VenomFangX
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==Thunderf00t and Ray Comfort== | ==Thunderf00t and Ray Comfort== | ||
{{main|Thunderf00t debates Ray Comfort}} | {{main|Thunderf00t debates Ray Comfort}} | ||
| − | On July 25, 2009, after [[Thunderf00t]] and [[Ray Comfort]] sat down for a conversation,<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=762A731FA12BCB57 Thunderf00t and Ray Comfort on YouTube].</ref> VenomFangX posted a new video on YouTube where he became unhinged, repeatedly invoking [[Godwin's law]].<ref> [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSQivGUEyx4 The video in question]</ref><ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgYQhDN9920 VenomFangX's rebuttal to a discussion about the video] </ref> Considering that VenomFangX was | + | On July 25, 2009, after [[Thunderf00t]] and [[Ray Comfort]] sat down for a conversation,<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=762A731FA12BCB57 Thunderf00t and Ray Comfort on YouTube].</ref> VenomFangX posted a new video on YouTube where he became unhinged, repeatedly invoking [[Godwin's law]].<ref> [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSQivGUEyx4 The video in question]</ref><ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgYQhDN9920 VenomFangX's rebuttal to a discussion about the video] </ref> Considering that VenomFangX was supposed to be in hiding due to death threats from Muslims, it seems curious that he returned to YouTube. This act has led many to accept the idea that VenomFangX never received any death threats, or if he did then this whole "good-bye" deal was just a sympathy scam. |
| − | Within the video, Venom displayed moments of sheer anger towards Thunderf00t, claiming that TF wants to put us all in his "...narrow-minded, naturalistic box. You do not want us to think outside the universe or what caused everything. So you are just a damn hypocrite... that's all there is to it. You're an absolute damn hypocrite." This petty rant by Venom held no weight and was likely a result of his desire for attention. He also arrogantly demanded that Thunderf00t delete all of his videos that criticized theists. This showed his inability to withhold criticism on the internet, particularly towards his absurd claims, such as | + | Within the video, Venom displayed moments of sheer anger towards Thunderf00t, claiming that TF wants to put us all in his "...narrow-minded, naturalistic box. You do not want us to think outside the universe or what caused everything. So you are just a damn hypocrite... that's all there is to it. You're an absolute damn hypocrite." This petty rant by Venom held no weight and was likely a result of his desire for attention. He also arrogantly demanded that Thunderf00t delete all of his videos that criticized theists. This showed his inability to withhold criticism on the internet, particularly towards his absurd claims, such as the Grand Canyon forming in 5 minutes. |
| − | The double standard must be noted. VenomFangX used material by Thunderf00t in his response video without asking Thunderf00t's permission. However, when the same thing | + | The double standard must be noted. VenomFangX used material by Thunderf00t in his response video without asking Thunderf00t's permission. However, when Thunderf00t did the same thing to VenomFangX, VenomFangX considered this act to be "stealing." A detailed visit to the "Fair Use" terms must have changed VenomFangX's heart. |
== The return of VFX and DMCA strikes back == | == The return of VFX and DMCA strikes back == | ||
Revision as of 23:23, 24 July 2012
VenomFangX (often shortened to VFX or Venom) is a creationist Internet vlogger who makes YouTube videos mostly about religion, God, Christianity and creationism, particularly young earth creationism. To this date, he holds the highest subscribers amongst Christian channels (even more than the Vatican YouTube channel), however a very large portion of those subscribers are critics or people who highly disagree with him and only tune in for the lulz. VenomFangX is quite possibly YouTube's greatest "leaving and never coming back" champion, having closed and reopened his channel numerous times. His real name is Shawn Karon[1] and he hails from the land of Canada. He used to have a Wikipedia page, but it's been deleted three times, in 2007, 2009, and 2010.[2]
Past and present beliefs
| VFX's Views and Beliefs | RationalWiki Responses |
Becoming a Christian
| Before becoming a Christian, Shawn describes himself as being a horrible godless person. In his first introductory video in 2006,[3] VFX claims that since age seven he was constantly preaching "there is no God." | This very well may be a cover story similar to those of other "ex-atheists," such as Kirk Cameron or Lee Strobel. |
| VFX confesses to swearing often and proclaims he heavily engaged in drug abuse for six to seven years,[4] and believed that humanity was a blight on the earth that causes terrible suffering and we would be better off destroying humanity and all creation. | VFX never shared either of these sides of him until his latest return. This casts serious doubt if any of this story was ever true and is likely a false autobiography to gain sympathy from his viewers and critics. This attempt by VFX may possibly have been made to make a bigger impression that becoming a Christian is very beneficial from a wicked godless person (unfortunately, the stats and data can't actually support that.) |
| When VenomFangX became a Christian he claimed that he became a new creation[5] with a new morally superior worldview. | However, VFX contradicts himself because if he did possess a higher moral ground, then he should not have repeatably lied and attempted to cover his tracks; DMCA and censor other people (which is a crime); deliberately setting up a lie and false accusation towards a lawyer as being a pedophile; and stealing from sick kids (detailed a few sections below). His self-proclamations about his past may be true, but given his record as a chronic liar to his viewers and even to his own family, his past life story should be taken with a grain of salt. |
| What led VenomFangX to Christianity was, as he describes it, watching a few seminars of Kent Hovind (which have been reviewed and refuted here on RationalWiki). VenomFangX claims to have joined YouTube in May of 2006,[6] and he says that he became a creationist sometime in late June 2006 (approx. June 28th). Once on YouTube, he began producing many religious and creationist videos that parroted Kent Hovind (practically verbatim). VFX even made a series called "Satan Invented Evolution" which mostly contained material from Hovind. | From the beginning of his time on YouTube, VenomFangX has been described as many things by his viewers and critics, such as a narcissist who craved to be the center of attention.[7] VFX certainly got massive attention when he was intellectually beaten over and over by scientists and rational thinkers, especially after his responses to his critics included mass censorship (including censoring himself, when VFX deleted his own videos that were thoroughly refuted and ridiculed by his critics. Perhaps VFX could not handle the shame of being ridiculed and did not possess the decency of admitting to being wrong). Unfortunately, that was not enough attention for VFX, as further explained below. |
On June 12, on the Magic Sandwich Show[8] VFX revealed several more of his personal beliefs, as well as his lack of understanding that knowledge can be displayed and verified.
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On the show, it was demonstrated to him that his definition basically is equivalent to magic. It turns out that VFX does accept that magic happens - both God does it and the Bible mentions magicians (such as the Egyptian magicians). However, he believes there are two types of magic: magic of God and magic of Satan. |
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Unfortunately for VFX, there is zero proof for a global flood and the Tower of Babel is a myth. Even the Bible shows that people already spoke in different languages before the Tower was built.[9] |
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Unfortunately, he has not provided any sufficient evidence for dualism. |
Views on Morality
VenomFangX currently holds many views that are considered unethical, immoral, and also downright cruel and heartless.
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What was so bad about the Holocaust????
... Nothing really has to be said except this: To make things worse for VFX, his own parents are Jewish! We deserve to die, VFX has no moral obligation to feed hungry people or help the needy because they "don't deserve squat." VenonFangX is a perfect example of the moral bankruptcy of the Christian worldview. To VFX, people are not worth a damn except to scam money from (see "Charity Fraud" section below). |
Objective Morality
| VenomFangX is well known to be a firm defender of objective morality. | However, his arguments do not hold up to scrutiny, nor do his own actions reflect what he constantly preaches. Morals and laws at times seem to be meaningless to VenomFangX. Often, rather than trying to prove objective morals, VFX argues that no one has ever disproven them - which cannot be done since it is impossible to disprove a negative. Unfortunately for VFX, many already have done exceedingly well in refuting "objective morals."[13] |
| Whether unknown to VFX or not, he does not defend "objective" moral standards, rather he promotes the Divine command theory (or rather "Just because my god says so"). For instance, as shared earlier, when VFX asked "what was so bad about the Holocaust?" this only shows that he has no problem with genocide since his own God said genocide was completely moral and endorsed in the Old Testament. The thing is, the "Divine command theory" implies that whatever God commands must be the morally correct course of action. Therefore, if/when God endorses genocide, infanticide, animal sacrifice, slavery, or rape, those things are good, whereas if/when he forbids eating certain foods or working on certain days or having certain kinds of kinky sex, those things become bad. This makes divine command theory a subjective theory of morals, one which is arbitrary and can change at God's whim. Claiming "God wouldn't do that" doesn't help at all, since if God is the source of morality, he can do whatever he wants and it would still be just as "good" as anything else. It also makes theists like VFX look silly when they claim to know God more than God himself.
A recent video[14] revealed a dialect between VenomFangX and YouTube user vegetaismyname1 (whose real name is Michelle). Michelle had a series of questions regarding God commanding people to kill, such as Moses killing 3,000 people. She asked what VFX would do if God commanded him to kill someone (similar to Moses), to which VFX replied, "I would do anything God says without hesitation." Michelle responded by asking if VFX would still do it if the target was a friend or family member, and would VFX ask God for a reason why he choose them to die? VFX replied "My feelings are irrelevant, and God does not need to justify himself to me" and answered "Yes" whether or not the targets were a friend or family member. Afterwards, Michelle compared a person who hears the voice of God to a schizophrenic, and makes a valid point on how VFX could determine whether the voice was from God or not. VFX answered, "I might not be able to tell, and ultimately it does not matter. Either it was from God, or it wasn't. It it was, then there was a good reason, if there wasn't, then it was just an outworking of a fallen world in which we live in. Ultimately, we know God is in control, so no matter what happens, we can trust that all things are working together for good, for those who love God, and are called according to His purpose." When Michelle asked if a person killed one of his family members or VFX himself, but claimed God commanded him to do so, would VFX think that the person is justified in doing so. VFX answered, "It depends if I knew if it was from God or not." VFX later stated that God is not in control of an evil man's actions, to which Michelle pointed out instances in the Bible when God controlled the actions of the Pharaoh. VFX stated that God only controlled the Pharaoh in an indirect manner, setting up an environment to which God knew the Pharaoh would "harden his heart." VFX then stated that if God wished himself or his parents dead, it would be just. |
The significance of this shows that if VFX was ever under the illusion that God had commanded him to kill another person, no matter who it was, VFX would presumably do so outright without reason or justification. This highlights the dangers of VenomFangX's whole character, ideology and worldview. Similar to a jihadist, VFX is willing to take another life if a voice in his head he was convinced was God ordered him to do so, and he considers this moral. |
| On December 21, 2010, VFX posted a video "Why Morally Subjective Women Imbalance My Equilibrium" while in the description he highlighted a comment from one of his supporters: "Of course there is; Shawn stated it. Objective morality can be "measured" against reality. For society at large and for MOST individuals, God's morality sustains, rather than injures, life. That's one test of whether God means good or evil (the other reasons I would give would completely escape you, as a non-believer)." | By this standard, it is obvious that "God's morality" does NOT sustain life. Throughout the Old and New Testament, God constantly harms people. Even VenomFangX (as described earlier) said that God won't heal amputees or feed starving children because "we deserve to die, that's what the Bible teaches." |
| In the same video, in response to a question why Christians feel the need to treat homosexuals badly, VFX stated that determining right and wrong is not based on a person's feelings, which he labels as "emotivism" which he says is "subjective." His reasoning: if a homosexual treats you bad, you therefore think the homosexual is bad (and VFX said that is how our culture acts upon the issue). VFX argues that Christians do not have a subjective standard, but an objective moral standard from God (VFX stated "I cannot challenge that standard, I cannot change it, I can only adhere to it.") VFX also said that Christians would be considered bigoted IF they behaved badly towards homosexuals if they acted on their feelings, but since Christians act upon the word of an objective moral lawgiver, they are thus guiltless. | Since VFX admits that he determines what is good or not from God, he basically follows the Divine command theory, so if God told him homosexuality was intolerable, but genocide was tolerable, VFX would have no choice but to say "I cannot challenge that standard, I cannot change it, I can only adhere to it." |
Evangelistic Morals
VFX upholds firm evangelical beliefs regarding homosexuality, abortion, and pornography - he claims that each of these are abhorrent to God - and are only tolerable in "city of man" (that is a society divorced from God). Regarding homosexuality, VFX believes when a couple engages in sexual intercourse (even if the woman is raped), they are married in the eyes of God because they engaged in a "spiritual bonding" although some speculate whether VFX would maintain this position if he were raped by a man. VFX stated that in the Old Testament, stoning homosexuals was the "pinnacle" of morality, sanctioned by God (making it "objectively moral"), and was done so for the purpose of preventing the family line of Christ from being "contaminated" by STD's and such. God was willing to kill to protect the family line of Jesus, and VFX says he is "thankful for that." However, despite stoning people as done in the Old Testament, VFX states that Christians do not have to obey the OT anymore, for now the New Testament offers sinners forgiveness through Jesus over punishment under civil law. VFX does not recognize gay marriage, for he thinks that homosexuals cannot be married biblically, but if governments want to marry gay couples that is their business (but God will never recognize such a marriage).[15] VFX recently came out with a video uploaded on Nov. 18, 2011 titled "Being Gay is NOT a Choice."[16]
VenomFangX blames the Enlightenment for the sudden decrease of belief in objective moral values. Despite society believing that objective morals don't exist and continuing to allow homosexuality and abortion, VFX argues that does not mean objective morals do not exist; they will one day be held accountable.
Rape Victims and the Bible
Shortly after his latest return to YouTube, he posted a video about the Bible and rape which disturbed the YouTube community as another fundamentalist supporting atrocious acts. Commenting on the biblical laws that a victim must marry her rapist, VFX tried to argue it was actually a good moral law.
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What VFX is implying through the Bible is that women are nothing more than just objects of marriage, property for the man to care for. Not to mention it is the 21st century, and it is time to move on from Dark Age thinking. We already have punishments for rape, but if we passed a law similar to this, what would stop the rapist from harming or raping his new wife even more? And if a man went to prison and married his victim, what would be the point of the marriage? VFX's morality based on biblical law is misogynist and completely immoral. Many rape victims do not report the rape crimes because they are afraid to confront their attacker again, and this law would require the two to forever be closely bonded. Imagine the further horror this would have on the victims, not to mention the likely possibility of repeated abuses. What if the rapist was a relative? Incest is a crime and marriage is not an option. What if the man rapes three women: does that mean we must endorse polygamy?
VFX's law proposal lacks empathy and borders on the sociopathic. Never once does he seem to take the victim into consideration and deal with the aftermath of the rape. VFX calls this plan "brilliant" but any mentally healthy person would call it sickening. |
Evolution and science
| VenomFangX's views of evolution virtually mirror those of Kent Hovind, as well as his views of science in general. | As this site already demonstrates, Kent Hovind is not a scientist at all. His views are very anti-science. |
| On June 12, on the Magic Sandwich Show[17], VFX revealed several important viewpoints regarding evolution. VFX defines the creationist word "Kind" as any animal that does not share a common ancestor (although as evolutionists can demonstrate and prove, by this definition there is only one "kind"). VFX accepts that ravens and doves are different kinds, and Darwin deceived the world with finches because there is no evidence that finches share a common ancestor.
After this show, many users on YouTube asked VFX to further clarify what he means by "Kinds." User dprjones made an open challenge to VFX. One video[18] showed a discussion between VFX and a user vegetaismyname1 revealed that VFX had no clue what he believes. VFX still held onto his first definition of "Kind" that they have no common ancestor (ex. we have several species of finches, but they had a common ancestor: a finch). In the discussion, VFX stated the following:
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Based on the above, VFX's views of evolution and speciation are clearly in contradiction. Evolution explains how species adapt into new genetically separate species via natural selection and non-random mutations. Creation provides no model for this change at all. Also, if VFX accepts that cats only produce cats, then by the same logic he must also accept that humans are primates. Whether he accepts this or not, it is the truth. |
| VFX believes modern science gave rise to the Greek understanding of the cosmos coming from a "lawgiver/rational mind" because the laws of the universe remain constant making predictability possible. | What VFX did not include was that the Greeks were pagans, who gave rise to science and even reason. |
| VenomFangX, in a video titled "Separation of Church and State from Secular Propaganda" (posted Dec. 30, 2010), VFX argues that the idea that "science has progressed humanity forward and greater since the Dark Ages is a myth", because science has made man ignore or forget "traditional values" - all this leading to higher rejection of God, more wars, etc.
VFX claims that the Nazis loved science, just the science without morality - because morality is "not a scientific endeavor." VFX argues that science is actually irrational and immoral without Christian values. The Nazis killed people for science (we've all heard of the Nazi doctors) and eugenics. VFX concludes that science without religion is immoral and religion without science is non-factual. For instance, VFX argues creating atomic bombs is not the way to go, and the Bible predicts we will wipe ourselves out with these bombs (Matthew 24:22). VFX then presents four pictures of the same general concept, found here. |
Secularism
Thus VFX claims not to be anti-science, but rather against the philosophy of modern secularism and their view of science. VenomFangX, in a video titled "Separation of Church and State from Secular Propaganda" (posted Dec. 30, 2010), expresses his beliefs about secularism.
- Separation of church and state does not appear in the Constitution.
- Jefferson proposed it to keep government out of the church (not the church out of government).
- The founding fathers were Christians, later implying that America is a Christian nation.
- The vision of secularism is propaganda. VFX says the term secularism was an idea of the Bible, when coined by a Christian St. Augustine of Hippo, and the separation of church and state also has Biblical origins when God would not allow kings to become priests to corrupt the people through the church (although the priests could influence the king). Therefore, VFX argues that secularism was an idea born of the Bible, not the Enlightenment.
VFX believes that present-day secularism between church and state has become a form of totalitarianism, which VFX predicts will lead to eugenics. VFX brings up C.S. Lewis's book The Abolition of Man which describes that one day someone will soon come along and determine for everyone else to believe what is right or wrong and thus conquer humanity. Humanity will be slaves by the sciences that were supposed to set him free when humanity becomes "experiments." VFX argues only religious ideals and moral codes could prevent such a turn, and once we no longer hold the Bible as true we lose our humanity. Quoting VFX directly, "And that is why this idea of science being an endless progress of man attempting to conquer nature is so dangerous." VFX argues, without a sense of irony, that the only way to save secularism is the Church, since they are the ones who came up with it, because if we lose the Christian values and traditions, that will lead to a world "far worse than anything Hitler could have ever conjured." VFX argues that true Christians (not to be confused with Catholics) do not want to set up a theocracy while atheists want to ban religion altogether and enforce a state religion - which VFX believes they already have by teaching evolution in schools and teaching children same-sex marriage is okay. VFX calls this indoctrination of "dogmatic atheism" (he asserts, again without seeing the irony, that atheism is indeed a religion) which aims to have complete domination.
An internet troll rambling from his Mom and Dad's McMansion basement
VenomFangX came to (limited) cyber attention by posting pro-creation rants on YouTube. In his videos he made a number of outlandish claims about science and religion: dismissing scientists who ignored the Bible; arguing that he could prove the historical reality of biblical events (claiming, for instance that the Grand Canyon could have been formed in five minutes during the Global Flood); and calling the theory of evolution "evil". He claimed that Earth is the only source in the whole universe that contains water, simply unaware of the vast scientific discoveries of water on other planets and moons. As a result, he was given the nickname PCS (Posterboy for Creationist Stupidity) by his critics.
VenomFangX was often smacked down by atheists and theists alike, as well as his own parents and employers, too. Among the theists who eventually turned against VenomFangX was Jezuzfreek777 (at that moment, there was little hope for VFX), stonedcommander, UNFFWildcard, and Togetherforpeace. Venom often deletes his "very important" videos shortly after they are uploaded because he does not want to face criticism of the bizarre nature of his videos. Many of these deleted videos have been reposted and mirrored by his critics, allowing them to include scenes from this material for their rebuttal videos against VFX. He will often disable voting on his videos altogether; other times he disables the ratings right after he gets one or two quick high ratings (likely done by himself), giving the false impression his videos are well-liked. He also disables or heavily moderates the comments on his videos.
VenomFangX also has a arsenal of sock accounts.[19] One of Venom's sock accounts, IslamIsaCancer (channel), was used in an attempted blackmail of YouTube user dprjones.[20] Shortly after being busted, Venom deleted all his videos on his sock accounts, only later to claim that since he had removed the material therefore no one else had the right to post it or use it. However, under fair use, his critics could use his material for satire and criticism.
First departure and return
Shortly after positing creationist videos on YouTube, VenomFangX was met with numerous and excellent critics, most notably from the user Thunderf00t, who included VenomFangX in his popular series "Why Do People Laugh At Creationists" - a series of YouTube videos focusing on exposing and thoroughly refuting creationist claims. The criticisms against VenomFangX were very popular, and they drew in more viewers just to see creationists getting spanked. In July 2008, VenomFangX deleted most of his videos and announced he was shutting down his "ministry" because he claimed he was receiving death threats to him and his family. In a video posted July 2008 titled "VenomFangX Leaves the Internets for the First Time" he claimed to have contacted the "authorities and police." His reasons for why he was receiving death threats were from people "who hate God" and VenomFangX pointed the finger at two individuals he held responsible: theAmazingAtheist and Thunderf00t. He did not, however, close his channel. He continued to log in, rate, and favorite videos. In a few weeks, all was forgiven or forgotten, and then he returned to making videos again with no mention of the outcome of the alleged death threats. Many users agree that he never received any death threats; VenomFangX was only appealing to his viewers' emotions as a plea for sympathy and had no intention of leaving YouTube or shutting down his channel. The most popular explanation for VenomFangX's behavior was that he could not cope with the numerous videos that completely refuted his videos and material, and used the alleged death threats as an excuse to delete his refuted videos rather than simply and honestly admitting he was wrong. This act of VenomFangX of leaving and returning to YouTube fueled the imagination of "Christian persecution" and his supporters and well-wishers bought the whole scam.
Asking for a camera
Despite being a 22 year old adult while living in a fascinating mansion, owning a Wii, a huge HD TV, stereo, laptop, and more, on September 26, 2008, VenomFangX made a video painting himself as a starving student relying on the financial blessings of strangers. VenomFangX reached out through YouTube to his supporters and asked for one of them to purchase a camera to further help his ministry. He got what he wanted three days later when some anonymous supporter bought him a new $800 camera. Venom was perfectly capable of getting a job and, based on his luxurious environment, had no need to ask for money from strangers. What he did was use another person's faith as leverage to do as he asked to help improve his "ministry" - which did not exist. He was righteously criticized for this act, but it made little difference. This act sprouted a new agenda for VenomFangX to start a charity that seemed attractive to the faithful, but in reality it was a charity fraud constructed specifically for personal gain.
Batman and the Joker
In one video, VenomFangX dressed in a full Batman outfit. The video was directed towards bashing Islam. He would be playing as Allah dressed like Batman. Throughout the video, while posing as Batman/Allah, he gave YouTube its best tour of his mansion. VenomFangX tried to reveal Allah as miserable and idiotic, that his "creation" was corrupt, and in response would create Islam and the Qur'an. Venomfangx displayed Mohammad as a play-doh doll, and made Mohammad admit that he was a thief, rapist, liar, pedophile, illiterate and murderer. VenomFangX further portrayed Allah as not trustworthy and stated that all non-believers would be burned and killed, and finally nearing the last portion of the video, VenomFangX/Allah declared himself as Satan.
During VenomFangX's first DMCA crusade, he DMCAed YouTube user Thunderf00t. VenomFangX denied that he had filed the DMCAs against Thunderf00t, blaming it on an unnamed friend of his. A theist named TogetherForPeace (TFP) revealed private messages between him and VenomFangX that revealed that Venom did indeed file the DMCAs and lied that he was not responsible. VenomFangX made a response to TogetherForPeace, saying he was sorry that TFP "felt the need to disclose a private conversation that we had when I asked you not to" because it would reveal VenomFangX as a bald-faced liar "and I don't know if you are trying to be a back-stabbing slime ball, but if I had an award for 'back-stabbing slime ball of the month' you might actually qualify for it."[21] To diverge attention away from himself, Venom decided to make a video in September 2008 titled "Hear Me Out First, and Then Comment" and declared Thunderf00t as "dangerous" and accused Thunderf00t of wanting to cause him and his family harm. On one small video clip, VenomFangX accused Thunderf00t of calling him "a tool of Satan" and the "anti-Christ."
When Thunderf00t did not want to inflame this childish act to become a legal war, he decided to give VenomFangX an ultimatum: 1) face legal action 2) be reported to YouTube for DMCA abuse or 3) close his account and exile himself for a full year. VenomFangX's response to this was completely unrepresented and can be safely called a psychotic break. In a video posted on September 15, 2008 VenomFangX decided to do a Heath Ledger Joker impression by painting his face and doing a surprisingly accurate performance of the Joker. After viewing the ultimatum, VenomFangX accused Thunderf00t of blackmail. Actually, the definition of blackmail is someone who threatens to publicly reveal information about someone else unless certain demands are met, and Thunderf00t did none of this. On October 7, 2008 VenomFangX posted his "apology video" to Thunderf00t and all the Internet and admitted that he abused the DMCA laws. However, the only thing he was truly sorry about was being made to publicly admit his own dishonesty. In the apology video, VenomFangX clearly stated that he now understood the copyright laws and knew that filing a malicious false DMCA is a crime, and thus could not claim ignorance of the law in the future.
Venom's love
On February 3, 2009, VenomFangX posted a video entitled "Love" and openly whined about people on YouTube who hate him. He stated that atheists hate him because they do not have the capacity to love because they do not believe in the Christian God. VenomFangX claimed the hate he was getting was undeserved and said that he would never ever say such insults of any type to anybody. He openly said "I love you" to the atheist community, and stated that he would never hear that response back from any atheists. VenomFangX apologized for his previous bad behavior to the point of this new video, and said he hoped that he could become friends with the atheist community, but then he went on to say,
"...but we will never hear that from the other side because they do not uphold Christian values. Christian values. Which are from God himself, and that's how you know they are ungodly because our message of love... they do not have any love in them. They have no love in them, so all the science and whatever gibberish you want to spout at me, you do not have any love in you. You have no love in you, so it's all worthless."
The reason why this video is important is because it reveals several things about VenomFangX. First of all, while he claims to know what love is (in the truest sense of the word since it comes from the perfect infallible God), he repeatedly demonstrates that he has none himself - and yet accuses millions of strangers of being completely absent of love. Of course atheists and other non-Christians contain and express love in their daily lives, so Venom's remarks are not only baseless and demonstrably wrong, but also hurtful and shameful. It also demonstrates, not just VFX's ignorance of the meaning of love, but also his hypocrisy. While claiming to never insult any other person, he repeatedly has done just that in numerous videos (including this one).
Another important note, this video displays how easy it is for VenomFangX to dismiss empirical evidence, testable data, and logical arguments as "worthless." Only to the proud willful ignorant could such things like an observable and testable reality be considered "worthless." If VenomFangX respected the words of Christians over anyone else, then why reject the words and evidence of theistic evolutionists? Would VenomFangX trust the words of Fred Phelps over Gandhi simply because Phelps is a Christian?
Finally, what are Christian values? If VenomFangX is the reflection of such values, then based on VFXs actions Christian values are not worth much. VenomFangX has a track record of lying, stealing, and breaking the law by committing acts of slander and libel. Perhaps the laws of society mean nothing to highly religious individuals like VenomFangX, but how about to his own family? It has been demonstrated and proven that VenomFangX has deliberately lied to his own family, and (according to VFX) endangered the safety of his own parents numerous times. If Christian values are rooted in love, then does a Christian display love when they strip minorities of their basic human rights? And VenomFangX claims these values come directly from God?
There were several attempts by the atheist community to make friends with the theist community, and that includes VenomFangX. While several atheists and theists attempt to try to bond in friendship, some succeed and some fail. However, all attempts with VenomFangX seemed to immediately fail. As demonstrated in the below section with Laci Green, when an atheist handed VenomFangX an olive branch to engage in civil discussion (and possibly restore VFX's reputation), he took the branch and disintegrated it and told Laci she was bound for Hell. When another famous atheist YouTube user QDragon1337 (who is handicapped) offered to debate VenomFangX, VFX declined the offer because he did not want to humiliate QDragon1337 while noting "you've suffered enough" (referring to QDragon's current condition). What an immature and hateful thing to say. The statement that the atheist community on YouTube despises VenomFangX simply because he believed in God is far from true; instead they despised him for being a lying, narcissistic, hateful, willfully ignorant lawbreaker. When VenomFangX says that only he is the one who is full of love, the only person he is fooling is himself.
Expelled: No abuse of company resources and proselytizing allowed
VenomFangX posted a video (now removed, but mirrored elsewhere) on April 1, 2009 in which he described losing his third job, and sought work as an evangelist.[22] He described how he'd been working in a video store, and one day found himself enjoying Ben Stein's Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. Christians are of course persecuted, and VenomFangX is no exception, since he claims to have been fired for watching a video in which God is mentioned and for distributing his Kent Hovind DVDs to customers. He also went on to describe his employer as having some DVD burners, with which VenomFangX by his own estimate produced hundreds of DVDs.
VenomFangX complained that employers do not allow employees to spread the word of God, describing his video store antics as being the third job he'd lost for related reasons. The boy felt obliged to witness to the store's customers in order to save their souls, but perhaps his employers were concerned by his use of company time and resources to harass customers.
Charity fraud
During his time on YouTube, before allegedly being shut down by Muslim threats to him and his parents (because giving in to terrorism is always the answer), he ran a charity and asked for donations totaling $500 (possibly Canuck bucks?) per month. Donations above the goal of $500 were supposed to be donated to Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto. However, there were many suspicious circumstances surrounding his charitable appeals. First off, it is illegal under Canadian law to collect funds for charity without registering with the government. Moreover, he was quoted as saying that some of the money was to go to his car payments, tuition, and continuation of his "ministries".[23] Eventually, he stopped listing the amount of money donated, and said that no matter how much money a person donated, each donation was counted as one dollar (which should be a red flag right there).
In his original plan, a donation of $1000 would have met his overall target, resulting in $500 going to Sick Kids Hospital. Under the new plan, a donation of $1000 would only count as $1 towards his monthly goal; thus 500 donations of $1000 would result in VenomFangX pocketing $500,000 while contributing a grand total of $0 to charity. He claimed to have made this change in response to requests from his fans, but there is little evidence to suggest that his donors consented to this. PayPal closed his original account, presumably for a terms of use violation. According to the YouTube user lordhathor, VenomFangX went on to create additional PayPal accounts in order to continue soliciting donations in contravention of PayPal's terms of use, but PayPal subsequently closed these accounts.[24]
VenomFangX set up a PayPal account as a site for people to send him donations. However, VenomFangX encountered difficulties with Paypal, YouTube, and his parents. His Paypal account was shut down.[25] His YouTube account was closed. His parents then shut down his website and posted an apology which read, in part: "This site has been taken offline by the parents of VenomFangX, they don't support/share his views and apologize if he has offended anyone. This site will be offline for good in 3 days."
A video created by dprjones titled "Once Upon A Time, Part 2" posted on April 30, 2009 reveals the true intention of VenomFangX's agenda of keeping all the money over $500 for himself. The video shows an enlarged image the description box of one of VenomFangX's videos, which reads as follows,
"I need $400 a month for the car because my dad is the one paying for my school, my car, my cellphone, my house, my everything. He said that $400 a month would be a way of pulling some of my own weight and showing some responsibility. The reason why I didn't mention this when I asked for donations, is because my dad did not ask me for $400 a month until he found out I was receiving donations and preaching the gospel full time. I protested at first, but..."
As the last line shows, VenomFangX had not told his own family that he was collecting donations and was prepared to allow his father to continue to pay all of the expenses. Not only did VenomFangX steal from sick kids and a children's hospital, he was also willing to deceive his own family. And yet he still has the unmitigated gall to state that "I didn't steal anything. Don't believe everything you hear on the internet."[26]
Anthony Powell
Anthony Powell, otherwise known on YouTube as Tony48219, was a mentally unbalanced Christian creationist, infamously known for his rude rants and remarks towards atheists, evolution, and black women. He was also a well-known staunch defender and supporter of VenomFangX, calling him the "truth." One day, Anthony took a firearm to school and killed fellow classmate Asia McGowan (a female atheist) and then turned the gun on himself. Within days of the incident, VenomFangX posted a video "tony48219 Anthony Powell RIP" on April 14, 2009. VenomFangX did not once throughout the video show an ounce of emotion. Apart from an artificial hiccup at the very beginning of the video (a simple and lazy act in an attempt to gain sympathy), the entire video was flawless and he spoke without any hesitation. In the video, he went out of his way to distance himself from Anthony, despite the fact that Anthony was one of VenomFangX's most passionate supporters. VenomFangX concluded that Anthony was not a true Christian, and brought up a completely unrelated case of a father who linked the suicide of his son to the book The God Delusion. VenomFangX just couldn't resist getting all the mileage he could out of the tragic death of two people. He didn't even name Asia McGowan in the video, simply calling her "a young woman." However, he seemed perfectly able to name Anthony Powell numerous times.
Debate with Laci Green
On April 25, 2009, famous female atheist YouTube user GoGreen18, otherwise known as Laci Green, offered to do a civil debate with VenomFangX regarding the Bible. At the time, this was giving Shawn far more kindness than he deserved, but many believed that some good would come out of this. Despite her time and efforts to amend Venom's reputation with the atheist community, the first half of Shawn's response video was bashing Laci Green's credentials and her personal beliefs. He stated that Laci came onto YouTube with an agenda. He then proceeded to attack Mormonism (calling it the Church of Satan). Since Laci Green was no longer a Mormon, this was totally irrelevant and VenomFangX was not addressing the topics. As far as VenomFangX was concerned, Laci went from one lie to another, into atheism. He stated the following,
"The things you have said on YouTube are clearly false and so easily refuted, that I am amazed that you can come out here on YouTube with the confidence that you do...My advice to you GoGreen, before I answer your questions, is to get off YouTube or if you are going to post videos delete everything you have ever posted against God. Because one day you are going to give an account for all the thousands and thousands of people you have discouraged and deceived. You are a deceiver and you yourself are deceived. And I am warning you, because I love you, from one person to another (as I love everyone) you are in such danger that I fear for you...The biggest danger is you have come on YouTube as some kind of know-it-all and you've called into question things that you clearly don't have much knowledge about, you haven't even used critical thinking skills to evaluate your own arguments...Until that day, you are indeed headed towards Hell, you are going to be damned and inevitably damning others through your videos.
He then went on ranting about how atheists ridicule his beliefs and arguments. Despite Laci's attempts to offer him a proverbial olive branch, VenomFangX told her she was heading for Hell at the hands of his merciful all-loving God, and demanded that she delete all her videos and quit YouTube.
The hypocritical remark from VenomFangX to Laci, "The biggest danger is you have come on YouTube as some kind of know-it-all and you've called into question things that you clearly don't have much knowledge about, you haven't even used critical thinking skills to evaluate your own arguments", only made him more despicable to his viewers and critics. How dare VFX say such a thing, when he himself for over a year made outrageously irrational comments and arguments (like the Grand Canyon forming in 5 minutes or that not a drop of water exists anywhere else in the universe) and did not stop for a single moment to use critical thinking skills to evaluate his own arguments. And whenever this was pointed out to VFX, not once did he apologize and/or correct his mistakes; rather he aimed to silence his critics instead.
Street preaching and GEERUP
Around April 2009, VenomFangX visited some local universities with his camera and evangelized to individual students. In one video posted April 20, 2009, titled "VenomFangX Street Preaching Week #3", Venom evangelized to a Muslim student. After taking the student through Ray Comfort's infamous and dishonest tactic Are you a good person?, Venom employed a more polite way to be offensive by posting Bible verses on screen and posting violent images done in the name of Islam as well as pictures displaying Mohammad as the Anti-Christ. Within a couple weeks, on May 5, 2009 VenomFangX posted a video, "Threats", in which he claimed to be leaving YouTube due to death threats from Muslims to insure his safety as well as his family's safety. In his text video, he proclaimed that he never intended to offend anyone or their beliefs, although no one bought VFX's lies.
Around this time, his website was taken off due to the wishes of his parents who claimed that they did not share their son's beliefs nor accept VFX's actions. To ensure that his channel still maintained his high subscription level, VenomFangx gave his YouTube channel to YouTube user GEERUP - another YouTube Christian creationist. VenomFangX declared that he was leaving YouTube forever; however VenomFangX is known to have a nasty habit of not keeping his promises. Three months later, coming as no surprise, he returned to YouTube to make an eleven-minute video to ridicule the debate between Thunderf00t and Christian creationist Ray Comfort.
Thunderf00t and Ray Comfort
On July 25, 2009, after Thunderf00t and Ray Comfort sat down for a conversation,[27] VenomFangX posted a new video on YouTube where he became unhinged, repeatedly invoking Godwin's law.[28][29] Considering that VenomFangX was supposed to be in hiding due to death threats from Muslims, it seems curious that he returned to YouTube. This act has led many to accept the idea that VenomFangX never received any death threats, or if he did then this whole "good-bye" deal was just a sympathy scam.
Within the video, Venom displayed moments of sheer anger towards Thunderf00t, claiming that TF wants to put us all in his "...narrow-minded, naturalistic box. You do not want us to think outside the universe or what caused everything. So you are just a damn hypocrite... that's all there is to it. You're an absolute damn hypocrite." This petty rant by Venom held no weight and was likely a result of his desire for attention. He also arrogantly demanded that Thunderf00t delete all of his videos that criticized theists. This showed his inability to withhold criticism on the internet, particularly towards his absurd claims, such as the Grand Canyon forming in 5 minutes.
The double standard must be noted. VenomFangX used material by Thunderf00t in his response video without asking Thunderf00t's permission. However, when Thunderf00t did the same thing to VenomFangX, VenomFangX considered this act to be "stealing." A detailed visit to the "Fair Use" terms must have changed VenomFangX's heart.
The return of VFX and DMCA strikes back
In December 2009, Shawn returned to YouTube full time without mentioning what happened to those death threats that caused him to leave in the first place. Within weeks, he was back to his old habits of filing numerous DMCAs against the atheist community on YouTube. This time, he could no longer claim ignorance of the law and once again he was committing perjury (in so doing, he claims, to protect is family AND his image).
VenomFangX, of course, was met with much criticism and valid counters. If Venom's claims about the death threats against his family were accurate, why would he return and risk their safety? If he cared so much for them that he was willing to break the law, why come back to YouTube -the source that endangered him and his family in the first place? It is far more likely that the death threats were made up by Venom, so he could leave Youtube without damaging his pride. Many tried to advise him to stop right away, however VFX did not listen and continued to file DMCAs, further enraging the atheist community. Everyone knew VFX was simply trying to silence his critics due to his narcissistic personality. This led Youtube vloggers to give him the new nickame of DMCA (Dumbass Motherfucking Creationist Asshole).
Dprjones and descent into insanity
- See a fuller timeline and coverage on the dprjones article
Towards the end of 2009 and early 2010 VFX served several Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) complaints against YouTube user dprjones. This was just over a year after a similar event with Thunderf00t which ended in VFX apologizing to the entire internet for his abuse of the DMCA. Because of this second offense, dprjones refused to accept a mere apology and demanded that VFX close his account permanently. On January 6, 2010 VenomFangX posted a video "Dprjones THREATENS VenomFangX" trying to appeal to his supporters' emotions by claiming the atheist community were posting personal information of him and his family, endangering them, and trying to get him off YouTube permanently and file law suit against VenomFangX. VenomFangX said the atheist community were after "blood." In response, VenomFangX issued more DMCAs against dprjones. VenomFangX constantly stated that he knew more about science than scientists like Thunderf00t, but now was Venom going as far to imply he knew more about the law than an actual lawyer? Dprjones and the atheist community saw through Venom's lies for excusing the safety of his family to break the law. If VenomFangX truly cared about his family, then he would not be back on YouTube. In a video posted by dprjones titled "The Ultimatum for VenomFangX"[30] showed exactly the lies and hypocrisy of VenomFangX. The video showed an exchange between VFX and an atheist YouTube user, who kindly mentioned to Venom that he [VFX] might have accidentally slipped his whereabouts in a recent video. VFX responded to the message with the following,
If someone wants to come to my school to hurt me, let them come.
In short, by Venom's own admission, he was abusing the DMCA not for safety reasons, but for reasons other than that for which the DMCA was intended - and VFX was fully aware for what he was doing and what he was doing was wrong. In the Ultimatum video, Dprjones gave VenomFangX a non-negotiable message: VFX had ten days to close down his account or legal action would be taken. No apologies will be accepted, but despite this, VenomFangX posted a text video proclaiming forgiveness several days later. VenomFangX could not bring himself to say the words or show his face in the apology video. The next day, VenomFangX left YouTube forever for the third time. VenomFangX closed his account on January9, 2010, but could not resist getting in the last word.
In an increasingly bizarre series of events - played out for the world to see on YouTube - VFX became increasingly unhinged, leading many to suspect that he had genuine mental problems. The events took a turn for the incredibly serious with Shawn (who has since promised to drop the VenomFangX "persona") calling dprjones a pedophile and urging his followers and subscribers to report him to the relevant authorities. VenomFangX presented a video he edited as evidence; it involved dprjones and YouTube user Stefzula (who was 22 at the time). Dprjones dared Stefzula to show her breasts on live camera, which she did. VenomFangX had mistakenly assumed that Stefzula was 17-year-old Tanya (YouTube user GirlNextDoorDK). Even if it was Tanya, an adult lusting after a 17 year old girl is not pedophilia. Pedophilia is defined as the desire for sex with prepubescent children.
Dprjones made a video response, and revealed that the email address to report dprjones to the authorities came from VenomFangX's school - remember, VenomFangX moved out of his parents house into a dorm. VenomFangX was digging himself deeper into a hole lot of trouble. Committing perjury against a lawyer was not enough, now he was guilty of committing both slander and libel. To make things worse, VenomFangX started giving out dprjone's personal information (obtained through the DMCA counter notifications) to anyone who wanted to file bogus complaints against dprjones - the very thing VenomFangX accused others of doing to him. This culminated in a long conversation that involved multiple YouTube users and VFX's parents.
Several YouTube users have been in contact with VenomFangX's parents: dprjones, Thunderf00t, and JordanOwen42. JordanOwen42 revealed he had been in contact with Venom's father for several months. Whenever VenomFangX would post a video, Jordan would consult Venom's father, who in response would consult VenomFangX to take the video off line. Jordan shared some emails and discussions he exchanged with Venom's father. It was revealed that Venom's father could no longer tolerate his son's unstable behavior to the point they could not let their son live in their house, so they moved their son to a college dorm. It was also revealed that if VenomFangX was taken to court, his father would not financially support his son. While Venom's father loved his son and knew he meant well, he was sorry the YouTube community had to watch "his actions that have been at times immoral and at other times illegal." Shortly afterwards, YouTube user and Christian creationist SableChicken (GEERUP's sister) accused JordenOwen42 of spreading messages of Satanism to VenomFangX's father and family. With no financial support, VenomFangX finally decided to throw in the towel. About a week after Jordan shared his videos, dprjones posted a video message from VenomFangX on Jan. 17, 2010. VenomFangX (showing his full face and speaking directly to the camera) expressed his deepest apologies while informing the audience that he would be seeking help, and would forever leave YouTube and the "VenomFangX" persona. [31] However, he did mention that he was still ignorant or did not fully understand copyright law.
VenomFangX may have since briefly returned, using a hand puppet for cover and digitally altering his voice, as "Barney the Biblesaur," but the Biblesaur videos were taken down almost immediately with a (wait for it) DMCA (and a LEGITIMATE one). [32] Thunderf00t and dprjones, however, have not commented on whether or not they believe the connection after having vowed to draw a line under the drama back in January 2010.
The latest return
In late December 2010, VFX posted a video from his VenomFangX account announcing his return.[2] After this video, he posted six videos in the first two days after his return. Most of the atheist community welcomed VenomFangX back, but they were still displeased because his return showed that Venom had lied AGAIN when VFX had claimed that he would forever drop the VenomFangX persona. This was a big disappointment since it left little or no hope for a progressive dialogue with VFX or a recovery of his reputation. To further damage this, VFX promised to cease his ad hominem attacks in his videos and encouraged others. Unfortunately, in the same exact video VFX made numerous insulting comments against atheists, revealing his hypocrisy.[33]. Example, VFX called the atheist community "too lazy to look at the arguments Christians make or they are trying to propagate through propaganda the idea Christians don't have reasons, or their racists, or they are just sweeping propaganda style stereotypes -which of course does not surprise me as a Christian. Atheism is a vacant and utterly vacuous belief system." VFX goes on to display his childish notion of dismissing evidence outright, "who should I listen to after all? Some guy who makes videos on YouTube that are obviously fallacious with bad arguments or genetic fallacies with racism, with bigotry, with propaganda, or should I believe "we are all one"? If we are all one, why don't we all get along and move on, and just come to the table with our minds and not our emotions." The irony burns! Anybody remember the incident with Laci Green?
One of his first videos, posted two days after his return on Dec. 22, "I believe in Forgiveness and Second Chances"[34]. In the video, VFX proclaimed that he was allowing all comments, however he would delete any comments that were profane or insulting. VFX promised that criticism would be allowed, but due to VFXs past history that was not convincing. As many people are aware, VFX's definition of profane goes beyond its original definition: if any comment reveals VFX totally wrong, then it's good night Irene. Basically, VFX was returning to his old habits of censoring critics. VFX went on to declare his agenda of unblocking everyone previously blocked on his channel. VFX's block list had 13,444 blocked users, so VFX said it would require time but would nonetheless get it done. VFX hoped that people would accept this second chance, and could demonstrate their forgiveness by possibly subscribing to him. While very few were willing to try to give VFX a new chance, VFX did not receive the results he wanted - for obvious reasons known to all except VenomFangX. For the large part, this was just another example of VFX's attention-seeking narcissism at work in the guise of forgiveness. Even after this promise, as many people predicted, VFX went back to blocking multiple users again (even ones who just typed the number "1."[35]).
Some of his new videos included a new intro, with catchy music and flashy effects. Sadly, that is the only thing in his entire videos that is worth watching. Interestingly in most of his new videos, VenomFangX decided to allow a "friend" Kyle to join him in the films. Kyle hardly does anything except stand around, cross-armed (to show his muscles), and wear sunglasses to hide his eyes. Kyle does not bring anything new or rarely contribute, he more or less acts like a body guard. Many have speculated why VenomFangX included Kyle. Perhaps it was a plan to intimidate critics to stay away from VFX, although in reality that has zero effect because a body guard is useless through the internet. Others have speculated that Kyle is more than just a friend, based on two videos with VenomFangX in a shower towel complimenting a male YouTube user and another video with VFX gently feeling Kyle's big muscles. Kinky. VenomFangX also seems to be trying to re-build support by acting attractive or appealing. Apart from the bath towel video, he filmed himself while taking the time to point out he was in a bathrobe and he had his eyebrows done (VFX must think his viewers are blind or dumb). Unfortunately for VFX, things like this do not undo the past; VFX still remains guilty of charity fraud, stealing thousands of dollars from sick kids, falsely accusing another person as a pedophile, and such. This new style of making himself appear appealing only further reveals that VFX narcissism rules over his ethics or goodwill towards his fellow man. However, not all is lost for VFX, there is only one who seems to be attracted to VFX, which is someone called PWNAGE.
VenomFangX's newest videos have not improved intellectually, accuracy or on honesty. His first attempt was to combat Scientism, trying to paint atheists and naturalists as supporters of scientism. Although his videos contained many flaws, and each were pointed out to him, it of course did not change much - since we know it is easy for VFX to dismiss evidence (see the above section "Venom's Love"). For instance, VFX does not fully grasp what science is. He thinks that all science is quantitative. Actually, science has both quantitative and qualitative aspects, some have more objective properties than subjective. Anybody who has taken a geology or astronomy class knows this. VFX tried to then paint science as a worldview while claiming Wikipedia agrees, but the actual Wikipedia article disagrees with VFX. It does not say that it is a worldview, just the most authoritative view to in regards to human education. It also included several instances when the word scientism was misused, and that is exactly what VFX did.
VenomFangX, who in his earliest videos, virtually did nothing but parroted Kent Hovind seminars. VFX newest videos upon his latest return reveals that his methods have not changed a bit. In several videos in attempt to prove the Bible contained ancient scientific foreknowledge that was complete unknown at the time, VenomFangX directly quoted word-for-word from Christian websites and Christian apologists like Ray Comfort. This just provided more material for Thunderf00t's "Why Do People Laugh At Creationists" series and more entertainment for everyone. (RationalWiki already has an article examining and refuting 101 supposed scientific foreknowledge's revealed from the Bible.)
VenomFangX also made numerous appearances on the Magic Sandwich show to debate Thunderf00t, Aronra, dprjones and DonExodus2 (often all of them simultaneously). As everyone easily predicted, VFX was dramatically intellectually beaten, unable to admit that reality can exist independently without a deity of some sort, and often he was unable to give a straight answer. Example, when AronRa asked VFX how many types of cats did Noah take onto the Ark, after numerous headache attempts to get a straight answer, VFX finally answered that he was "not sure" but admitted he was hesitant to provide AronRa with an exact or estimated number because he feared AronRa would use it to refute the Ark story. While AronRa very well could have shown that (his phylogeny videos already demonstrate that Noah's Ark is a complete scientific impossibility), however user DonExodus2 already has refuted the Ark with one single cat: the cheetah.[36]
VFX and Pat Condell
Right after the London riots, VFX made a video on August 12, pointing the finger at well-known YouTube British atheist Pat Condell for the travesty.[37] It seems VFX still possesses his bad habit of attention seeking by entering an intellectual arena that is way out of his league. The day before VFX made this video, Pat Condell made a video "Britain is a riot" trying to figure out what caused the uproar. Condell concluded that stupidity and lack of a properly trained police force to stop the riots was the cause to allow this to happen, not to mention that the police force in Britain is small (because it costs money) and the rioters know even if they do get caught, they will not be properly punished. Condell stated that the rioters did not start the riots because they were broke, since in Britain the unemployed receive state benefits, but rather that the rioters were unemployed because they were not properly educated. Condell dismisses that the rioters have no opportunity in Britain, he would like the rioters to tell the starving children in Somalia that they have no opportunity. While Condell received both support and disagreement from both theists and atheists alike, VenomFangX had nothing to say regarding police force, education, money, politics, employment, or any of the other causes of the riots. Rather, VFX merely centered on the argument that Condell (as an atheist) could not give any moral judgment upon the rioters.
VFX started off his video as some sort of atheist news channel to constantly remind people "there is no meaning to life" all the while blaming today's godless society for tolerating homosexual unions and divorces (which drives people to anger and commit things like rioting) instead of "caring for what is best for the kids" and traditional values of "nurturing." As mimicking as an atheist, VFX tells Pat condell that he cannot impose his own standards of consequences and judgment upon others "sounds a little unloving to me, and who am I to enforce my opinion of right and wrong upon others?" Still mimicking as an atheist, VFX says that concepts of right and wrong are delusions set for by evolution because there is no objective moral values.
In the bulk of the video, VFX and a guest star brought up fizzing soda cans, comparing "random chemical reactions" in a soda can and the human brain. VFX concludes that the "atheist worldview" states that the brain is nothing but a center of chemical reactions, and thus we cannot set forth certain values onto humans any more than we can for soda cans. Based on this, VFX says the atheist worldview acknowledges that sodas and people are just chemical reactions, so getting angry at soda cans fizzing is just as ridiculous as getting angry at humans who riot and commit horrible acts. VFX states that atheists claim the chemical reactions in the soda can just simply is the way it is, not how it ought to be. Therefore, if someone riots (who are just chemical reactions) then it is impossible to say that they "ought not" to riot. VFX says why does Pat Condell use words like murder as if it is a bad thing? (Lets not forget VFX, that it was YOU who said "What was so bad about the Holocaust?"). VFX, and his friend, then conclude that whenever atheists like Pat Condell urge for justice (VFX implies "absolute standards"), they therefore know there is a God. "There is no such thing as an atheist or agnostic, they are just suppressing the truth." VFX states that atheists are acquainted with justice, absolutes, standards "which can never be accounted for in strict materialism because you cannot impose judgment on a strictly material object" on a soda can for fizzing as if it has a choice or "ought" to fizz in a different manner.
VFX and his friend take the chance to bash evolution, making it appear as it condones stealing, rioting, murder, or selling drugs or whatever it takes to survive because they are the "fittest". What does not cross their minds is the possibility that evolution also endorses simple, honest, and innocent living. VFX still not interested in learning the basics of biology, and after learning nothing from years in the evolution debate, VFX should know (but apparently not) that evolution does not tell people how to live at all, nor does it affect a single person. Rather, it affects the populations. Ask yourself this, would a society survive long if everyone was a psychopathic murderer? Of course not. This is among the core reasons how and why morality is an evolutionary trait, giving us the tools of preservation and ethics.
VFX and his friend end the video claiming that there should be justice for the riot. Why? Because there IS moral absolutes, and all Christians are aware of that (which is actually self-defeating given VFXs personal immoral history). They say the rioters should be punished because, by absolute moral standards, rioting is wrong (*really!? So was the American Revolution wrong?*). VFX and his friend says there should be "civil living" with each other, but apparently none of them are aware of the Christian religion doing the exact opposite of that in many parts of the world. They both agree that belief systems that teach that humans are just animals will cause them to act like animals (because that belief gives no basis for saying that murder is wrong), unfortunately for both of them it is an undeniable fact that humans are animals - a fact we have known for many centuries. As users like Thunderf00t already pointed out with numerous examples of animals that do not commit murder, such as piranhas who do no eat each other even when hungry. A real important note is that VFX again shows is complete willingness to edit out material out of context to bash other people (the same stunt he did to make dprjones look like a pedophile) was to take a piece from Pat Condell's video in which Pat was explaining the root cause of the riots view (stupidity) and asked Pat (as if directly face to face with Pat) what the root cause of atheism is, making Pat give the false impression that the root cause of atheism is stupidity. Venom's friend gets the last word by pointing to Pat and saying "Hey, I am willing to bet that most of the rioters out there are subscribers to you and your worldview."
Right off the bat, it is too easy to spot that VFX constructs a huge straw man. Humans, as everyone knows, are not soda cans. We are not even bodies of liquid. Our bodies do contain liquids, but we are not tap water, rather we are solid, living, consciously thinking social creatures. Comparing the two is comparing apples and oranges. While we do have chemical reactions in the brain, it leads to both bad people and good people. Another thing VFX got completely wrong is equating atheism and materialism as the same thing. One is the lack of belief, while the other is a philosophical belief system - which is actually blind to morality, since as VFX puts it these "random chemical reactions" do bad things, but they also do good things. Another thing that VFX missed is that we all have a built in desire to survive via evolution, and if we all want to survive, this leads us to care on the survival of others. In materialism, there is no reason to preserve ourselves (we do not need to eat or breathe) but we do anyway. Materialism does not care if we go one way or the other, it is blind to whether you want to starve yourself or not. If a person did not have the desire to preserve yourself, they probably won't last very long. However, imposing judgment upon other material things is simple taking the self-preservation motivation in ourselves a step further. The whole well-being of societies depends on the actions and behaviors of others. So if you are concerned about yourself, logic follows that you have to and will be concern about the behaviors of others. A society of people who do not care about others, particularly themselves, will destroy themselves. Evolution selects for the best non-destructive means to preservation, and this includes individuals understanding for consequences for not behaving right - and that is where judgment comes into this. Secular morality may not have "oughts" but rather results which help us determine the best standard of living, as well as consequences and our responsibility to address it. Also, while the brain is a material thing, they contain material neurons called "Mirror neurons" which mimic the activity of other parts of the brain or of other brains. This provides a literal biological foundation for empathy: individuals with mirror neurons, including humans and other primates, can actually feel what others feel.[38] As already stated, each human has a sense of self-preservation as well as a desire to avoid harm. With these material neurons, they gives us insight into the same feelings and desires we share in others, which in turn make us kind, sharing, and helpful towards each other.
Asking for Donations AGAIN
On September 28, 2011 VenomFangX posted a video "Thanks for your support" and was back to asking for donations. He made a video explaining this time it would be different, but many viewers remained highly skeptical. VFX put up a new Paypal account and said that he would be paying an income tax. Other than that VFX said "I have no intention for using the money for anything else other than whatever I decide I want to use if for. If you are comfortable with that, you can donate to me. If you're not, then don't." VFX is basically, I need money. Just hand it over for me to burn as I please. Does VFX know what else we use income taxes for and treat as income? Income. The reward for hard work and responsibility. As of the moment, VFX lives on campus and does not appear to be starving.
VFX then tried to explain what happened last time he asked for donations (for those of you who are not aware of what happened, please read above before continuing and reading VFX's misinformation). VFX recalled the last time he asked for donations was in 2007 (VFX was wrong there, it was around April 2009). VFX says the he is aware that many people are uncomfortable giving preachers money, but VFX says there are some sincere believers who make their living off of donations all the while fully accept the gospel. VFX tries to place himself in that camp, trying to distance himself away from such religious people by saying that his viewers know that he "sincerely" believes in what the Bible says. Actually, what his viewers know is that VFX is committed to preach what scientific-illiterate and convicted fraudster Mister Kent Hovind says about the Bible. VFX repeatedly testified and displayed him saving money to make DVD's of Kent Hovinds seminars and distribute them wherever and whenever possible, so is VFX is asking for money to help him spread the gospel or is he asking people to pay him to distribute creation material people can download for free?
VFX announced that he currently is a full time student while having a part-time job at a Bingo Hall. VFX said that back when he was receiving donations, he had more "freedom" to spread the gospel and not work part-time. VFX did not mention why he was fired from his last job: theft. So what is VFX's agenda here? Does he just want to quit his part time job and live off the donations of others? if that is what he did last time, and given VFX chronic behavior, that seems highly likely what will happen again. (BTW, VFX working at a Bingo Hall - a gambling establishment. The hypocrisy burns. One can wonder, did VFX lose too much money that he now has to resort to begging for donations to get some money back?).
When VFX finally got around to talking about his charity fraud he said the following (with a response to the right providing the real issue);
| "One of the biggest problems was that I had originally I said (and this was a mistake) I had said originally that I would donate to a very specific charity, and I unfortunately that charity happen to be right next to where I lived so that revealed my location. Shortly right after that I received death threats and prank phone calls and my family got involved and it turned into this drama, this heartache and it was problematic. So what I did was that I disassociate myself from my original intentions in order to -you know- protect my security and in so doing I enraged a lot of people. People thought I was being disingenuous and that just looked very bad. So I apologize for that, I think you can understand why I did that." | Wrong, VFX's biggest mistake was promising to provide money for sick children and not following through. When VFX started earning way beyond the $500 goal (which was the original deal) VFX decided to keep it all. He did not tell his parents. There is not one iota of evidence for the death threats (notice he mentions the Hospital but is quick to play the "poor old me" card), so what was the heartache? Perhaps it was the part when his father (VFX's provider for his tuition, car, food, EVERYTHING) decided to make VFX start lifting his own weight by using the money he was earning through donations. VFX protest this. Why? He wanted to keep the money, all of it. Dying children did not matter to VFX, nor did his family come first. |
| "There was also some other problems, but you know what, people who have accused me of doing wrong at what I was originally doing with the Paypal account are typically atheists who never supported me to begin with. The only people who felt that I had did wrong with the money are the people who didn't actually donate. The people who did donate, I explained what was going on, and they were very comfortable with that. I emailed every single person who donated to me and explained the situation and they gave me the thumbs up, and all those emails say it, so no one was wronged. The people who felt wronged were the ones who wanted to accuse me." | ''"There was also some other problems, but you know what, people who have accused me of doing wrong at what I was originally doing with the Paypal account are typically atheists who never supported me to begin with. The only people who felt that I had did wrong with the money are the people who didn't actually donate." This does not change the fact of what VFX did was WRONG. VFX's own family shut off his website, but they are not atheists. Perhaps the first person to expose VFX and the Paypal scandal was YouTube user UNFFWildCard, a Christian not an atheist. Atheists were not the only people who refused to donate to VFX, this group included Christians. Even after VFX made this video asking for donations, Christian YouTubers like Nephtali1981 made a video criticizing VFX for asking for money to not only quit working but to spread "God's message" that is free.[39] All VFX is doing here is portraying atheists as selfish money hoarders who don't want to give to charity. The only thing atheists were doing was trying to make an honest person out of VFX, not censor him. In fact, atheists on YouTube every year host charity events, often multiple times a year for different humanitarian causes - doctors without borders, breast cancer, etc.
"...and all those emails say it, so no one was wronged." No one was wronged? How about the sick children? Do they appreciate being used for profit gain that was not going to them? |
| "You know, in Revelations (12:10) it says that Satan is the accuser of the brethren. And why? Because Satan knows that if he can discredit the messengers, then no one is going to listen to the message. So Satan is very busy trying to make Christians look bad. If you just do a quick search of my name on YouTube, you will find countless videos of atheists who we know according to the Bible who are under the prince of the power of the air, who are energized by him. Yes, they accuse Christians and they - you know, I find it so hypocritical." | Now VFX resorts to his old tactic he used on Thunderf00t and the AmazingAtheist - calling them agents of Satan. You know, virtually all atheists on YouTube are convinced that VFX cannot sink lower, but somehow VFX always surprised them. Does VFX even notice the numerous Christians who denounce VFX and other creationists? How about the Christian YouTube user TogetherForPeace who revealed that VFX did indeed filed DMCAs, in which VFX made a video calling TFP a "backstabbing slime ball." VFX knows full well that Christians have made numerous videos denouncing VFX, so why exclude them and only bash atheists? Was it atheists on YouTube who filed multiple DMCA's, committed charity fraud, falsely accuse a lawyer of pedophilia? No Venom, the only one who is tarnishing the name of VenomFangX is none other than VenomFangX himself.
VFX blames Satan for getting him in trouble last time, rather than blaming himself or taking fault for the choices he made to break the law and commit charity fraud. Just passive-aggressive non-apologies, blaming others and shrugging off anything he's done. |
| "You know, when an atheist points his finger and says "You are a liar. You are a thief. You are a murderer." (not that I have ever murdered anyone) what are they really saying? They are affirming Thou Shall Not Kill, Thou Shall Not Steal, Thou Shall Not Lie, those are moral absolutes, divine imperatives, I do not see those coming in atheistic worldviews and survival of the fittest. If lying and stealing and murdering gets you to the top and helps you survive, then why not right? So it seems like they have to appeal to our worldview to accuse us of doing wrong int he first place. And that is what Romans 1 and 2 says. It says you know "you who accuse another, do you not do the same things?" And in accusing another, we prove that we are aware of God's moral law which proves that the atheists are sensible to moral absolutes, he actually isn't an atheist and betrays himself. I actually enjoy to some extent being accused by atheists of doing wrong, because right and wrong can only exist in ultimate standards of right and wrong - which is only possible in a biblical worldview." | Really, what does moral absolutes have to do with this? All VFX is doing here is to divert the attention away from him and try to paint his critics in a bad way to gain more sympathy from his viewers.
How about "You are a hypocrite." If VFX believes it is morally wrong to steal, why continue to do it regardless? Does this mean that the Commandment is not absolute? Does VFX believe that exploiting sick children for profit is acceptable? For the record; Thou Shall Not Kill, Thou Shall Not Steal, Thou Shall Not Lie, those are moral absolutes. No they are not moral absolutes. There are multiple instances where righteous biblical characters steal, lie or kill. Jesus told his disciples to go into town and take a horse without paying for it. Rahab lied to the authorities. Jacob stole and was actually rewarded by God. Even VFX knows that these are not moral absolutes. For instance, if a person breaks into a person's house and threatens to rape and kill them, is it morally wrong to kill him in the act of self-defense? When VFX claimed to be receiving death threats, when an atheist pointed out that VFX may have slipped some information that may have revealed his location, VFX replied "If someone wants to come to my school to hurt me, let them come." "I do not see those coming in atheistic worldviews and survival of the fittest. If lying and stealing and murdering gets you to the top and helps you survive, then why not right?" VFX seems oblivious that secular countries have far less atrocities, hardships and less atheists in prisons than religious countries, and yet the secular countries do not subscribe to the "survival of the fittest" ideology thinks they all should do by default. VFX is just spouting more slander on people who do not believe the same beliefs as he does. Who did VFX claim earlier as an accuser of others? Oh yeah, Satan. "So it seems like they have to appeal to our worldview to accuse us of doing wrong int he first place." The Code of Hammurabi has moral laws the far pre-date the Bible, and yet the Bible seems to have taken plenty of them for its own. The ancient Babylonians had similar views before the laws of Moses came to be. So VenomFangX, how did this "worldview" suddenly become Christian when it was not yours originally? Point taken that VFX believes that the laws of right and wrong started several thousand years ago when the world started, but history does not support this position at all. Rather, right and wrong existed long before a "biblical worldview" ever came to be. |
| "And so that aside, I do not say that I did everything right in the past, that is not - I am not trying to justify myself. If I had done wrong by the Christians here on YouTube, I apologize. To an atheist, I do not see what your basis for - you first have to justify right and wrong in an atheist worldview, and I do not think that you can. That being said, I am hoping to avoid a lot of mistakes that I did make first time around. I am not making any promises regarding the money - other than I am going to pay an income tax on it and I am going to deal with the money whoever I want to and that's it. And so, your donation is based on your knowledge of me, your trust in my ministry." | VFX not once apologized to the sick children AGAIN. If he sees no reason to apologize to atheists, why apologize to thunderf00t for the first DMCA abuse? (Remember, when Christian YouTube user TogetherForPeace revealed VFX lied about the DMCA, VFX called TFP a "backstabbing slime ball." When a Christian -someone VFX claims to know right and wrong- calls VFX out, VFX gets upset about getting caught.) Is VFX sorry for falsely accusing dprjones as a pedophilia and trying to get him arrested? It was already clear before this video that VFX was incapable of empathy.
Regardless what views atheists have about morals, VenomFangX claims that HE DOES. His standards tell him to apologize to those he wronged, and yet when it comes to his critics he acts like they do not apply or even exist. This is the same sort of attitude that religious zealots use - ethics towards their own people, but not to non-believers. |
| VFX tells his viewers to donate to him if they trust him and feel that his channel, website, and ministry is important to them - BUT he tells them to not put his ministry to a higher importance than their local churches. VFX said that he is expecting an backlash from the "atheist goons." | WOW, just WOW. VFX calling the atheists names after they were the ones who forgave VFX for breaking the law, then forgave VFX for the second time, and rather than taking him to court they decided to get VFX help. They actually helped him. Was VFX not thankful for the help? Was he not thankful that the atheists did not take him to court? |
To all who read this, please do not give VenomFangX a dime. As this whole article demonstrates, VFX has a history of manipulating people for his own personal narcissistic needs and uses other people's faith as leverage. VFX made it clear in this video, he wants to receive donations to quit his honest-working part time job to have more free time to evangelize... basically mooch off of his religious friends to be a bum. If VFX continues to get into trouble with money, he may likely join his hero and convicted fraudster and tax-evader mister Kent Hovind in prison, therefore in order to help VFX in the long run, please do not give VFX any money.
Working with Jews For Jesus in New York City....and asking for MORE donations
On May 1, 2012 VFX posted a video explaining to his viewers and supporters that he was accepted into Jews for Jesus Missionary in New York City, and would be working with them throughout the summer in a summer camp (called the Summer Campaign, supposedly their most active time of the year). VFX was accepted for having a Jewish background (having secular Jewish parents) and accepting Christ as his savior. VFX says he will be preaching and reaching out to the Jewish people, who according to him have been "culturally and socially indoctrinated against the gospel." VFX says he will be an full time staff member in September and will have to "raise support both financially and in prayer, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there."
Before VFX goes to New york, he must take a two week course in basic training at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, and then fly out to New York City for the six week evangelical campaign. In order to do this, VenomFangX says he must raise $2,000 for Jews for Jesus. He provided links to make donations for Jews for Jesus (with VFX's name in the designation box), but said if donators were having trouble, they could send him [VFX] money through Paypal in which he would forward that money to Jews for Jesus.
It seems after VFX latest request for donations, he still was working part-time for the bingo hall. What is odd is why VFX must ask again for more donations? Furthermore, why did he mention his Paypal account? VFX, as this article reveals, is not trustworthy when he makes promises with money. For instance, he promised to send money via Paypal to Sick Kids Hospital, rather than keeping his word he sent large sums of money to Christian charities of his choice and not a single cent to Sick Kids Hospital. It must also be noted that VFX is applying to work for a group that has been called by ex-Jews for Jesus as a "cult" and described it as a very abusive experience.[40] [41]
Links
- Video regarding his possible charity fraud
- VenomFangX
VenomFangX's channel, controlled by the YouTube user GEERUP in his absence, now returned to VenomFangX once moreClosed 9/1/10.lol, it's back up again VenomFangX's Most likely a mirror channelSuspended as well.- The next mirror channel watch it before it got suspended as well.
The webshite.Now closed, with an apology from "his parents".- VenomFangArchive A channel which contains both his old and new videos. It can be useful for those who want to keep up with his antics without subscribing to him.
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJbljV_NzrU
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej-Ann79Ans
- ↑ http://youtu.be/tLJHxlzUXzM
- ↑ http://youtu.be/tLJHxlzUXzM
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej-Ann79Ans
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WODveVoOYw
- ↑ MSS - June 12 - Part 8 - venomfangx! enough already!
- ↑ http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/contra/babel.html
- ↑ http://youtu.be/tLJHxlzUXzM
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GJ-o8zKMnA
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yif-3sqii4U
- ↑ http://youtu.be/sN-yLH4bXAI
- ↑ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9hqBTk845k&feature=colike "VENOMFANGX God Damn It... Not Again part 8"
- ↑ "Venomfangx IS a homophobic bigot!" by dprjones
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzwP9ZM_A7Q
- ↑ MSS - June 12 - Part 8 - venomfangx! enough already!
- ↑ VENOMFANGX....God Damn It Not Again!!! Part 6
- ↑ http://encyclopediadramatica.se/VenomFangX#List_of_Shawn.27s_sock_accounts
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lg84ZWTGPz8
- ↑ http://youtu.be/cupYdCeFJzw
- ↑ VenomFangX describes how he lost his job
- ↑ http://howgoodisthat.wordpress.com/2009/05/07/venomfangx-has-his-youtube-account-and-website-shut-down/
- ↑ lordhathor's history of VenomFangX's PayPal accounts
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L5agvxVwbw
- ↑ One of Venomfagnx's videos
- ↑ Thunderf00t and Ray Comfort on YouTube.
- ↑ The video in question
- ↑ VenomFangX's rebuttal to a discussion about the video
- ↑ http://wn.com/The_Ultimatum_for_VenomFangX
- ↑ dprjones - A message from Shawn and his father
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJbljV_NzrU
- ↑ http://youtu.be/3ch-WW4z3XM
- ↑ http://youtu.be/aPAKlX1QsJY
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=FDGgTJjoFPs
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIlWKp44T50 Noah's Ark and the Cheetah
- ↑ http://youtu.be/zdA70P8oLIc
- ↑ Thomas S. May, "Terms of Empathy: Your Pain in My Pain——If You Play Fair Game," Brain Work 16 (May—June 2006): 3
- ↑ Nephtali1981 "VenomFangX PayPal; Keep Your Job"
- ↑ Is Jews for Jesus a Cult?
- ↑ Used for Jesus