Rational Response Squad

The Rational Response Squad, or RRS, is a group of atheists who confront what they consider to be irrational claims, [ [http://www.rationalresponders.com/hamurookis_irrational_precepts Irrational Precepts page at RationaResponders.com] ] most notably those made by theists, and in particular, Christians. The co-founders of the RRS are Brian Sapient (real name Brian Cutler) and Rook Hawkins, (aliases used for anonymity). [ [http://www.rationalresponders.com/our_team The "Our Team" page at RRS] ] The Rational Response Squad, along with the filmmaker Brian Flemming, made headlines in December 2006 with their Blasphemy Challenge.

The Blasphemy Challenge

The Blasphemy Challenge, started in December 2006, is an Internet-based project which aims to get atheists to come out and declare themselves as atheists.cite news | url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16409851/site/newsweek/ | title=Beliefwatch: Blasphemy | publisher=Newsweek |date= January 8, 2006 | first= | last= | accessdate =2007-09-17] The challenge asks atheists to submit videos to the website YouTube, in which they record themselves blaspheming or denying the Holy Spirit. [cite news | url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0104/p13s01-lire.html | title=Atheists challenge the religious right | publisher=Christian Science Monitor |date= January 4, 2007 | first= | last= | accessdate =2007-09-17] According to the RRS' interpretation of several passages of the Bible (specifically, Mark 3:28-29 and Matthew 12:30-32), this action is considered an unforgivable sin. [cite news | url=http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=2833103&page=1 | title=The Blasphemy Challenge | publisher=ABC News |date= January 30, 2007 | first= | last= | accessdate =2007-09-17] Thus, users who took the challenge saw themselves as crossing a point of no return to prove that they truly did not believe in the biblical God and would "accept the consequences" if after their death they find that the Christian form of the Abrahamic God does exist. The first 1001 users who took the challenge received a DVD of Flemming's documentary film "The God Who Wasn't There". [ [http://www.blasphemychallenge.com/ The Blasphemy Challenge] Official site accessed on February 18, 2007] Celebrities Penn Jillette, [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2INdxjHgU0 Penn Jullette's Blasphemy Challenge entry] ] Christopher Hitchens, Daniel Dennett, and Raël participated in the project. [ [http://www.cultureandmediainstitute.org/articles/2007/20070201111038.aspx Blasphemy Redux] on Culture and Media Institute accessed on February 18, 2007] [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InjgkhwpzJQ Rael takes the Blasphemy Challenge] on YouTube accessed at February 18, 2007]

Response from Christians

Many Christian groups have responded to the Challenge with "Challenge Blasphemy", "Praise the Lord Challenge" [ [http://www.cnsnews.com/news/viewstory.asp?Page=/Culture/archive/200702/CUL20070205a.html Bansal, Monisha; "Blasphemy Site 'Playing Texas Hold 'Em With Eternity'"; CNSNews.com February 5, 2007] ] and "Truth Challenge".Fact|date=October 2007 These projects are designed to directly counter the Blasphemy Challenge by encouraging individuals to show their faith in Jesus Christ by posting videos of themselves praising God, or praying by name for the members of the Rational Response Squad or users participating in the Blasphemy Challenge. [ [http://www.christianpost.com/article/20070124/25385_Christian_Youth_Challenge_YouTube_Blasphemy.htm Christian Youth Challenge YouTube Blasphemy] on the Christian Post accessed at February 18, 2007]

YouTube controversies

The Rational Response Squad's YouTube account was suspended on March 23, 2007 but was later reinstated. [http://www.rationalresponders.com/forum/the_rational_response_squad_radio_show/5637 "Rational Squad deleted from Youtube"] The reason for the suspension was due to Uri Geller claiming that Rational Response Squad had infringed his copyrights when posting a video featuring him, but Geller did not own the copyrights in question. [cite news | url=http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/07/09/ap3894319.html | title=Brian Sapient sues Uri Geller | publisher=Forbes |date= July 9, 2007 | first= | last= | accessdate =2007-07-17] In May the Electronic Frontier Foundation filed suit against Geller on behalf of Brian Sapient "asking for damages due to Geller's violation of the DMCA, a declaratory judgment that the NOVA video does not infringe Geller's copyrights, and that Geller be restrained from bringing any further legal action against Sapient in connection to the clip." [cite news | url=http://www.eff.org/legal/cases/sapient_v_geller/ | title=Sapient v. Geller | publisher=Electronic Frontier Foundation |date= May 2007 | first= | last= | accessdate =2007-09-17]

On September 16, 2007, "Wired" magazine reported that "YouTube had banned a group called the Rational Response Squad (RRS) after it complained its videos were being taken down due to spurious DMCA requests from" someone working on behalf of the Creation Science Evangelism ministry.cite news | url=http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2007/09/youtube-support.html | title=YouTube Supports "Fraudulent" Creationist DMCA Claim | publisher=Wired |date= September 28, 2007 | first= | last= | accessdate =2007-09-17] It further noted that while this highlights problems with DMCA, the ministry's own website said that "none of the materials ... are copyrighted, so feel free to copy these and distribute them freely"." In response to the claims, the RRS posted a message that it is ready to help sue CSE and/or Eric Hovind.cite news | url=http://www.rationalresponders.com/forum/rational_response_squad_alerts/rational_response_squad_alerts/9978 | title=We're Ready to Help Sue Creation Science Evangelism | publisher=Rational Response Squad |date= September 14, 2007 | first= | last= | accessdate =2007-09-17] The account was restored on September 18, 2007.

Debate with The Way of the Master

Brian Sapient and Kelly O'Connor, [ [http://www.rationalresponders.com/dsouza_nothing_to_refute_here O'Connor, Kelly; "D'Souza - Nothing to Refute Here" rationalresponders.com; November 8, 2007] ] members of the RRS, participated in a debate with representatives from The Way of the Master, actor and evangelical Christian, Kirk Cameron, and his colleague, Ray Comfort, at Calvary Baptist Church in Manhattan, on May 5, 2007. "Nightline" aired the debate online and included a short two-segment summary on its May 9 broadcast. [ [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1229854964003619354 Face-Off - Does God Exist - Part1 on Google Video] ] At issue was the existence of God. "Nightline" correspondent Martin Bashir served as moderator at the event. [ [http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=3148940&page=1 Bashir, Martin; "Prepare for a Conflict: The Nightline 'Face-Off' No-Holds Barred Battle Over the Existence of God"; May 7, 2007] ]

Cameron and Comfort challenged the Rational Response Squad to the debate. They claimed that they could prove the existence of God scientifically without using the Bible, though Comfort does refer to the Bible when he participates in such discussions, [http://www.christianpost.com/article/20070429/27149_Evangelist_Challenges_Atheists_to_Debate_on_ABC.htm Correction to article; "Evangelist Challenges Atheists to Debate on ABC"; April 29, 2007] ] and did so during the May 5 debate. [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-rKiGJrcNw&mode=related&search= Video of Comfort's opening arguments at the May 5, 2007 debate, in which he references the Bible beginning at the 2:58 mark.] ] In a May 8, 2007 clarification, Comfort stated that he would cease using the qualifier "without mentioning faith or the Bible" from his claims to avoid misunderstandings.

The debate also entered topics outside of science, including history, the question of connections between religion and morality, and philosophical viewpoints such as Pascal's Wager.

References

External links

* [http://www.rationalresponders.com The Rational Response Squad Official website]
* [http://www.blasphemychallenge.com/ The Blasphemy Challenge]