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 The group American Atheists has placed this billboard in New York City's Times Square.
December 21st, 2013
10:22 AM ET
Why atheists should quit the 'War on Christmas’Opinion by Chris Stedman, special to CNN
In recent years, one organization, American Atheists, has claimed the mantle of prime atheist promoter of the tired “War on Christmas” narrative. This year, they ushered in the season with an electronic billboard in New York City’s Times Square carrying the message: “Who needs Christ during Christmas? Nobody.” The word "Christ" is crossed out, just in case their message wasn't clear enough. The American Atheists maintain that their latest entry in the annual “War on Christmas” saga is a message to other atheists that they are not alone. In a recent Fox News appearance, American Atheists President Dave Silverman said, “The point that we’re trying to make is that there’s a whole bunch of people out there for whom religion is the worst part of Christmas, but they go to church anyways, and we’re here to tell them they don’t have to.” While that intention is important and admirable, very few people—atheist or theist—seem to interpret the message as welcoming to anyone. Many of the responses I’ve seen have been vitriolic and disturbingly anti-atheist. Which raises the question: If the goal truly is to reach isolated atheists, why does the advertisement read as a dig at Christians? A better billboard for American Atheists’s stated aim might read: “Don’t celebrate Christmas? You’re not alone.” As atheists become more visible in our society, the entire “War on Christmas” back-and-forth feels ugly and unnecessary. Worse still, it seems to do little more than offer ammunition to those claiming atheists are just mean-spirited grinches. Bill O’Reilly—one of the major “War on Christmas” soldiers—made that clear when he and I discussed the “War on Christmas” a couple of weeks ago. Let’s not kid ourselves: There is no war on Christmas. We live in a culture that privileges stories of conflict, so it’s understandable that this narrative would gain traction—with or without billboards. Much of this narrative is a manifestation of religious fears about our increasingly secular society, and it reflects widespread anxieties about atheists and religious differences. But it doesn’t reflect reality. Rather, as religious diversity in the U.S. has become more recognizable, Americans have largely broadened their approach to this time of year. According to new data from the Public Religion Research Institute, the percentage of Americans who prefer the inclusive “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings” has now exceeded the percentage that prefers “Merry Christmas.” It’s not that Christmas is under attack; instead, our society is becoming better at embracing its religious diversity and challenging the notion that a single majority religion should dominate public expressions of belief. So why does the “War on Christmas” narrative persist? Based on how much play they give it each December, the “War on Christmas” narrative seems to be good for Fox News ratings. And American Atheists has openly admitted that it is good for their pocketbooks, as their talk show appearances bring in a swell of donations. Consider this from a recent profile of Silverman: “Silverman’s notorious anti-Christmas billboards and subsequent TV appearances have breathed new life into American Atheists and are often followed by an uptick in subscribers and donations. ... According to Silverman, the primary objective of the billboards is to get invitations to talk shows.” In other words: American Atheists and Fox News - alongside conservatives like Sarah Palin - seem to have discovered a mutually beneficial relationship. But does this relationship benefit atheists more broadly? Does it accurately represent the sentiments of nontheists in this country? Does it improve atheist-theist relations? Does it lessen the widespread stigma and distrust that exists between atheists and theists, which enables atheist marginalization across the U.S.? Does it invite Christians to think critically about religious privilege? Many atheists, myself included, suspect that there are more effective approaches to tackling these important issues. To start, atheists can build positive relationships with believers to humanize our communities and educate one another about our differences. That’s something that billboards, for all of their flash and fundraising capabilities, likely won’t accomplish. Atheists face real marginalization in the U.S., and it should be robustly challenged. But we also have good tidings and great joy to offer—important contributions to the public square that are currently being drowned out by attention-grabbing billboards claiming “nobody” needs Christ in Christmas. In the spirit of generosity, compassion, and kindness so often associated with this time of year, let’s ditch the billboards and build relationships of goodwill. Chris Stedman is the Assistant Humanist Chaplain at Harvard University, Coordinator of Humanist Life for the Yale Humanist Community, and author of "Faitheist: How an Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious." You can follow him on Twitter at @ChrisDStedman. The views expressed in this column belong to Stedman. soundoff (5,210 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 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 Next »
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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.  |
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(CNN) - The “War on Christmas:” what — or who—is it good for?
Once upon a time there were great kingdoms with people who believed that their rulers were descendants of god or gods. Again, "once upon a time". That kind of nonsense no longer exists, and these great descendants of god are now fodder for the tabloids. Religion as a whole will eventually be part of that "once upon a time" and along with it will go religion's history of war, murder and death. And good riddance..
"It tends to be forgotten however, that the most ruthless leaders in the Second World War were atheists and secularists who were intensely hostile to both Judaism and Christianity" and "Later massive atrocities were committed in the East by those ardent atheists, Pol Pot and Mao Zedong. All religions, all ideologies, all civilizations display embarrassing blots on their pages".
You gonna mention that you got this from Wikipedia Geoff? Or was it the conspiracy theory site? How about a little credit when you steal other people's words?
"It should be stated that Geoff obviously doesn't know the difference between totalitarian regimes and individual atheism; no one was ever killed in the name if atheism. Millions have died in the name of religion."
~ 8675309
I like how you imgaine being an individual atheist makes you untouchable. Like all of society's problems are other people's fault. Not yours. Sorry, but atheism doesn't cure people of their flaws and defects.
Atheists murder and harm other people for the exact same kind of reasons religious people murder and harm other people.
It is a human problem, not a religion problem.
And I like how you projected a lot of things into my post that wasn't stated, or even implied.
Sorry if I misunderstood.
I thought you were saying atheism would prevent wars, murders and evil.
What is the difference between totalitarian regimes and individual religious belief?
I mean, if those regimes aren't really atheist. Couldn't you say the other regimes aren't really Christian or Muslim or whatever? Like how many people used pseudo science in wars against people, maybe pseudo religion was used, too?
Oh, goodness, no.
I think those things would exist regardless.
8675309, you violated a man made debate rule of asserting an unprovable negative.
Aggie, again I don't consider myself ANYTHING. Labeling myself would only give credence to religion itself. Saying that anyone is Atheist or Agnostic is saying that religions are all powerful and that I must label myself something because I don't believe in that nonsense. And as far as criminals go, less than .5% of the US prison population are "non-believers".
I wish you wouldn't label other people.
And that is convenient you'll accept the label when it points to something in your favor, like prison population.
Prisons are mostly filled with economically challenged minorities, especially African-Americans.
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/news/2012/03/13/11351/the-top-10-most-startling-facts-about-people-of-color-and-criminal-justice-in-the-united-states/
" The war on drugs has been waged primarily in communities of color where people of color are more likely to receive higher offenses. According to the Human Rights Watch, people of color are no more likely to use or sell illegal drugs than whites, but they have higher rate of arrests. African Americans comprise 14 percent of regular drug users but are 37 percent of those arrested for drug offenses. From 1980 to 2007 about one in three of the 25.4 million adults arrested for drugs was African American."
Crazy!
And about a quarter of the prison pop is psychopathic. That's another big letdown by science that the mob doesn't care about. And how does a Christian meet parole board standards when he tells em they are dirtbag dustballs on the way to hell for following the dirtbag dustball Freud??
@lol??: elaborate.
Prisons are filled with people who broke the law. I could care less why. It's allot easier not to break the law than to break it. I have no sympathy for anyone in prison besides maybe the falsely accused. And it's hilarious to me how religions "save" prisoners. Haha. Go out and murder someone, and then come join our for-profit religion in prison, we'll accept you and you will go to heaven. It's all a scam just like Publishers Clearing House. Happy New Years to all! I'm out.
Yea, it would be cool if you didn't put labels on other people.
You, know, like you do for yourself.
@geoffrey blainey-"It tends to be forgotten however, that the most ruthless leaders in the Second World War were atheists and secularists
WRONG- hitler was a catholic not atheist. your god in the bible killed a lot of people from the paraoh's people (during exodus) and all first born, all the way to the great flood noah's ark) to sodom and gomorah.
In your bible have you ever read the devil, satan, lucifer or the devil himself killed anyone? from old testament to new testament? they only possesed them but noe killed
"Hitler was NOT a Christian. He hated Christianity. If he made any public remarks in support of Christianity, that was because he was in public and would lie or obfuscate to appease a crowd at times. Hitler was opposed to atheism because he was a spiritual man: “atheism… is a return to the state of the animal…” But opposition to atheism doesn’t make anyone a Christian. Nazism was his religion, an authentic religion of his own creation (yes, life is SO much better when people create their own personal religions in a search for “authenticity,” ha)"
Accountability is assured.
Jhn 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
“Christianity is a rebellion against natural law, a protest against nature. Taken to its logical extreme, Christianity would mean the systematic cultivation of the human failure."
“Hence today I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord.”
- Adolph Hitler, Mein Kampf
". If he made any public remarks in support of Christianity, that was because he was in public and would lie or obfuscate to appease a crowd at times." – Top post
“Christianity is the worst of the regressions that mankind can ever have undergone, and it’s the Jew who, thanks to this diabolic invention, has thrown him back fifteen centuries.”
– Hitler
“The fact that the Jpanese have retained their political philosophy, which is one of the essential reasons for their successes, is due to their having been saved in time from the views of Christianity.”
Adolph Hitler (he admired that Jpan was not a Christian nation)
I think that we can safely say that Hitler, who was raised a catholic, used christianity when it was politically expedient.
Hitler Hated Christianity,
Yes, it was the support of so many Christians that helped Hitler.
He had over 600,000 Christians killed. He was horrible to Christians that put Jesus before the Nazis.
Sorry, 600,000 Catholics. 3 million total Christians killed.
Message for his supporters:
“My feeling as a Christian points me to my Lord and Savior as a fighter. It points me to the man who once in loneliness, surrounded only by a few followers, recognized these Jews for what they were and summoned men to fight against them and who, God's truth! was greatest not as a sufferer but as a fighter. In boundless love as a Christian and as a man I read through the passage which tells us how the Lord at last rose in His might and seized the scourge to drive out of the Temple the brood of vipers and adders. How terrific was his fight against the Jewish poison. Today, after two thousand years, with deepest emotion I recognize more profoundly than ever before the fact that it was for this that He had to shed his blood upon the Cross. As a Christian I have no duty to allow myself to be cheated, but I have the duty to be a fighter for truth and justice.”
- Adolph Hitler, Munich, April, 1922
Lip service.
" It seems Hitler, like many modern-day politicians, spoke out of both sides of his mouth. And when he didn't, his lackeys did. It may have been political pandering, just like many of our current politicians who invoke God's name to gain support.
Also, it seems probable that Hitler, being the great manipulator, knew that he couldn't fight the Christian churches and their members right off the bat. So he made statements to put the church at ease and may have patronized religion as a way to prevent having to fight the Christian-based church. "
His actions and private words revealed he hated Christianity. Seriously.
"Historian Paul Johnson wrote that Hitler hated Christianity with a passion, adding that shortly after assuming power in 1933, Hitler told Hermann Rauschnig that he intended "to stamp out Christianity root and branch."
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1699/was-hitler-a-christian
Lies or not, here's another message for Hitler's supporters:
“Anyone who dares to lay hands on the highest image of the Lord commits sacrilege against the benevolent creator of this miracle and contributes to the expulsion from paradise.”
- Adolph Hitler, Mein Kampf
Yea. Sometimes he said pro Christian things. Sometimes he said horrible things about Christianity. And he certainly had a lot of Christians put to death. Most of his closest aides said he hated Christianity.
HITLER WAS ROMAN CATHOLIC–PERIOD. He was baptized, never renounced his faith, and the church never excommunicated him, and indeed celebrated his birthday right up until he died.
If you consider Catholics to be Christian, then Hitler was a Christian. To say otherwise is to fall into the "No True Scottsman' fallacy.
You can quote mine anyone who has an extensive public record of words. You could probably find a few quotes from John Paul II to cast doubt on his faith too. The truth is, most people go through different phases in their lives where they believe fervently, or disbelieve due to life setbacks. But it is intellectual dishonest to quote mine Hitler to be some sort of non-believer.
He was baptized Catholic. He never renounced his faith. The church never excommunicated him. He was Catholic. End of story.
IOW, organized religion is no better or worse than Atheism in terms of violence. Bravo.
Every single one of those people you mentioned weren't hostile to religion out of some great philosophical or atheist motivation. They were hostile for political reasons. If you want to be totally in control, you cannot allow anything else to exist that challenges the power of the state.
This is the same reason Emperors and Pharoahs just started calling themselves gods and having temples built to them after a while.
I know you,where you live,where you are urinating,i will come to ypu soon and slap three times on the groin to remind you that I exist.zi know its aching now because of U T I.
Religion is a delusion. jesus is imaginary.
As for the article... when Christians begin taking days off from aggressively promoting their religious agenda to the masses ....then we Atheists shall do like wise .... thanks all the same for your completely naive input on how we Atheists should conduct our business....
There is no "we" in atheism (it is a lower case "a"). Atheism just means you don't believe in God. It doesn't mean you all think alike and have the same grudge against Christians.
Oh, ooooohhh, another "Wegodian" fell out of the closet. It's a rule of thumb they have an appointment to come out. When you run out of external gods you elect yasef.
Jhn 10:34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
BTW, see the authorship claim??
Ignoramus. Jesus was inclusive.
Live the book, don't just recite it.
Fairy tale characters, like the jewish zombie, aren't inclusive are exclusive, they are simply make believe.
Gods were worshiped in ancient times to explain such things as comets, starts, lightning, thunder, volcano's etc. We are now a civilized and modern society and religion is just a relic of ancient times which which will soon disappear all together like every fad does. There is nothing to fear after death, or in life other than one's own stupidity and closed mind.
I fear clowns. And dentists.
I would add disheveled men running unkempt ice cream trucks to that list. Especially if they are playing Christmas carols in July.
Hot dog cart vendors ion New Orleans. Those guys touching food? I shudder at the thought.
Prove there is no God. Prove there is no after-life.
Prove that you are typing on a keyboard right now and are not just a dream in someone else's mind from another planet..
Right. You have faith, or a strong feeling, that there is no God. But you don't have proof.
I don't have proof aliens have not visited earth, that doesn't mean it is therefore valid to believe they have.
One cannot prove a negative, however there is no evidence for a god so why believe? After all christians cannot prove that Zeus does not exist but don't believe in him because there's no evidence.
I've never met anyone that believes in Zeus. Have you? Do you have a better analogy or comparison to use from reality?
Qi, Karma, the power of crystals...
You do know that it is impossible to disprove the existence of something which does not exist? You cannot prove leprechauns don't exist either, but that is no basis for believing in them.
The total lack of any evidence whatsoever is itself very strong evidence that something does not exist.
I think it takes a lot of faith to be an atheist. To be sure that there is no God. How can you be sure you have all the knowledge there is to know about this universe?
I'm not saying you have to subscribe to a particular religion. But to say there is no God? Even Einstein believed in God.
Aggie the agnostic: I also have faith, a strong belief that my butt doesn't poop diamonds, but I can't prove it. So you are right. It IS possible that my butt can poop diamonds.
Aggie,
"I think it takes a lot of faith to be an atheist. To be sure that there is no God."
Nothing about atheism claims a certainty that there is no god, those some particular subset of atheists may feel certainty. If you check the OED, atheism is EITHER the simple lack of belief or, more strongly, the disbelief in gods. But even that stronger form says nothing about certainty.
Tell that to the poster named "There is no God". There are atheists that actually say and believe that there is no God.
I have had atheists even call me a spineless humanist who goes soft of religion.
Methinks that Aggie is just a troll by any other name.
tallulah13
And you don't think "There is no God" is not a troll? What am I doing that is trolling? I'm trying to get this atheist to prove there is no god, God, or gods.
Seriously, you thinks I'm the troll? Why? Because I criticized an atheist?
I'm not atheist or any of that BS. Feel free to categorize yourself though if that makes you feel better about yourself and part of something...
Because you act like a troll, Aggie.
So does "there is no God", but you're much, MUCH more obvious.
I'm not sure exactly what a troll is but I'm 6' 3" tall so that doesn't fit me well. I was just reading some news on CNN and decided to comment about my thoughts. So if that makes me a troll, I'm a troll.
And you act like a troll, too. Who on here doesn't? Chris Stedman? The author of this article, the only one here who gets paid for his opinion?
Disingenuous, too.
In Internet slang, a troll is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, either accidentally or with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response.
Has nothing to do with your height.
Aggie, I acknowledged that there is a minority of atheists who feel sure there is no god, but that group is small and no representative of the majority of non-believers. Most may have high levels of confidence that particular gods are improbable but with regard to the idea of gods in general I do not know any among the hundreds on non-believers I have known that would assert certainty. No doubt you can find such nuts trolling the internet.
Right. You are trolling me, just like I trolled "There is No God' who was trying to troll anyone that would pay attention to him.
You calling me a troll... is trolling. 🙂
So I posted a comment/opinion about an article dealing with religion and atheism. My comments have been about religion or lack thereof. So essentially to you a troll is someone who's comment you do not agree with? And my remarks are only controversial to someone who does not agree with me. I find any talk of religious nonsense offensive, so I guess that every god-fearing human who doesn't agree with me on a CNN forum is a troll then?
You are like an atheist version of the Christian apologists.
I'm going to call a nut calling all religious people nuts a nut. The hypocrisy of religious people and non-religious people need to be pointed out.
And somebody saying there is no God is using the same kind of faith that someone uses to say there is a God. That is my opinion. And I will point that out.
Troll on!
Saraswati, it is extremely easy for me to believe that there is no god or gods at all, whatsoever, anywhere. Nada. Here's why: It makes sense. The bible is a great story. So is Lord Of The Rings. I've read both. But I'm not going to spend my days waiting for Frodo to "save me". Or that other character Jesus, Allah or any of that weird s***t. Believing in god is for the scared and weak who are too lazy to achieve their goals and be happy with themselves, their legacy and their achievements in life. It's easier to go to church and kneel, pray, sing, kneel pray sing etc. and then believe that you are going to heaven, than to create a real and realistic heaven in reality that you can take with you wherever you may go in death.
@There is...,
"it is extremely easy for me to believe that there is no god or gods at all, whatsoever, anywhere"
I was commenting on being sure, if you reread what ai wrote. ayou answered with a discussion of belief which is very different than being sure of one's belief.
There is no need to prove a fairy tale isn't real. Atheism is a lack of belief in supernatural deities. Do you believe in supernatural deities? If you answer yes, then you're a theist. If you answer no, then you're an atheist. If you refuse to answer the question with a yes or no, then you're an agnostic, which means ignorant. Fitting for a person that can't answer a simple yes or no question.
I'm agnostic. I have yet to see a convincing argument for either side. Most atheist arguments are about how the Bible is a fairy tale and Christians are delusional. It is all negative. Nobody proved God had to come from the Bible or that Christians know the only way.
I'd like to hear more atheist ideas that aren't just ridiculing Christianity. I'm tired of Christians. I'm tire of atheists that talk about Christians ALL THE TIME.
I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus
Underneath the misletoe last night.
She didn't see me creep
Down the stairs to have a peep;
She thought that I was tucked up
In my bedroom fast asleep.
Read more: Jessica Simpson – I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus Lyrics | MetroLyrics
Jesse James sang this to the career counselor and the rest is history. Choppers rule!
What in the hell are you babbling about? Gibberish. Just gibberish.
Maybe just Maybe the rapture WILL happen soon ....then, the lucky ones left behind can finally live in peace and harmony..... I volunteer to stay and live in peace ..... thanks all the same to you nut bags who believe in that nonsense .......
Atheists are so loving. They learn it from their lack of a deity.
Here are a couple Christian comments on this page, no doubt a result of their religious enlightenment:
"die useless eaters!"
"Make my day....shoot an atheist!"
Here's a few more names that Christians used to describe non believers a couple of pages back: "rats", "wretched creatures" and "vile animals". The last two were from someone called "Light of Purest Truth".
Christians are so loving. They learn it from their deity.
good luck America!
you're going to need it along with Gods help using his people to do the work of making things right for everybody.,
even if some of them are dead wrong.
We won't let them starve or anything bad like that.
Obama said you can just take a pill or something right?
I guese that works too if you are into that sort of thing
Moron liar. Take some more food out of children's and vet's mouths. Fascist wrapped up in a flag hiding behind a cross.
We atheists are really very glad that people like you are out there talking about Jesus. People like you are waaaaaaaaaaaaaay better at recruiting seculars than any billboard.
can you be wrong if you're already dead?
Atheists should quit? Why? How about Democrat liberals, no why is necessary.
Liar. Partisan hack. Stupid GOTP moron that will ruin our country.
“The point that we’re trying to make is that there’s a whole bunch of people out there for whom religion is the worst part of Christmas, but they go to church anyways, and we’re here to tell them they don’t have to.”
Well, for God and Jesus Christ's sake, get some balls and don't go to church if you don't want to! Just because you believe what you do doesn't mean you have to hate on others with different beliefs! If you are hanging around with people who judge you for being an atheist, then that's their problem, and you shouldn't make it yours. Stand up for yourself!
I was raised a Christian, but have decided that 'agnostic' better describes my beliefs. I don't mind if others believe in Jesus, because their beliefs don't affect me. Nor do I oppose atheists, for the same reason. I don't like how some atheists ridicule believers, because they have faith in something or someone that can't be proven – that's what faith is all about, and I know that. Just because I don't have faith in Jesus Christ or the God that some describe, doesn't mean that I don't have faith at all. But that's just me.
Why are so many people so adamant that others beliefs are wrong and need to be passionately, and sometimes rudely refuted? Why can't we all just let others alone to believe what they will? Why do people even care what others believe?
Truthfully? I think that kind of reaction is a defense mechanism....that people that hate on others beliefs only do so because they lack confidence in their own beliefs....and have to put others down to feel better about themselves.
Well, guess what? It's okay to believe in Jesus, in God, in Buddha...or Allah, or even multiple deities! Just love your neighbors as yourself, and all will be right with the world.
You don't have a problem with the way many Christians portray atheists as immoral. Strange that you don't mention that but you have a problem with how atheist's treat Christians.
I googled "Santa Muerte Christmas" and came up with this page: "http://www.cafepress.com/+santa_muerte_christmas_stocking,647703103"
where you can buy a Santa Muerte Christmas stocking for $12.00. Worship of Santa Muerte by several million in Mexico is considered "folk Catholicism". Some of its followers have been in the news in recent times where they were caught sacrificing some people, which is part of the popular belief.
Isn't that the version of Christianity that the Mexican gangs worship? The saint they pray to for successful completion of a hit or a robbery, all that?
I think so – ensnaring many from the drug gangs.
How could anyone wring any sense into those people with other Christians being at odds with one another about "old law" versus "new law"?
stealing bread or smashing a mans "mill stone" "economy" it is as if you murdered his entire family and wiped out his fellow citizens.who depend on that bread for life.
nobody eats for free.,
the money or the bread itself was paid for by somebody.
lol?? Lite – just as crazy, less imaginative.
Exactly.
die useless eaters!
Trample the weak hurdle the dead!
That is the Godless answer to every nation that has gone down this very same road.,
Multiculturalism class warfare brought to a head using a thug class created by the same people who own the machines of production.,
The same people own and control the rest with property taxes and income taxation.
too much eating for the holidays? nonsense!
You're confusing atheism with totalitarianism. As to taxes – you don't use public roads, public schools, public libraries; the police and fire services don't cover your home? Those and more are paid for from taxes.
Actually, Christians pretty much are the thug class in America. They dominate the prison population too.
Oh look. Another liar for Jesus.
The workers revolution or a poltical and class purge and may be even some ethnic cleansing to make it better for awhile?
Can we start with liars like you that post on BB?
yeah I have a diagnosis for you.,
Apathydumbeddownitis.,
also known as Liberalism or Communism.,
both severe mental disorders treated with lead and large amounts of blood loss.,
It's costly too.
No Obamacare for anybody.
You should hang out with Austin. He is sure he has had prophetic visions from Jesus too. He's shared them with us, and they are really, uh, interesting. Of course, he also has admitted to driving his truck through several churches and doing jail time for drunk driving, but that just the kind of guy Jesus chooses as his prophet.
lol?? shares your political acumen, so invite her too. You all deserve each other.
Tea Party liar.
The haters got to hate and weakness hides behind them.
I just made that up.
grow your own, free your mind, free the planet!!!!!!
I am weak and I am free. Yay!
Merry Christmas everybody!
no drag racing or drinking and driving ok?
I'll do the drag racing for you and when I get there., well that's when I'll have a drink or two and may be a dab or two and may be a few old fassioned joints will be passed around after the family affairs are done and all the children have gone into sugar cookie, new toy and gift wrap induced sweet dream filled blissfull sleep.
There is no sense to argue here. Everyone will discover the truth at some point. I just disagree with author's outright lie that "atheists are marginalized in the US".
"the truth"? what truth?
You can know the truth and the truth will set you free.
Can I have some scented oils to help me see the truth?
Sure. Anything has got to help.
In many states, there are laws forbidding atheists to hold public office. Numerous politicians including George H. W. Bush have publicly stated that Americans are not citizens. So it is far from a lie.
just a guy, Then do some research.
I'm guessing that "JustTheGuy" is a believer.
sure ignore or believe what you all want to and keep tuning into the corporate run dog and pony show here and in Washington.
And here I thought this was all about Christmas....
When I didn't have God in my life I felt empty and unsatisfied. Having received Yeshua/Jesus as Messiah and Savior I now have great peace and joy inside. I know what I was before, and what I am now. No one can tell me that Yeshua is NOT the Messiah. He Lives! Shalom
I can say the same thing. Nothing can make me believe that there is no God!! God Bless You.
I can't say the same thing about nothing.
That is wonderful. Thank You, and may the Lord also bless you.
Funny, now that I don't believe in a sky fairy that watches my every move, just waiting to punish me for thinking a bad thought, I'm much happier.
I'm a Christian and I don't have that either. Yes, it is good way to be.
Wonderful.
I'm sorry that your life was so empty that you needed to believe in a myth in order to be happy. I'm glad you found a crutch in your time of need.
I don't believe that any god exists because there is no evidence that any god exists. I am happier with the ugly truth than I could ever be with a pretty lie.
I was brought up in the Bible Belt. I was always scared that if I did anything wrong or did not go to church that I would die a horrible death. God scared me because I saw all of the things he did to people, like drowning them, killing them, throwing them out of a garden. The whole concept was that God will destroy you if you go against him. I lived like this for many years. When I started to question His existence, I did so out of fear of falling stars, disease and death. When I started to question the Bible, I was terrified. When I finally ventured out on my own, I felt at peace finally. I am a good person who does not help and be kind to anybody because of the promise of inheritance of riches or heaven. I do it because that is how you treat others. I do not have anything in my life but peace. I am finally happy and I do not go through my life scared that I will not get to heaven. I am mad that I wasted so much of my life worrying about how good a person I am, who is watching and if I gave enough at church to buy my way into heaven. I do not judge anybody for their beliefs or their lack of belief's and the biggest thing in my life; I do not use a book to tell other's how they should live their lives. That is their choice. I am happy and content just to live my life.
Well done. Congratulations on leaving that fear behind.
Tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of atheist children hear every school day that their is a god. Their parents tax money is actually used for that purpose.
I think as long as school children are required to hear "under god" in school, then every Church in country should have a billboard in front of it saying "There is no Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, or god."
You write a note to school saying you don't want your kid saying that for personal reasons. Simple as that. Jehovah's witnesses do it all of the time. Not a big thing.
Oh yeah Noyb, that's going to work out really well for the kid. That's ridiculous. There's no reason a kid should have to announce that he's an atheist to his classmates. I know you don't believe they'd be discriminated against, but trust me, they would be.
Nobody has to announce anything you ijit. You go to the school and say you don't want your kid saying this. And, in other words you're saying youre ashamed of being an atheist amd you dont want your kid showing his beliefs if he feels the same way. What a whiner you are. Boo hoo if he doesn't practicecatheism, and boo boo if he does. Boo hoo that you want to celebrate a religious holiday secularly amd boo boo if people still actually call it a religious holiday. How persecuted you are. What a hypocrite.
There's way too much wrong in your post to even respond.
I think the schools are more agnostic than atheist. I went to a public school. We had so many different belief systems represented it would be difficult to practice religion as an inst.tution. I was an atheist in high school, so, yea. That didn't work out so well in the real world for me.