RabidApe's speech @ the Texas Capitol - Austin, TX Sep-8-07

[richardribuffo]

i am an christian and i agree with you. you have a right to voice your opinion as do i. you exercising that right is what makes this country great. and i cant think of anything that i disagreed with in this video. christians need to go back to their bibles and re-read the part where it says that we shall not judge.

[BigEmytube]

This guy is about to piss his pants.

[jthomp32]

So if you think that people are being foreced to believe in god, what is wrong with the people that do. Do you want the word "God" removed from everything that has God in it. Coins, Pledge of Allegance, etc because of Freedom. So if we are free, when does censorship come in? Do we need atheist pledge of allegances and coins and christian coins? So are we censoring freedom of practice of religion or speech? It's one or the other.

[RabidApe]

"Do you want the word 'God' removed from... Coins, Pledge of Allegance"

YES! It shouldn't be there in the first place. How would you feel if someone decided that we should start printing "In Thor We Trust"?

What you do with your time in the privacy of your home or mind is your business - but this is a secular nation, and religion has no place in our public policy.

[FallingByTheWayside]

@RabidApe

Why must we keep our belief private? That is not tolerance whatsoever. If that be the case, keep the love of your family private, its offensive.

Do you see how ridiculous your statement is? Why can't people be free to believe what they want?

[Floydthefuckbag]

Great job!

[petname]

good speech but don't forget to breathe ;)

[Granvik]

GJ, real life balls

[myranting]

you are wrong, budhaism is a belief of a personified god, i know i've studied budhaism. next time do more research.

[RabidApe]

It's spelled "Buddhism", skippy!

Do more research, indeed!

[myranting]

well i may spell thing wrong but i know my religion. so try again, bucko

[RabidApe]

:D

I think you may be right. I'm willing to concede the point, but it doesn't detract from the central message of my speech.

[myranting]

actually you have alot of very good points in there, but what about the law about not singing the american anthum before a sporting event?

and yes i am right, i spent 4 years of my life as a budhist. i know i cant spell very good, but i try. lol

[LTm0rt]

excuse me, wtf are you talking about?

[myranting]

wtf are you talking about, can't you read?

[Astrosteed]

Nice ralley talkin', way to get out there and spread the word!

[MATTx602]

YOU LOOKED NERVOUS LOL. GOOD JOB

[mrtrivates]

Shit, you did that in Texas? That took  bawlllz!!!

[RabidApe]

I was standing at the front entrance to the frickin' CAPITOL BUILDING!

:D

[prrolg]

Yeah Howdy Doody. I could hear your wooden balls knocking to to to together.

[RabidApe]

Read the description, bro.

I was having fun! I'm a performer at heart!

:D

[ThatsmyYokoOno]

I didn't read it.Or did you add it in? Anyway I read it and....don't shave your head and go on cam dude. It's very anti social. Go to the mall next time you're tempted and walk it off. Later

[mrtrivates]

I thought they still hung people for "blasphemy" in Texas?

[NDCompuGeek]

y'know, i agree. entirely. bravo!

[ThatsmyYokoOno]

Your knees were knocking together the entire speech weren't they?

[aljimilah]

I am not an atheist but i completely agree with you standing points here and am completely impressed on your standards for all mankind and intelligence and integrity for standing up for what u believe, all respect to you and best wishes in the new year.

[LinkGrayX2]

You must really get bored if you're this devout...Nothing else to do with your time then attempt to make others feel bad? Yeah you don't care about the world at all, don't you DARE pretend.

[RabidApe]

'devout'?

I'm a big fan of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights...

What in this video makes you feel bad?

[FartheadOgre]

I hope you get some ho's out of that.

[DansBLACKFLAG]

You looked really excited up there :)

5/5

[popebenadict16]

nervous thoo

[marklethanarkle]

hey, i'm from the greater houston area!! wow, you did so well!!! i wish i had the balls to do that!! :D

[Uxoriouswidow]

I like how you maintained that smile throughout the speach.

[RabidApe]

I was having fun!

:)

[endr117]

great speech but I notice you toned it down a little for public speaking...

loved the "over god" bit.

[msphatgrll]

Ur hott! I know that's not the point. I'm just sayin... :~D

[Erech01]

lol, i didnt know rabidape was apart of the RRS, cool

[RabidApe]

not officially. but we cool.

[Erech01]

cool:) and good speach, ive just joined the website, many atheists on youtube seemed to have joined it so i havexD

[CheeezMaster]

think for yourself tho. look out for groupthink.

[RabidApe]

Indeed.

Be sure to always do your own research, and remain always a skeptic.

[CheeezMaster]

skepticism ftw

[skyfire1]

You look like a bigger version of Elijah Wood.

[atheistTV]

Hey, I'm from Houston!

Cool speech.

[MoRgUe27]

out of breath? hmmmm you sounded fine to me

excellent speech BTW!

[Antichrist4Life]

That was awesome, man. Bravo and good for you! Thank you so much for that.

[juanthestabber]

Public spear? I WANT A PUBLIC SPEAR!!!!!

Then I can infuse it with religion and stab people!!!!!

YAY!

[RabidApe]

"sphere"

XD

[jecht47]

i thought you already uploaded this

[RabidApe]

I had a partial clip on the channel before the DMCA debacle.

I uploaded this clip on my temp channel.

Now it's here.

This was in the description.

I will never get this 30 seconds back, thanks!

;D

[SunscreenAndVitamins]

yaaayy!!!

Good stuff- brave guy.

[RabidApe]

thanks!

and now I know not to run to the podium on a hot-as-balls day...

[lazerflesh]

I scratch out god and put independence on all my bills. "In independence we trust"

[andrewrberkshire]

Wow, if you get just a bit more experiance in public speaking you're going to be a force dude. That was amazing, and the substance was perfect.

[RabidApe]

thanks much!

this is only the beginning!

RabidApe 2024!

[andrewrberkshire]

If you were elected to any office of power in the states, it would be a symbol of rationality taking over. If an open atheist could ever even be elected that is.

[Zombiefisting]

ape...you speak way too quickly need to slow it down, I'm sure it was nerve racking in front of a whole ass load of people, but the substance was great TY

[RabidApe]

no, tY!

[nicanicabad]

great great speech and so eloquently done.

[ShiekYerbooty]

Radical Fundamentalist atheists are as dangerous as any religious person

[killlagger468]

haha

[RabidApe]

yeah, good thing I'm not one of those!

[Hamandchees3]

Atheism has one fundamental. A lack of, or disbelief in God. There is no spectrum of atheism, unless you add qualifies like strong and weak, militant pragmatic etc.  Traditionally, atheism is not radical at all. So if we assume fundamental atheism is traditional atheism, radical fundamentalist atheism is an oxymoron.

[RabidApe]

'Radical Fundamentalist', eh?

Can you describe what exactly that is, and give me a contemporary example?

[ShiekYerbooty]

sure, Lenin, he killed over 30 million Russians in his fight for a Godless society.

The current regime in China, killed thousands of Tibetans and is oppressing Buddhists Taoists and Christians.

[RabidApe]

The problem with these regimes isn't that they're against religion, it's that they're too much LIKE religion: unquestionable dogma forced on a population by an institution bent on undermining their freedom.

I hope that you don't think I would advocate such a thing.

[ShiekYerbooty]

We all have the same rights as individuals, or we did until the Patriot act and s1959. The beautifull thing about our consttitution is the idea of inalienable rights. The only alternative to inalienable rights is rights granted to us by the good ol' government. Now, I don't know what God is, and could not even begin to define it, but I trust God given rights much more than I do Government granted ones.

[XGralgrathor]

The major difference is: government is a questionable entity. We all know they are people, and they are fallible, and we as citizens have an obligation to question our government should their actions in any way harm society.

A god is not fallible. His actions *may* not be questioned. When god starts killing people, one cannot ask "hey, is this okay?"

[ShiekYerbooty]

Seperation of church and state simply means that there should be no government sponsored and directed Religion. Christianity is not sponsored by the State, but the populace is overwhelmingly religious. You are confusing the actions of individuals with actions of governemnt. .

[ShiekYerbooty]

When you try to suppress the expressions of Christians you are restricting individual rights. No, you don't support these regimes, but when you try to supress the free expression of your fellow citizens, you unwittinglky move towards totalitarianism.

[GeminiK]

I don't quite get why u did not pick up on Rabid's statement "I hope that you don't think I would advocate such a thing". Explain how Rabid is contradicting himself when he wants freedom for you too - thats from what I understand he said.

Make sure you also explain why violating current interpretation of the "law" is justified because of an overwhelming consensus of the populace. (I have the impression minorities are to be protected).

[ShiekYerbooty]

As I tried to relay, when you stifle your fellow citizens rights to express themselves freely, you are unwittingly growing government and suppressing individual rights. You have become the " Thought Police ", but you can't see it because you feel you are a victim.

[GeminiK]

Isn't the issue that religious references have been imposed on certain groups of people who's beliefs do not coincide with them? Aren't they stifling the rights of those fellow citizens to express themselves freely? It's also not clear how that grows government to me.

[GeminiK]

Well from what I am getting from this, doing the opposite (not imposing) is not suppressing individual rights. You are still able to be comfortably religious, with or with out god in the pledge of allegiance.

Can't be a victim since I believe in god. Who are we to "force" someone who believe otherwise to commit hypocrisies (or view them).

P.S. I don't understand what "Thought Police" is.

[RabidApe]

"When you try to suppress the expressions of Christians"

When did I say anything about suppressing individual people, you ignorant fuck?

Individual PEOPLE can say and believe what they want.

The GOVERNMENT is bound by law to NOT 'respect an establishment of religion', and to ONLY pass laws 'with a secular purpose'.

Tell me how inserting 'under God' in the pledge serves a secular purpose and DOESN'T respect an establishment of religion, please!

::vomit::

[prrolg]

You're the ignorant fuck. Everything about your comment is suppressive of Christianity. It's them against you.What are you going to do about it?

[XGralgrathor]

I don't know. Have you ever considered growing a moustache?

[joebot1]

right on!!!!!!!

[That80sGuy1972]

My brothers n sisters in Christ are gunna' rip me a new one for this: Separation of Church and state is a GREAT thing. Mixing the two corrupt both.

Those of faith who want to impose thier values through legislation prove only that they lack faith... they don't trust God... theirfore, they don't really believe in God.

I am for the separation of Church and State because I believe in both God and our founding principals.

[helgihg]

People used to amateur speaches probably spot that you're quite nervous, but you get the point across. Good job. Not just for you freedom-hating Americans, but also us over here in Europe. Freedom of and from religion, is a... I indeed dare say, sacred right.

[That80sGuy1972]

Most of us here in the USA are not freedom-hating... it is just that most of our registered and active voters are the uneducated hicks and extreme fundies.

Basically, we are going down the tubes because of that. If I had the resources, I would move to a nation that is as free as the USA should be.

[Nick1814]

I would stick to one cup of coffee a day.

[jesperlett]

Bah wahh! It take a lot experience in holding speaces to not seem just a little affected by it. There's great potential in this man!

[Durgeofcerberus]

you need to chill out

[FistofMight]

Thank you your back supporting you across the pond

[classicrocker12392]

WHAT A WUSSSS =P

texas isnt that hot...

[BoozyBeggar]

Yes it is. But not right now in Dallas, I'm freezing me arse off.

[classicrocker12392]

amen.

[gamecarnivor]

nice man, that was sweet

[hoglymogly]

Great speach great job.

[Milkimu]

Go you :)

[NikitaLion]

Man, I love you! Keep it up!

[RonnieOfTheEarth]

nice one RabidApe!

[IllegalAlien1]

keep up the good work.

[ScottishAtheist]

Nice job man! Good confident speech.

[thinkmorepink]

*standing ovation* That was brilliant. I'm speechless. WOW.

[Redliwyaw]

Very well done. =)

[bpabbott1st]

Great Paine quote. Any chance you can add it to the "About this video"?

[andthentherewasham]

badass man...

[RndmG]

oh and how do you become a part of a speech like this. where do you go to gain authority to make speeches as you did?

[RabidApe]

I was asked by Brian Sapient to speak on behalf of the Rational Response Squad, basically based on my YouTube presence, and hanging out @ stickam.

the rally was organized by Joe Zamecki of Amerian Atheists

[RndmG]

You are one nervous public speaker boy... but thank you for making this speech, much needed.

[RabidApe]

see the description! :)

it was easier than a video! I had a script!

[Luke123098]

Good speach.. I like the "One country over god" sounds pretty good to me though <.<

[XGralgrathor]

One country over what?

[RndmG]

I live there! I WANTED TO SEE YOU!!!! ANNOUNCE IT BETTER IM RIGHT NORTH OF THERE ARRRRRRRGGGGGGGG