351. Anti-Quran Film Fitna Pulled From Web Due to 'Threats'

Comment #152776 by FightingFalcon on March 31, 2008 at 2:31 pm

186. Comment #152726 by al-rawandi on March 31, 2008 at 12:13 pm

Steve,

What happens when those people outnumber you, and can then simply change the laws?

France will be a majority Muslim country in 20 years. What happens once they command a majority?

You aren't thinking long term. You think people like you (enlightened and secular) will always be driving the ship. I am telling you, that won't last.

352. Anti-Quran Film Fitna Pulled From Web Due to 'Threats'

Comment #152382 by FightingFalcon on March 30, 2008 at 10:04 pm

@Riki - Certainly, advocating direct action to murder someone or overthrow the government would be met with prosecution.

But to say that it is illegal to incite violence is simply wrong. There are plenty of books in any book store in the US that could be construed to incite violence - the Bible and Qu'ran among them. We've had our fair share of racists, anarchists, etc. who have published works that could easily be seen as inciting violence against our current system. Hell, sermons in certain churches and mosques in America could border on inciting violence. But it takes a significant amount of hatred to ever get an American to agree to censorship. Unless you make it perfectly clear that it is your goal to murder someone and/or overthrow the government, you'll typically be protected.

See Brandenburg v. Ohio (1969) for more info.

353. Anti-Quran Film Fitna Pulled From Web Due to 'Threats'

Comment #152374 by FightingFalcon on March 30, 2008 at 8:58 pm

Post #42

"Oh really? Pray do tell, where did you hear that you can't publish works that incite violence?"
...erm, actually, there are are laws you know.. "

Perhaps in Europe, where freedom has little meaning anymore. I guess we Americans are too fanatically devoted to our 1st Amendment to start banning a work simply because it incites violence.

354. Anti-Quran Film Fitna Pulled From Web Due to 'Threats'

Comment #152343 by FightingFalcon on March 30, 2008 at 6:45 pm

Post #32:

"You can't publish works that incite violence. But at the same time you need to defend freedom. "

Oh really? Pray do tell, where did you hear that you can't publish works that incite violence?

I guess we had better ban Mein Kempf at the very least. When do the book burning sessions begin?

355. Anti-Quran Film Fitna Pulled From Web Due to 'Threats'

Comment #152342 by FightingFalcon on March 30, 2008 at 6:41 pm

From the article linked to in Post #15:

"[Westerners] don't understand how much Muslims love and respect their Prophet (pbuh)," said Al-Wohaibi."

And you, jack off, don't understand how much we love free speech and civilized culture in the West.

More unnecessary pandering to religion. Would anyone bat an eye if a movie was made that was highly critical of Communism, Nazism, Capitalism, etc.? The lunacy of religion gets no free passes - its tenets are subject to debate just as anything else is.

356. In His Name We Pray, Ramen

Comment #151819 by FightingFalcon on March 29, 2008 at 1:30 pm

"If this is what I believe in, no matter how stupid it might sound, I should be able to express myself however I want to," said Weaverville, North Carolina, high school student Bryan Killian. His school's administrators disagreed, refusing to recognize his eye patch as a protected religious article. Killian was suspended from school until he agreed to return sans the Pastafarian accoutrement.

Blasphemy!!

Seriously though - what gives any school the right to tell students what is an acceptable religion and what isn't? Respect to all or respect to none. (Clearly the latter being the better option).

357. Saudi Arabia Leader Calls for Interfaith Dialogue

Comment #150321 by FightingFalcon on March 26, 2008 at 5:36 pm

"We have lost sincerity, morals, fidelity and attachment to our religions and to humanity," Abdullah said Monday, deploring "the disintegration of the family and the rise of atheism in the world â€" a frightening phenomenon that all religions must confront and vanquish."

Good luck, asshole. I dare you to come and try to "vanquish" me.

358. Police: Girl Dies After Parents Pray for Healing Instead of Seeking Medical Help

Comment #150318 by FightingFalcon on March 26, 2008 at 5:33 pm

That story is sickening. Perhaps one of our theists would like to comment on it.

Actually, David Robertson, you reading this? Care to comment? Presumably you believe in the "power of prayer". Elders and ministers in your denomination among others, are always praying for "those laid aside on beds of sickness"


What do you expect a believer to say? Being a former very devout Theist myself, allow me to answer for him:

A Theist would argue that this girl's suffering is now over and she is enjoying paradise in Heaven. Her family must be comforted by the fact that God has a plan for everyone and that He is taking care of both the girl and the family. They will be reunited in Heaven. If anything, this act showed God's mercy by ending her pain and bringing her to eternal paradise.

UGH....I feel dirty after writing that. I'm going to take a shower.

359. Police: Girl Dies After Parents Pray for Healing Instead of Seeking Medical Help

Comment #150315 by FightingFalcon on March 26, 2008 at 5:27 pm

I don't know - for anti-government Libertarians like myself, I've always had a hard time with issues like these. When do children become old enough to legitimately make decisions for themselves?

I'm faced with two evil prospects here. On the one hand a girl dies based on religious idiocy that deserves condemnation beyond what words can describe. On the other hand, the other option is the government interfering in our private homes and telling us what is and isn't acceptable. After Terri Schiavo (hopefully the European posters know what I'm talking about here), I've grown very hostile to government intervention in private matters such as this.

360. Wicked untruths from the Church

Comment #149379 by FightingFalcon on March 25, 2008 at 2:24 pm

"God is Dead, Christians Should be Deader"

LOL - an awful banner but absolutely hilarious :-)

361. Contribute to science directly by volunteering some of your computer's processing power!

Comment #148362 by FightingFalcon on March 22, 2008 at 6:15 pm

Just signed up for Rosetta - glad my Macbook and I could help :-)

I'm much more sympathetic to the cause of SETI but, as others have said, if I'm going to incur an increase in electric costs, I'd rather it go toward something with a more tangible goal. Besides, I already donated actual $$$ to SETI earlier this year :D

362. No Admission for Evolutionary Biologist at Creationist Film

Comment #148026 by FightingFalcon on March 21, 2008 at 8:54 pm

Dr. Dawkins, who like everyone was asked to present identification, said he offered his British passport, which lists him as Clinton Richard Dawkins.

O how I wish Mr. Dawkins would go the way of Mr. Hitchens and become an American citizen :-)

363. The Secular Conscience

Comment #146897 by FightingFalcon on March 19, 2008 at 2:25 pm

This is what I would like to see more of. I'm tired of just seeing anti-Theism books because they offer no solution. We're all in agreement that religion is damaging to humanity but what is our solution? Like it or not, the majority of mankind relies on religion to provide its morality for it. If we're going to look toward a post-Theism planet, we need to offer our own alternative.

Dawkins made a valiant effort in The God Delusion, but more people need to make the case that 1) morality doesn't stem from religion and 2) that you can be moral without religion. The greatest source of discrimination that Atheists continue to suffer from is our supposed immorality and lack of trust. Like it or not, this is what we're up against and we need to counter it.

364. Sci-fi guru Clarke to have secular funeral

Comment #146883 by FightingFalcon on March 19, 2008 at 2:09 pm

I strongly suggest that everyone fills out both a Living Will and a regular Will if they are concerned about what they want to happen to them should they become mentally incapacitated or die.

My mother would never agree to my wishes to be removed from life support after 6 months or to have my body donated to science. I left my brother (a de facto Atheist due to apathy toward religion) in charge of my remains b/c I know that he would honor them.

If you a living will/last will and testament that expresses your wishes, then its a legally binding document. At least here in America. There would be nothing that a family member could do, should they object. In the post-Terri Schiavo world, I suggest everyone gets a living will.

365. Atheists claim censorship by billboard company

Comment #146444 by FightingFalcon on March 19, 2008 at 5:07 am

PsyPro - the Supreme Court would argue that an employer cannot discriminate against someone based on race, religion, sexual orientation, etc.

As a civil libertarian, I would argue that a private employer can discriminate against whomever he or she wants. But I don't think my opinion counts as much as our Justices...

366. Atheists claim censorship by billboard company

Comment #146217 by FightingFalcon on March 18, 2008 at 7:30 pm

Ugh...as much as I sympathize with the Freedom From Religion Foundation, a private company cannot censor. Only a government can censor, as censorship requires the use of force.

This is a purely economic decision made by a company that would rather not deal with controversy. If the government was forbidding the billboard from being displayed, then that would be censorship. But it's not.

367. Religious groups want Russian cartoon channel shut down

Comment #146129 by FightingFalcon on March 18, 2008 at 4:35 pm

Slyer - the episodes of South Park that you refer to (the Atheist wars) I think has a deeper point than that. I think their ultimate point is that wars will continue regardless of religion, given the nature of mankind.

In this aspect, I'm inclined to agree with the Trey Parker and Matt Stone (the writers/creators of South Park). My only stipulation would be that religion adds an amplification of warfare - thanks to beliefs in eternal salvation and overbearing propaganda purposes - that wouldn't be there without it. Sure, wars would still continue, but on a smaller scale and with less frequency. IMHO.

368. Religious groups want Russian cartoon channel shut down

Comment #146059 by FightingFalcon on March 18, 2008 at 2:42 pm

Never thought I'd be on the same side of an issue as the Russian gov't but there's a first time for everything...

369. Religion 'linked to happy life'

Comment #146048 by FightingFalcon on March 18, 2008 at 2:21 pm

The people in "The Matrix" were content as well.

The idea of Santa Claus makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside but that doesn't make it true....

I could keep going but I think everyone has pretty much taken care of this ridiculous drivel.

370. New Atheists Are Not Great

Comment #145139 by FightingFalcon on March 17, 2008 at 10:00 am

"He describes how Christian principles of free choice and human dignity laid the groundwork for democratic political systems built on inalienable human rights. They inspired free markets in economics and intellectual pursuit."

I stopped reading at this point. Christianity is responsible for democratic ideals and free markets? I know Tony Snow is just a talking-head for the conservative element in America (he was, after all, President Bush's press secretary) but comments like that are just ridiculous. A large portion of Enlightenment thinkers were Deists at best and rabidly anti-religious Atheists at "worst".

371. The Great Tantra Challenge

Comment #144770 by FightingFalcon on March 16, 2008 at 5:45 pm

I'm with Rod-the-farmer. Let's put all of our money together and offer a ridiculously huge reward for any Christian preacher who can heal someone with an amputated limb. I wanna see how that one turns out....

372. In Britain, creationist theory is evolving

Comment #144754 by FightingFalcon on March 16, 2008 at 5:27 pm

Ha! Europeans can feel the pain that we Americans have experienced for years now!

You can deal with the crazies for the next few years. We're tired of dealing with them haha

373. I don't believe in atheists

Comment #143946 by FightingFalcon on March 14, 2008 at 5:31 pm

You said atheists do not blow themselves up, well some have and do

What did I say? In case you forgot, here is what I said:

I don't see too many Atheists blowing themselves up.

Where in there is the comment that Atheists don't blow themselves up? You have a real knack for inventing arguments that don't exist. Might want to work on that.

374. Richard Dawkins on The Alan Colmes Show

Comment #143943 by FightingFalcon on March 14, 2008 at 5:26 pm

There are days that I question Dawkins' tactics and whether they are the best way to go about eradicating - to paraphrase him - Bronze Age myths that continue to survive in the 21st Century.

Then there are moments like now when I remember the idiocy that we are up against and the only reaction that one can possibly have toward it.

A constitutional right to not be offended? No transitional fossils? Christianity wouldn't survive for 2000 years if it wasn't true? UGH!

I was, of course, waiting for Dawkins to point out that there are religions out there older than Christianity. By definition, don't they have to be true as well? After all, that caller was insinuating that the legitimacy of a belief system is based solely on its longevity.

375. I don't believe in atheists

Comment #143940 by FightingFalcon on March 14, 2008 at 5:21 pm

The Tamil Tigers, despite Harris pathetic attempt at trying to paint them as Hindu's, are not religious. Yet, until the beginning of this century they had still been responsibile for more suicide attacks then any other group.

The world does not divide as easily as you may to wish.

Outstanding - you have found one example of a group that blows itself up for non-religious political reasons.

Is anyone here claiming that the eradication of religion would end violence and suicide bombings world-wide? Anyone at all? Stop making arguments that don't exist.

If you honestly want to compare the actions of one group (e.g. the Tamil Tigers) to worldwide Islamic terrorism, then that is your prerogative. Clearly you have a bias on this issue that blinds basic common sense.

376. I don't believe in atheists

Comment #143911 by FightingFalcon on March 14, 2008 at 3:40 pm

Ungodlystheist -


But he is rightly attacking those who view the world in simplistic black and white terms, as if religion is an entity that exists all by itself and seperate from circumstances.

Certainly some Atheists argue in hyperboles but look at the people whom we are trying to argue against! When dealing with individuals who honestly think that the universe is 6,000 years old, certain methods have to be used. Rational debate will not work with these people.

Are Hitchins and Harris the innocents you believe. Hitchins is hungry for Iran to be bombed, Harris and Hitchins support the war in Iraq.

Firstly, I've never seen the comments that you bring up. Secondly, like yourself, I've never been a big fan of Hitchens or Harris. Among the "New" Atheists, I identify mostly (and probably only) with Dawkins. So no, I will not defend comments made by Hitchens or Harris.


The belief in Islam existed before 1994, the belief that virgins await those who die fighting as martyrs existed before 1994, the ability to blow one self up existed before 1994! So what changed?


You make the assumption that Islamic terrorism started with suicide bombings - certainly it did not. That might be the most popular form of expression for Islamic terrorists but not the only one. Nor is giving up one's life for a specific cause a new (or radical) idea.


To say, as Harris does, that religion is the sole, or main cause of suicide bombings, is so simplistic as to be pathetic.

I don't see too many Atheists blowing themselves up.

377. I don't believe in atheists

Comment #143885 by FightingFalcon on March 14, 2008 at 2:46 pm

I think the most frustrating argument to deal with is the "Any fanatic and/or fundamentalist belief system is wrong". Let's review, shall we?

Fundamentalist Muslims: Fly planes into buildings

Fundamentalist Christians: Blow up abortion clinics, engage in modern crusades, pray for the second coming of Jesus and the destruction of the universe.

Fundamentalist Atheists: Lead largely peaceful lives, respecting of others and generally interested in the pursuit of scientific research.

Now PLEASE tell me how these are all equal???

378. Bishop accuses gays of 'conspiracy' against the Catholic Church

Comment #143183 by FightingFalcon on March 13, 2008 at 3:13 pm

Anyone wanna take bets that this bishop is gay himself?

It seems to be a common theme that the more anti-gay someone is, the more gay they actually are. These people confuse the hell outta me...

379. The ethics of mixing science and religion

Comment #142562 by FightingFalcon on March 12, 2008 at 6:22 pm

$1.6 million from the Templeton Foundation? Probably.

$1.6 million from the Catholic Church, Protestant evangelicals, Muslim sheiks, etc.? Absolutely not. I suppose I hate religion too much to ever take their money.

380. Lords Approve Abolition Of Blasphemy

Comment #139923 by FightingFalcon on March 6, 2008 at 6:45 pm

"People on this website have bemoaned the rise of Christian fundamentalism in the USA, predicted that someone like Huckabee might win the presidency in November, threatened to leave the USA if that happens, and generally criticized American ignorance. Well, Huckabee is out of the race, all the remaining candidates seem to believe in evolution, and we have the First Amendment, not anti-blasphemy statutes. Maybe America is less backward and Europe a tad less enlightened than some claim?"

Hear hear! I have been getting sick and tired of the claims of Christian fundamentalism taking over America on this website for some time. Yes, we have our fair share of nut-jobs but we aren't alone. We've got three individuals running for president who all seem to accept evolution (McCain is questionable) and have distanced themselves from the religious right. Hell, with McCain's nomination, we can be assured that Christian fundamentalists will be marginalized for at least four years. I think the biggest thing I'm looking forward to in February 2009 is the Religious Right losing its greatest ally - the man in the White House.

381. Physicist Neil Turok: Big Bang Wasn't the Beginning

Comment #132231 by FightingFalcon on February 24, 2008 at 1:48 pm

I've always been open to the idea of a circular explanation for the history of the universe rather than a linear progression of time. We as human beings are obsessed with everything having a beginning and an end and therefore would never be able to understand a universe that has simply always existed. For me personally, I'm very content in believing that the universe was always here and follows a pattern that resembles a circle more than a line.

I'm hoping that at some point in our lifetime science will be able to provide a little more light on the subject of the "beginning" of the universe, should there even be one. As of right now, the creation of the universe and its complex nature are the only arguments left for Theists. O how I wish for the day that we can provide a scientific answer to those questions and watch as Theists fade into the ash-bin of history.

382. Launch of 'Atheists in Foxholes' Book Anthology

Comment #116807 by FightingFalcon on January 27, 2008 at 1:41 pm

Capt - With all due respect, Sir, you don't know my job. I'm a Logistician and I just volunteered for convoy duty in Iraq. Failing that, I'm going to the Army with an Infantry slot, which would all be guarantee me a 15 month tour to Iraq.

There are some of those who wish to be in combat. I'm not saying this because I want to be praised...frankly I don't care what anyone else thinks of my job. But I won't be insulted by someone who has no idea what the word sacrifice means. I take insult when someone says that our job isn't a "proper" one - if you don't, then that's your own business. Frankly, I have a little too much respect for the Constitution to not get offended at a comment like that.

383. Launch of 'Atheists in Foxholes' Book Anthology

Comment #116726 by FightingFalcon on January 27, 2008 at 8:51 am

They are trying to prove that atheists too join the army to do someone else's bidding under the impression that they are doing it to protect their country and freedom, and that they too did not have anything better to do with their lives and, especially today, because they couldn't get into college or get a proper job?

I have to severely hold myself back on this one. First, I want you to know that I labeled your post as offensive. It's not only offensive but completely ignorant and moronic.

I'm an Officer in the US Air Force with a BA in Classical History, currently working on my MA in Classical History and will get the USAF to pay for my PhD as well.

A proper job? I guess that's easy for someone to say who never has to put their life on the line for anything. Who's biggest struggle of the day is figuring out what to have for breakfast...

I'm done with this post. If I keep responding I might explode.

384. What We Believe: Atheism

Comment #104308 by FightingFalcon on December 28, 2007 at 10:03 am

The article forgot to mention that, in his free time, Aguilar murders babies, does drugs, participates in sex orgies and conspires to bring about the downfall of society as we know it.

At least - that's what Theists would have you believe...

385. New journal to target education in evolution

Comment #103913 by FightingFalcon on December 27, 2007 at 10:04 am

I am truly sorry to see Ron Paul reject the "theory" of evolution. I was a strong supporter of him and donated to his campaign several times.

Looks like I'm not voting for him anymore. It's unfortunate, as I thought he was the only one who could save the Republic.

386. The Pagan Christ

Comment #103643 by FightingFalcon on December 26, 2007 at 11:40 am

Al-Rawandi - I'm not sure I agree with you here. I think a comparison of the societies of Ancient Greece/Rome and Medieval Europe show the difference between pagan faiths and fanatical monotheistic religions. I'm certainly not arguing in favor of pagan faiths but I think looking at their society gives us a glimpse of what ours could look like without the domination of Abrahamic religions.

I wouldn't say that Greece was an intolerant place, if you can even make generalizations about that area, given its great differences. You argue that without religion, racial identity or national identity would have been stronger but I don't believe that. I don't believe that another factor would rise to replace religion. My reasoning for this, once again, is the condition of society in pre-Abrahamic empires. In both Ancient Rome and Greece, you find examples of agriculture and trade being left up to foreign non-citizens. Certainly in Rome, citizenship was an important divisive factor but it rarely led to war (the greatest exception being the Social/Italian War). Other than that though, the Romans were perfectly content with allowing foreigners to participate in government, hold high office and even take seats in the Senate, the bastion of Roman traditional culture.

All of this points to a level of tolerance and acceptance that we rarely find after the introduction of Christianity and Islam. I refuse to believe that without religion, different factors would gain increased importance and "fill the hatred gap" left by the exodus of religion. Yes, people always need to identify with a group but monotheistic religion has always been the most divisive, violent and intellectually backwards of all these groups.

387. The Pagan Christ

Comment #103631 by FightingFalcon on December 26, 2007 at 10:40 am

Al-Rawandi - Eliminating religion 3000 years ago would not have prevented violence. But would it have prevented the levels of violence that we saw? I would argue that it would. Especially when you are talking about the fanatical Abrahamic religions.

The Roman world dealt with religious persecution a little bit but, for the most part, the Ancients tended to be incredibly more tolerant than their monotheistic followers. This is probably due in large part because pagans, by nature, accept multiple gods as compared to the rigid and single system of the monotheistic religions. Was the ancient world a violence place? Of course it was - but it lacked wars fueled by religious hatred for one another. Indeed, the ancients had little trouble incorporating foreign deities so long as they weren't subversive to the state. Even the conservative and xenophobic Romans accepted numerous foreign gods into their pantheon.

My argument is that although warfare will probably always exist for more reasons than just religion (ethnicity, language, nationality, etc.), religion allows for an amplification and destructive nature of warfare that few other factors can meet. At least, monotheistic religions do.

388. Man and God

Comment #103630 by FightingFalcon on December 26, 2007 at 10:33 am

Sara - Describing Thomas Paine as an Atheist is probably taking it a little too far. In the Age of Reason itself, Paine calls himself a Deist, which is what many of the American Founding Fathers were.

Privately he may have held Atheistic beliefs and kept them secret for fear of persecution but we have no evidence to believe that Paine was an Atheist.

389. The Pagan Christ

Comment #103615 by FightingFalcon on December 26, 2007 at 10:02 am

Al-Rawandi - I agree that the spread of Islam is an historical subject that we, sadly, don't have a great amount of information about. Unfortunately we only have one or two sources and given the time period, it's questionable about how much we can trust them.

I am certainly not accusing Islam of doing anything that Christianity didn't do - indeed, that most religions really haven't done. Given that religious minorities were a direct and legitimate threat to the ruling government, their conversion or suppression is only natural. Examples of religious minorities given equal rights as believers of the state-religion are extremely rare in the era of state theocracies.

But it is debatable as to whether Islam (and Christianity) spread by the sword. Certainly you can make a case for both that they were. The image of a warrior carrying a Bible/Koran in one hand and a sword in the other are largely discarded but nothing can change the fact that Christian and Islamic armies conquered and assimilated vast territories and peoples. While examples of voluntary conversion can be found, both religions have significant examples of being spread by armies. While you pointed out that Indonesia voluntarily converted to Islam, the Visigoths, Byzantines, pagan Arabs, Sassanids, etc. did not. Nor did many Scandinavians or Brits voluntarily convert to Christianity before being conquered. I would label all of those examples as religious expansion through violence.

390. The Pagan Christ

Comment #103589 by FightingFalcon on December 26, 2007 at 8:37 am

Al-Rawindi - I'm sorry, but what are you talking about? Only one Islamic forced conversion in history?

Why have you conveniently left out the complete destruction of the Sassanid Empire and the stamping out of Zoroastrianism in Islamic lands?

In conquered Islamic lands, people were given a choice to convert, die or pay the jizya. While technically you could claim that they weren't "forced" to convert if they only paid the jizya, the extra taxes would have meant unsustainable poverty for most. Faced with such a decision, the choice was clear.

391. Man and God

Comment #103543 by FightingFalcon on December 26, 2007 at 7:14 am

Funny that someone should bring up Age of Reason - that too played a significant role in my evolution from Theist to Atheist.

Gotta love Tom Paine!

392. Man and God

Comment #103502 by FightingFalcon on December 26, 2007 at 12:33 am

Er, shouldn't that be Richard Dawkins' book (not Dawkins's)? I would expect a better grasp of English grammar from an editor of the Times.

393. Man and God

Comment #103415 by FightingFalcon on December 25, 2007 at 1:43 pm

Paula - unfortunately, I doubt that hardliners are any more likely than liberal Christians to abandon their faith. For me, what did it was that the more research I did into my faith, the more questions I had. Because I was so incredibly devout, I let religion take over my life and basically rule me. But if I was going to submit myself to religion then I wanted to study all aspects of it. Not just Christianity either but Islam, Judaism, pagan religions, etc. At a younger age I was able to cast away doubts and questions but as I got older I couldn't do it anymore. The question that ultimately did me in was "Why Christianity? Why do I believe? Why not Islam? They have a holy book, "savior" (I use that term loosely), an ascension story, etc. Why am I a Christian?" That question plagued me for years and eventually I realized the obvious truth.

Unfortunately for all of us, most hardliners aren't as inquisitive about faith as I was. I researched all aspects of my faith - not just the Bible. But also who wrote it, what their motivation was, what the time period was, the socio-economic situation, political make-up, pagan religions that influenced the writing of the Bible, etc. etc. etc. Most hardliners stop their research at the Bible and go no further. For me that wasn't enough. If I was going to accept a book as the Word of God, I would want to know who wrote it, when, where, why, how, etc.

394. Man and God

Comment #103409 by FightingFalcon on December 25, 2007 at 1:23 pm

Paula - religious discrimination is illegal in the US but trust me, your job can be made a living Hell if you come out as an Atheist. There are also always ways around discriminating based on religion. You can always fire someone for cost cutting, productivity, etc.

In my job, I have two bosses that are extremely religious. I would never in a million years tell them that I'm an Atheist because I would honestly be afraid of getting a bad performance report. My boss has basically told me that homosexuals have no place in the military (they're allowed to serve so long as they don't engage in homosexual acts) and I had to just stand there and listen even though my brother is a homosexual. I suspect that there are more Atheists in America than numbers show but its hard to meet other Atheists in the work place. It's kinda like how the Christians living in pagan Rome drew fish in the sand to identify one another. I wish we Atheists had something else like that to identify one another in the work place. Otherwise it's just better to err on the side of caution and keep one's Atheism to one's self.

395. Man and God

Comment #103402 by FightingFalcon on December 25, 2007 at 1:05 pm

Paula - I'm a former Traditional Roman Catholic (e.g. those who reject Vatican II) who studied intensely the Christian faith and Roman Catholicism specifically for many years. I too am an Atheist who feels confident that I know the Christian faith - indeed, I would argue that I know better than many Christians....

Atheists are Atheists for a reason. While I know many Theists who respond with "I'm not really sure" when I ask them why they believe, very few (if any) Atheists are unsure why they don't believe. We came to the same conclusion after years of introspection, research, a search for knowledge, etc. No one becomes an Atheist by accident.

396. The Evangelical Rebellion

Comment #103400 by FightingFalcon on December 25, 2007 at 12:47 pm

Ron Paul has some disturbing religious views but his voting record reflects a consistent defense of the Constitution in the face of an overbearing federal government.

Hightrekker - Your sentence should have read "Capitalism has never existed". It should have just finished there. Capitalism in its truest form (e.g. no coercive action, the banning of the initiation of the use of force, zero government intervention in the market-place) has never existed in the history of man. America has come close but even it is plagued with government intervention. It's no surprise/coincidence to me though that America, the closest example of Capitalism in the world, is also the most productive, prosperous and free nation in the world. Socialism has been, is now and always will be, a complete failure.

This is where I disagree with many fellow Atheists. We in America have a proud traditional of Individualism and a belief that the government is the cause of - and NOT the solution to - our problems. The government should be our (e.g. the people) slave and never the other way around.

397. The Evangelical Rebellion

Comment #103326 by FightingFalcon on December 25, 2007 at 5:34 am

Silent Mike - by all means, feel free to talk about American politics. But if your only knowledge of America (and I'm not saying it is) is through American and European media, then you aren't getting the whole story. Come here and live (don't just visit one area) before making an opinion as to how popular Christian evangelicals are. More of a general comment to everyone than a specific one.

Paula - Once Mike Huckabee's views become more well-known, he will fade back into oblivion. His only support is coming from evangelicals but considering they are a minority even in the Republican Party, they alone cannot guarantee the presidency. While any Republican would require their support for a successful election, he cannot rely on them alone. Independents/Moderates make up way too significant a portion of America (I'd say on par with evangelicals if not exceeding) to be ignored.

I'm in England but I still have a vote, which will proudly go for Ron Paul. As a lover of the Constitution and Individualism (while at the same time opposing government intervention in private lives), he's the only one that I can truly support. Everyone else I strongly oppose.

398. The Evangelical Rebellion

Comment #103315 by FightingFalcon on December 25, 2007 at 4:34 am

I really do wish that people would stop making blanketed comments about America with little to no proof. First off, let me state unequivocally that Mike Huckabee has no chance of winning the presidency. I'll also say with confidence that he won't win the Republican nomination. One thing that the article got right was Huckabee's popularity due to no one else pandering to the Christian evangelical vote in America. They can't turn to Giuliani, Thompson, Romney or really McCain so they turn to Huckabee. But no one is earning the Republican nomination on the evangelical vote alone. Believe it or not my European friends, but Americans are tired of Christian evangelicals. We really are. They will always constitute a significant portion of our population but we've only seen a surge of them thanks to President Bush. I am confident that under the next administration, they will return back to where they came from.

America is not a nation of crazy evangelicals, despite what the European media sometimes like to portray. I would appreciate people who don't live in America refrain from making comments in areas that they have little first-hand knowledge in. I've been living in England for half a year now and still don't feel confident to engage a Brit in domestic politics. I would ask for the same respect from my European cousins.

America is a land of incredible diversity, opinion, race, religion, etc. Belittling all of us by saying that we're all a bunch of white Christian evangelicals is really an insult. Travel America first-hand yourself and make your own opinion. I doubt you'll believe the uniformity drivel that is sometimes put out by European media.

399. Disquiet over schools' moment of silence

Comment #103094 by FightingFalcon on December 24, 2007 at 9:51 am

I understand what everyone is saying - I truly do. And I would be right there with everyone if this was a subject as important as prayer in school or teaching Creationism/ID in science classes.

But it isn't. It's a moment of silence in school to reflect upon whatever you want. We as Atheists have to understand that we're in the minority and have to pick and choose our battles. Things like this or trying to remove "under god" from the American Pledge of Allegiance only further our opponent's claims that we seek to destroy the historical Judeo-Christian values of America. It only fuels the base of Bill O'Reilly and his "war on Christmas" types.

We're a minority living (altho I'm living in England now) in a country that is dominated by Christians. Evangelical Christians at that. We must save our strength for when the real struggles come. Moments of silence in school do not amount to a significant enough struggle to get involved in. It only furthers to anger people who would normally be on our side.

400. Disquiet over schools' moment of silence

Comment #103037 by FightingFalcon on December 24, 2007 at 8:29 am

Ugh....I hate reading stuff like this. Why do Atheists always choose the wrong battle at the wrong time?

We aren't going to win these battles and it only alienates prospective allies. At least the school is offering a moment of silence as opposed to prayer in school. It's only 15 seconds of sitting in silence - is that so wrong?

I wish my fellow Atheists would pick their battles wiser and with more consideration for the rest of us.