mag pic

THE picture below was sent to us by University of Sussex student Peter Brietbart, who discovered it on the net. He assures us that it’s not a Photoshop creation, but a genuine shot of a fella in Darth Vader gear who fell into step with a flock of ecclesiastical coves out for a stroll.

Provide us with a suitable caption for the picture, and you could win a copy of God Hates You – Hate Him Back, by C J Werleman.

There’s a prize of a year’s free subscription to the print edition of the Freethinker for the runner-up.

Closing date for entries is February 8.

Published at the end of 2009, God Hates You … makes the ultimate case for the claim that the God of the Bible is the most wicked character in the pages of history. With a wit as dry as a martini, and the cross-examination techniques of a seasoned lawyer, C J Werleman lays out all 66 chapters of the Bible to present an irrefutable argument that, indeed, God hates us all.

If you have never read or never fully understood the Bible then you can do no better than turn to this unique, comedic, 21st century summary of the greatest story ever sold, or in Werleman’s own words “never read”.

Immediately after its release, the book began receiving five-star ratings on Amazon. Here is just one of a number of rave reviews:

The biggest problem with the bible is that it is so God Damned boring! Not even the followers of the bible read the bible. In a day and age where literalistic interpretation of the bible has spawned a race of Super-Christians known as Baptists, Evangelicals and Creationists one great man aims to set the world straight on all things biblical.

For whatever reason, followers of the Abrahamic religions (Islam, Judaism and Christianity and all of their offshoots) have developed some ludicrous delusions that God is great, God is good, all loving, all caring and all powerful. The reality, as C J Werleman has discovered through his meticulous analysis of the Bible, is that all that god is is an uncaring, petty, jealous and violent. He’s more like an all powerful bitchy teen than a wise omnipotent being.

His acid wit and delightfully humorous analysis of Biblical testament will have your neck cramping from continuously nodding in agreement. He meticulously scrutinises the Bible, chapter by thrilling chapter, articulating the many contradictions and indeed misconceptions that the religious conveniently overlook. Ultimately, if there is a god, and it is the one described in the bible, then god help us all!

This is the best book you will ever buy. Buy one for yourself, one for your mother, one for your father, one for your siblings and most importantly, one for every priest you know.

Werleman, who witnessed first-hand the religiously-motivated terrorist atrocities in Bali in 2005, said:

The objective of the book is to provide the reader with a thorough understanding of the Bible, from end to end, while also demonstrating that the ‘God’ that people worship so readily and unquestioningly is a vengeful bully, with a monopoly on evil. Which I guess is primarily why the Devil had no reason to publish his own book.

He hopes that his approach of using the source of the creationists’ belief-system to make a compelling argument against worshipping such a malevolent patriarch can bridge the gap between superstitious belief and rational understanding by at least shaking believers out of their hypnotised state of relying on “faith over logic”.

He adds:

The best device we have for secularism or atheism is the Bible itself. When you have all the biblical assertions laid out in front of you, it is almost impossible to continue holding onto the beliefs created by a tribe of nomadic goat herders, who believed the shovel to be emergent technology! Essentially this book demystifies the Bible by using plain speak and humour. I show the reader what it is that pleases God: invariably baby killing, and ethnic cleansing. While also demonstrating that not only was Jesus an overtly racist false prophet, and not very nice to his mother, his biography was crudely hammered together by people who never met him.

When asked what he hoped to achieve with his book, C J replied:

I hope my book provides one small stepping stone on humanity’s journey away from ancient beliefs that retard social progress and promote human conflict rather than solidarity.

More recently, Werleman, who has an excellent blog, pointed out that:

Atheism is the fastest growing minority in the USA, and if current trends continue then agnostics, and atheists will be the majority by the year 2040. Once we are the majority then religion will have little or no say in deciding the social wellbeing of America through the political forum.

Once religion is removed from passing proposed bills in the respective houses of government then we will have a country that looks like the nations in Scandinavia – nations such as Sweden that have low religiosity but are ranked highest in terms of societal health. Societal health defined by low rates of crime, gender equality, access to education and health, high per-capita income, affordable housing, low teen-pregnancy, etc.

We have years of experience in determining what the theistic worldview looks like, and it looks like Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and the Dark Ages. It looks like blocking stem-cell legislations; it looks like gender equality gaps; it looks like government (mostly men) determining a woman’s rights; it looks like the bombing of an abortion clinic; it looks like denying basic human rights to gay couples in love; it looks like the spread of AIDS; it looks like George W Bush; it looks like Benny Hinn; it looks like Jerry Falwell.

The United States of Scandinavia. This is my goal.

Read Richard Dawkins on the viciousness of God here and a bleating “he’d never attack Muslims in this way” here.
UPDATE: Feb 2 – We have just learned that Darth’s appearance occurred in the center of Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland. It is thought that Vader was actually a member of the only atheist group in the country  -  ‘Vantrú’ which literally means ‘disbelief’.
Here’s the video:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUrMcQ3ro0E[/youtube]

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158 Responses to “Caption this picture – and win a copy of ‘God Hates You – Hate Him Back’”

  1. Believers In Fictional Empires Congregate For Convention.

  2. After exterminating the Jedi, Anakin brings balance to the Force by hunting down practitioners steeped in the Dark Side.

    OR

    Hokey religions and ancient books are no match for a good blaster at your side.

  3. Faith Healers Prepare for Surgery

  4. How could ANYONE believe in that ? (Note: even the hardest of hard core fans KNOW that Star Wars is fiction !)

    Rog

  5. Or how about: Luke, I am your Father…and you, Matthew, Mark and John !

    Rog

  6. “Darth Vader, desperate to shake the typecasting of a cruel and repressive tyrant, re-invents himself in the comedy genre, appearing in a film about a man entering a religious order – Sithter Act

  7. Bend over

  8. I AM YOUR FATHER! (in whom I am well pleased)

  9. A clear front runner emerges in Pope Palpatine’s auditions for the public face of The Catholic Empire.

  10. I thought you said the theme for the stag do was Vicars and Darths!

  11. Just keep moving or there’ll be no force for you!

  12. Proof that horses aren’t the only marchers requiring someone to clean up their crap while on parade.

  13. Converting to a Jew or a muslim, even an atheist I could have dealt with, but no…..Frank had to become a bloody Jedi

  14. 8, 6, 4, 2, closely followed by R2!

  15. Unfortunately he left his other suit at cleaners…

  16. Some final attempts:

    “The vicar finds your lack of faith… disturbing.”

    “Strike me down now and I shall become an invisible deity in the sky… after three days!”

  17. Now this is more like it! A REAL Imperial Death March!!

  18. Yahweh hates us, this I fear.
    The bible makes it very clear.
    It doesn’t matter what we do.
    He’ll torture me and torture you.
    Yes, Yahweh hates us.
    Yes, Yahweh hates us.
    Yes, Yahweh hates us.
    The bible makes it clear.

  19. It must be pledge week….

  20. Lord Vader was thunderstruck ‘I’ve seen some weird shit in my time but these fuckers take the biscuit’

  21. Don’t ignore me you Tossers; I told you – I AM Jesus and can bloody well dress how I like!

  22. 2nd Try…

    …Those kids were less scared of me than you nonces… and they thought that I was the real Darth Vader…

  23. OMG, they were right! Its the second coming!!!

  24. Last go:

    In rapid decline, The Church of England resorts to desperate measures, bringing in ‘specialist help’ in order to avert an embarrassing increase in the number of Jedi Knights in the forthcoming 2011 census.

  25. Obi Wan Kenobi corrects the young Skywalker after a bang on the head ruined his hearing in training….i said “Look at that farce” not “Luke use the Force”

  26. I didn’t know Herr Ratzinger was invited!

  27. ‘The farce is powerful here’

    else –

    Thought bubble from priest who appears to be looking at the lead priest’s arse saying ‘She’s a bit of a dog’ and speech bubble from leading priest saying ‘Ruff, Ruff’.

    David

  28. A Fellow Free Thinker
    February 2nd, 2010 at 1:42 am

    Vader Changes His Mind: “I find your lack of faith disturbing.”

  29. A Fellow Free Thinker
    February 2nd, 2010 at 2:04 am

    Vader Changes His Mind: “I find your lack of</strike? faith disturbing."

  30. “People of the world, rejoice!
    Your savior has returned!
    We have rebuilt him. Made him stronger, faster, smarter than he ever was before! We have the technology!”

  31. Though Vader had made it clear that asteroids do not concern him, the cardinals were giving him a raging bout of hemorrhoids.

  32. “They wear those pansified dresses and yet have the nerve to mock gay people? Impressive. Very impressive.”

  33. “I find your excess of faith disturbing.”

  34. “Ok Darth, just calm down… they don’t see you, just don’t make too much noise, these guys believe in some scary things. Just stay behind them and… oh no I think he saw me, he’s getting out his book…”

  35. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for thou art with me.”

    I may have taken that from somewhere, but I can’t quite place it…

    :)

  36. one of the men in this picture actually admits he’s evil…

  37. “Councelor, I stand ready”

  38. His Holiness is sorry that He is unable to make the interfaith walkabout, but sends his envoy, Lord Vader, in his place.

  39. Finally, the proof Leia needed to convince the Senate that the Church DID approve of the Alderaan holocaust!

  40. The Reverend Phillips capturing the spirit of Dress Down Friday.

  41. Broadsword Calling Danny Boy
    February 2nd, 2010 at 7:26 am

    When the popemobile broke down, Ratzi had to travel in disguise.

  42. Broadsword Calling Danny Boy
    February 2nd, 2010 at 7:28 am

    Ruddy hell, it’s Vader!
    Quick boys, we’ll escape on our pogo sticks!

  43. I loved Scandinavia, 30 – even 20 – years ago, it consisted of beautiful, free countries, with little or no body taboos, fewer screwed up children and a low crime rate.

    Now (2010) the muslims are moving in and the situation is changing rapidly. The UN insists that they are allowed to practise all their cultural/religious prejudices, while criticism of these selfsame practices is hate speech and/or islamaphobia. Pointing to misogyny is hate speech? Who is crazy here.
    Why the h* did we ever let religion become so privileged?

    As a life long passive atheist, I believe the time has actually come when we start actively demanding that our non-belief system has equal rights with those whose belief system wishes control us.

  44. Broadsword Calling Danny Boy
    February 2nd, 2010 at 7:34 am

    Gandalf let him down last minute but Vader decided to attend the party nonetheless.

  45. Broadsword Calling Danny Boy
    February 2nd, 2010 at 7:37 am

    RE my earlier entry. You could substitute “pogo sticks” with “space hoppers”.

  46. DV: You know the difference between you and me? I make this look good!

  47. The Group 4 undercover security agent demonstrates his uncanny ability to blend undetectably into any social setting.

  48. “Don’t be too proud of this theological terror you’ve constructed. The ability to move a mountain is insignificant next to the power of the Force.”

  49. Our father
    Who art in the empire
    Vader be thy name
    The empire come
    Thy will be done
    on Coruscant as it was on Alderaan
    Give us this day our right to breathe
    and forgive us our weaknesses
    as we forgive those who force-choke our families
    lead us now into darkness
    and deliver us from peace
    for thine is the empire,
    the power of the dark side,
    for ever and ever
    Amen
    *chokes*

  50. This is a good game!

    “Quo Vader”

    ” May the frauds be with you”

    “Darth looked confused as he followed his friends to the dark side”.

  51. “You can feel the Farce around you”

  52. The church extends a typically warm welcome to newcomer, Darth.

  53. Darth felt like a little fish, in the big pond of evil empires.

  54. Get the mop up crew ready, Darth hates competition.

  55. Broadsword Calling Danny Boy
    February 2nd, 2010 at 9:03 am

    Vader only tagged along because he got off on the uniforms.

  56. Broadsword Calling Danny Boy
    February 2nd, 2010 at 9:10 am

    Convert to Islam, or die!

  57. dum dum dum dum dah dum dum dah dum

  58. “Spot the Evil!” hint: not the bloke in black (he turns out to be nice in the end)

  59. Come and feel the might of my lightsaber young man, said the bishop

  60. Speech bubble from Vader: “OK which one of you lot fiddled with my son?”

  61. THE LATEST ‘MIND TRICK’ CONFERENCE DREW A MIXED CROWD…

  62. “These are not the druids you are looking for.”

  63. “Don’t ask, don’t tell…”

  64. “OK I can live with the ‘No Gays and even the No women’ but what the hell have you got against us welders?”

  65. “Your sad devotion to that ancient religion has not helped you conjure
    up…oh wait, my bad.”

  66. Broadsword Calling Danny Boy
    February 2nd, 2010 at 10:28 am

    Any of you slags want to fall on my sword?

  67. As the cardinals hurried into the room giggling like schoolgirls, Vader could not help but think they had misinterpreted his query about where he could store his light-saber.

  68. For the first time in his life, Lord Vader felt completely out of his depth on the evil-authority-subjugating-millions-and-compelling-them-to-live-in-fear front.

  69. “He is joining the service as the Archbishop’s most significant move towards true oecumenicalism.”

    or

    “We will all have to wear these soon. With an aging population Rowan is desperate to attract young people.”

  70. you don’t need a caption… just the Imperial March http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bzWSJG93P8

  71. As the Sith believed there were always two, Vader had little tolerance for this Trinity nonsense, as his actions would soon demonstrate.

  72. Church. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious.

  73. Vader was seduced by the dark side of the Force.

  74. “The dark side is the front”

    or

    “The priests didn’t like going at the front – they were used to bringing up the rear”

    or

    “Mind control, extortion, the pursuit of power – Vader felt like an amateur”

    or

    “The other priests had forgotten to change into their ceremonial robes”

  75. Christianity finally comes clean about its ‘darker’ leanings….

  76. Of the five surviving contestants, Who will win the competition for a one-year, $250,000 starting contract of running one of Lord Vaders
    indoctrination centres and who will get the literal “cut”!

    Find out tonight on “The Apprentice: UK, Season finale”

  77. Evil forces gather for UK summit on faith schools!

  78. he’s the new guy. Sure he’s evil, destroyed a few planets and murdered millions of people. Sure he commands a vast empire of evil too – but at least he’s not gay!

  79. may the farce be with you

  80. He says he’s here for “work experience”!

  81. “At least mine is fancy dress. What the bloody hell is your lots excuse?!”

  82. 1:
    Catholic priest takes interfaith awareness initiative too far and dons a burka

    2:
    ‘Father, I said “you were a berk”, not “you wear a burka” ‘.

  83. Vader finally caught up with the those trolling his Facebook group ‘One True Force’. Vader likes this.

  84. One more:

    So we are all in favour of joining the empire; he may be a vicious dictatorial conquer, but at least we can say for certain that this man in the sky actually exists.

  85. They had not wanted him, but political correctness asserted itself on this occasion in the form of the “Modern Apprenticeship”.

  86. I find Darth Vader amusing, he talks of the Force as if it is real.

  87. Vader tries to herd some exceptionally stupid sheep.

    Or: Vader herding some dangerous sheep.

    Or: Vader says “go back inside, the men in white coats await”

    Or: Vader says “keep walking, the Dignitas clinic awaits you.

  88. Secularists are becoming concerned as antidisestablishmentarianists get ready to take a more forceful approach to debating the issues of church and state separation.

  89. These guys are on to something. Perhaps I don’t need a giant battle station to bring the populace to it’s knees.

  90. The power to destroy an entire planet is nothing compared to the power of stupidity.

  91. Vader: ‘Hmm, these stormtroopers are not what they used to be’

  92. Damn this new equality law.

  93. Caption: “James Earl Jones’ conversion to Catholicism appears to have gone almost unnoticed by church hierarchy.”

  94. A Fellow Free Thinker
    February 2nd, 2010 at 8:46 pm

    My Caption:
    Vader Changes His Mind: “I find your lack of faith disturbing.”

    In case you aren’t a Star Wars fan, it was a play on the following scene in Star Wars: A New Hope:
    Admiral Motti: Don’t try to frighten us with your sorcerous ways, Lord Vader. Your sad devotion to that ancient religion has not helped you conjure up the stolen data tapes, or given you clairvoyance enough to find the rebels’ hidden fortress…
    [Vader makes a pinching motion and Motti starts choking]
    Darth Vader: I find your lack of faith disturbing.

    The scene on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6p4T7_XI7WM

    In this case, Vader is disturbed much more by the faith than the lack thereof.

    Vader Changes His Mind: “I find your lack of faith disturbing.”

  95. Vader saying “Even I find your faith distubing”

  96. It’s True.. Good guys wear black.

  97. As they are about to discover, the Lord does NOT suffer fools gladly.

  98. Andrea for the win.

  99. Cardinal Ratzenberger forgets which gathering he’s attending.

  100. “The force can have a strong influence on the weak minded…”

  101. “they had all assumed the increase in heavy breathing was due to the playground they had just passed….”

  102. Darth Vader, on his first visit to Earth, quickly identifies the primary source of evil on the planet.

  103. The clan unveils its first black member…

  104. This picture was taken in Reykjavík Iceland in june 2008.

    Here is a clip from the local news.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUrMcQ3ro0E

    The caption on that is: “Darth Vader Joins a Cult”.

  105. i say reginald… i do believe that one of those spaceballs is following us!

  106. Oh sh–! I put on the wrong outfit!

  107. “The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of organized religion.”

  108. Scandal: Religious leader caught hanging out with old men in dresses.

  109. http://imgur.com/oxNoH

    Emperor Palpatine?… No? Are you the Emper- No? Palid skin, advanced age? Excuse me sir, are you my Master? He wears a robe and is the leader of an ancient, sinister religion? Thinks himself the ruler of all life? Implicitly orders his followers to harm children? No? Are you sure? IS THERE AN EVIL OVERLORD IN THE HOUSE!? Hello sir, are you my ma…

  110. A Scene from Heaven.

  111. I am altering the deal. Pray I don’t alter it further.

  112. “It’s great! The whole time, he sounds like he’s sleeping and we all know it’s not a sin if one of us is asleep!”

  113. “Training day for Vader”

  114. Darth Vader: “I find your evil anemic. I shall destroy you!”

  115. This is the tweetup to gang rape Mother Teresa right?

  116. “Father Jeff, testing out a new design.”

    “If you can’t beat ‘em, join em.”

  117. You don’t know the power of the… er wait, you guys are Catholic aren’t you? My bad! You DO know the power of the dark side!

  118. Teach the controversy!

  119. Is it just me, or does it seem like trick or treaters get older every year?

  120. Darth Vader takes a stroll with the Clergy while attending the Vatican’s annual Tyranny Conference.

  121. “Your excess of faith disturbs me.”

  122. While Scientologists were unwilling to publically discuss the story of Xenu, they did elect to send a representative to the first annual meeting of the Intergalactic Faith Alliance.

  123. “Silly costumes – the ultimate power source in any universe.”

  124. Which one would you trust with your seven-year-old son?

  125. As a sign of the times, church leaders see a further need to bridge the gap between rhetoric and action:
    “Embrace thine enemy. And… well, I think we better give this guy a free premium membership to the club.”

  126. Can you spot the anachronism(s)?

  127. Vader delving further into the dark side.

  128. So, this is the new face of the Dark Side…

  129. Luke…God is your father!

    OR

    Henry misunderstood the ‘come in your favourite religious outfit’ theme

  130. Evil overlords of the world(s) unite!

  131. Dawkins takes his war on theism up a notch – incognito style.

  132. “I’m pleased he listened this time, ‘The Lord of Darkness’ IS now behind us.”

  133. To Darth the elder, it was a vicarious thrill watching his father parson by. It was his birthday. He got a cardinal, but by the end of it he was depriest. Due to a clerical error he had to administer the last rites while the clergy preyed on the bereaved family. The boy had been sick, but nothing would curate. Walking quietly, nervously, he thought he had rectors chances as he smiled at Mary, then he was pastor…..it really was the wrong funeral.

  134. Five people who will never get laid.

  135. Vader quickly realised that he had misread Emperor Palpatine’s directions to the Ice Planet….

  136. Palpatine: You must come visit me Vader. I’m living it up on Earth now, under the name Ratzinger. Just follow the dress-wearing clowns, they’ll lead you right to me….

  137. “The Force is with you, young Skywalker, but you are not a priest quite yet.”

  138. “Get along, little doggies”

  139. Vader takes a master-class in ‘youngling abuse’.

  140. Religion: The Phantom Menace

  141. Lord Vader was beginning to regret his new policy of ‘Dress-down Friday’ for stormtroopers.(Entered on behalf of Martin S)

  142. Well, at least we know for sure that one out of the four is not a kid toucher.

  143. Am I in the right queue for, “Now that we have won the Equality Bill to discriminate against Homosexuals, let’s discriminate against Jedi Knights”?

  144. “No, I am your Father.”

  145. A Fellow Free Thinker
    February 11th, 2010 at 1:32 am

    Which caption is the winner? Has it been decided?

  146. Move along boys or I will stick my laser sword up you ass.

  147. Darth rounds up the prisoners.

  148. Holey Cheeses, ain’t they pretty.

  149. Luke, I am your father

  150. May the farce be with you!

  151. vader says ; ‘phew,i was hoping i wasn’t overdressed for the new job , but i ain’t got nothin on these pimps,i better stay at the back’.

  152. forward thinking iceland has found both a way to rehabilitate vader and ensure the pious predators stay away from children.

  153. vader although evil overlord , knows the pecking order and quietly stands at the back like the new boy.

  154. Birds of a feather flock together.

  155. And the nominees for best supporting actor in a theatrical roll are……

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