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How empty must your life be if all you have to do is worry about the beliefs of others while failing to live up to your own beliefs.
This disconnect is ubiquitous among fundamentalists. Their focus is entirely on believing a specific set of things ABOUT God and Jesus instead of learning and following Christ's instructions.
The difference is that way too many Christians believe that atheists shouldn't have a voice, that the 1st Amendment only applies to Christians.
This is why I continue, and will continue to continue, warning everyone who will listen about the dangers of theocratic fascism.
And people like you continue to demonstrate that Christian fascism is alive and well in the unfortunately-nicknamed "Land of the Free."
So you are saying atheism is a religion now? I thought it was just non-belief. So what is this speech you want to protect for atheists? The problem is you want to see the laws favor your own brand of ideology which is extremely hostile to religion. Christian fascism? Can you even give one example how Christians are being fascists?
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Originally Posted by Shirina
Because I'm really getting sick and tired of even having a debate about how atheists are "acting out" when we tell others about our lack of belief, that we're supposed to allow Christianity and religion in general to have the only voice. Atheists, of course, are supposed to shut up and sit down because, obviously, people like you don't WANT us to spread our point of view to others. No, only YOU are permitted to evangelize or even talk about religion and God at all.
You should be free to share your beliefs, but you should also learn to respect other people's beliefs. This billboard was an unnecessary offensive message.
So you are saying atheism is a religion now? I thought it was just non-belief. So what is this speech you want to protect for atheists? The problem is you want to see the laws favor your own brand of ideology which is extremely hostile to religion. Christian fascism? Can you even give one example how Christians are being fascists?
A fascist system is an authoritarian system that imposes rules under threat of reprisals / punishment / death.
Christianity is inherently fascist (or more exactly, as Shirina puts it, fascistic -- fascist in nature) in that it imposes its ruleset and beliefs on pain of ultimate and total and permanent eternal suffering.
In particulars though for purposes of this discussion it can be said that Christianity imposes things like a particular Christmas celebration, particular sexual practices, dress codes, conduct codes on its own people, which is within its rights since in theory at least they are voluntarily subscribed to -- but also on society in general, which is beyond its rights. It is claimed that if society in general does not follow these practices that god will judge society harshly with various plagues and calamities, not to mention what happens in the afterlife for those who do not conform. Politicians pandering to these notions talk of deporting immigrants, often legal or not, excluding all otherized groups in fact, and doing so by force. This in addition to existing blue laws and the like.
Another problem is the perception that the loss of Christian exclusivity and hegemony constitutes unfairness and equal openness to all beliefs is, rather than simple equality, a Bad Thing. This also is fascistic in that Christianity is attempting to coerce adherence to certain norms even to non-members through state endorsement of its belief-system.
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Originally Posted by jeffbase40
You should be free to share your beliefs, but you should also learn to respect other people's beliefs. This billboard was an unnecessary offensive message.
No, you took offense at the message, but that is not evidence that it is actually an assault.
By that logic, Direct TV should sue and win against Dish Network for constantly needling its satellite service as disingenuous and a lousy, duplicitous deal for Direct TV customers. And maybe Direct TV customers should sue for slander while they're at it, because they are being portrayed in some ways as naive dupes.
People argue for and against things all the time. It is not personal. You are objecting to other people not agreeing with you, not with any actual disrespect. No one is being told they can't choose to go to church; only that they can choose not to.
So you are saying atheism is a religion now? I thought it was just non-belief. So what is this speech you want to protect for atheists? The problem is you want to see the laws favor your own brand of ideology which is extremely hostile to religion. Christian fascism? Can you even give one example how Christians are being fascists?
You should be free to share your beliefs, but you should also learn to respect other people's beliefs. This billboard was an unnecessary offensive message.
Another extremely ironic statement, given that Christianity in general has taken every opportunity to fight any law that doesn't support its ideology in some way.
Same-sex marriage, religious displays in the public square, the legalized-abortion debate -- somehow, no matter the controversy, one Christian group or another will invariably make it all about how religion (that is, their religion) is not allowed to re-write the Constitution in their favor.
Guess what? You're not the only people that are allowed to express yourself in a free society.
Again the message on the billboard may not have been directed at Christians. Taking offense that some one tells someone else that they do not need to go to church to be good is defensive only to those who wish it to be offensive or else thinks they are the only ones who count. The American Atheists have in the past stated that their billboards are targeted at closet athesists and are trying to contact them to tell them that they are not alone and that there is nothing wrong with not being religious or the case of this billboard nothing wrong with not behaving as if you were a Christian when you are not.
There is nothing on that billboard that attacks Christians or their religion other than that you do not need to be a practising Christian to be a good person. That some on this forum seem to think that stating you do not need to be a Christian to be good is an attack on Christianity tells me that they do think that only Christians are good people or else that they want to live in a world where nothing is mentioned as far as religion goes that is not pro Christian. I suppose an Islamic or Jewish billboard might be offensive to these folks however a billboard claiming that not believing in God is treason to America is not offensive to atheists or is it that these folks think that being offensive to non believers is good and that non beleivers must just sit quietly and accept it?
Athesists should agree not to put up any billboards when Christains agree to the same thing. Most Christian billboards are as inoffensive as the atheists ones but of course with so many more there are bound to be some that were set up to be offensive. No matter how many times Jeff says otherwise this billboard was not offensive in nature nor was it an attack on the church. If he thinks that all non Christians need to go to church on Christmas in order to be a good person than it might be disagreeing with his mindset. It seems more likely that he is just looking for excuses to be offended by atheists so that he can be offended.
So you are saying atheism is a religion now? I thought it was just non-belief. So what is this speech you want to protect for atheists? The problem is you want to see the laws favor your own brand of ideology which is extremely hostile to religion.
I am sure we explained to you that atheism having the same rights as a religion does not make it a religion.
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Christian fascism? Can you even give one example how Christians are being fascists?
I am so not going to touch that one.
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You should be free to share your beliefs, but you should also learn to respect other people's beliefs. This billboard was an unnecessary offensive message.
I'll leave that to Shirina while I go and get a photo of a samurai snickersnee.
Again the message on the billboard may not have been directed at Christians. Taking offense that some one tells someone else that they do not need to go to church to be good is defensive only to those who wish it to be offensive or else thinks they are the only ones who count. The American Atheists have in the past stated that their billboards are targeted at closet athesists and are trying to contact them to tell them that they are not alone and that there is nothing wrong with not being religious or the case of this billboard nothing wrong with not behaving as if you were a Christian when you are not.
There is nothing on that billboard that attacks Christians or their religion other than that you do not need to be a practising Christian to be a good person. That some on this forum seem to think that stating you do not need to be a Christian to be good is an attack on Christianity tells me that they do think that only Christians are good people or else that they want to live in a world where nothing is mentioned as far as religion goes that is not pro Christian. I suppose an Islamic or Jewish billboard might be offensive to these folks however a billboard claiming that not believing in God is treason to America is not offensive to atheists or is it that these folks think that being offensive to non believers is good and that non beleivers must just sit quietly and accept it?
Athesists should agree not to put up any billboards when Christains agree to the same thing. Most Christian billboards are as inoffensive as the atheists ones but of course with so many more there are bound to be some that were set up to be offensive. No matter how many times Jeff says otherwise this billboard was not offensive in nature nor was it an attack on the church. If he thinks that all non Christians need to go to church on Christmas in order to be a good person than it might be disagreeing with his mindset. It seems more likely that he is just looking for excuses to be offended by atheists so that he can be offended.
This makes me wonder. Has anybody checked to see how many Christian billboards there are on display in America right now? How many Atheist billboards have ever been put up anywhere in the world?
I suspect, in reality, this is a non-issue. I think that, relative to the number of "nones" in the US population, the number of billboards posted by atheists is much smaller.
No. They don't want to just be left alone. They want the world to adhere to their worldview. We especially see it among internet tough-guy atheists who feel slighted because Mom and Dad made them go to church, so while they're too wimpy to act out in public, they hide behind a username.
You never hear of religious people doing that either! Oh wait.....
This makes me wonder. Has anybody checked to see how many Christian billboards there are on display in America right now? How many Atheist billboards have ever been put up anywhere in the world?
I suspect, in reality, this is a non-issue. I think that, relative to the number of "nones" in the US population, the number of billboards posted by atheists is much smaller.
Of course it is. It's simply part of the Faux "War on Christianity" is all. Anytime something none Christian gets raised then the right wingers are out in droves. They of course ignore all the "Remember what Christmas is really about." billboards I see though.
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I am so not going to touch that one. 
