Atheist Roll Call

**Pam** · August-26-10, 10:18 AM

much discussion on this thread centers on Jesus. If a person does not believe in a god, why would Jesus' teachings necessarily be of any importance to them?

The teachings might be less important if you think Jesus was just a person, but you might still get something out of them.

**maxx** · August-26-10, 10:28 AM

Originally Posted by rb336

interesting how a thread specifically for atheists turned into a thread proselytizing mystical mumbo jumbo

I asked for the info on the Course, and I am appreciative to Miz MoTown for her responses.

**maxx** · August-26-10, 10:33 AM

Originally Posted by MizMotown

Jesus placed science and the gathering of knowledge about nature in context with God’s design and authorship. Matthew 6:28-30.

Matt. 6
[28] And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
[29] And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
[30] Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

This says nothing about science. First century Palestinians didn't know the concept of science. Just look at previous verses:
Matt. 6 [25] Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

The subject was materialism, not advancing knowledge of plants.

**maxx** · August-26-10, 10:35 AM

Originally Posted by Pam

The teachings might be less important if you think Jesus was just a person, but you might still get something out of them.

True, but Jesus didn't teach anything about how to behave that hadn't been said in the OT and Torah as well as other religions.

**maxx** · August-29-10, 05:56 PM

How about this for imagination? Sci Fi Science
http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...i+science&aq=f

**MizMotown** · August-30-10, 01:05 PM

When you come to the place where the branch in the road is quite apparent, you cannot go ahead. You MUST go one way or the other. For now, if you go straight ahead, the way you were going before you came to the branch, YOU WILL GO NOWHERE. The whole purpose of coming this far is to decide WHICH BRANCH YOU WILL TAKE FROM HERE ON. The way you came no longer matters. IT CAN NO LONGER SERVE.

No-one who reaches this far CAN make the wrong decision. But he CAN delay. And there is no part of the journey that seems more hopeless and futile than standing where the road branches, and not deciding which way to go. It is only the first few steps along the right way that seem hard, because you HAVE chosen, but you still think you can go back and make the other choice.

This is not so. A choice made with the power of Heaven to uphold it cannot BE undone. Your way IS decided.
There will be nothing you will NOT be told, if you acknowledge this.

ACIM

**terryh** · January-26-11, 08:20 PM

There is a freethinker monument in Hypathia Alabama of all places. Surprising its still there. The revealing ceremony was attende by fireman, policeman, ww11, Korea Nam,Iraq, Afghanistan and Iraq 11 vets so yeah there are-were atheists in foxholes....

**hudkina** · January-26-11, 09:37 PM

Originally Posted by Lowell

I'm in a foxhole right now and I can't find any atheists here.

That's because atheists aren't stupid enough to go to war...

**maxx** · January-28-11, 05:19 PM

Inside of every person - man, woman, and child - is the knowledge that there is a Supreme Being.

Then why do adults feel the need to tell children about this Supreme Being? The logic behind the idea of a Supreme Being is the same logic that led people to think the the sun went around the earth and that the earth was the center of everything. Indoctrinating children with stories of hell is psychological
abuse.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7Ge0fWvgr8

**Whitehouse** · January-28-11, 07:32 PM

Originally Posted by 1KielsonDrive

I'm on board.

I'm surprised!!

I don't like the cult of personality of the Catholic Church. If you're a Catholic, don't be offended by it. It's perfectly fine to be a Catholic if you are. But the idea that some ...... in Rome is dictating your life makes me cringe. I hold that man responsible for over-population and the spread of AIDS.

Religion can give you comfort in times of grief. True. But Religion is also a fruit of conflict between different religions and atheists. And lately I'm pretty fed up with the mixing of religion and politics, predominantly in the GOP and Tea-cult.

I'm still a member of the Reformed Church. But the smaller the congregation the better.

**canuck** · January-28-11, 09:15 PM

Originally Posted by hudkina

That's because atheists aren't stupid enough to go to war...

Well, some of the worst massacres in the last century were staged by atheists who pushed the humanist agenda of communism. I think competitive narrow-minded power hungry folk will always use an ism of some sort to justify crimes against fellow humans. Religion is not more nor less responsible as an ism than the other political structures that make this possible.

**canuck** · January-28-11, 09:30 PM

That said, I dont believe in no dog. I was brought up a good cafflick boy and am so much happier not having to deal with the superstition and the goody-two-shoesism of religion. But I do enjoy the cultural artefacts that remain. I like to walk into a church to smell the faint odor of candlewax and incense. I enjoy the beauty and imagination and the care that our ancestors mustered in their faithful accomplishments; all religions confounded. But I do not believe in the hocus pocus, even though there are potent lessons in all religions.

**blackmath** · January-28-11, 09:40 PM

Originally Posted by canuck

I think competitive narrow-minded power hungry folk will always use an ism of some sort to justify crimes against fellow humans.

So true, my fellow Canadian. I hate, absolutely hate getting involved in these types of discussions whatsoever but I must second this statement. Somewhere back in this thread someone mentioned rather poetically that the 21st century should be looked back upon as the true Age of Reason by defeating [[and I'm paraphrasing, so forgive me) religion, and/or the illusion of a higher power. I think this statement should be revised to say that what we must defeat is DIVISION based upon personal beliefs of any kind.

Humans divide amongst each other far too easily, and instead of learning from each other's differences we all too often chastise and kill one another based on differing belief systems. Perhaps this was a tool when the gene pool was a lot smaller to strengthen ourselves, but now there is approximately 7 billion of us on this small backwater planet and we are still throwing rocks at the tribe who paints in red ochre instead of periwinkle blue like us. We are still, after all of our scientific, intellectual, spiritual and religious enlightenments just a fraction away from our old, bigoted, fearful of the dark, hiding in caves selves. Why can we not see that arguments like this do absolutely nothing to advance anything?

No matter how many Bible verses or scripture from any holy book we show someone, if someone doesn't believe in god or gods or flying spaghetti monsters we cannot convince them otherwise. Just the same as we cannot convince someone by quoting Hawking, Sagan, Newton, Kepler, or any other great scientist that their core beliefs are based on what some people regard as a fallacy or just plain whimsy or worse. We need to leave each others' beliefs alone. We need to let it go and start a real dialog instead of name calling, bickering and ridicule by both opposing sides. It might not be as viscerally satisfying as topping someone like you would a drunk in a pub, but if you just sit down and talk to someone you might find some common ground.

If you've read this much, I thank you and I apologize for the length of this post. Just be nice to each other and atheists, buy a religious person a beer, or a ginger ale if they prefer, and christians, buy an atheist a puppy, or if they prefer, a beer... or a ginger ale.

**maxx** · January-28-11, 10:22 PM

I think this statement should be revised to say that what we must defeat is DIVISION based upon personal beliefs of any kind.

But other forms of division are all right? Conservatives preach the gospel of competition over cooperation everyday.

**blackmath** · January-28-11, 10:32 PM

It's very interesting that you came to that conclusion from what I wrote.

**maxx** · January-29-11, 08:36 AM

Just like after "The Exorcist" came out, exorcism is back, but it ain't like the movies. Talk about crazy thinking.
http://www.theatlantic.com/national/...xorcism/70364/
"...Yet the reality of Catholic exorcism, cautions one Pennsylvania-based priest, is far more banal. 'The worst people do is growl or make noise,' he says, 'although I had one client who repeated the first three lines of 'Hickory Dickory Dock' over and over again--and that drove me crazy.'..."

What they can't turn their heads around? Maybe because those physical contortions are now associated with a form of Tourette's Syndrome. See "The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat".
This sort of thinking, that devils can possess people, is straight out of the dark ages when any sort of physical ailment was considered the mark of a god's anger or satanic possession.

**rb336** · January-31-11, 08:58 AM

Originally Posted by canuck

Well, some of the worst massacres in the last century were staged by atheists who pushed the humanist agenda of communism..

Communism is not a "humanist agenda". Any time ideology overrides truth and basic human decency, weather it is religion, "communism" [[in quotes because there has never actually been a communist state. Russia, China et al were oligarchies mascarading as communist), fascism or anything else, nastiness follows. I have a "beware of dogma" bumpersticker because it reflects that very idea

**maxx** · January-31-11, 01:45 PM

Originally Posted by canuck

Well, some of the worst massacres in the last century were staged by atheists who pushed the humanist agenda of communism..

Before you talk about the "humanist agenda", you should read the Humanist Manifesto and the definition of humanism.

http://www.answers.com/topic/humanism
http://www.americanhumanist.org/who_..._Manifesto_III

And read about the early Christian communists in the NT.
Acts.4 [32] And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

gdogslim · January-31-11, 06:15 PM

In God We Trust
E pluribus unum

**Pam** · January-31-11, 06:57 PM

E pluribus unum

That phrase has nothing to do with god.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E_pluribus_unum

**maxx** · January-31-11, 08:06 PM

Originally Posted by gdogslim

In God We Trust
E pluribus unum

God in Latin is deus, deum as in "Te Deum". Please research before posting. This one was an easy one; no excuse.

**rb336** · February-01-11, 04:39 PM

Originally Posted by gdogslim

In God We Trust
E pluribus unum

Just so you don't tax your brain, E Pluribus Unum, the original motto of the United States, means "out of many, one"

If you want "traditional American values" go back to that. "in god we trust" wasn't added until 1956 [[two years after the pledge was bastardized by adding "under god"). Strange how we grew and thrived without that as a motto for 160+ years.

gdogslim · February-01-11, 07:22 PM

"That phrase has nothing to do with god.
"Just so you don't tax your brain, E Pluribus Unum, the original motto of the United States, means "out of many, one"
"God in Latin is deus, deum as in "Te Deum". Please research before posting. This one was an easy one; no excuse. "

me - Wow, thank you all so much for educating me. I guess my Latin classes were pretty useless.
But it is on the U.S. currency, which is worth something. Unlike disproving a negative.

I do have a question though.
What is the difference between agnosticism and atheism

**maxx** · February-01-11, 08:30 PM

What is the difference between agnosticism and atheism

Dawkins puts belief on a continuum from total belief in a god or gods at one end and absolute certainty that there is no god/gods at the other. Dawkins put himself at 90%; I'd put myself there or farther away from belief. Agnostics are more in the mushy middle. I'd guess you'd have to ask people what they think the odds are that some god/gods exist to find the agnostics. I'd further guess that most agnostics are getting over pretty strong religious indoctrination in childhood.