An atheist in wonderland

John Loftus recently said:

I do ponder giving it up almost every single day now. It's enough getting attacked by several Christians who are threatened by my very existence, and much more so by my arguments. You should know that there are several sites set up just for personally maligning me. There are others who have made it their mission to spread lies about me. There have been Christians who have posed as me saying things on websites that are possibly criminal. Some have even openly prayed for me to die. I never know if someone who criticizes me is a Christian posing as an atheist, or an atheist. I can handle all of this, as maddening as it is, so long as I know there are people who appreciate and understand what I do. But even with this encouragement what I cannot take are atheists who take pot shots at me from behind. That's the final blow. It's just too much. I cannot fight battles on two different fronts. It's psychologically impossible. That's just me. I suspect it would be for most anyone. I also have a very hard time ignoring it.

Sorry, I've been having some misgivings about the research and experimentation lately. Maybe it stems from a sort of sympathetic fellow feeling from reading Flowers for Algernon one too many times. Maybe it's something else. Anyway, I feel the need to come clean now. In point of fact, there's no better time.

The truth, John, is you're basically a lab rat caught up in a scientific experiment. Its purpose was to come up with a workable model by which to test mental disorders like depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia. As I trust you're aware, lab rats are a common go-to choice in scientific research. Naturally you were selected as an ideal specimen.

In the past other scientists have attempted to conduct this sort of experimentation via genetically engineered rats. Or surgically altered rodentia nervous systems. Or the administration of various pharmacological compounds. But it was thought a novel approach might prove more suitable and produce better results. Enter RoboRat. RoboRat is a robotic rat built to terrorize real-life lab rats.

Currently you opine attacks from within and without. You're mighty discouraged and sullen to say the least because you believe there are criticisms against you coming from "two different fronts": Christians and fellow atheists. But I'm afraid that's just your mistaken muroideal perception. There are no Christians or atheists attacking you. Or any real people attacking you at all. Rather they're just figments of your imagination. Indeed, the experiments on you have succeeded. They've succeeded beyond anyone's wildest dreams.

But the guilt is crippling me. How did I get myself into all this in the first place. How did I agree. And I can't bear seeing you in such a state. A state which would doubtless only worsen with continued experimentation. Worsen beyond the point of no return.

That's why I felt I had to break it to you at this point. It was either now or never. In fact, there might not be another chance to do so.

But, alas! There's no panacea in this knowledge. You may not get worse, I hope, but you certainly won't get better. The damage has already been done. Your all too fragile mind has been irreparably broken. You may be forever stranded in a PKD-esque world. You may never know where illusion ends and where reality begins. You may never know many other important truths again. Isn't this true?

However, I must hurry. Time is running out.

Here's where you take the red pill and see just how deep the rabbit hole goes. You're still trapped in your cage, typing this very message to yourself before the scientists return and disconnect the internet cabl..............................

(Posted on behalf of John Loftus.)