Atheists: Get A Life!!!!!

Discussion in 'Religion Archives' started by madanthonywayne, Jan 20, 2009.

  1. madanthonywayne Morning in America Registered Senior Member

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    I hear atheists are pushing for Obama to not use the word "God" in his inauguration. And we're always hearing about atheists filing lawsuits so people are bared from uttering the words "under God" in the pledge. Then there's Christmas trees, nativity scenes on on town square, whatever. My question is, if you don't believe in God, why are you so offended by the word?

    Seriously, if someone sneezes and someone else says "God Bless You", they're just being polite. It's completely harmless whether you believe in God or not. If a town wants to put up a nativity scene, what's the big, fucking deal? This country is 90% Christian for fucks sake. Live and let live. How does someone else's superstition affect you in any way? How are you harmed if some people utter the words "under God". How are you harmed by a Nativity scene?

    I work with a bunch of Christians and one Muslim. I gave everyone a Christmas present including her (the Muslim, it hardly seemed fair to stiff her). Far from being offended, she gave me a Christmas present in return. Does this mean she's renouncing her faith? Of course not. We're just two people who, despite having different beliefs, respect each other and can behave like adults. Sadly, many atheists seem unable to live and let live and are engaged in a jihad to wipe the word God from the English language and ban Christianity from the public square.

    Live and let live. Stop the jihad. Get a life.
     
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  3. Balerion Banned Banned

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    It's actually the other way around. If Christians weren't so busy shoving their imaginary god in our faces, we wouldn't have any reason to complain.

    And let's not forget that you cultists are doing plenty of complaining of your own. How about trying to get creationism taught in public schools? How about fighting to ban gay marriage? I mean, let's get real here, dude.
     
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  5. madanthonywayne Morning in America Registered Senior Member

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    I'm just as critical of people seeking to inject religion into a science class as I am of atheist busybodies trying to keep anyone from saying "God". How does a word harm you? Stop with the idiotic, expensive, and divisive lawsuits. If you don't want to say "under God", then don't say it. Big fuckin' deal.
     
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  7. CutsieMarie89 Zen Registered Senior Member

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    I don't have a problem with it. People should be allowed to practice whatever they want freely. Unless they're like Jesus-man (a crazy guy who hung around my high school skating around on roller blades and wearing a pink cape that said Jesus Rocks), he used to beat people who disagreed with him or even if they just ignored him. But people like Jesus man are a rarity, so I think atheist who start all of this mess are just hypocrites.
     
  8. PieAreSquared Woo is resistant to reason Registered Senior Member

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    good point, it does just piss off the fundies and make them more agressive
     
  9. Balerion Banned Banned

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    I think many atheists feel that we need to take a step, as a country, away from organized state religion and move onto an era where it's kept where they feel it belongs--in their homes. They would consider it progress if we took away official references to God.

    I tend to agree. I also think candidates appeal to the lowest common denominator when they run on their "Christian values". Consider how big of a deal religion became in this election. Or how the vast majority of Evangelicals vote Republican because Republicans are viewed as the more religious of the two major parties. Stuff like that shouldn't matter...and yet it does, because we've allowed it to matter.

    I think if we made it taboo to invoke God on the stump, we'd see people voting a little more on the issues.

    Also, consider when Bush said that we were doing "God's Work" in Iraq. You know what that statement achieved? It turned this conflict into a holy war.
     
  10. madanthonywayne Morning in America Registered Senior Member

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    As PieAreSquared said:
    I'm not even that religious. I believe in God. but I only go to church once in a while. Neverthless, when I hear of someone trying to tell me I can't say "under God" in the pledge, it pisses me off. You don't tell me what to say, and I'll not tell you what to say and/or believe. I can't see why an atheist should be any more offended by a nativity scene than a statue of Mickey Mouse. The same goes for a crucifix. As far as you're concerned, it's just different fictional characters, right? So why the hostility? Why do the 2% go out of their way to piss of the 90%? Does that make any fucking sense at all?
     
  11. PieAreSquared Woo is resistant to reason Registered Senior Member

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    I not trying to piss anyone off or tell someone what to say. Hey I have my beliefs too and have ruled out god. Tho I do believe in evolution.

    woudl it be better if I stated it as ;

    All it does is add gas to the fire
     
  12. PieAreSquared Woo is resistant to reason Registered Senior Member

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    on both sides
     
  13. PieAreSquared Woo is resistant to reason Registered Senior Member

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    haven't ruled out God..... sorry newbie fingers
     
  14. Balerion Banned Banned

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    Oh, so now we're supposed to be quiet as to not upset the whackos? That's a weak argument. It's inaccurate, too, but we'll get into that in a second.

    But you're not a fundamentalist whacko.

    That's an intellectually dishonest argument, dude, and you know it. You're making it sound as if religion is this benign entity that doesn't have influence on anything around it. Unfortunately, we both know the truth is different. When evolution was being introduced into schools, the fundie fuckheads fought it tooth and nail. You know how many court cases Christian groups have brought against the school boards?

    Historically, it has been the religious who have brought action against the non-religious. They're the ones who have had their way with government (ever notice that religious institutions are tax-exempt? Ever been given a good reason for it?) and when someone introduces something new that might not jive with their faith, they take it up with the courts. It's only recently that the non-religious have decided to fight back by trying to build a country where their children don't have to be indoctrinated.
     
  15. PieAreSquared Woo is resistant to reason Registered Senior Member

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    Oh, so now we're supposed to be quiet as to not upset the whackos

    If they get rapatured soon, we won't have to deal with it
     
  16. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    I can see what you mean. Lots of atheists are over-reacting. However, JDawg makes a good point as well.
    Nonetheless, getting all upset because someone says "God bless you" when you sneeze is just absurd.

     
  17. Sarkus Hippomonstrosesquippedalo phobe Valued Senior Member

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    I personally think that any person has a right to voice their concern over aspects of their government's rule that they deem inappropriate.

    If the government started requiring a pledge of allegiance that included the phrase "under Lord Lenny the Leprechaun of Alpha Centauri" instead of "under God", would you not be somewhat concerned? You are, afterall, making a pledge that you do not believe in.


    Many also believe that religion and matters of state should be kept separate... otherwise if they become entwined you effectively force your religion through state legislation etc... and in the realm of the "free" this is surely contradictory.

    Therefore those that are opposed to this latch on to the most high profile examples they can to illustrate their point... as you would expect any person to do who is trying to voice their concern.

    So bear in mind that while they may argue and seemingly over-react to a simple phrase such as "under God", it is only because they are possibly using this to highlight the much wider issues they have with the mixing of religion and government.


    Also, I'm sure you don't particularly want to tread in dog-poo - right? So does that mean you are okay with people wafting it in front of your nose all day? Or is there a point at which you would ask them to stop?
     
  18. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    Good points..
     
  19. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    I never heard anyone say such a thing and wonder where do you get this information from? Perhaps I'm not listening to what others are saying close enough because I have missed people asking this. :shrug:
     
  20. swarm Registered Senior Member

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    I think he should be required to swear by a god with some balls like Thor instead of some mamby pamby jewish sheep god.
     
  21. Challenger78 Valued Senior Member

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    This illustrates the problem of holding on to ingrained beliefs.
    I wonder if Zen has a solution to that.
    I'm torn, some of the stuff atheists do seem like nitpicking and totally unnecessary. But so does some of the cultists.

    At first, I thought this would one of the rhetoric filled, "stop being atheist/making a point threads", But it isn't. Perhaps the point is, both Atheists and theists need to stop holding on to ingrained beliefs and just live life, If people want to throw a christian rock concert, you don't have to go, but by the same token, you shouldn't have Jesus phamplets shoved in your face either.
     
  22. Challenger78 Valued Senior Member

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    One nation under Thor. I like the sound of that.
    Thor: As do I, Daniel Jackson

    Oh, not that Thor, Ok.
     
  23. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    You don't have to feel torn.. you don't have to commit to either group.
    You don't believe in god, right ? Well.. that's it, you don't believe in god. No need to join a group because of it.
     

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