Author Topic: Atheism and the USA, followup (Read 10525 times)

Arlo · « **Reply #255 on:** May 21, 2006, 08:03:36 PM »

So you don't believe there is no God?

Chairboy · « **Reply #256 on:** May 21, 2006, 09:16:52 PM »

Almost. I don't believe there IS a god.

Arlo · « **Reply #257 on:** May 21, 2006, 09:17:54 PM »

You believe there is no God.

Vulcan · « **Reply #258 on:** May 22, 2006, 12:47:33 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Hangtime
I realize that my presence on and in this topic may be easily misconstrued to mean that I am an enemy of 'the church'. I am not. I am my own enemy, and require no other.

Watch what you confess too hang... before you know it you'll be strapped to a stake with a BBQ roaring underneath you.

lazs2 · « **Reply #259 on:** May 22, 2006, 09:03:34 AM »

chair... how do you get that I am "upset"? I am just saying the same thing that most logical people say... If you are an "athiest" if you have to name your belief then you are simply trading one religion for another...

And... much like the way you accuse the religious of hate and intollerance and ureasonable belief... your athiesm is a mirror image.

Like I have said... I know poeple who have seen ghosts and aliens..... I am not about to say they have not... I have a feeling that they haven't or that those things don't exist but am open mided about it.

I don't make it a big deal to ridicule em or come up with a name for my disbelief. I freely admit that they may be right. It is very possible.

If pointing out that you are a faith based belief in your athiesm is being "upset" or if pointing out that you are on a campain against religion means I am "upset" then so be it... the clues are not hard to see tho... your rant about how you have had preaching shoved down your throat all your life pretty much shows a hate based intolerance on your part tho.

Seagoons and others faith does not bother me in the least. I hope it gives them comfort and realize that they could be right... your faith in athiesm is just mean and nasty and striking out. It is also the hieght of hypocracy. You are doing what you accuse the people you feel have harmed you did.... You are using a faith based belief to try to hurt people by mocking their faith.

lazs

Thud · « **Reply #260 on:** May 22, 2006, 10:46:07 AM »

It is ridiculously amusing that all of the religious boardmembers and their supporters stubbornly keep trying to focus any discussion on religion on atheism being a faith or religion as well.

Not believing is not a faith or religion as long as the opposite has not been proven.
Someone who uses no drugs whatsoever would be addicted to keeping clean by this infantile reasoning. Off to rehab with them!!

Keeping an open mind to religion is like giving the Nigerian moneyscam the benefit of the doubt till you still have not received your part of the huge heritage you have helped to secure after ten years.
Are you an agnostic or believer when you find the mail from mr. Nkwankwo in your inbox?

Ah well, not expecting any better of a country where an overwhelming majority of citizens believes that atheists can not be trusted.

Hangtime · « **Reply #261 on:** May 22, 2006, 11:02:34 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Thud

Ah well, not expecting any better of a country where an overwhelming majority of citizens believes that atheists can not be trusted.

Here's how it works.. you stop by to pick up your prom date; the father wants to know what church you belong to. The job interview wanders around your 'hobbies and do you belong to a church?'

For most of us, 'bending' a bit and putting on the nice clothes and trying to create a good impression involves a bit of a masqurade, doesn't it?

Sad thing is, the exceeding majority of us play right along.

Thud · « **Reply #262 on:** May 22, 2006, 11:11:36 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Hangtime
Here's how it works.. you stop by to pick up your prom date; the father wants to know what church you belong to. The job interview wanders around your 'hobbies and do you belong to a church?'

That is universal, the only thing I find perhaps even more peculiar is that for example Budhists do not express the moral superiority and (semi-)active conversion / intrusion routine that seems to be ubiquitous in virtually all christians and muslims I know (same for orthodox Jews if it weren't for their tendency to isolate themselves).

Flatbar · « **Reply #263 on:** May 22, 2006, 11:32:50 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Hangtime

Sad thing is, the exceeding majority of us play right along.

I don't know if it's a sad situation, as an athiest I find myself in lots of situations where my respect for others religious beliefs takes precidense over my own.

For instance, situations where there's a call for prayer at a public function. Although I won't bow my head I'll not disrupt the prayer by continuing whatever I'm doing, a minute of being respectful of others religion doesn't hurt one bit.

One situation where I can be disrespectful is when someone tries to enlighten me at my front door, that is where my respect for religion tends to break down. I suppose that my reaction to that situation would be similar to a religious persons reaction if some athiest came knocking on their door trying to convert them.

Jackal1 · « **Reply #264 on:** May 22, 2006, 11:51:40 AM »

Question.
What do atheist preachers such as Chair thump while not spreading the non-word?

Toad · « **Reply #265 on:** May 22, 2006, 12:09:19 PM »

Their heads on the desk, I think.

Chairboy · « **Reply #266 on:** May 22, 2006, 12:37:40 PM »

Lukster never answered the whole 'tax exempt' question for atheism. Hells bells, if I'm an atheist preacher, then I should be able to write off just about everything as a 'church expense'.

Wait, why are churches tax exempt again?

lukster · « **Reply #267 on:** May 22, 2006, 02:41:09 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Chairboy
Lukster never answered the whole 'tax exempt' question for atheism. Hells bells, if I'm an atheist preacher, then I should be able to write off just about everything as a 'church expense'.

Wait, why are churches tax exempt again?

Huh? I did answer your question. I said it's fine by me if an atheist church is exempted from taxation. You better check the laws regarding those "church expenses" though.

lazs2 · « **Reply #268 on:** May 22, 2006, 02:47:08 PM »

chair... I think that if you called your athiesm a church and were completely non profit you could indeed be tax free.

thud... the example you gave is a bad one... if you sent money to the nigerian then you believed in him... If you did not it could mean a lot of things...

Agnostic is understandable. Athiest is very much faith based. Why would you even care? What would be wrong with just answering that you didn't know when asked about a belief in god? You can't possibly know can you?

You don't know about aliens or ghosts either but I bet you say... "I don't know" you don't get all huffy about it and try to hurt those who do believe. Obviously... you don't bother to put a name to it if you don't believe in ghosts or aliens do you?

saying "I am an athiest" is simply saying that you have an agenda. How else do you base such a belief except on faith? In my short lifetime I have never met an athiest who didn't strongly dislike religious people. Why is that?

Holden McGroin · « **Reply #269 on:** May 22, 2006, 03:00:44 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Chairboy
Wait, why are churches tax exempt again?

Perhaps the same reason that American Atheists, Inc. is?