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We have a club? Why am I always the last to find out
Getting us all together is like herding cats. We'll enroll you right away. Now please send us 10% of your income immediately and try not to have an independent thought.
I hadn't really thought about it that way, but not sure how someone could force you to be religious - would be like "forcing" a Yankee fan to be a Red Sox fan - you just can't do it. I guess I could see some sort of religious dictatorship (i.e taliban, the church long ago), but I don't see that happening here and that would probably not be good for any of us.
I am semi-religious, but worry all the time about what I am not doing (or am doing) that is wrong, and feeling guilty, worrying about my lack of faith, and all that good stuff that goes with being semi-religious. I envy the devout, one side or the other, because it would seem neither would worry so much about it like I do.
Uhhh... blue laws, mandatory church attendance, discrimination based on religion/church membership, mandatory prayer in schools, Atheists cannot hold public office (which is actually on the books in 7 states, NC being one of them).
There is a faction that could best be described as the American Taliban, that would love to begin down this path, if they could just get a foothold of power. Bush and Bush are clear indicator that it's possible. We had a president that said:
Quote:
"I don't know that atheists should be regarded as citizens, nor should they be regarded as patriotic. This is one nation under God." Bush 41
, the spawn of this fool that started 2 wars because 'god told him to'.
I am one of those Atheists who believe humanity can no longer allow the religions of the world to continue the fighting and bickering with each other over mythical gods. We live in a world where one insane religious individual can walk into a city with a nuclear bomb set it off and kill millions. We also live in a world where nuclear material is available, and we have the nuts in the major religions trying to fight one religious war after another. If we look at history of the christian faith alone we see it has now killed 200,000,000 people. They are the main killers, but the others are working hard to catch up, and as a member of humanity I say it is time to shut them all down. It is time for them to grow up and face the real truth not a make believe book of myths. Reality is reality and their myths are no better than the ancient mythical gods of our human past. In truth we can not afford to let the mythical gods kill off the planet over something as stupid as religion.
I am one of those Atheists who believe humanity can no longer allow the religions of the world to continue the fighting and bickering with each other over mythical gods. We live in a world where one insane religious individual can walk into a city with a nuclear bomb set it off and kill millions. We also live in a world where nuclear material is available, and we have the nuts in the major religions trying to fight one religious war after another. If we look at history of the christian faith alone we see it has now killed 200,000,000 people. They are the main killers, but the others are working hard to catch up, and as a member of humanity I say it is time to shut them all down. It is time for them to grow up and face the real truth not a make believe book of myths. Reality is reality and their myths are no better than the ancient mythical gods of our human past. In truth we can not afford to let the mythical gods kill off the planet over something as stupid as religion.
I disagree with this. If there never was religion of any kind, there still would have been hundreds of millions slaughtered or enslaved in wars, mass executions, wiping out of populations, etc. I will provide a couple non-religious examples of some human monsters to prove my point: Pol Pot, Stalin, Hitler, and that nut in N. Korea - Kim Yung (mentally) Il. - that's probably 20,000,000 or more killed in just the last 70 years or so. Religion has been used as an EXCUSE for some "evil" humans who have absolute power to conquer and wipe out other humans, but if there wasn't religion, then it would be because of the way they look, or their skin color, their political beliefs, their education, their "disobedience", or just because they occupy land that the conqueror wants for his own.
We worry about the beliefs of others because their beliefs inform their decisions, and that matters in a democratic, pluralistic society. We have to remain vigilant of others trying to force their beliefs to become our beliefs.
This is the crux of why it's necessary to 'know the enemy', as they do have the ultimate goal of legislating what I am allowed to believe if they don't face a push back. When they go after my rights, they become my enemy.
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Funny you should see it that way. Take school prayer and the traditional Christmas display in the public square. Who has won for those issues? The legislation these days is for secularism. Yet you don't get it. Legislation these days is to push back the Blue laws and to allow gay marriage and abortion. Yet you see the world as if religious people are taking over. Perhaps you need to subscribe to a Newspaper.
And funny you see religious folk as the enemy. Telling-very much so. If Christians were Black folk-so to speak, you would be labeled a racist.
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As to the OP I think atheists need to evangelize from a feeling of self worth. Believe as I do so I can feel-I am right. Not much else to work with IMO.
We worry about the beliefs of others because their beliefs inform their decisions, and that matters in a democratic, pluralistic society. We have to remain vigilant of others trying to force their beliefs to become our beliefs.
Something the atheist crowd needs to consider. A two edged sword. Cuts both ways.
The atheists have to respect the majority religious view. Just as the Majority must respect the atheist view.
I disagree with this. If there never was religion of any kind, there still would have been hundreds of millions slaughtered or enslaved in wars, mass executions, wiping out of populations, etc. I will provide a couple non-religious examples of some human monsters to prove my point: Pol Pot, Stalin, Hitler, and that nut in N. Korea - Kim Yung (mentally) Il. - that's probably 20,000,000 or more killed in just the last 70 years or so. Religion has been used as an EXCUSE for some "evil" humans who have absolute power to conquer and wipe out other humans, but if there wasn't religion, then it would be because of the way they look, or their skin color, their political beliefs, their education, their "disobedience", or just because they occupy land that the conqueror wants for his own.
p.s. - forgot Chairman Mao and his wife
Actually, Hitler was a christian, avidly so, that was part of his excuse for eliminating the jews---Them Jews killed Jesus!!!!! One of the requirements to belong to either the American Nazi Party or the Ku Klux Klan is.....you have to be a christian.
I am one of those Atheists who believe humanity can no longer allow the religions of the world to continue the fighting and bickering with each other over mythical gods. We live in a world where one insane religious individual can walk into a city with a nuclear bomb set it off and kill millions. We also live in a world where nuclear material is available, and we have the nuts in the major religions trying to fight one religious war after another. If we look at history of the christian faith alone we see it has now killed 200,000,000 people. They are the main killers, but the others are working hard to catch up, and as a member of humanity I say it is time to shut them all down. It is time for them to grow up and face the real truth not a make believe book of myths. Reality is reality and their myths are no better than the ancient mythical gods of our human past. In truth we can not afford to let the mythical gods kill off the planet over something as stupid as religion.
Nazis, Commies, Japanese c. 1930s/40s. Pol Pot, Mao, Stalin, et al. You need to read up on your History.
Greece, Roman, American Civil, Spainish American, WW1, WW2 Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afgan are not religious wars. More died in those than died in the last 10,000 years.
It ain't about religion despite what you want to believe. Try the concepts of power, money, empire and just being evil. That is what causes war.
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Why am I always the last to find out 
- you just can't do it. I guess I could see some sort of religious dictatorship (i.e taliban, the church long ago), but I don't see that happening here and that would probably not be good for any of us.
