Headed for the Rooney bin

I guess Andy Rooney, 92, might be on his death bed tonight after being hospitalized for “serious complications” following minor surgery.

I was raised on 60 Minutes. It was a must-see every Sunday night for my grandmother and my father. The thing I always looked forward to was Andy Rooney at the end. I admit he had an influence on me.

Last month was Rooney’s final appearance on the show. As part of his parting words, he said, “There aren’t too many original thoughts in the world. A writer’s job is to tell the truth. I believe that if all the truth were known about everything in the world it would be a better place to live.”

This comes from a well-known atheist responsible for making the following comments:

“Why am I an atheist? I ask you: Why is anybody not an atheist? Everyone starts out being an atheist. No one is born with belief in anything. Infants are atheists until they are indoctrinated. I resent anyone pushing their religion on me. I don’t push my atheism on anybody else. Live and let live. Not many people practice that when it comes to religion.” Marian Christy, “Conversations: We make our own destiny”, Boston Globe, 30 May 1982

“I am an atheist… I don’t understand religion at all. I’m sure I’ll offend a lot of people by saying this, but I think it’s all nonsense.” From a speech at Tufts University, Nov. 18, 2004.

“I don’t differentiate much, except in degree, between people who believe in religion from those who believe in astrology, magic or the supernatural.”

“We all ought to understand we’re on our own. Believing in Santa Claus doesn’t do kids any harm for a few years but it isn’t smart for them to continue waiting all their lives for him to come down the chimney with something wonderful. Santa Claus and God are cousins.”

“I just wish this social institution [religion] wasn’t based on what appears to me to be a monumental hoax built on an accumulation of customs and myths directed toward proving something that isn’t true.”

“Christians talk as though goodness was their idea but good behavior doesn’t have any religious origin. Our prisons are filled with the devout.”

“I’d be more willing to accept religion, even if I didn’t believe it, if I thought it made people nicer to each other but I don’t think it does.”

(Editor's note: Writing up some more truth. Should have my latest article up by Friday)