"No one is an atheist when the lights go down"

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Help me coz I'm lazy and there's no bloody Bartlett's in this house.

Where does this quote come from?

Who said it, in what context, and what does it mean?

I think I'm going to nick it, but I don't want it if it's someone/something really icky.

― Super-Kate (kate), Monday, 3 May 2004 11:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Don't know where it comes from, but is it like "there are no atheists in foxholes?" (Don't know where that's from either.) My understanding of it is that, yes, it's all very nice to claim to be an atheist when you're going about your everyday business, but in times of crisis, when you need some reassurance about divine providence/order, you'll turn theist like that.

― Prude (Prude), Monday, 3 May 2004 11:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Sort've reminds me of "In space, no one can hear you scream!"

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 3 May 2004 12:08 (twenty-one years ago)

It's close to the "no atheists in foxholes" line of reasoning. That might be what I'm thinking of. But that doesn't quite scan to the meter...

― Super-Kate (kate), Monday, 3 May 2004 12:11 (twenty-one years ago)

"no one's a christian when the stripper shows up"

― oops (Oops), Monday, 3 May 2004 12:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Closest I could find:

http://education.yahoo.com/search/bfq?lb=q&p=num%3A224.38

― J (Jay), Monday, 3 May 2004 12:38 (twenty-one years ago)

also:

http://www.bartleby.com/66/18/6418.html

― J (Jay), Monday, 3 May 2004 12:39 (twenty-one years ago)

oops otm

― don (don), Monday, 3 May 2004 12:43 (twenty-one years ago)

"...except for the stripper."

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 3 May 2004 13:16 (twenty-one years ago)

"Ladies meet Christian, the Cru-sadist!"

― oops (Oops), Monday, 3 May 2004 13:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Thanks, Jay, looks like Young is the one.

He also came up with this doozy, appropriate for ILX:

Procrastination is the thief of time.
Night Thoughts. Night i. Line 393.

― Super-Kate (kate), Monday, 3 May 2004 20:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Isn't this a prison term?

― Michael White (Hereward), Monday, 3 May 2004 21:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Does anyone disagree with the quote? B/c I do.

― Girolamo Savonarola, Tuesday, 4 May 2004 04:30 (twenty-one years ago)

No one is an atheist in prison when the lights go down?

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 04:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, I would think that when the lights dim is when people are the least religious (also when people can do the funniest Sting impressions.)

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 04:40 (twenty-one years ago)

When the lights go down, I start worrying about mundane shit - mostly b/c I have nothing better to do except anticipate what I need to do over the next few days and what problems may arise.

But I've rarely panic about God. Yes, it's scary to believe that probably there's nothing after death, and that sucks. But just b/c I don't want to believe that doesn't mean I don't believe it. In any case, I'm an agnostic, but honestly, my guess is leaning more towards the atheist answer, even though I don't feel obligated to make a decision.

And, yes...what exactly is meant by when the lights go down? Literally? Metaphorically? Spiritually? At a concert or movie? Mentally? Sexually?

Well, I leave you guys to chew on that.

― Girolamo Savonarola, Tuesday, 4 May 2004 05:27 (twenty-one years ago)

My mom is fond of saying that everyone's a Catholic in hospital, even though she's not.

― suzy (suzy), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 06:36 (twenty-one years ago)

"Lights go down" is quite vague. The original sense that I thought it involved was a sort of "lights out" black out, the bombers are coming in, everyone get under the table. But also, it had a second sense of, "lights go down" meaning things getting sexually heavy. Why do atheists scream "oh god, oh god" when they come? But it's ultimately a reference to that late-night insomnia paranoia, when the broadcasting ends and the television goes to nothing but static and you feel like the world could have stopped and you're the last person alive, and that's when thoughts turn to mortality, and thoughts turning to mortality is the ultimate cause and effect of the religious impulse.

― Super-Kate (kate), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 06:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Why do atheists scream "oh god, oh god" when they come?

A combination of force of habit and "oh god" having a meaning that transcends its literal meaning; it's a phrase you say in certain situations in English, and even for Christians it functions that way more often than as a literal call to God.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 07:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Still, it's interesting. It's a call to something higher in situations of extreme emotion - either great distress or great joy. Why use "Oh god" if it's not symbolic of something?

Sheesh, I better get back to my reports.

― Super-Kate (kate), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 07:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Because that's the phrase we use in English to indicate that we're in great distress or great joy. I mean, it's that or "eep" or "woot".

― Casuistry (Chris P), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 07:27 (twenty-one years ago)

(N.B. I'm not saying that I believe this quotation, I'm just saying that it was interesting enough to me to write about it.)

― Super-Kate (kate), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 07:27 (twenty-one years ago)

The one that I've tried to get out of my vocabulary the most is "Jesus!", as in, "for Pete's sake" (although I guess that one isn't any better), but at some point I admitted that "Jesus" was the word I used there and admitted it's a fun word to say.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 07:28 (twenty-one years ago)

But as far as the phrase goes: In a certain sense, even if it's true, in a certain sense, so what? Or rather, the phrase is used to say "neener neener" to professed atheists -- "no, no, wait until you're in the bunker, then you'll see who believes in god". But it seems at that point it's a move of desparation, sort of grabbing for any tool in your toolbox of solutions -- of course you'll believe then, it might be the only thing with any chance of working. This does not make you a "believer" in any satisfying sense (unless of course it works, and then you might find yourself born again).

― Casuistry (Chris P), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 07:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, the actual lyrics in question (I don't want to be so presumtuous as to post them cause that would make them poetry and I am Against Poetry) are about a "dark night of the soul" and a sort of wrestling match between religion and science as a solution to that dark night. Science wins in the morning, but the phrase "no one is an atheist when the lights go down" is repeated again and again as backing vocals, like a neener-neener thoughtworm.

― Super-Kate (kate), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 07:46 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't think there's anythign after we die, but I don't find the idea of (my) death scary in itself, no more than I'd find going to sleep scary; it's the idea of the accompanying pain that might be scary.

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 07:54 (twenty-one years ago)

why do we smile when tickled? it's not a pleasant experience.

― cozen (Cozen), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 08:20 (twenty-one years ago)

It can be sometimes*, but I fucking hate being tickled. I have no idea why we laugh.

*As a prelude to sex.

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 08:33 (twenty-one years ago)

some people don't laugh.

ever.

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 08:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Because smiling is not just an expression of pleasure, it is also a social display of deference. A smile can be an indication that the attacker (tickler) is in a position of dominance.

― Super-Kate (kate), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 08:49 (twenty-one years ago)

it still fascinates me why japanese laugh in awkward situations (like someone falls down -> the one falling downand/or others laugh?!?).

the *funny* thing is: most children/people don't like being tickled. this certainly includes me. it actually infuriates me when people continue even when i say "STOP!".

― jesus nathalie (nathalie), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 09:29 (twenty-one years ago)

I almost died this morning, in a very pathetic way. I have had a cold for weeks now, and every morning I wake up with mucus in my throat from postnasal drip. Somehow, I managed to inhale a glob of mucus, and it covered my tracheal passage. I couldn't breathe for what seemed like a minute or so, and I was starting to pass out. I live alone, and if I choked to death, that would be it. Luckily, I was able heimlich myself on a kitchen counter, but it scared the hell out of me.

I did not, however, start believing in god all of a sudden.

― J (Jay), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 10:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Does anyone disagree with the quote? B/c I do.

Wikipedia matter-of-factly says: "The concept that atheists become religious under fire has also been debunked by atheist veterans of combat."

― OleM (OleM), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 10:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Kate, I implore ye, don't put that quote in a song under any rhyme scheme/ meter. It implies athiesm = vacuousness of the soul, which just ain't true. Unless the character's meant to jump to conclusions like that, in which case, carry on.

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 10:33 (twenty-one years ago)

I dislike aesthetic censorship by atheists as much as I dislike aesthetic censorship by religious persons! The quote does not claim to speak for all people, it speaks to a particular person's emotional state of mind during a particular experience.

If I censored my songs to make everyone happy because of politically or religious sensitivity, I'd never write another song!

― Super-Kate (kate), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 10:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Because that's the phrase we use in English to indicate that we're in great distress or great joy. I mean, it's that or "eep" or "woot".

I can just see somebody in bed, "Oh baby. Yeah. Eep! Woot! Woot!"
I can't tell if that would be really sexy or really scary.

― Michael White (Hereward), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 14:19 (twenty-one years ago)

With the lights out, it's less dangerous.

― Prude (Prude), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 15:55 (twenty-one years ago)

I am ABSOLUTELY going to shout "woot" during my next orgasm.

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 15:56 (twenty-one years ago)

(Hmm. That wasn't as fun as I thought it would be.)

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 15:57 (twenty-one years ago)

we are forgetting the wise words of those sages of Cypress Hill, who once spoke: "When the shit goes down, you better be ready."

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 15:59 (twenty-one years ago)

I can just see somebody in bed, "Oh baby. Yeah. Eep! Woot! Woot!"
I can't tell if that would be really sexy or really scary.

I'm now envisioning Teen Girl Squad in bed.

Assuming there is no God, then "no one is a theist when the lights go down forever...cause you're dead!" Silly but true.

― Girolamo Savonarola, Tuesday, 4 May 2004 20:56 (twenty-one years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.