Remember that Andy Rooney “In Defense of Prayer” chain mail that that went viral a year or so ago that all your religious relatives insisted on propagating to everyone in their e-mail address book?

I know I do. In fact, it still arrives in my inbox on occasion.

At first I tried to be polite and point said relatives and acquaintances to snopes yet many continued to claim that their beloved Andy Rooney—whom they had admired for decades as a humorist and commentator with his weekly broadcast A Few Minutes With Andy Rooney and for his part on the CBS news program 60 Minutes—actually held these views. Now, I send them a list of quotes and links to Andy Rooney’s real views on religion.

If you are one of those religious people propagating this lie, please read the statements by Rooney below, which are just a few of his many well documented views on religion and the lack their of.

If you, like me, are the unappreciative recipient of the propaganda mentioned, please feel free to share this as often as possible.



“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.”

Hat tip to Incoherent Rambling for reminding me to make this long overdue post.