 |
|
|
|
 The Reason Rally, sponsored by American Atheists and other secular organizations, draws a crowd to the National Mall in March 2012.
February 25th, 2014
06:00 AM ET
Atheists plan conservative outreach with booth at CPACBy Dan Merica, CNN Washington (CNN) – American Atheists, an outspoken organization that advocates for atheists nationwide, will have a booth at the 2014 Conservative Political Action Conference. The atheist institution, which is well known for its controversial billboards and media campaigns, informed CNN of its inclusion on Monday night, and a representative from CPAC confirmed that the group will have a booth at the annual national gathering of conservative leaders and activists in March. American Atheists hopes to use the forum to tap into the conservative movement and bring conservative atheists “out of the closet.” “Just as there are many closeted atheists in the church pews, I am extremely confident that there are many closeted atheists in the ranks of conservatives," said David Silverman, president of American Atheists. Silverman said coming to CPAC will be “the first step of many” in reaching out to Republicans. [twitter-follow screen_name='danmericacnn'] [twitter-follow screen_name='CNNbelief'] “It is really a serious outreach effort, and I am very pleased to be embarking on it,” Silverman said. The group’s inclusion is believed to be the first time that atheists have been involved in the conservative political gathering that has long been associated with Christian conservatives. The Conservative Political Action Committee, the largest and oldest gathering of conservatives, is run by the American Conservative Union and will be held at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor in Maryland from March 6 to 8. Last year, the event brought together thousands of activists to listen to dozens of Republican leaders speak about everything from economics and foreign policy to social issues. The event has long been considered a required stop for Republican presidential hopefuls. Meghan Snyder, spokeswoman for CPAC, said American Atheists were included in the confab because “conservatives have always stood for freedom of religion and freedom of expression.” “The folks we have been working with stand for many of the same liberty-oriented policies and principles we stand for,” Snyder said in an e-mail to CNN. Tony Perkins, president of the Christian conservative think-tank Family Research Council, doesn't see it that way. In an email to CNN, a rankled Perkins wrote that the atheist group does "not seek to add their voice to the chorus of freedom." "CPAC's mission is to be an umbrella for conservative organizations that advance liberty, traditional values and our national defense," said Perkins, who spokes at CPAC in 2012. "Does the American Conservative Union really think the liberties and values they seek to preserve can be maintained when they partner with individuals and organizations that are undermining the understanding that our liberties come from God? Thomas Jefferson warned against such nonsense." The social conservative leader added: "If this is where the ACU is headed, they will have to pack up and put away the 'C' in CPAC!" In explaining why the group decided to join CPAC, Silverman cited a 2012 Pew Research study that found 20% of self-identified conservatives consider themselves religiously unaffiliated. While that does not mean they are atheists, Silverman believes learning more about atheism will make it more likely conservatives will choose to identify with those who believe there is no God. “Conservative isn’t a synonym for religious,” Silverman said. “I am not worried about making the Christian right angry. The Christian right should be angry that we are going in to enlighten conservatives. The Christian right should be threatened by us.” American Atheists paid $3,000 for booth 439 in the event’s exhibition hall. Their booth will be right next to the Republican National Committee's booth, according to the room map. American Atheists is known as the in-your-face contingent in the world of atheist activists, and the group’s members pride themselves as being the “Marines" of the atheist movement. The group has long targeted Republican lawmakers, although Silverman considers the organization nonpartisan. In 2013, American Atheists launched a billboard campaign against three Republican politicians: former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum. All three Republicans have spoken at CPAC in the past. In one billboard, Santorum is pictured to the left of a quote attributed to him. “Our civil laws have to comport with a higher law. God’s law,” the quote reads. Underneath the graphic is a tagline: "GO GODLESS INSTEAD." The group has also prided itself on trying to reach into religious communities and bring people out of the closet. In 2012, American Atheists asked Jews and Muslims to come out of the closet in a targeted billboard campaign. In addition to Silverman, Amanda Knief, American Atheist’s managing director, and Dave Muscato, the group’s spokesman, will attend CPAC. Silverman said they will be prepared to respond to questions from conference attendees.
« Previous entryReligious right vs. gays in Arizona?
|
  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.  |
|
|
|
The descendants if ishmael are brought into the millineal kingdom. They are circu.msized. hebraic brothers and sons of God.
Isaiah 60 :7-10
The days of the God who wants people to cut off parts of their penises are pretty much over, Austin.
1 Samuel 18:25-27 – "Saul replied, "Say to David, 'The king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.' " Saul's plan was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines. When the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the king's son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed, David and his men went out and killed two hundred Philistines. He brought their foreskins and presented the full number to the king so that he might become the king's son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage."
Luky us. We talk about capital pumishment and we killed a million people.
Guess we are guilty then. What was the punishment for that? What did sadaam get for 250000. ?
Psychos
Hasnt anyone counted? When is the last time a government led a coalition to kill a million people. Oh thats right its our country.
We are the ones.
Are you saying our secular government has killed millions of people?
The new testament is a law of liberty and forgiveness.
If you voted for bush, you have killed many.
I haven't voted for a Bush. I think my Grandma did. What a monster she was.
Then you haven't read it. St. Paul said that women must STILL shut up in church, and various other things, the old law demanded. It's "liberty" when he found it convenient.
Perhaps my new favorite quote: " American Atheists is known as the in- your- face contingent in the world of atheist activists, and the group's members pride themselves in being the "MARINES" of the atheist movement." You just can't make this stuff up.
THE FEW THE PROUD THE MISTAKEN
Not unlike the virgin story or the resurrection story or the global flood story...now there is true comedy gold!
Before you insult an entire group of people, you best ensure your own groups hands are clean.
When atheists do it, it's called "militant atheism".
When Jebus people do the very same thing, it's called "evangelization", and "spreading (or sharing) the good news".
I personally believe and have accepted Jesus!
Yep, he does a hell of a job on MY LAWN!! Thanks be to Jesus, and his 'bro Jose!
Kids in Public Schools should be forced to PRAY, and PRAY HARD .... to Joe Pesci!
Thanks George!
Joe Pesci is a devout Catholic. Is he like your middle man to God?
No. Joe Pesci IS god. You must be pretty fscking stupid to not get that hint.
I remember that ol' joke. But your God, Joe, says he gets on his knees each days and prays to something else.
Please tell him god has a plan, and ask him to please stop screwing it up with his prayers.
I think that the christian right is nieve and the government is a hustler.
You are better off turning to christ and away from the world and the secular mess.
Government is no ones hope. If it is you are a deprived and lost soul.
A friend of tue world us an enemy of God.
It is written. Thy kingdom is not an earthly kingdom.
Austin
I try to avoid replying to you because I try to avoid criticizing what II see as the mentally challenged, but you should proofread your posts. A mistake or two is of course what we all do from time to time. But this post makes no sense at all, stop for your own self esteem, making a fool of yourself is destructive.
sooo.. the kingdom is on mars?
"Government is no ones hope."
Here is the problem with that statement. "Government" is a concept. It's the idea of a civilization instead of living in chaos. It is the system by which a state or community is governed. If you claim that no one should hope for or trust in any form of government then you either want a theocracy (forcing the masses to adopt your personal vision of the universe or being forced to accept someone elses) or you want chaos.
I have a friend who rails about Obama and the "gubmint" taking away his rights and when I simply asked what right has he been denied all he could come up with was that gay people are getting married. He was all angry about Obama taking away Americas guns but when I showed him how we have actually loosened gun laws under Obama all across the nation he just seemed to not believe me till I had him google it. It's almost like there is some form of mad cow disease that is messing with peoples perception of reality. Maybe we should call it Mad Fox Disease and warn the CDC it's spreading. The first symptoms of the disease are muttering to yourself about how the country is going broke under Obama (DOW JONES up 60% under Obama) and that he is taking away your guns (70 of the 109 gun laws enacted loosened gun restrictions) and that Obamacare is government run healthcare (all insurers are private companies employing private citizens and run with private citizen investments). It's like they live in some bizzaro world where everything is the opposite of how it actually appears.
"Mad Fox Disease".
Yes. This.
This state government here is absolutely worthless. They have the banks handing out bankrupt loans and dissolving leans.
Aka slavery to a bank mob.
All of your points are just hobby topics. Something to talk about. Do you get legally robbed ten grand at a time as routine unpunished mishaps? The government will never provide me with what i take as my right.
Yup, looks like another successfully diagnosed case of MFD...
Somebody suggested the atheist population was exploding in America, but that doesn't seem to be the case:
http://www.taylormarsh.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/religion_Pew.png
And the UK?
http://www.newstatesman.com/religion/2013/10/blow-new-atheism-britain-losing-its-religion-and-becoming-spiritual-instead
"...the apparently limited appeal of scientific materialism, seeing in it evidence that hardline atheism of the Richard Dawkins variety has little popular appeal, despite the high media profile it has garnered in recent years. Its director, Elizabeth Oldfield, writes that it is "notable is that those same voices have not managed to convince us that humans are purely material beings, with no spiritual element". The implication is that there's a huge untapped reservoir of spiritual longing and that it would be wrong to attribute the decline in religiosity in this country, stretching back decades, to a spread in actual unbelief."
Organized religions seem to be losing members. That doesn't necessarily mean that these members are losing belief.
Still, freedom from the dogmas of organized religion might just lead to more actual thinking about these things they reportedly believe in, and I know from personal experience where too much thinking about beliefs often leads.
Haha! Just more well-funded disinformation!
We've seen this lots of time, where the Christian right likes to pretend that they are "growing" ...they aren't.
Official census numbers reveal that the "Nones" are indeed exploding, Nones don't call themselves Atheists, or Unbelievers, or anything. They just don't affiliate with any organized religion and they certainly don't support the agenda of the Christian Right.
Many are Christians who are sick of Anti-@bortion politics and now don't go to church, good for them, that is what we want, and we will reach them too! Because we just want a Religion Free Political discourse, not for people to necessarily stop believing.
The Christian Right is pulling out all the stops and trust me they are well funded, to the tune of more than $100 BILLION alone in the USA, what is actually exploding is how much they have to spend just keep up the facade.
What is different is that Freethinkers in America are growing, and there is a very w-i-d-e net indeed behind that moniker.
Most the Pro-Christian posts you find on the internet these days are from PAID people bots, yep, its a new form of Propaganda, but guess what? We are smarter...
Unlike the very white Christian Right, Freethinkers can include everyone! Religion Free, Open Debate, Science Based Politics is the goal.
Who cares what people "wish" for in the dark of night when they are lonely? Not me.
Personally, I only pray to Joe Pesci and George Carlins' spirit!
So some atheists are like the Christian right?
Is that why they both seem to hate me?
Dala...
Catholic schools and churches closing around the country up to 30% in the last decade, the pews are empty, even worse in Europe. They all do not become atheist, agnostic or deist but I think the spiritual but not religious is going to be a larger component of quasi believers.
Perhaps the Christian Right needs to worry more about how it's changing, than how much it's growing. Isn't it true that today's Christian Right youth are far less interested in fighting the culture wars against gays and the other "enemies" of their faith than the older generations? 20 years from now there will likely be very few churches that are openly hostile towards anybody and, unless the Conservative churches can come up with something else which will ignite the passions of their flocks, won't they just end up suffering the same slump in membership that the moderate Mainstream protestant churches already have?
Sorry, I just do not see any reason to be optimistic about Christianity's future growth, if you're a Christian, that is.
Well, this is a Watermark event, yes the CPAC organizers have bowed to the Religious Right and got the AA booted out of the confab, but we'll be back next year, and the next, and the next, and the next.
We are going to keep knocking, and guess what? One day the CPAC is going beg AA, Secular, and Freethinkers to join their little hoop-de-doo.
Right now, this movement is in the infant stages, there is no where to go but UP, and I promise you another thing, one day these groups of which I am a card-carrying, dues-paying member of two of them, we will be bigger than the Christian Right.
Starting from the bottom isn't easy, but America and Lady Liberty needs us.
The fact of the matter is that CPAC, the GOP, and the like are not about Freedom, they are not about Rule of Law, they are about the agenda of servitude and surrender of liberty to the Special Interests'
But we are bigger than they think, the Religious Right has ALWAYS inflated their influence, their Social Reach and influence is actually vastly smaller than they pretend, probably as small as 20-30 million hard core Christians.
I remember watching Pat Robertson on the 700 Club in the 1980s, he used to claim that the Religious Right numbered a full "140 Million" Americans. Later it was revealed that these figures were much smaller and peaked at about 30 million.
We already out number them, my estimate is that there are a minimum of 50-60 million Americans whose values more closely align with American Atheists, Secular Alliance, and FreeThinkers.
Just remember that the Christian Right is just loose organization of HUSTLERS and LIARS.
We shall overcome...
sirhuxley
Do you think that the CPAC became afraid of what the AA might have to say at their conference? Exposing the sheep to alternative views at such an event may not be that productive as they are probably so indoctrinated it could be futile. Presenting the same views to college and high school students is probably the way to go.
I have proof of God. Did you want to exploit those who unfortunately are vulnerable mentally? I see. You have an evilplan and deceptive strategy.
Austin
You saw through my evil plan providing alternative information to teens/young adults old enough to think for themselves, mea culpa. Of course that could be compared to parents that drag their infant children off to sunday school to learn about the glory of god and how it will punish them forever if they do not believe. Damn, why am I even responding to you, mea culpa.
Please choose your favorite Christian superst.ition from those below. For the one you choose, please say why it is any more ridiculous than the rest of the garbage Christians swallow and give an example of a non-Christian belief which is just as stupid.
(a) Grocery store bread and wine becomes the flesh and blood of a dead Jew from 2,000 years ago because a priest does some hocus pocus over it in church of a Sunday morning.
(b) When I pray for something like “please god help me pass my exam tomorrow,” an invisible being reads my mind and intervenes to alter what would otherwise be the course of history in small ways to meet my request.
(c) God loves you, but created a pit of hell where you will burn for all eternity at the hands of Satan (who God could kill in an instant because he is so powerful) if you do not live as he wants you to, even though he gives no evidence at all of his existence.
(d) A god impregnated a virgin with himself, so he could give birth to himself and then sacrifice himself to himself to negate the “original sin” of a couple we now know never existed.
"Atheism is intellectual vandalism" – Reinhard Bonnke
dodge
Close. It is theological vandalism. It tears down and destroys childish, primitive and baseless beliefs.
Your describing atheism, man😜😀
c:
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:
I see you've identified quite nicely with this mission. It's only a foolish man that pits himself against God and the things of God – ask Pharaoh.
new-man,
"ask Pharaoh."
Which Pharaoh?
new-man,
Again, which Pharaoh? Certainly you know his name.
I keep calling out, "Pharaoh... oh, Pharaoh" and I get nothing.
I would at least like to read what he had to say after his alleged experiences with that powerful Hebrew "God" character.
new-man
Isn't Reinhard Bonnke that evangelist who made the bogus claim of personally bringing 250,000 Britons to Christ? Great source for truth you've got there.
(c)
Because it is per se immoral, while the other are merely silly.
how do you kill a spirit? (serious question)
What is a spirit? (Serious question)
nice evasion...
if I thought you were genuine in your question I'd give an answer.
You may not know the difference between an evasion and a request to define terms. How could I answer your question if I don't know what you mean by a spirit?
I asked the question because you agreed with colin's point (c) part of which states that God could have killed satan...
Ok, what is a spirit?
You are a spirit.
Austin,
That is an example, I asked for his definition (which may not be the same as yours).
"the principle of conscious life; the vital principle in humans, animating the body or mediating between body and soul."
A dead body has no spirit. One that is alive has spirit.
Dalahast,
That isn't a definition of what a spirit is either.
new-man,
What is a spirit?
The first part is from the dictionary. It generally covers my understanding of our spirit.
Dalahast,
That dictionary is poor at defining spirit then.
Why don't you try answering new-man's question then if you know what a spirit is, how do you kill a spirit?
I imagine he is referencing Matthew 10:28.
“Don’t be bluffed into silence by the threats of bullies. There’s nothing they can do to your soul, your core being. Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life—body and soul—in his hands."
Is spirit and soul the same thing?
Apparently not. And most translations seem to say "spirit" not "soul" for that Matthew verse.
"We are a spirit being, we live in a body and we possess a soul. The real person inside of us is our spirit. Our soul consists of our mind, will and emotions. Our bodies are obviously what we live in while we are here on earth."
"Man A Trinity (Spirit, Soul, Body)"
Ok Dalahast, this isn't helping me much. Back to new-man:
What is a spirit to you?
The non-material aspects of life.
“We all know that there are regions of the human spirit untrammeled by the world of physics. In the mystic sense of the creation around us, in the expression of art, in a yearning towards God, the soul grows upward and finds fulfillment of something implanted in its nature. The sanction for this development is within us, a striving born with our consciousness or an Inner Light proceeding from a greater power than ours. Science can scarcely question this sanction, for the pursuit of science springs from a striving which the mind is impelled to follow, a questioning that will not be suppressed. Whether in the intellectual pursuits of science or in the mystical pursuits of the spirit, the light beckons ahead and the purpose surging in our nature responds.”
– Sir Arthur Eddington
“Everyone who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifest in the laws of the Universe–a spirit vastly superior to that of man, and one in the face of which we with our modest powers must feel humble.”
–Albert Einstein
Dalahast,
That's all very interesting, but it doesn't help me understand what new-man is asking.
new-man,
What is spirit from your question?
"As a wild stallion travels across the frontiers of the Old West, he befriends a young human and finds true love with a mare."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit:_Stallion_of_the_Cimarron
https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/loaded-question
duh
colin3171
Thank you again for confirming the Word of God is true, Matthew 15:18-19:
"the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man."For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.…"
I think American atheists are spoiled little brats. They need to be put in their place.
I don't know if they are spoiled little brats, but there is evidence they need to hire fact checkers.
Dalahast,
You think atheists are more prone to using false facts than Christians when it comes to religious arguments?
Both sides do it. Atheists lie for atheism though.
They just need to fact check their billboards better.
What, specifically, do they need to fact-check?
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/orange_county&id=8408874
http://www.taylormarsh.com/2013/03/atheist-group-apologizes-for-misquoting-sarah-palin-amid-religious-shifts-in-america/
Dalahäst
There are a lot of quotes that Jefferson undeniably did say that voiced his opinion that Christianity wasn't truth.
Actually, doesn't Palin's "would create law" sound a lot more theocratical than just saying "should"?
Now, are you saying that religious people are blameless in this regard?
No. I'm just saying they should check their facts before putting up a billboard.
Religious people should do the same.
Dalahäst
Depends on what you call a "fact", doesn't it? Churches make some pretty bold claims on their signs, many of them are matters of theologic opinion and not recognized "facts", correct?
Yes. They post opinions on signs. Like you post opinions on here.
Oh, that has to be up there with one of the most hypocritical comments I have ever heard. Fancy you wanting "fact checking." You, who believes in a mind-reading, Universe-creating, god based on nothing more than late Bronze Age Jewish mythology. You who believes in a man rising from the dead, walking on water, curing leprosy, expelling demons based on the same mythology.
Fact checking is NOT your strong suit, cowboy.
Wrong assessment, partner.
It would be nice that after every verse of the bible each reader would have to say is this possible, is it real or something that someone made up? Then move on to Grimm's Fairy Tales or Dr. Seuss and repeat the same exercise after each paragraph. I have a copy of The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti monster, entertaining but not believable. RAmen.
THE FSM was a parody. It is funny. But doesn't really counter my beliefs.
Dala..
Agreed, when I bought the book (FSM) it was not in the religious section of the store but the comedy section. My point was if when you read your bible verses stop and ask yourself is this real or make believe. If you are not preprogramed to belief you would probably quickly realize it is fiction, make believe stuff. My hope is that one day the many versions of the bible also end up in the comedy section.
I think there is hidden truths revealed. Jesus used parables, which were not factual, but contained truths.
Even Colin uses such an abstract idea with his tests and other illustrations he tries to make. Which is kind of ironic.
The FSM was to counter people trying to bring their religion into the science curriculum in Kansas schools. It wasn't meant to be a parody of everything religious. Anti-theists are the ones that began to run with that idea.
Dala...
Having a copy of the book of course I realize it was to point out the foolishness of teaching ID in Kansas schools, Bobby Henderson did an excellent job. Not hard to start a cult of any kind, is it? Not hard to grow a cult into a major religion if you have the support of the civil power, like an emperor.
Sure. I wouldn't call it easy. But, yes, there are dangerous cults out there. I am not part of one.
Dalahäst
Where exactly do you draw the line between "cult" and mainstream religion? In it's earliest inception, isn't it fair to call the first Christians a Jewish cult, considered strange and even somewhat sinister by members of the established religions around them?
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/standingonmyhead/2013/04/cults-and-common-sense.html
I think this outlines how to discern if one is involved with a dangerous cult. My church encourages participation in secular society and welcomes questioning and differing viewpoints.
Dalahäst
I guess it depends on who gets to define the term, doesn't it? "Cult" appears to be just a derogatory term that one religious group uses against it's rivals. If you go with the definition that comes from the rivals of these groups, then aren't you worried about bias?
This is my computer's def.
cult |kəlt|
noun
a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object: the cult of St. Olaf.
• a relatively small group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or sinister: a network of Satan-worshiping cults.
• a misplaced or excessive admiration for a particular person or thing: a cult of personality surrounding the leaders.
• [ usu. as modifier ] a person or thing that is popular or fashionable, esp. among a particular section of society: a cult film.
Christianity qualifies under def. 1, and use to be a small group as per def. 2, correct?
Yes. That is why I said dangerous cult.
"Wrong assessment, partner." ... said the man who says the "mystery of the brain" is not a god of the gaps argument.
Dalahäst
Are you saying that there aren't any dangerous aspects within Christianity?
Yep, when I need a fact, I pull the Bible out to find the "truth". Want to talk about how many times the Bible contradicts itself? Or I could go to Ken Ham's Young Earth Science freak show in Kentucky.
The great flood – waiting on the facts on that one.
Adam and Eve – still waiting on someone to show me the work on answer.
How many years did Moses live?
Reanimated corpses?
Water into wine?
Faith healing?
Walking on water?
I'm looking for some facts.
When I look for facts, I do what many Christians have done. Read what the experts in scientific, historical, mathematical and other scholarly disciplines say. (Many of whom believe/believed in God.)
From the book of Judeo-Christian facts:
Bats are birds.
Earth created before stars.
Whales created before land animals.
Slavery is ok as long as you follow the rules.
...
“If we need an atheist for a debate, we go to the philosophy department. The physics department isn’t much use.”
–Robert Griffiths
99% of my posts on here are simply copying quotes from others. I have a problem with original thoughts, because they are quickly exposed as being fallacious,
Dalahäst
They would be a good place to go find facts about science and math. However, anything they said about god is just their opinion and means no more than any random person i can find on the street corner.
"I copy and paste the same things over and over (which are basically rehashes of Dawkin's philosophy). And then I turn around and mock a guy who posts quotes from people that demonstrate that I'm wrong, like how not all people who pray are idiots."
– Colin
joey3467
- anything they said about god is just their opinion and means no more than any random person i can find on the street corner.–
Yea, even when Colin insists he knows something? That my understanding of "god (is) based on nothing more than late Bronze Age Jewish mythology"?
That seems like some random dude standing on the corner that has no clue about what he is talking about.
The kind of thing you might find from an anti-theist on a religion blog.
Well until someone can prove to me that god is real, using something more than their feelings, I have no choice but to agree with Colin that the Christian god is nothing but a made up god based on Bronze Age Jewish mythology.
Good for you. But that doesn't mean my understanding of "god (is) based on nothing more than late Bronze Age Jewish mythology". In your imagination it does, but I don't live in your imagination.
What is their place. The equivalent of "back of the bus"?
Don't wanna live here, go live in the atheist country of North Korea. You'll be treated with open arms LOL😜😀😊😜😀😄😀😄😀😄
The US is a secular country. I would have thought you'd know that.
ausphor: "What is wrong with that is the caveat and you guys running on about god is love but only if you join the choir, correct?
Mark 16:16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
Since you keep asking the same question over and over I guess you're hoping for an answer that even you can believe. Here it is again... if you don't understand ask for clarification. but don't make up stuff.
"every accountable person outside of Jesus Christ has already been judged by God and found guilty. The charge? Sinner. The penalty? Death. He who does not believe is condemned (judged) already John 3:18. However, the Christian gospel is not called Good News for nothing. God offers sinners a glorious alternative, “turn from your sin, turn to Christ and live.” That’s called repentance. For the one who repents, Jesus says, Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life John 5:24. Theologians call this “present salvation.” Jesus paid the price of death for the believer’s sins. He was judged in his/her place and he/she will not come into judgment. "
http://realityrevelations.com/2013/10/21/so-which-judgment-for-you/#more-16075
new
As I said preaching to the choir, your god/jesus doesn't love everyone, he doesn't give a sh!t about anyone that does not know of the delusion or buys into it if they do know about the bible. That is tyranny no matter how your silly religion tries to justify it. Only if you believe, hogwash, a reason to sheer the sheep and keep a very profitable scam up and running.
so you know the truth, you just refuse to accept it as truth. As the Bible states, every man will have to sit under his own fig tree and vine.
all the best
I know that I will not accept an evil supernatural religious tome 2000 years old to be the truth. Too many people running scams off of the gullibility of those that choose to believe but let me not restrict this to Christianity, all those that profit from religion are in the same boat. I grow weary of you, if you read your cut and paste before you posted it you would have seen that your god is a judgemental tyrant, I am guilty of what for what, absurd.
Ecce venit BUTIO!
Coitus ergo sum.
e pluribus unum
quod gratis asseritur gratis negatur!
"Snyder confirmed to CNN on Monday that American Atheists would be at CPAC, she said in a statement that they were allowed to display at the confab because “conservatives have always stood for freedom of religion and freedom of expression.”
Well, that is an obvious and just now confirmed lie.
Really, they should have just shut up and set up the booth. It's the advance publicity that freaking killed this endeavor.
Perhaps the plan all along was to let the conservatives show how tolerant they actually are?
Could be. We see how that turned out.
Replaced by Rush, no doubt, not the band.
Lol. They would never let the band play; not with their song "Free Will."
Akira
Limbaugh would be a good draw signing autographs at $5 a pop he would make a killing.
I think that the American Atheists should support school prayer. In fact, I suggest that we not only make prayer permissible in government schools, but make it mandatory.
We do it in the following manner. Upon entry into high school, each child “adopts” a wounded veteran or other person who has a visible and incurable condition, such as a lost leg, arm or eye. Each day the children pray to God that the person recover their lost appendage. We hold prayer sessions every Monday morning for every week/month and year of their high school experience. Those children who have other beliefs can bow, chant, jiggle an amulet, stare into a crystal or do whatever they wish to “pray” for their chosen ailing person.
Five years later, at their graduation, prayer can put up or shut up. We parade the injured people through the graduation ceremony so the children can see the results of their 5 solid years of constant prayer. Just how many limbs, eyes or ears do you think will have re-grown? And why are you so sure of that? Does God hate amputees? Why does he always have to hide his medical miracles inside the body of the sick, where things are less medically certain?
The doubtless, consistent and universal failure of their prayers will help the students understand:
(i) that there is no god listening and that praying is a futile exercise when the results can REALLY be tested;
(ii) the frailties of their religious leaders as they scurry for excuses –“god won’t be tested”, “god moves in mysterious ways,” “perhaps the people have been healed spiritually”, etc; and
(iii) the weakness of human nature (and a basic lesson in politics) as the religious right moves to shut the experiments down.
Whenever God or prayer or miracles are put to the test – they fail. That is why religion is so terrified of science.
Oh Colin, ye of so little faith. 😉
Science has already shown that patience who are told they are being prayed for have a LOWER chance of recovery. As you would expect, if they are being prayed for but not told about it, or not being prayed for and not told about it, there is no difference in results since obviously, prayers themselves don't actually do anything. Apprently the pressure to recover when you know others are praying for you decreases your chances of recovery.
In other words, if you want to help a loved one who is ill, whatever you do, don't tell them you're praying for them.
*patients*
It's a distortion of the truth.
If the person who is being prayed for is not a believer, and they're told they're being prayed for, some do get worse – because they think their condition must be really dire for them to be prayed for.
So it speaks more to the person's belief than anything else – i.e. believing they're already near death.
new
We understand anything that does not bolster your belief system is a distortion of the truth and of course you are the only one that determines what is the truth.
That's strange that the religious organization that funded the study would distort the truth to show that prayer doesn't help (and in fact hurts). Nice try though – if there was any bias in this study, it was on the pro-prayer side and they still couldn't manufacture a result that supported their position!
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/31/health/31pray.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
brilliant
NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My NO!!!!!!!!!! reply was to colin31714. Some how my answer did not get posted to the correct commentor...
pray for guidance on how to use this forum correctly ...
NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
slime, What is your objection? Surely not that prayer would be exposed as useless.
I would take you up on this challenge! and I assure you, you wouldn't have to wait till the end of 5 yrs to know the results!
I serve a God of Power and Miracles., so yes, while you meant it for mockery thinking you already know the outcome, I know different, and would take up your challenge.
Great, there will be one happy amputee. All you need to do is choose which one and blog progress – how often you pray and how much the limb(s) grow with photographs.
So you think your god can re-grow limbs and heal if you pray hard enough? Try that the next time a family member becomes seriously ill or perhaps just yourself-don't seek medical attention, just pray it away. People who think like that have been well known to be at the hands of many murders. The Schiables are a perfect example.
It has nothing to do with how hard you pray.
Even you an atheist could do it. The power of God is mechanical and spiritual laws work regardless of who uses them.
You all should give it try, and unless or until you do, you have nothing to tell me.
new-man: Wow, we don't pray and I'm curious as to who lied to you about that.
So answer the question: Can your god re-grow limbs and if so, where can we see evidence of this having happened? Or will you admit that you have no evidence for such thing and much like your god, it is all in your imagination?
for the feeble minded please put "mechanical" in quotes. – for lack of a better word.
new-man: Are you medicated?
new, Did you create a blog where we could monitor how often you pray and see how much growth the limb(s) show in the photographs?
Sie sind verrückt in der Membran
new
Just when I thought that Austin was the craziest Christian freak on this blog you step up and meet the challenge, good luck, but please do not obfuscate by ducking any attempts to provide proof, as Austin does.
well first of all you're not very wise if you think I would prove anything to you.
I give my pearls to those who appreciate pearls – think on this!
however, if you are genuinely in need of prayer for any disease, missing limb, demonic possession, and leprosy, I would be happy to pray (which is really commanding in Jesus' name – not begging and pleading as you think) for your recovery.
new
It is very wise to think that you could not prove anything to us. Faux outrage is not convincing cover.
Sure you would. And you'd punch that mean old Mike Tyson right in the face, wouldn't you?
Well, here's your chance. James Randi has a standing $1M offer to anybody who can prove the paranormal. Accept his challenge, have your sky-wizard zap up a quick limb and make a million.
Colin: "Well, here's your chance. James Randi has a standing $1M offer to anybody who can prove the paranormal."
Colin, you really are disappointing! This is the embarrassing crap you come up with! I suggest you read the whole book of Proverb because therein lies wisdom!
new-man/Austin: Are you too much of a coward to take the challenge? Afraid of being shown to be the liar and fraud you quite apparently are?
tp:
this isn't Austin.
only intellectual vandals throw around words like coward and fraud and liar as you're doing without any knowledge.
Colin wrote, " I suggest that we not only make prayer permissible in government schools, but make it mandatory. "
News flash Colin, children are allowed to bring their bibles to school and pray in government schools. You just can't do it during class.
When people say prayer should be allowed in schools, assuming they aren't totally ignorant, they are referring to mandatory prayer time.
You're reading way too much into this obvious hypothetical.......
o The John Templeton Foundation funded a 10 year, $2.4 million dollar study involving 1,800 cardiac patients to measure the effectiveness of intecessory prayer.
The patients were broken into three groups. Two were prayed for; the third was not. Half the patients who received the prayers were told that they were being prayed for; half were told that they might or might not receive prayers.
Analyzing complications in the 30 days after the operations, the researchers found no differences between those patients who were prayed for and those who were not.
Over the longer term, patients who knew they were being prayed for had a higher rate of post-operative complications like abnormal heart rhythms, perhaps because of the expectations the prayers created, the researchers suggested.
A 1997 study at the University of New Mexico, involving 40 alcoholics in rehabilitation, found that the men and women who knew they were being prayed for actually fared worse.
I'm sorry, but I don't even think fake Heaven Sent can top this from earlier:
Austin (moniker in blue hyperlink):
"Avoiding what is written and putting people on a pedistool.
Defamation of God reveals character . It is written.
Apostates are not the manifestation of who God is. Dont trick youself with Satans candy."
Hey – don't joke about the devil. My wife's groin doctor knows a guy who saw him walking around over in Elizabeth in broad daylight. This guy says in a few seconds he was able to turn himself into a dumpster. Nothing to fool around with. He even gets into people's kitchens:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JuSfRgh0Vo
Hail Satan's toaster...
Alle begrüßen Satans Toaster
What is a pedistool? A place where your feet can take a shit?
Hahaha!
He's just a little crazy. Rather frightening to think he roams the streets freely.
Funny, I seem to recall that Ayn Rand, a darling of Conservatives, was a capital-A Atheist. Why all the hostility?
That was before Republicans found religion, or perhaps more accurately refound it in the bible belt.
Here's a question for christians. Just the sane ones answer please, not the loons.
when god made the universe and/or the earth and/or all the things on the earth ... Was it a thought by god and magically everything existed? Was it spells and cauldrons and incantations and chanting? Did god actually take the elements of the universe and get hands on – molding each creature and each landform into the right shape with his hands?
Does anyone know how it was supposedly done? If so, how do they know? If not, then how do you know it happened?
anyway ... any thoughtful answers would be appreciated. And remember, retreat into mysticism is the first refuge of the cornered fool so try facts if there are any.
Don't hold your breath, Dog.
Great question Dyslexic doG. God thought it out and through his Priesthood power asked His son Jesus Christ and Michael (who became Adam on earth) to create the earth. He said that there was matter unorganized in the universe and asked them to organize it. Some religions believe this happened in 7 days, but it is possible that it happened over thousands of years – God's measurement of time not equal to man's measurement of time.
So – one question for you. What proof do you have that God did not have the Earth created?
Without a created Earth and an uncreated Earth to compare to one another there is no way to determine if Earth was created or not. However, the fact that humans can't life on most of Earth might be a sign that it wasn't created, at least for us.
Joey is channeling a bit of Dr. Tyson
kudos!
Of course we do know that stars have a life cycle and that new stars and planets are being formed/created throughout the universe even now. Is that the Christian god still at work in the great universe or more probably just the natural process that at one time created our galaxy, star and planet. We are all star stuff, no gods required.
sounds like just a theory of yours.. Please use science to support it.
"What proof do you have that God did not have the Earth created?" It's called science...
Why would god have the Earth created, could he not do it himself?
So, who created science? Why would it be impossible to believe in both God & Science?
The Burden of proof lies on the one claiming God did create the earth, not the one asking for proof.
I have evidence and proofof God. But not regarding creation.
I trust that God has revealed His intended message
Sufficient for our needs.
No Austin you don't have evidence for god, you only believe you do. Your own thoughts and dreams/delusions are not evidence to anyone but you.
I did the first time and it was insufficient as data but i started a file and noe standing at thirty plus i have proof .
I am intelligent and blessed. Do you understand what it is to be blessed by God?
Do you have the gift that i am talking about?
Austin: The best most gather from you is that you are in serious need of professional help. You are a cowardly liar...you fail to comprehend that your words are not evidence to anyone but you.
Please for the safety of society go seek professional help...I'm sure there must be some state funded program for people as delusional as you. You are a horrible embarrassment to the faith you claim to represent. Crazy crazy crazy!
I was with you until you said he's an embarassment to his faith. He is a perfect example of the level of delusion that faith can cause and in fact, requires.
Seavik: Sorry I guess embarassment was not quite the right word.
LET's Religiosity Law #7 – If you think the bible is historical fact of the creation of the Universe, Earth or Mankind and believe without a doubt that some Jewish zombie can make you live forever if you symbolically eat of his flesh, drink of his blood, and telepathically tell him that you accept him as your master; so he can remove an evil force from your soul that is present in humanity because a sinful woman was convinced by a talking snake to eat from a magical tree! Then you are an award-winning retard.
According to the Shinto Kojiko the earth was created in a much different way by a different gods.
@wp
that story doesn't sound familiar. Is that your interpretation or is that what it says in your book?
It's the mormon version of the creation story, taught in their temples. And here I thought it was a violation of a sacred temple oath to reveal it!
"So – one question for you. What proof do you have that God did not have the Earth created?"
– Mormon...the second "m" is silent.
Does it really matter if you have heard that explanation or not before...do you really care to hear someone else's beliefs anyway?
This is hilarious:
"God thought it out and through his Priesthood power asked His son Jesus Christ and Michael (who became Adam on earth) to create the earth. He said that there was matter unorganized in the universe and asked them to organize it."
Ok, so that's states as if it's fact, and now:
"Some religions believe this happened in 7 days, but it is possible that it happened over thousands of years – God's measurement of time not equal to man's measurement of time."
Now we switch gears to it being a matter of opinion. I see. So how exactly do you determine what is fact and what is opinion when there is no evidence that any of it is true?
ONe is not required to prove a negative (since it cannot be done logically) but rather the person proposing an idea is required to provide proof of the idea. Put more concisely:
That which is asserted without evidence can be rejected without evidence.
"That which is asserted without evidence can be rejected without evidence."
Nicely said.
That question is one that makes me wonder exactly how you can take Genisis 1 literally. You can't take literally what is simply not there.
God split himself into a myriad parts that he might have friends. This may not be true, but it sounds good, and is no sillier than any other theology.
doG,
God spoke.
who did he speak to?
Not to the Aesir... they are older than the hebrew/christian god... Odin probably would have kicked Jehovah's ass
Robert,
I'm sorry you chose to answer.
It was mildly entertaining reading all the atheist crap being passed for dialogue. It's funny how when there are no believers to engage them, their conversations amongst each other is even worse than nonsensical gibberish.
sad, that these are the people who choose to confront the authority of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
A dead guy nailed to 2 sticks... not a very impressive god
new
Your jesus is full of love for everyone with the one caveat, that you believe in him otherwise you are sh!t out of luck and can't be saved. Don't believe me ask RB he will confirm this version of your loving god.
LET:
you should ask your master, as he's still reeling from what happened!
as one of your peers said on this board, someone has to be truly stupid to take on the God of the universe... I hope you're not that stupid.
Blessings.
"God of the universe"... LOL, that's retarded.
ausphor:
I don't need to ask Robert, I know what the Bible says.
So what's wrong in you believing that you are currently dead – ("death means ‘separation’ not ‘annihilation’. People say, “When I die it’ll be all over.” That’s a lie. For all of us, eternity has a beginning but it has no end. So, what’s it to be for you – an eternity of life or an eternity of death?" ) and Jesus died to redeem you back to the Father, so you are no longer separated from the Father, so that His Holy Spirit can now come back and dwell in you?
What's wrong with that?
LET: "LOL, that's retarded"
says the one who is retarded in all his ways. 🙂
Nice 5th grade retort "new-man"
Dein haar muss riechen schrecklich ... mit dem kopf in den arsch die ganze zeit ...
new
What is wrong with that is the caveat and you guys running on about god is love but only if you join the choir, correct?
Mark 16:16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
So god/jesus relegates 5 billion people on earth to condemnation/punishment for not toing some mythical line, if you believe that you believe in tyranny.
LET:
I'm glad YOU recognized YOUR 5th grade mentality.
Whatever... I'm not the one repeatedly posting superstitious drivel that any sane person would dismiss as fantasy. But yet, post after post you proudly display your delusional beliefs as facts. I'm sorry if my statement that you are mentally challenged offended you... but you know someone needs to bring to your attention that you need psychiatric help... isn't that what friends are for?
It is hard to give a reply given your parameters. Bear in mind that we are talking about an omnipotent, omniscient being. If you're asking if such a being could create everything, then it is likely yes. How it was done is impossible for us to know.
Bear in mind that we really don't know how the Universe came into being at all. We have a theory called the Big Bang, but we have no idea if it actually occurred or why it occurred.
" We have a theory called the Big Bang, but we have no idea if it actually occurred or why it occurred."
False. We know it occurred. We do not know why....yet.
@brian
if it is impossible for us to know then where did the books of genesis come from? Are they imaginary writing by primitive men?
I don't know anyone who claims they know exactly how it was done.
We have poetic explanations. We have scientific hypothesis and explanations. It is possible humans will never know.
Perhaps God is the author of science and mathematics and the order and intelligence of the universe we study is God's work.
Or maybe a bunch of stuff just came out of nowhere and we are basically just chemicals reacting to stimuli.
" And remember, retreat into mysticism is the first refuge of the cornered fool so try facts if there are any."
doG did some magical chants to make that so. So true. If you google that it is something he says a lot, but no one else does? Weird.
please rephrase that so that it makes sense.
How is mysticism a retreat? Or the first refuge of the cornered fool? All cornered fools retreat into mysticism? Really? How? And please use facts to explain this opinion of yours.
And remember it? What? Remember your opinion? Why?
Use facts? Why do you ignore facts so often?
I am a scientist and believe in empirical evidence to support "most" claims..however, some things cannot be explained by science and empirical evidence. Religion has always been based on a faith therefore, empirical evidence is not necessary to those who have this faith. Science has told us that the big bang started everything..however, what preceded this event? Just because we don't have evidence to say that something preceded it doesn't make something did not. Logic dictates that there had to have been something in which all matter existed in before "supposedly" the big bang created the universe. Moreover, that are acts that occur throughout the world that cannot be explained by science (e.g., miracles, etc.) and even Medical Doctors elude to some for of "divine" intervention. Its called Faith for a reason, and science has no place in it.
Facts, and empirical evidence is great and offers strong support to arguments but excluding divine intervention as a possibility is almost as ignorant as disputing intelligent life throughout the universe. With the former, there are too many similarities in near death experiences (some scientists and Doctors who were not believers, became believers thereafter) that science alone cannot explain. With the latter, mathematically the numbers speak for themselves, statistically the probability is just way too high that life DOES exist and statistically less unlikely that is does not.
We must remain open to ALL possibilities.
Nicely put.
Empirical evidence: "I am a scientist and believe in empirical evidence to support "most" claims..however, some things cannot be explained by science and empirical evidence."
My hypothesis: You are not a scientist... but you ARE a liar
"My hypothesis: You are not a scientist... but you ARE a liar"
Do you have any empirical evidence to support your hypothesis?
I know for a fact that some scientists believe things for which there is no empirical evidence. And they are not liars.
The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.
- Albert Einstein
Dalahäst
Sure, he was in awe with the mysteries of the universe, but can you come up with a quote by Einstein saying that he believed in a personal God?
No. I understand he is a deist.
He did say this: “Unquestionably. No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life. How different, for instance, is the impression which we receive from an account of legendary heroes of antiquity like Theseus. Theseus and other heroes of his type lack the authentic vitality of Jesus.”
"The religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. It should transcend personal God and avoid dogma and theology. Covering both the natural and the spiritual, it should be based on a religious sense arising from the experience of all things natural and spiritual as a meaningful unity. Buddhism answers this description. If there is any religion that could cope with modern scientific needs it would be Buddhism." Albert Einstein
"It was, of course, a lie what you read about my religious convictions, a lie which is being systematically repeated. I do not believe in a personal God and I have never denied this but have expressed it clearly. If something is in me which can be called religious then it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it." (Albert Einstein, 1954) From Albert Einstein: The Human Side, edited by Helen Dukas and Banesh Hoffman, Princeton University Press
"Scientific research is based on the idea that everything that takes place is determined by laws of Nature, and therefore this holds for the action of people. For this reason, a research scientist will hardly be inclined to believe that events could be influenced by a prayer, i.e. by a wish addressed to a Supernatural Being." (Albert Einstein, 1936) Responding to a child who wrote and asked if scientists pray. Source: Albert Einstein: The Human Side, Edited by Helen Dukas and Banesh Hoffmann
Last century, L Ron Hubbard wrote a book, as foolish as it is, making all sorts of outrageous and outlandish claims, backed up by zero evidence, and he has millions of followers.
200 years ago, Joseph Smith wrote a book, as foolish as it is, making all sorts of outrageous and outlandish claims, backed up by zero evidence, and he has tens of millions of followers.
A few thousand years ago, unnamed desert dwelling goat herders wrote a book, making all sorts of outrageous and outlandish claims, backed up by zero evidence, and they have hundreds of millions of followers.
Do you see that the only thing that makes your christian religion more popular than any other of these obvious scams is the amount of time it has had for your deluded cult members to breed and indoctrinate their children.
So have a good think about how preposterous scientology and mormonism sound to you, and know that christianity is just the same thing with a bigger head start.
Sadaam Hussein, Victor Lukashenko, Josef Stalin, Adolf Hitler, Paul Kagame, Augusto Pinochet, Mouammar Gaddafi, Benito Mussolini... without fail, every single one of them has a mustache.
If Star Trek taught us anything it is that people with facial hair are not to be trusted. (except for Riker).
I know it. Thats true.
Someone once tried to apply for a job once and they had one.
That aint happening here.
Kahn didn't have a mustache or beard
But evil parallel universe Spock and Kirk had goatees... Lesson Learned as a kid – don't trust people with goatees (I have one though, so weird right?)
Addendum – a strange phenomena concerning evil parallel universes... if you are already evil in our present universe... the evil universe Eric Cartman will NOT be evil... but still have a goatee...
And how do you tell if a woman is evil?
Trick question. They're all evil.
(rim shot)
That is becuase his superior intellect revealed that his true nature would be better hidden if he kept a smooth upper lip.
Hmmm... seems logical
I'm pretty sure its just mustaches that are a sign of evil.
I keep a beard, but no mustache.
The last time I shaved my face smooth, I didn't get no tang from my partner until it grew back.
Canadian Amish style? LOL
Whats that?
No Canadian wants to look like Snidely Whiplash.
hehehehe....
wait...so Captain Kangaroo was evil? I'll have to re-think some of my childhhod.
Him and Capt Chesapeake... insidious evil
and when my kids were little.. Barney. I know that evil purple dinosaur had a beard on the inside :@
Faces of EVIL ?!?!
http://www.worldbeardchampionships.com/
John Holmes had one too and look what he did....