1. Science and Religion BOTH make faith claims

Comment #171756 by Converse02 on April 28, 2008 at 7:28 pm

Science is a faith with evidence.
Religion is a faith without.

Theists trick you because faith can mean "to believe,"
they will say "you have faith in science!"
To say you don't have faith in science is to say you don't believe in science, which is untrue.

We have faith in science because of the evidence.
Just be sure to add the word "evidence" in the same sentence to avoid the trap.

2. Hitler, Stalin, Mao, etc. were atheists, and they were terrible! Answer that!

Comment #104905 by Converse02 on December 29, 2007 at 11:34 pm

Riley....

By definition, atheism is as you say it is: just a non-belief,
but atheist activists aren't apparently satisfied to leave it at that.

I'm an atheist activist, so what? It is only natural for an atheist, who is passionate about atheism, to be an activist.
However, with adoption of atheistic activism and the desire to create an atheist world, it does not necessarily follow we pick up Marxist/Stalinist ideology and start killing theists to bring it about. Atheism does not imply any type of methodology. There is utterly no connection. Nothing intrinsic within atheism would cause a person run out a stab someone.

A person running around killing for atheism is like a person running around killing for no santa. I admit, this is a possible case. However, there is NOTHING intrinsic about atheism or a-Santa-ism that leads a person to kill. ASantaism or atheism doesn't make you more immoral (this is really what the theists are getting at). A person that does kill for atheism and a-santa-ism is just crazy and evil. you have to blame the person, not "atheism" itself.

Unlike certain religions and political ideologies, atheism does not have doctines commanding the suppression of rival ideas.
The same cannot be said about religion. The VAST VAST majority of world religions calls for the suppression of rival ideas.

Also, the Bible (Exodus) was necessary for the witch burnings to occur, as it SPECIFICALLY says Christian should not suffer them to live. Even today, in parts of africa, girls are killed because they are suspected of being witches.

Maybe life with a little religion is better than life without any religion?

Instead using Aphrodite in my example, maybe I should just use the Force.

3. An Open Letter to Richard Dawkins

Comment #98611 by Converse02 on December 13, 2007 at 11:53 pm

"Here's my proposal, Richard. Now that you rightly have earned yourself the title of leader of the neo-atheist, secular activists, I think you would do a great service to humanity to reject, as John Paul II did for Christians, the evil actions of a tiny percentage of atheists who have, in your opinion, acted in a way that poorly represents your belief system, in particular your common denial of the existence of God."-Father Morris

Is Mr. Morris daft?
Dawkins didn't "earn the title" of "leader" of the "neo-atheists, secular activists." Was there an election I missed? What the heck is a "neo"-atheist vs the old atheist anyway?

Also, he wants Dawkins to apologize for the actions of Stalin and Mao, simply because they deny God? WTF? I'm speechless. That makes as much sense as the Father apologizing for 9/11 and suicide bombings too. I mean, they all believe in God,

Proposal denied....retard.

4. Hitler, Stalin, Mao, etc. were atheists, and they were terrible! Answer that!

Comment #97391 by Converse02 on December 12, 2007 at 2:23 am

Riley..

I argee with you arguing whether atheism or theism will create a better world is pointless. Let's say hypothetically, if everyone in the world worshipped Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, and it was scientifically proven the world would probably be a better place. No wars, hunger, lots of carefree sex. Great world, right? But is Aphrodite real? A lower body count doesn't make anything more true.

Stalin and Mao did not kill for atheism. That's ridiculous. No atheists is going to say atheism is a strong enough a "belief" to kill for. That's like saying "a-Santa Clau-ism" is strong enough to kill for. Who cares if a teenager thinks prayer to a Stove God will help her cook dinner? No one kills for atheism, (ie "no God") just like no one kills for A-santa-ism or a-elf-ism. Atheism is not a positive "belief," it is a lack of one.

5. An Open Letter to Richard Dawkins

Comment #97380 by Converse02 on December 12, 2007 at 1:58 am

Wow...
Dawkins totally pwned the Mr. Morris and the Pope. His answer was exactly the point I wanted to bring up, and the caller mentioning Loch Ness only helped.

Stalin and Mao did not kill in the name of "atheism." No one kills in the name of atheism. That's nonsense.
That's like saying people kill in the name of "aunicornism" or "there's no Santa Claus-ism." Killing in the name of a-astrology-ism.

It only show the Pope and his minions are morons.

"I think you would do a great service to humanity to reject, as John Paul II did for Christians, the evil actions of a tiny percentage of atheists who have..."
I think not. I think father Morris would do a great service to humanity to reject the evil actions of a tiny percentage of aSanta Clausist who have killed.
Atheism, a belief system? That's like saying a-unicorn-ism or "a-teapot-ism" is a belief system. How can a "Father" and a "professor of ethics" be so ignorant?

6. An Open Letter to Richard Dawkins

Comment #97196 by Converse02 on December 11, 2007 at 5:35 pm

Some ppl here are posting responses to Mr. Morris so other atheists can see them. That's like preaching to the choir.

Make sure Mr. Morris can read your responses. Be heard.

fatherjonathan@foxnews.com

7. Hitler, Stalin, Mao, etc. were atheists, and they were terrible! Answer that!

Comment #96953 by Converse02 on December 11, 2007 at 6:45 am

So what if atheists killed a billion zillion ppl, that doesn't make God any more true. Are we to follow the ideology that spills the least blood? We would all be worshipping Aphrodite.

Stalin and Mao didn't believe in God, they didn't believe in santa claus either. Neither will causes someone to leap out and kill someone.

People don't kill in the name of "no God."

I'm Chinese. If Mao was a theist, and starting praying to the Stove God and his ancestors, you really think this would have prevented the bloodshed of the cultural revolution? The chinese have their own version of the the God of War. And he's green, and he carries a REALLY BIG AXE

8. 'Expelled' Movie: The Extended Trailer

Comment #88318 by Converse02 on November 16, 2007 at 1:28 am

If the creation museum is any indicator, I think Expelled is going to be BIG, REAL REAL BIG. It's going to make millions and Christians are going to point to it every thing we say there are no peer-reviews science journals.


For those we think these are little groups of fundies, they are not. They are the wealthy mainstream Christians, and they are legion. Their cunning makes up for their stupidity.

The problem is that real scientists, the professors, the PhDs, the grad students, doctors, all over the world, are locked in universities towers. They just don't know how to combat this type of media, public relations thing.

9. Sam Harris at AAI 07

Comment #82596 by Converse02 on October 26, 2007 at 9:28 pm

I prefer the term "anti-theist."

10. Richard Dawkins receives the Deschner Prize

Comment #78754 by Converse02 on October 14, 2007 at 6:21 pm

"As of November 2006, none of Karl Heinz Deschner's books have been translated into English." - Wikipedia.

Wonder if anyone's working on this?
From the English translations of the titles, they seem like really interesting works. There's a big interest in books critical of religion right now.

11. Muslims tell Christians: 'Make peace with us or survival of world is at stake'

Comment #78103 by Converse02 on October 11, 2007 at 9:16 pm

Koran
Sura 5:51 O ye who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians for friends.

When both religion damns the other to eternal torture in a lake of fire, the process of dehumanization has begun.
There can be no peace.

12. Pentagon Sued Over Mandatory Christianity

Comment #72781 by Converse02 on September 23, 2007 at 12:40 am

"By magetoo - Unfortunately, he is also educating them on the fact that he's not part of the team, and that he puts his own personal views above loyalty to the group. (Well, arguably anyway.)

What I'm saying is that MuNky82 is right in saying that the soldier should have avoided the issue altogether, if he knew it was going to cause a problem."

I agree, he's showing he isn't being part of the team...team Christianity, BECAUSE HE ISN'T, HE'S AN ATHEIST!!!!!
He is putting his personal views (integrity, defending the Constitution, etc) above that of a bunch of deluded faith-heads. I don't see a problem with that.

Now, for the atheists who would have bowed their heads and "went along," you're hypocrites who can't confront Christians. You allow them to walk all over you. You wouldn't see Dawkins giving in. You're weak.
"Meekly swallowing the pressure to conform would only exacerbate the problem, by perpetuating a climate in which soldiers are afraid to speak out against it."-poster above. I agree, by not speaking out, one ADDS to the problem, making it worse.

It is the Christians who are causing problems. The atheist soldier is fixing them.

Make no mistake, it is the CHRISTIANS who are the ones who "should have avoided the issue altogether" by shutting the fuck up, not asking non-believers to pray, and breaking up gathererings. The atheist has every right, even duty, to demand they be prosecuted to the fullest extend of the law.

People must stand up for integrity, soldiers must defend the values of America and the Constitution. The military violates those values when they create a culture that favors Christians soldiers over non-Christians. It is the Christian who are being disloyal and hurting morale, not the atheist soldier.

The atheist soldier in this article clearly has the right stuff, his has guts to stand up what is right. Unfortunately, some of us here do not.

13. Pentagon Sued Over Mandatory Christianity

Comment #72329 by Converse02 on September 20, 2007 at 6:40 pm

[quote=MuNky82]But if the soldier knew this would happen he should have avoided the situation altogether, by playing along.[/quote]

I am outraged to hear this. I can't believe you are actually encouraging someone to be a hypocrit. No atheist should be cowed into fear, pressured into acknowledging a deity they do not believe in.

The soldier is an atheist, period. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. By joining in prayer, he is making everyone else think he is Christian when he is not. He is implying he supports its. He is not only lying to others, he is lying to himself.

The atheists of history did not speaking out and "went along," they wanted to be polite. Now look at the mess the world is in today. With the vast majority of ppl theists, the world threatens to be torn apart.

By speaking out, he is educating other soldiers who know him that it is possible to live a full life without an imaginary God. He is bringing attention that it is inappropriate for Christians in the military to impose their views of others. He perhaps inspires other cowed and spineless atheists that, just perhaps, they should speak up for their beliefs more often, rather than having others speak for them.

14. Griffin's 'offensive' Emmy speech to be censored

Comment #70050 by Converse02 on September 13, 2007 at 11:10 pm

Imagine...

Years of hard work in showbiz. Getting all dressed up, walking on stage in front of many people, and accepting your Emmy. What do you do?

Hold your Emmy high and say

SUCK IT, JESUS!!

Kathy Griffin is awesome.
Atheism is here to stay.

15. The Rise of Atheist America

Comment #69090 by Converse02 on September 9, 2007 at 5:28 pm

LOL.
When I read:

"Many of America's top-selling books right now are angry, in-your-face, atheist manifestos. Judges try to outdo each other in banning references to God like the Ten Commandments and the "Under God" phrase in the Pledge of Allegiance. And nearly half of Americans, according to a recent Gallup poll, would be willing to vote for an atheist for president of the United States of America..."

When I first read this, I thought is was an article in FAVOR of atheism, giving us news on how well we are doing.

Atheism is here. People in the US are finally know we're even ALIVE. I couldn't say that ten years ago. Onward, atheists!!!!

16. CNN Request for 'I-Reports' on religion

Comment #65048 by Converse02 on August 22, 2007 at 6:08 pm

My contribution. Atheists of the world, SPEAK OUT. The time is NOW.

I am a married 30 year old doctor. Human compassion and dignity matter much too me. I am also an atheist. I am one of the millions Americans who lives by evidence, not faith. One should not merely live off faith in a particular religion, but rather actively question, seek evidence, and analyzed religion, like they do all important things, critically.

Religion may appear as if it is "attacked" in modern society only in the sense people today are legitimately questioning its validity and are comparing a particular religion's moral system against other moral systems. Some faiths have morals that contradict accepted societal norms. In today's age of information, many are surprised to discover some of the "morals" of the more popular religions today espouse sexism, bigotry, and homophobia, which are destabilizing in modern societies. My morals come from a variety of sources, such as empathy, thinking, discourse, reasoning, and naturally preferring what promotes well-being and stability. It progresses and is the result of doing more than merely following what a book or religious leader tells me.

Religion is unfortunately playing a very large role in politics. The public should be outraged when politicians try to pass laws merely because of their faith, whether it be in Zeus, Odin, Buddha, Allah, Jesus, or vague undefined being they name "God." They should demand real reasons based on the facts, predicted outcomes, and science.

17. CNN Debate on Koran in Toilet

Comment #60360 by Converse02 on August 1, 2007 at 5:04 pm

The Koran says atheists deserve to be tortured for all eternity in a lake of fire.

Really, atheists should be the ones suing Muslims for committing hate crimes.

18. U.S. circumcision rate drops

Comment #50740 by Converse02 on June 19, 2007 at 6:46 pm

Circumcisions are immoral and non censual.

For the parents here, even if it does reduce HIV transmission or you think if may oddly increase his chances with the ladies (give me a break), it does not give YOU the right to mutilate your child's genitals. Let HIM decide when he grows up if he'd need the extra HIV protection or "charm" bonus.

Most uncut guys are happy with their foreskins and glad their parents left it alone.

19. The Blasphemy Challenge

Comment #48174 by Converse02 on June 7, 2007 at 12:44 am

I deny the Holy Spirit.

I still don't know why ppl are pissed over this. It's obvious I deny the Holy Spirit, I'm an atheist. Duh.

They know what I think, but it suddenly ruffles their feathers when I actually have the balls to say it. WTF?

It isn't disrespectful to deny the Holy Spirit when we do. What's disrepectful is telling us to shut up.

"Ridicule is the only weapon which can be used against unintelligible propositions."
- Thomas Jefferson

20. Alan Colmes Interviews Richard Dawkins

Comment #2378 by converse02 on October 21, 2006 at 1:48 am

Dawkins hath said in with this MIND, there is almost certainly no God. He's no fool.

This is profoundly different from...
Psalms 14:1 - "The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God" which is for most part true.

21. Stephen Colbert Interviews Richard Dawkins

Comment #2108 by converse02 on October 18, 2006 at 9:37 pm

Evolution..."it's too complex for us to perceive" "I'm lost" "you see, it makes my brain hurt."
It was like watching Dawkins trying to pry open Colbert's brain.

I was once like Colbert. I didn't really understand non-random evolution, and couldn't see how we can exist undesigned if everything I know is designed. Colbert appears to grasp the essence near the end, just a bit.

Colbert and Dawkins did better than I could have imagine. It was funny. Bravo.