Logo of the Rational Response Squad.

The Rational Response Squad, or RRS, is a group of atheists who confront what they consider to be irrational claims,^[1] most notably those made by theists, and in particular, Christians. Atheism Irrationality is talking or acting without regard of Rationality. Theism, in its most inclusive usage is the belief in at least one Deity. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth The co-founders of the RRS are Brian Sapient and Rook Hawkins, (aliases used for anonymity). Kelly O'Connor, Sapient's girlfriend, is also a prominent core member. ^[2] The Rational Response Squad, along with the filmmaker Brian Flemming, made headlines in December 2006 with their Blasphemy Challenge. Brian Flemming (born 6 June 1966) is an American film director and playwright

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. Atheism ^[3] The challenge asks atheists to submit videos to the website YouTube, in which they record themselves blaspheming or denying the Holy Spirit. YouTube is a video sharing website where users can upload view and share Video clips YouTube was created in February 2005 by three former PayPal employees Blasphemy is the disrespectful use of the name of one or more gods. In mainstream Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is one of the three entities of the Holy Trinity which make up the single substance ^[4] 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. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin Content Authorship The gospel itself is anonymous but as early as Papias in the early 2nd century a text was attributed to Mark, a cousin The Gospel of Matthew (Gk Κατά Ματθαίον Ευαγγέλιον is one of the four Canonical gospels in the New Testament and is a Synoptic gospel The Eternal Sin, or unpardonable sin, is a concept of Sin in Christian theology, whereby Salvation becomes impossible ^[5] 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 point of no return is the point beyond which someone or some group of people must continue on their current course of action either because turning back is physically impossible ^[3] The first 1001 users who took the challenge received a DVD of Flemming's documentary film The God Who Wasn't There. The God Who Wasn't There is a 2005 independent documentary written and directed by Brian Flemming ^[6] Publicly known persons such as the illusionist Penn Jillette, Christopher Hitchens, Daniel Dennett, and Raël participated in the project. Penn Fraser Jillette (born March 5, 1955) is an American Comedian, Illusionist, juggler and Writer known Christopher Eric Hitchens (born April 13, 1949) is a British Author, Journalist, Literary critic and American Daniel Clement Dennett (born March 28 1942 in Boston, Massachusetts) is a prominent American philosopher whose research Claude Maurice Marcel Vorilhon (born September 30, 1946 in Vichy, Allier, France) is the founder and current leader of the recent ^[7][8]

Response from Christians

Many Christian groups have responded to the Challenge with "Challenge Blasphemy", "Praise the Lord Challenge"^[9] and "Truth Challenge". 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. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) ^[10]

YouTube controversies

The Rational Response Squad's YouTube account was suspended on March 23, 2007 but was later reinstated. Events 1174 - Jocelin, Abbot of Melrose, is elected Bishop of Glasgow. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[11] 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. Uri Geller (אורי גלר born György Gellér ( Hungarian name December 20, 1946) is an Israeli British performer ^[12] 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. The Electronic Frontier Foundation ( EFF) is an international non-profit advocacy and legal organization based in the United States with the stated purpose of being dedicated "^[13]

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. Wired is a full-color monthly American Magazine and on-line periodical published in San Francisco, California since March 1993 YouTube is a video sharing website where users can upload view and share Video clips YouTube was created in February 2005 by three former PayPal employees The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA is a United States Copyright Law which implements two 1996 treaties of the World Intellectual Property Kent E Hovind (born January 15 1953) is an American Young Earth creationist and Conspiracy theorist currently serving time in ^[14] 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. The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone "^[14] In response to the claims, the RRS posted a message that it is ready to help sue CSE and/or Eric Hovind. Kent E Hovind (born January 15 1953) is an American Young Earth creationist and Conspiracy theorist currently serving time in ^[15] The account was restored on September 18, 2007.

Debate with The Way of the Master

Brian Sapient, speaking at the debate at Calvary Baptist Church.

Brian Sapient and Kelly O'Connor,^[16] 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. The Way of the Master ( WOTM) is a United States -based Christian Evangelism ministry, founded in 2002 and headed by American actor Kirk Thomas Cameron (born October 12, 1970) is an American Actor best-known for his role as Mike Seaver on the television Situation comedy Ray Comfort (born December 5 1949) is a New Zealand -born Christian. Manhattan Island, in New York Harbor, is much the largest part of the Borough of Manhattan, one of the Five Boroughs which form the City of New York Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Nightline aired the debate online and included a short two-segment summary on its May 9th broadcast. ^[17] At issue was the existence of God. Nightline correspondent Martin Bashir served as moderator at the event. Martin Bashir (born January 19, 1963 in London) is a British Journalist of Pakistani descent ^[18]

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 reference the Bible when he participates in such discussions,^[19] and did so during the May 5 debate. ^[20] 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. Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[19]

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. Science (from the Latin scientia, meaning " Knowledge " or "knowing" is the effort to discover, and increase human understanding History is the study of the past particularly the written record Those who study history as a Profession are called Historians Etymology Morality (from the Latin la moralitas "manner character proper behavior" has three principal meanings Pascal's Wager (or Pascal's Gambit) is a suggestion posed by the French Philosopher Blaise Pascal that even though the Existence of God

References

External links

• The Rational Response Squad Official website
• The Blasphemy Challenge