of that happened. But he continues to attack my name every chance possible. (And agnostics… saying they are intellectually dishonest and stupid. He said this at a Coping Without Religion meeting, even… a support group for people trying to leave religion… *anger anger anger*) If I comment on someone’s thing on Facebook he is right there to start attacking me. Apparently he googles me to see what I’m up to. He tried to start talking about me at a Living Without Religion group, but luckily people stopped him from further slandering my name.
Just a few nit-pics about this guy:
- I’ve never been employed by CFI. I have been employed by the FAC where one of my main responsibilities was to help CFI in event planning and taking care of the library. But ‘ve never been a CFI employee.
- Even though I am a Christian I don’t see why it matters that I’m involved with CFI and FAC as neither are specifically atheist groups. You can very easily be a liberal Christian who sees the problems with religion, with the issues that atheists face in society and the problems with religion interfering in the public sphere. CFI is becoming increasingly irritating when it comes to religion (ie: saying that religious spaces are not good for humanity!!) but you still don’t need to be an atheist to be involved with the majority of their campaigns.
- Myself and other CFI-Ontario/FAC/Toronto-atheists have amplified the joke that I’m a christian spy simply to make fun of Rod… but the interesting thing is that the more we amplify the joke the more convinced to becomes that I actually *am* a Christian spy.
Seriously. It’s not like this guy is getting on my nerves but it is starting to get a little bit ridiculous. How can he call me a saboteur when I have done far more for the secularist movement in Canada than he will ever do. Despite having to put up with atheists arguing with me about faith and telling me I’m stupid I stick around and continue to volunteer to support the freethought/secularist cause. It’s not like I’ve read a book, found amazing truth in it and now use it against everyone’s argument about everything without actually thinking if the book worthy of so much praise. I’m not referring to the bible here, I’m referring to his seriously weird obsession with Victor Stenger’s book… which has become his own personal bible making him just as closed minded at conservative/extreme Christians.
For Halloween everyone in Toronto should join me in making an army of Rod Tamneys. All that is needed is a silly looking fedor, a pompus looking suit, a copy of Stenger’s book and the following three lines memorized: “agnostics are stupid”, “katie is a christian spy” and “read chapter 2 of this book”.
So… Can I sue him for slander or something yet?