Phil Robertson told a horror story about a family of atheists getting raped and tortured. Maybe to him it wasn’t a horror story. As the criminals brutalize the family, they taunt the man of the house about his lack of faith, saying that since there is no God, what they’re doing is fine and there will be no retribution. Eventually the man of the house realizes that “Something about this just ain’t right”
That revelation prompted John Nolte, at Breitbart, to cry “Foul” at any of us who claim Robertson said atheists have no moral compass.
Actually, if you read what Robertson actually says, he makes clear that atheists do in fact know the difference between good and evil and right and wrong.
Nolte is wrong. The only thing Nolte got right is that Robertson didn’t say the criminals were atheists. He said the victims were.
Although history tells us that Christians are capable of vicious crimes, I don’t think Phil Robertson would tell a story about Christian rapists, sadists, and murderers. More likely, Robertson’s criminals are people who might have been held back by faith from performing horrible acts, but decided the atheists must be right. Even as they taunt the atheist for not believing in God, they must agree with him, or else they wouldn’t commit their atrocities. Thus, according to Robertson, at least some atheists have no moral compass.
As far as the victims go, Robertson doesn’t make it “clear that atheists do in fact know the difference between good and evil and right and wrong”. Robertson’s story only makes it clear that he believes an atheist can recognize a horrible wrong when it’s being perpetrated on him and his family. That’s not much of a moral compass.
Atheists have every right to find Phil Robertson’s comments outrageous and insulting just like they have a right to wonder how much Robertson enjoyed weaving a tale of horrific brutal atrocities visited upon those with whom he disagrees.
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