"Funny how you act sarcastic and disrespectful with me when I came to you with peace. Well, I know one thing for sure, like it was predicted in prophecies, The believers of God will always be HATED by fools who think they know better. We will be laughed at, disrespected, and hated on. Hmmm. Sounds like the traits of Lucifer. I bet you would murder a Christian if your belief told you so, right? Cuz you hate them so much and deny the very existence of our heavenly father. Tell me, what wrong have Christians done to you besides hope to give you meaningful truth? And i bet you celebrate Christmas, right? Why do you celebrate it if you don't believe in Christ, the son of God? If you don't believe in him, then throw away all the gifts you bought for your loved ones and gifts given to you. And if they ask why you did that, tell them because you don't believe in Christ, therefore there is no need for me to celebrate Christmas. Otherwise, you'd be a walking contradiction against your belief. Peace and Godbless."
I don't hate the believers, I hate the religion and what it does to them. I wouldn't murder anyone, I would protect myself from the mindless religious hoards that have been sent forth throughout history. How have Christians wronged me? They do it daily, hourly. I have no chance for an atheist representative in the US Senate, Presidency or Supreme Court. The religious are continuously trying to squash science education because it conflicts with their "truth" and then deal with the poorly educated that has been the result. I must pay taxes for a military to protect my nation from attack by religious zealots and provide stability in the world where the religious regularly kill each other's children. I hate seeing people waste their lives and resources following preachers and religious dogma while priests fuck little boys. I don't need their iron-age "meaningful truth" that is narrow and stagnant. I celebrate the end of the year, not the make believe birth of Christ. The solstice has been a holiday a lot longer than it's been a Christian holiday. I celebrate the end of a long busy year where I made meaningful contributions to my family, community, and nation. Even to the world. I wasted no effort worshiping a make-believe deity or supporting a power hungry religion. I celebrate my family's successes and achievements from the year and come together with them to enjoy their company. Christ, god, religion had nothing to do with our lives and will never. Merry Christmas to you, may you see reason in the new year.
I found a few politicians (sorry if the links don't work)
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culbert_Olson
(Governor of California)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lori_Lipman_Brown
(Nevada State Senator)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Stark
(US Representative for California's 13th District)
http://www.thehumanist.org/humanist/08_nov_dec/Stark.html
Article from the Humanist magazine
SCA Advisory Board Chairman Woody Kaplan, a civil liberties activist and former member of the ACLU's National Board of Directors, took some of the suggested names and interviewed close to sixty members of the U.S. House and Senate. “At the time, twenty-two of them told me they didn’t believe in a god,” Kaplan recalls. “Twenty-one of them said, ‘You can’t tell anybody.’ One of them said you could: Congressman Pete Stark.”
You guys just need to understand it takes years to be accepted as part of the mainstream. Gays and Lesbians continue to struggle after many years. Also, it doesn't hurt to stop telling everybody that you are pissed.
Religions naturally try to influence everything from education to foreign policy. Just like every special interest group. It's nothing new or sinister. Why don't you contact Lori Lipman Brown and see if you can help her in fighting for Atheist rights in government. I'll bet you that she would prefer if you didn't tell everybody that you are pissed.
As far as religious zealots go, those people use whatever means at their disposal to inflict as much harm and create as much chaos as they can. Religion is a handy tool for them. Just like Science is a tool for you. Ending or modifying religion will not get rid of those kind of people. Economic justice and fairness would be a step in the correct direction to alieve the problem of poor/displaced/abused people lashing out against authority and power.
People who go to church/mosque/temple or where ever, normally do so to reach a point of enlightenment, understanding, feeling of peace, joy or love. Nobody wants to see a leader abuse children (like judges, government officials, janitors, teachers as well as priests) but people are that way and leaders need to be held up to a higher standard.
My understanding of Christmas is that the birth of Christ was moved by the Romans to the Winter Solstice to combine it with the traditional Pagan ceremony. This is a common thing that leaders have done in the past to meld two cultures.
Christ, God and religion are about whatever that makes you at peace and renews you, gives you joy and love. Helps you to stop and look around and maybe see changes that you can make internally to be a better person. It's about coming to terms with yourself. The "make-believe deity" is simply a tool that billions of people use everyday to keep their lives focused and on a useful, constructive path. After thousands of years of course it needs some major tweaking and overhauls, but it is the current system.
There is yet to be an alternative that inspires people and creates the feeling and emotions necessary for a billion people to force themselves out of their dirt hut every morning and walk down to the mud hole to see if there is any putrid rain water left.
Happy New Year!
I specifically meant today and in the US Senate, Presidency or Supreme Court. Olson looks to have been a one term Gov because of his atheism. Same with Lori Lipman Brown (a state senator, not a US Senator). Pete Stark is the only avowed atheist in US federal government, a House Representative. All of this makes my point; there is no way today for an atheist to get elected into the US Senate, Presidency or Supreme Court. Poor Christian persecution!
ReplyDeleteYou know, atheist have been around for hundreds of years, mostly being pretty quiet. There is quite a debate in the atheist world about how strident to be. There are those who try to work with the religious leaders and followers, trying to find common ground and work there. It really hasn’t worked very well, without any real progress made. Others try debating politely and arguing that religion and science are two and non-overlapping worldviews. They tend to end up in logical tangles that either has to be ignored or awkwardly accounted for.
Lori Lipman Brown is a founding director of the Secular Coalition for America, a very active and vocal organization. I really don’t think they would expect me to be quiet. There is a third group of atheists who have become vocal in the last few years, mostly since Dawkins book “The God Delusion” was published. They see no reason to be accommodating to religious nonsense. Mainly because religion continues to try to make statements of fact about science. Evolution, biology, big bang, life after death, are all positions religion has tried to make statements and policy on. They keep stepping in what they don’t understand. It really isn’t acceptable to stand back and not comment on Tennessee giving $40Million to a church to build an Ark Theme park when the money would be better spent elsewhere in the state. Or for the new House Rep Shimkus who thinks god will not allow the earth to succumb to global warming and may be seated as the next head of the Energy and Commerce Committee. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7h08RDYA5E
Sure religions try to influence what is going on. And there is no longer any reason to stand by and let it happen un-challenged.
The Christian Roman Emperor Constantine decided to celebrate the birth of Christ during the pagan birth of the sun celebration in 379 after it was concluded through the logic of the times that he must have been born then.
When the leader of a major religion actively hides the abuse of children, then that leader and the religion that supported the systematic abuse needs to be questioned hard. The Catholic Church has some major reforming to do whether or not they realize it. That religion has some seriously fresh blood on it’s hands today.
There is plenty in this world to give yourself meaning, purpose, love and joy. I see nothing that requires religion. The “tool” of religion also spreads fear, promotes ignorance and it’s sole purpose is to keep itself in power over the people it controls. The individuals within it may believe there is a higher being or purpose, but the natural progression of religion requires self protection and growth in power and influence. It can’t be stopped with mild accommodationism. People can easily learn to live without religion, there simply has to be a will. And if they see the waste of time it is, and how they have been used, it will become easier with time, education, and money.
I guess I don't understand your point. "There is no way" that an atheist can be Senator, SC Judge, or President. Why? Is there a law? But there are 22 non-believers in the House and Senate. So your point really is that Atheists can not come out of the closet and expect to maintain their seats, much less vote on legislation that would make a more clear separation of church and state. If an average Joe who was an atheist went to church with his Catholic wife every week and then ran for office and put something like "nondenominational" on his profile he could end up in the US Senate, it's just that he wouldn't be completely honest.
ReplyDeleteIn England/Europe there seems to be a higher percentage of avowed Atheists in office (over history). America is just a very religious country.
I have to admit, this subject seems weirdly 2 dimensional and somewhat boring! I am not particularly religious, have never read the Bible. Certainly all kinds of arguments can be made on both sides. I guess what drew me to comment was my perception of your anger.
It is sad to me that we live the way (that I think people in the lower 48 do) we do. I really am not comfortable with all of the social networking and this idea of people typing out feelings for everyone to see and essentially creating a dialogue with themselves. (within themselves?) It seems narcissistic and devoid of basic human emotional needs.
In an odd way Atheism strikes me the same way as social networking. I fear that a nation of Atheists would come to reject Art, Music, Poetry and most certainly Philosophy. What is the point of beauty when it can not be proven? Is music a waste of time? So will the study of Humanities be phased out? Liberal Arts colleges, bye bye.
I know that is not going to happen, but when one considers an idea, you have to try and see where it would lead.
As an unlabeled person with no real desire to discuss religion or politics, I have to tell you that the current state of affairs is preferable to one that would be flip flopped in favor of Atheists (as ridiculous as that would sound to you) simply because I think if the Atheists would be the majority I would imagine it would be more threatening for those of us who do not see Science / Math and reason as enough to get us through our miserable existences.
It's nice that Atheists are pointing out the wrongs in society and raising awareness, but don't expect any help from me; and be sure that I will be watching anxiously as Philosophy, Art and Music get crushed in the ensuing melee. Probably I won't live that long anyway.
Interesting: http://www.philosophy.com/ is a skin care website
http://www.universetoday.com/51468/listen-to-the-music-of-the-spheres/
Something bothered me about what you said about Catholics.
ReplyDelete"When the leader of a major religion actively hides the abuse of children, then that leader and the religion that supported the systematic abuse needs to be questioned hard. The Catholic Church has some major reforming to do whether or not they realize it. That religion has some seriously fresh blood on it’s hands today."
You are falling for the same Bullshit all of your Tea Party enemies go for. Media Hype. Show me the facts that Catholic Priests abuse more children than 1)Family Members 2) Teachers 3)Doctors
I am certain that you will find that the vast majority are family members. I will bet you that the number of CATHOLIC PRIESTS that actually abuse children represent a percentage that is FAR BELOW the norm in today's society. The likelihood that the Priest that gives mass at my local church is a child abuser is far less than the chance that you are a child abuser.
And "blood"?? I don't know what you mean. Just sounds like unreasonable misdirected anger to me. Catholic Relief Services is one of the most respected charities in the world.