 |
|
|
|
June 30th, 2011
06:41 PM ET
Atheists flying ad campaign meets strong resistanceBy Katie Glaeser, CNN (CNN)–It's a battle of belief - and the right not to believe - in a country founded on freedom. "I'm a patriotic American. I served my country. I get out there and celebrate the Fourth, too," Blair Scott, who calls himself a proud atheist, proclaimed. "This America belongs to everyone." Blair, the communications director for the New Jersey-based American Atheists, said atheists in the United States often feel alienated and face accusations of being anti-American because of their lack of belief in God. To combat those notions, his group is using Independence Day to say atheists love their country, too. But the way they're spreading their message might have Americans looking to the sky this Fourth of July and finding something besides fireworks to stir emotion. Planes with banners that read "God-LESS America" or "Atheism is Patriotic" will be flying over 27 states on Monday. While people might be leery to see the messages overhead, the $23,000 campaign has had a struggle with those who are supposed to bring it to life. Justin Jaye of Fly Signs Aerial Advertising, who is orchestrating the flights for American Atheists, said out of the 85 people in the country who fly these sign-pulling planes only about 17 have agreed to fly the messages. "I've been in this business for 20 years and I've never run into so much resistance on people flying," Jaye said. "I've had pilots who are actual atheists who said, 'Justin, I am an atheist and I won't fly it because I can't wear a bulletproof vest.'" Dave Silverman, president of American Atheists, says the reaction to the organization's campaign before it takes off shows how much work the group still needs to do. "This is a clear reminder of why we need to keep fighting because the bigotry against us is so thick that a lot of the pilots are afraid to fly our banners," he said. Jaye said while some feared for their lives, others feared for their marriages. He had one pilot say his wife would divorce him if he made the flight. Red Calvert, a pilot and president of Pro-Air Enterprises in Indianapolis, said his reasons to decline the flight were based on his personal beliefs. "I respect our country and I respect our churches and we've got enough problems in our country without stirring up some more," he said. "If those people want to do something they believe in, fine, just don't include me." The American Atheists hope to draw attention and spur public discussion through their campaign on Monday. "It's going to remind people that atheism is at that ballgame and at that beach and at that parade. We are patriotic people," Silverman said. soundoff (2,835 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Next »
Next entry »My Take: Wired pastor says unplug
« Previous entryWeightlifting body changes dress code, benefits Muslim woman
|
  About this blog
The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
|
|
|
LEPRECHAUN KING - For all the religious people here, I am copying a posting I once saved from a while back from a guy nameed Colin, which sums up everything:
I believe that the Leprechaun King loves me and hears my prayers. He intervenes in my life periodically by saving me from various ills. All I have to do is think to myself and he reads my mind and answers my prayers. He loves me and when I die, provided I have lived a good life, I will go to Leprechaun Heaven, where I will live happily ever after with all other humans who have ever led good lives.
I know there is not a lot of evidence to support my beliefs, but that is just the point. The Leprechaun King wants us to have “faith,” so he never reveals himself. To make an unambiguous appearance and settle once and for all the question of his existence would deprive us of free will and, even though he is all knowing, he would not know who his true believers were. In fact, I believe that the Leprechaun King is “beyond understanding”. He is “outside the Universe” and any time I am faced with something about my Leprechaun belief that makes no sense, I don’t dare question it, I just close my mind and tell myself that "the Leprechaun King moves in mysterious ways" or that my mind is too small to understand the greatness of the Leprechaun King. These are satisfying answers to me.
Some people, called “atheists,” are skeptical of my belief in the Leprechaun King. They point out many inherent contradictions and unsupported assumptions that underwrite my belief in Leprechauns. But, they can’t prove he doesn’t exist, so he must exist. They also can't definitively explain where the Universe came from or how life on Earth first started, so it must be the Leprechaun King.
And so what! Even if I am wrong, and go my whole life believing in nonexistent Leprechauns, I have lost nothing. However, if they are wrong, the Leprechaun King will send them to hell to burn forever in the presence of the Evil Ground Troll.
Am I convincing you to believe in Leprechauns yet?
Written by Colin
Nope
In fact you have proven why people pretend they are religious – Fear. Without fear, xtianity and muslim wouldn't exist.
Which is why I treat religion as ppooorrrrnnn and keep it away from kids until they are old enough. Then again, the religious don't like that. The brainwashing sticks better when you start it with children.
Let kids be kids.
Only in America would we have the minority groups creating an issue. America was founded by Christian men and created as a Christian Nation, just as Asia was created as a Budist Nation and Middle East as a Muslin Nation. The only difference is that in other countries, this tempertantram BS would not be acceptable. So no one says that any group of people, color, race, religion, etc, are any more patriotic or any less an American. If this man feels that America is not being fair to him, he is free to move to a Muslim Nation and give this campaign a try there.
Didn't realize America was a theocracy. Thanks for enlightening me!
@Jontee So we should emulate intolerant societies that muzzle minorities and adhere to some religion that is locally predominant as a matter of historical accident?
I was raised Catholic but I got turned off when I realized that pedophiles used preisthood to get access to kids. I know, not all priests are pedophiles. Also I find it interesting that many pro-life people are ok with the death penalty. What happened to Thou Shalt Not Kill? Hypocrites UNITE!
The pedos were not the worst crimes. The worst were committed by the popes, bishops and cardinals to deny small children help. Had they helped the child rather than to protect their own reputation first, many children would not have committed suicide and others mentally ill due to the abuses.
Today, mothers cried to their death for their lost children. What does the catholic church do to harm them? They lobby to stop laws that would expose the truth. The truth is the greatest healer. Sad this religion wants to hide the truth and the catholics help them with $$$ donations.
Then again, attend a catholic university? You are just giving the church more dollars to do as they please.
Third place and gaining as we type:
o http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html
oReligion >>Adherents
Christianity 2.1 billion
Islam 1.5 billion
Irreligious/agnostic/atheism 1.1 billion
Hinduism 900 million
Chinese traditional religion 394 million
Buddhism 376 million
Animist religions 300 million
African traditional/diasporic religions 100 million
Sikhism 23 million
Juche 19 million
Spiritism 15 million
Judaism 14 million
Baha'i 7 million
Jainism 4.2 million
Shinto 4 million
Cao Dai 4 million
Zoroastrianism 2.6 million
Tenrikyo 2 million
Neo-Paganism 1 million
Unitarian Universalism 800,000
Rastafari Movement 600,000
1.5 million Conservative Jews and there rabbis have concluded that Abraham, based on lack of text and architectural evidence, probably did not exist. Therefore Christianity, Islam and Judaism have no foundation and fail as religions moving irreligious, atheists and agnostics to the top of the list.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Mankind is threatened by paganism, atheism, papacy and last but not least Islam.
No, Rainer, mankind is threatened by ingnorance, of which religion with its insistance upon blind faith is a major culprit.
It's hard to see how a negative belief is a "threat" to this world. Atheists don't believe in God. We don't believe that we are going to a "special place", whereas everyone else is going to burn in hell. Thoughts like that seem way more threatening to me.
@Maze
Sorry, first some doctrine, to make you understanding.
According to the doctrine of the Christian faith, every human being is affected by the original sin. What does that mean practically? Answer: We are all very inclined to sin.
If our inclination to sin is never damped down, we become obdurate sinners. Obdurate sinner is not merely a theoretical term, but obdurate sinners really harm their fellow human beings. They are not able to love with affection.
You got me? Paganism and atheism deny deliverance in Christ, thus indirectly they promote bad behaviour and thus unhappyness. Papacy has chased away Christ ,and thus in the RCC there is also no deliverance. Islam doesn't know deliverance at all.
@WonderSpring
Funny that you said: "pre-war Germans". You imply, we had become better or we had improved. I tell you: Not at all. We are as backward as the pre-war Germans. You need a proof?
German government has decided to sell 200 high tech tanks to Saudi Arabia. Of course Saudi Arabia will never use the tanks to attack Israel. That is absolutely sure (in the eyes of German government).
"""German government has decided to sell 200 high tech tanks to Saudi Arabia. Of course Saudi Arabia will never use the tanks to attack Israel."""
Saudi Arabia isn't interested in attacking Israel with tanks. Those tanks were purchased to control their own population.
God's son became man, but he didn't become another man's son! Are you saying that Joseph cuckolded god? I always thought it was supposed to be the other way around!
Is that from "Lord of The Rings"?
@John Richardson
Of course Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. By a miracle Christ came into the womb of the Virgin Mary. The people just thought, he would be Joseph's son.
Good point. Mathew spends the entire first chapter establishing the Davidic line, through Joseph. Then says it wasn't his. Oops.
Oh, so now Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, which leaves BOTH Joseph AND God the "Father" feeling like a couple of damned fools, I bet!
@John Richardson
Spiritual truths can solely be grasped by faith, which is caused by the Holy Spirit. Ask God for giving you the Spirit, then you will understand all.
There is any creator, you can grasp by reason.
Jesus is The Creator. Do you understand?
@Rainer Ah yes, just ask that randy little devil the Holy Spirit to help you accept the incoherent mumbo jumbo and all will be well. Nah. That trick won't work on me. If it's incoherent, one's job as a rational human being is not to find some way to "accept it anyway" (with or without spirits who are in the habit of sticking it to someone else's betrothed), but to reject it altogether.
John is obviously conflict averse. I like a good, strong debate and the more sarcasm, the better! Let's think and laugh at the same time and NOT retreat into sullen silence, fearful of making waves.
You either believe that your rights are given by GOD or by man. If there is no GOD, you have no rights other than what those men in power grant to you. Read the Declaration of Independence.
No God, Just us, sorry. Religion was the first attempt at law making by men, you guys just have taken it to far.
OK, go to North Korea and start handing out pamphlets and when they come to arrest you, tell them to buzz off, since it doesn't matter what rights the local power elite recognize, as your right to free speech is god given! If you're lucky, you may get to meet Bill Clinton on your ride back home after several months in jail.
Hey Occupation. They soon realized they could gain power with religion. We both know that religion has had 1,000's of years to figure out the right tactics. The tactic that worked best was fear. Without fear, there would likely be no xtianiy or muslim.
What does patriotism have to do with atheism anyway? People can be atheistic and be the kindest people who share the same goals, values, and mores as a person who claims to be a "Christian."
The political right in this country, in order to develop a stronger power base, started pandering to extremist Christians about 30 or 40 years ago. The religious right is in the habit of labeling anyone who has an honest intellectual disagreement with them as "unpatriotic". It is their nuclear option whenever they can't win a debate on the facts. That is literally (and, no, I don't mean "figuratively") the *only* connection between atheism and unpatriotism.
This story speaks to the power of God!! Why would so many people who don't believe in someone take so much time trying to explain him away? The fact that atheists spend so much time trying to denigrate God does nothing more than increase my faith in Him. If they are so absolutely sure in their beliefs, why don't they let them speak for themselves instead of trying to shove them down everyone's throat! Yes...I am a Christian, but I let my life speak for the goodness of my God. No need to try and shove him down someone's throat, His word speaks for itself!!
Believe what you want, but that is some very twisted reasoning on your part, Child.
Many sects of Christianity consider it their mission to "shove down the throats." I've never had an atheist knock on my door and shove "The Watchtower" under my nose.
Evangelical Christianity (and ALL other religions) is silly, but dangerous. It's dangerous because it affects government policy, often in detrimental ways. It discourages logic, common sense, and scientific fact. All who follow this nonsense have been brainwashed or deluded in some way. And I'm really getting impatient and generally P****D OFF at this country because of it.
Easy for you to say, you are in the MAJORITY. Christianity is shoved down our throats on a daily basis.
@KingOfErehwon...my reasoning is twisted? Why...because you don't agree with it? OK...I guess that's what you call an intelligent come back.
@TRH...So you put all religions in a little box and make general statements about them all?!? That's pretty intelligent as well. The Jehovah's Witnesses are the ones that knock on your door and provide you a "Watch Tower." I don't agree with their ideology either, so I guess that's one thing we have in common. Christianity is not dangerous...it is the religious zealots who are dangerous. Everyone that calls themselves Christians are in fact not all Christians. They think that because they go to church on Sunday that it makes them a Christian. That's like someone riding on a plane and then calling themselves a pilot. True Christians are not brainwashed just because we believe in God and his word. We are no more brainwashed than the average person who believes everything that they read in a history book or science book. Different books with different authors relating their own personal interpretations of different events.
@Maze...Yes, according to statistics I am in the Majority. However I don't agree with those statistics. There are more people who are just religious and call themselves Christians than there are true Christians. Those on the outside looking in can't tell the difference. Sadly, you are one of those people. It is unfortunate that you have encountered more religious people than true Christians. May you all have a wonderfully patriotic Independence Day!!!
Child (of a non-existent god):
You said: "His word speaks for itself!!" If that were so, then why did you find it necessary to post?
Personally, I've yet to see proof of god having said anything. Got any specific evidence to the contrary?
"""Christianity is not dangerous...it is the religious zealots who are dangerous."""
This is a disingenuous argument.
Christian mythology gives zealots the motivation for their violence. Christianity is the fuel for their fire.
Now, just so you understand I'm all for equal-opportunity, the above applies equally well to Islam.
Why is it that religions hold so much hate? I see more intolerance from the "main" religions than any other belief system. " If you don't believe what I do you are evil." Hate is not very Christian is it? Jesus preached love. People use religion to judge others.
In our great country everyone can worship or not worship as they please. There is nothing wrong with people not believing in God and it doesn't make them unpatriotic. Just because you believe in God doesn't mean you are correct and just because someone doesn't believe in God doesn't mean that they are correct either. The truth is that we will not know until we die. So stop hating others for their beliefs. How about we teach love and kindness instead of hate for people that are different than us?
Atheists and Sodomites and baby-killing women should be just grateful they are allowed to live with safety in the society. The American goodness and generosity turned into a woe by these parasites.
@WonderSpring
It is important to distinguish between obdurate sinners and naive sinners. Even (naive) sodomites can repent.
In a certain way the obdurate sinners and the Church are enemies, but this a highly sensitive business.
Ya'll know how to type? Wonder Spring, you should just call yourself Hillbilly and be proud!
WonderSpring, you are a total idiot.
You are truly delusional and intolerant.
Wonderspring is making a great case as to why religion is inherently dangerous. If he had it his way I'm sure he'd like to play judge, jury, and executioner. Might I recommend he read John 8:7.
"""Atheists and Sodomites and baby-killing women should be just grateful they are allowed to live with safety in the society. The American goodness and generosity turned into a woe by these parasites."""
Spoken by a true Islamic fanatic.
You ARE a Muslim right? Right?
not a shred of evidence that there is a diety of any sort. some humans just don't get it. the sun comes up, the bird doesn't wonder how it was made, it just sings.
I challenge you to prove there is not.
One doesn't have to "prove" weather something "doesn't" exist. For instance, I don't have to prove Unicorns or the Tooth Fairy doesn't exist. The burden is on the believer of these things to actually prove their existence. Otherwise, prove to me that Unicorns don't exist. It could be that they just aren't visible or audible to humans.
@WonderSpring
Which denomination do you belong to?
Protestant. Inter-denominational.
I think he meant: Protestor and inter-species....
“We may hope that our leaders and our government stand up for our ideals, and there are many times in our history when that’s occurred. But when our laws, our leaders or our government are out of alignment with our ideals, then the dissent of ordinary Americans may prove to be one of the truest expressions of patriotism.”
Barack Obama, June 30, 2008
Contrast that with:
"If ya ain't with me, yer aginst me." GW Bush
Athiests can see outside the mind-washing religous box. You don't have to be religious to be a good person. If religion helps you with your morals, good for you. But whos to say that your religion is the only right religion? The bible has been altered so much over time, and as well as it's contradictions and parts that people say "oh well that was in old times we don't need to follow that part anymore" I can't feel like i can put 100% trust in it. Live a good life, that's all.
Old Adolph had the same philosophy – the religion of self. What you espose is nothing more -and it is a direct defiance of our God-given human nature, which was made to follow him, or suffer the conseqences.
Your' problem isn't with religion -it is with God -You simply will not serve.
Here is a simple resolution to your problem! We don't need you reminding the remaining world of believers that the Bible has been written many times, we know that, we don't need you propagating your thoughts on this or others beliefs we don't go around stammering "shoot the athiest" or "damn those athiests" or "look at those freaks" and especially send out hate mail to athiests. The propaganda trail is the sign of your insecurity in what one would call belief. I bet by the time the final hour arrives for any athiest, they won't be reaching for the "A" symbol, they be speaking "God, I sure hope you forgive me for my idiotic ways!"
Dude, your bible labels atheist as "wicked" and condemns them to eternal damnation. I'm sorry but I don't recall putting my "faith" in any book that says such things about anyone. I might think religious folks are misguided wishful thinkers, but even that doesn't justify eternal torment at high temperatures.
The only "A" symbol I am aware of is the circled 'A' that is an anarchist symbol, not an atheist symbol. Well, by "anarchist" I mean those perennially adolescent window smashers who nominally oppose government but apparently support government subsidy, especially subsidies for people like them to remain "students" twenty years after entering college. Anarchists, even of this addled sort, are no doubt overwhelmingly atheist, but most atheists are thankfully not anarchists of any sort, least of all this sort.
Anyway, if proselytizing one's belief is proof of insecurity, I guess that makes Christians the most insecure of all!
I need to be reminded that there are athiests at the beach??? Give me a break. Sounds like athiests have poor self-esteem and need advertisements in the air to feel good about themselves. LOL.
Without a doubt, they sit pretty preaching their beliefs, (wait they have no beliefs) anyways, they do what they do and then out of the side of their mouths come down on the world for believing in God, Religion or anything that don't suit them. The old saying goes, "you don't see an athiest in fox holes!" BRING IT!
Poor ShoeShineBoy, you just don't get it, do you?
There are a lot of atheists in the military. Far fewer in prison.
Shoeshineboy: "Sounds like athiests have poor self-esteem and need advertisements in the air to feel good about themselves."
Really? Is that why they have Christian (and theist) stuff plastered everywhere - from money, to billboards, to bumper stickers, to placards at sports games, to crosses on hillsides, to Touchdown Jesus, and on an on and on ad nauseum...? Get real.
The Bible classifies atheists as fools. Self-smartness with evil intent of American atheists is a genuine woe. Read Romans chapter 1.
Why should I give a crap what your bible says?
Atheists utter perpetually, they would be more intelligent than Christians. For my sake let it be true. May the atheists be the most intelligent people on earth. I just wonder, why they don't use their high intelligence sometimes.
No faith is necessary to grasp that their is a creator. Everybody with a sane mind will accept the existence of any creator. High or low intelligence doesn't matter in this connection.
Obviously, atheists see themselves forced to deny their own (high) intelligence, because they don't want to accept God's existence.
I guess, mostly, atheists are people, don't want to bother themselves with a bad conscience. Instead of crying for deliverance, they start to deceive themselves and say: "Bad conscience is just pure imagination." In order to get rid of any awareness of personal sinfulness, they even daresay: "There is no God!" No religion, no cry!
Atheists deny the spiritual Creation, which we live in. The invisible world is as real like the visible word. Ignoring spiritual reallities, can have the same consequences like ignoring the sign of a oneway: a crash.
Dear atheist, don't abuse your intelligence to destroy yourself by ignoring real signs.
I admit, we live in a secularized society and the Church is very weak. By rebuilding a strong Church, Christian life could become feasible again. The Church's task is it to comfort suffering souls. In the Church you can find deliverance and forgiveness. The great commission (given to her by Christ) of the Church: Taking care of peoples salvation.
Solely by faith we are able to grasp: The Creator of the whole universe is Jesus from Nazareth, the carpenters son.
We live in a spiritual creation? I see lots of physical objects. They're all over the place. You can stub your toe or even break your neck on them if you aren't careful. Ok, So where are all the spirits?
Yo Rainer, you just called the son of god a son of a carpenter! Blasphemy!
Rainer, some Americans have become worse than the pre-war Germans nowadays. It's beyond com-pre-hension why these Americans hate Christianity so much when they received everything excellent and vital from it. It's so surreal. Years of moral chaos and ungodly liberal education must have had tolls on the people. When the nation is facing the climate disasters and destructive foreign threats at that. A picture of perfect self-destructiveness. The Endtime, I guess.
@John Richardson
This is the deep mystery of Christianity: God's eternal Son became man.
religion requires the suppression of intelligence, genius, lol
"No faith is necessary to grasp that their is a creator. Everybody with a sane mind will accept the existence of any creator. High or low intelligence doesn't matter in this connection."
Uh, wrong, faith is exactly what is necessary to believe in something unprovable. The fact that you can't even acknowledge that means that you cannot even be objective about your own beliefs. How can you presume to preach to others about what they do and don't believe, and try to use logic to argue your point, if you can't see your faith objectively for what it is??