Why Religion Fails
- Thread starter canada-man
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I've been to Jordan, I found the nightlife there very good.
CM's problem, beside flat out lying quite often, is that he is unable to think for himself. He is a blind follower.
With spokespeople like him evangelical athiesm is in serious trouble.
He is also against free speech and is unable to understand that not everybody wants what he does. He wants to be a little secular humanist dictator, but the good news is he doesn't have the qualities neccessary to achieve that.
CM's problem, beside flat out lying quite often, is that he is unable to think for himself. He is a blind follower.
With spokespeople like him evangelical athiesm is in serious trouble.
He is also against free speech and is unable to understand that not everybody wants what he does. He wants to be a little secular humanist dictator, but the good news is he doesn't have the qualities neccessary to achieve that.
The Myth of Militant Atheism
Why are atheists vilified? What is a militant atheist?
Published on February 17, 2011
Nine bullets fired from close range ended the life of Salman Taseer last month, making the Pakistani governor the latest high-profile victim of religious violence. Taseer had the audacity to publicly question Pakistan's blasphemy laws, and for this transgression he paid with his life.
Taseer joins a list of numerous other high-profile victims of militant religion, such as Dr. George Tiller, the Kansas abortion doctor killed by a devout Christian assassin in 2009, and Theo Van Gogh, the Dutch filmaker whose provocative movie about Islam resulted in his being brutally murdered in 2004.
With this background, it is especially puzzling that the American media and public still perpetuate the cliché of so-called "militant atheism." We hear the disparaging term "militant atheist" used frequently, the unquestioned assumption being that militant atheists are of course roaming the streets of America.
In fact, however, while millions of atheists are indeed walking our streets, it would be difficult to find even one who could accurately be described as militant. In all of American history, it is doubtful that any person has ever been killed in the name of atheism. In fact, it would be difficult to find evidence that any American has ever even been harmed in the name of atheism. It just does not happen, because the notion of "militant atheism" is entirely fantasy.
When the media and others refer to a "militant atheist," the object of that slander is usually an atheist who had the nerve to openly question religious authority or vocally express his or her views about the existence of God. Conventional wisdom quickly tells us that such conduct is shameful or, at the very least, distasteful, and therefore the brazen atheist is labeled "militant."
But this reflects a double standard, because it seems to apply only to atheists. Religious individuals and groups frequently declare, sometimes subtly and sometimes not, that you are a sinner and that you will suffer in hell for eternity if you do not adopt their supernatural beliefs, but they will almost never be labeled "militant" by the media or the public. Instead, such individuals are called "devout" and such churches are called "evangelical."
The lesson here is clear. If you're an atheist, shut up about it. If you are open or vocal about your atheist worldview, you are a "militant atheist." Be silent, even though that same standard does not apply to those who passionately disagree with you.
This, to be sure, explains why so few Americans openly identify as atheist. The American Religious Identification Survey conducted by Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, indicates that only about 81 percent of Americans affirmatively believe in a god (about 69 percent believe in a personal God, while about 12 percent believe in some kind of "higher power"), meaning about 19 percent do not. Yet despite the fact that almost one in five Americans don't affirmatively believe, only a tiny fraction of those dare to identify openly as atheist.
Analyze those numbers all you want, but the inescapable conclusion is that millions of Americans are in the closet about their religious skepticism. This, in turn, only serves to validate and legitimize the religious right, because it suggests that there is something wrong with a secular worldview. By keeping atheists closeted, the religious right can claim the moral high ground and influence public policy more than it should.
Therefore, maybe it's time to end the myth of militant atheism?
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/our-humanity-naturally/201102/the-myth-militant-atheism
Why are atheists vilified? What is a militant atheist?
Published on February 17, 2011
Nine bullets fired from close range ended the life of Salman Taseer last month, making the Pakistani governor the latest high-profile victim of religious violence. Taseer had the audacity to publicly question Pakistan's blasphemy laws, and for this transgression he paid with his life.
Taseer joins a list of numerous other high-profile victims of militant religion, such as Dr. George Tiller, the Kansas abortion doctor killed by a devout Christian assassin in 2009, and Theo Van Gogh, the Dutch filmaker whose provocative movie about Islam resulted in his being brutally murdered in 2004.
With this background, it is especially puzzling that the American media and public still perpetuate the cliché of so-called "militant atheism." We hear the disparaging term "militant atheist" used frequently, the unquestioned assumption being that militant atheists are of course roaming the streets of America.
In fact, however, while millions of atheists are indeed walking our streets, it would be difficult to find even one who could accurately be described as militant. In all of American history, it is doubtful that any person has ever been killed in the name of atheism. In fact, it would be difficult to find evidence that any American has ever even been harmed in the name of atheism. It just does not happen, because the notion of "militant atheism" is entirely fantasy.
When the media and others refer to a "militant atheist," the object of that slander is usually an atheist who had the nerve to openly question religious authority or vocally express his or her views about the existence of God. Conventional wisdom quickly tells us that such conduct is shameful or, at the very least, distasteful, and therefore the brazen atheist is labeled "militant."
But this reflects a double standard, because it seems to apply only to atheists. Religious individuals and groups frequently declare, sometimes subtly and sometimes not, that you are a sinner and that you will suffer in hell for eternity if you do not adopt their supernatural beliefs, but they will almost never be labeled "militant" by the media or the public. Instead, such individuals are called "devout" and such churches are called "evangelical."
The lesson here is clear. If you're an atheist, shut up about it. If you are open or vocal about your atheist worldview, you are a "militant atheist." Be silent, even though that same standard does not apply to those who passionately disagree with you.
This, to be sure, explains why so few Americans openly identify as atheist. The American Religious Identification Survey conducted by Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, indicates that only about 81 percent of Americans affirmatively believe in a god (about 69 percent believe in a personal God, while about 12 percent believe in some kind of "higher power"), meaning about 19 percent do not. Yet despite the fact that almost one in five Americans don't affirmatively believe, only a tiny fraction of those dare to identify openly as atheist.
Analyze those numbers all you want, but the inescapable conclusion is that millions of Americans are in the closet about their religious skepticism. This, in turn, only serves to validate and legitimize the religious right, because it suggests that there is something wrong with a secular worldview. By keeping atheists closeted, the religious right can claim the moral high ground and influence public policy more than it should.
Therefore, maybe it's time to end the myth of militant atheism?
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/our-humanity-naturally/201102/the-myth-militant-atheism
CM, what would you expect the president of the American Humanist Association to write?
http://www.americanhumanist.org/Who_We_Are/About_Humanism
Certainly not a balanced viewpoint. He's just propping up his own pulpit. It's certainly not valid research.
It's more like an Op Ed piece.
Nice Google.
http://www.americanhumanist.org/Who_We_Are/About_Humanism
Certainly not a balanced viewpoint. He's just propping up his own pulpit. It's certainly not valid research.
It's more like an Op Ed piece.
Nice Google.
It is interesting how the athiest movement is cresting and starting to fail.
Even its own members are recognizing that it is simply a negative philosophy and cannot offer much to its adherents and is thus seeking to expand.
CM's brand of athiesm will be dead before this generation is out. And good riddance.
Even its own members are recognizing that it is simply a negative philosophy and cannot offer much to its adherents and is thus seeking to expand.
CM's brand of athiesm will be dead before this generation is out. And good riddance.
Atheism grows among youth, high school students
hile religion has found itself in a nationwide downturn, with 15 percent of the American people saying they don't follow any particular faith, the trend is far more pronounced - nearly double, with a corresponding figure of almost 30 percent - among young people. And, despite pressures from parents and school districts, these youth are coming out.
For the past few years, atheist and other freethinker groups have been putting advertisements on subways, buses and billboards across the country and across the world. Now, the Secular Student Alliance, which already has chapters on 200 college campuses nationwide, announced that it would work to help high school-aged free thinkers express themselves.
The SSA received a grant in 2010, and used the money to hire organizer J.T. Eberhard to help with SSA's new effort, which would start with establishing local chapters at 50 high schools across the country.
Eberhard pointed to the case of Skyler, a secondary student in Maryland, as one reason why groups like the SSA need to be on high school campuses.
"I've been called an idiot for not believing in God, which is quite rude, since that's my opinion," Skyler wrote in an email to SSA. "I've gotten death threats. One person said he wasn't scared of me because he's a 'crusader.'"
http://peoplesworld.org/as-americans-turn-away-from-religion-atheists-plan-ads/
You missed the whole point again didn't you?
But...cut and paste it is for the king of followers.
These quotes and the actions they relate to aren't that shocking as they took place in the US. Remember the Westboro Baptist Church. That doesn't make them that prevalent and certainly not the norm. So colour me meh.
I tried to locate the quotes you offered to get some context, but couldn't locate them in the article/reference you offered.
I went to another report by the same organization and I found some interesting findings that don't seem to suport your comments. It compares similar reports for 1990 and it's update in 2008;
http://www.scribd.com/doc/48584695/Religion-and-the-Intelligentsia
Especially page 6.
If Atheism is spreading, it's doing so at a snails pace.
religion and politics are the worst 2 subjects to get involved in as far as a conversation goes. which doesn't make sense considering they are both man made to give us a sense of security and that there is nothing really real about them at all.
It brings out the worst in people, especially online where everyone can flame away in anonymity
a random de-conversion story
How I became a non-Christian in the Bible Belt
By Open-Minded in the South ~
My story is a long one, however for the sake of time and space I will cut it down as much as possible. I am from the Deep South -- Alabama that is. You know, the State with the governor that stated on his first day in office that if someone doesn't share his Christian beliefs then they are not his brother or sister. Well let me tell you he may have apologized for that, but this is the mindset of most everyone around these parts.
I will start out with my childhood, I was my moms way out of the house, she got pregnant with me at 17 and married my dad right after. Dad was the 8th of 10 children and the first to be born in a hospital to a farmer and his wife. Mental illness was very strong in their family, but they were very good at keeping it a secret. My dad was very abusive, and in his early 20's was diagnosed with Bi-Polar disorder. He also had some other stuff going on, because he was always making us leave the house in the middle of the night because there were ghosts, or the Mafia was after him... or whatever else his mind conjured up. However we went to a small Baptist church and as his sickness increased, so did his spiritual life. Sometimes he would leave work because he thought he was John the Baptist. He also purchased a cassette tape set of the New Testament and would make me study with him. I don't remember what he told me, but I do know that I had a real fear of Judgment Day and the Devil. He committed suicide on Feb. 1 1987, just 15 days before my 10th birthday. I found out later he wanted to kill all of us so that we could go to heaven together, but since I wasn't home he took his own life.
Fast forward a few years and at the age of 19 I wanted out of my house so I met this guy whose wife had just left him for his best friend, and I moved in with him. He was also abusive(figure that) and a severe alcoholic. We were together about a year and we started attending a small Holiness church. I was raised Baptist, so at first I didn't know what to think, but these people seemed so sincere. I could write a book on my experiences here, but for now I will just say that the preacher told me that if we didn't get married I would go to hell. So, I married the guy. A year later I finally got out. I left with nothing and stayed at a shelter for battered women. I was only 21.
I didn't stay long before I called my mom and she took me to my brother's house to live with him. I was miserable, so one day I called an old friend who was married to a pastor's son and started going to her church. I was accepted immediately, not like the people at the other church who really only liked my Ex and turned their backs on me when I left. These people really seemed genuine. The preacher and his wife counseled me and I got "delivered." In fact, I have been through three deliverances, and I could write on them also, but for now I will say that at that time I was so happy. I then started seeing a guy who was friends with my Wx and I fell in love. We got married on the first day I could legally remarry, and we are still married to this day. He has been the only stable thing in my life.
We later left the church and were churchless for a couple of years, then I met a girl at work and she invited me to her church, so we started going back again. These people seemed to be genuine, not like the last church that became so uncaring after we stopped tithing (you may be seeing a pattern). I went in head first and was going to change my life.
In a matter of weeks we lost my husband's granddad, his father (who had no insurance so we had to pick up the bill), and then my job. I prayed for god to make a way, but guess what? We lost our home and my car and had to file for bankruptcy. At the time it seemed like god's plan -- a new start -- he would make a way. A few months later I had a nervous breakdown after talking with an old friend who had always been the best that a Christian could be. He was giving and good and he now had a horrible disease. And, he had made some bad financial choices that he thought god wanted him to make. The once very wealthy man was on disability living from month to month, but he still had hope and believed that god would come through. I couldn't understand.
After that I almost lost my mind I then went through my third deliverance where I had to repent for being raped at 17 and just about everything else I had ever done. It did no good this time. Where was that relieved feeling that I had felt before? I began seeing a counselor and taking lots of antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs prescribed by a psychiatrist that my mom and husband brought me to. I thought that I had committed the unpardonable sin, and the thoughts would not go away. The more I tried, the more the blasphemies would come. I began searching the Net and reading all that I could. I even joined a support group for people with religious OCD. I would pray and plead with god to heal me and forgive me, and every time I would talk with my "religious counselors" I would feel worse. One day my counselor told me that I needed to take a break from church. I was appalled, but I did it. I have been back to church maybe two or three time since then, but I began truly searching and I came across this website along with others and read about Buddhism and other ancient religions. What I found was astonishing to say the least.
I am no longer a Christian. Although I don't really know what I am, I know what I am not. It is so hard raising my three children as open-minded individuals. I have ingrained some pretty heavy stuff in them and getting it out is going to be hard. But what is worse is that if their friends and teachers were to find out about me, they would be blacklisted. It is ridiculous. We live in a small community where at Christmastime, a church group came in at PE and told the kids the "true" story of Christmas. I was so upset, but saying something would cause so much persecution.
Thank you ex-Christian for the stories and testimonies; sometimes it is all I have. Thank goodness for my husband who doesn't care which way or the other, he says we won't know anything till we die anyway. I could say much more but I have already said a lot so for now I think this is enough.
http://new.exchristian.net/2011/02/how-i-became-non-christian-in-bible.html
How I became a non-Christian in the Bible Belt
By Open-Minded in the South ~
My story is a long one, however for the sake of time and space I will cut it down as much as possible. I am from the Deep South -- Alabama that is. You know, the State with the governor that stated on his first day in office that if someone doesn't share his Christian beliefs then they are not his brother or sister. Well let me tell you he may have apologized for that, but this is the mindset of most everyone around these parts.
I will start out with my childhood, I was my moms way out of the house, she got pregnant with me at 17 and married my dad right after. Dad was the 8th of 10 children and the first to be born in a hospital to a farmer and his wife. Mental illness was very strong in their family, but they were very good at keeping it a secret. My dad was very abusive, and in his early 20's was diagnosed with Bi-Polar disorder. He also had some other stuff going on, because he was always making us leave the house in the middle of the night because there were ghosts, or the Mafia was after him... or whatever else his mind conjured up. However we went to a small Baptist church and as his sickness increased, so did his spiritual life. Sometimes he would leave work because he thought he was John the Baptist. He also purchased a cassette tape set of the New Testament and would make me study with him. I don't remember what he told me, but I do know that I had a real fear of Judgment Day and the Devil. He committed suicide on Feb. 1 1987, just 15 days before my 10th birthday. I found out later he wanted to kill all of us so that we could go to heaven together, but since I wasn't home he took his own life.
Fast forward a few years and at the age of 19 I wanted out of my house so I met this guy whose wife had just left him for his best friend, and I moved in with him. He was also abusive(figure that) and a severe alcoholic. We were together about a year and we started attending a small Holiness church. I was raised Baptist, so at first I didn't know what to think, but these people seemed so sincere. I could write a book on my experiences here, but for now I will just say that the preacher told me that if we didn't get married I would go to hell. So, I married the guy. A year later I finally got out. I left with nothing and stayed at a shelter for battered women. I was only 21.
I didn't stay long before I called my mom and she took me to my brother's house to live with him. I was miserable, so one day I called an old friend who was married to a pastor's son and started going to her church. I was accepted immediately, not like the people at the other church who really only liked my Ex and turned their backs on me when I left. These people really seemed genuine. The preacher and his wife counseled me and I got "delivered." In fact, I have been through three deliverances, and I could write on them also, but for now I will say that at that time I was so happy. I then started seeing a guy who was friends with my Wx and I fell in love. We got married on the first day I could legally remarry, and we are still married to this day. He has been the only stable thing in my life.
We later left the church and were churchless for a couple of years, then I met a girl at work and she invited me to her church, so we started going back again. These people seemed to be genuine, not like the last church that became so uncaring after we stopped tithing (you may be seeing a pattern). I went in head first and was going to change my life.
In a matter of weeks we lost my husband's granddad, his father (who had no insurance so we had to pick up the bill), and then my job. I prayed for god to make a way, but guess what? We lost our home and my car and had to file for bankruptcy. At the time it seemed like god's plan -- a new start -- he would make a way. A few months later I had a nervous breakdown after talking with an old friend who had always been the best that a Christian could be. He was giving and good and he now had a horrible disease. And, he had made some bad financial choices that he thought god wanted him to make. The once very wealthy man was on disability living from month to month, but he still had hope and believed that god would come through. I couldn't understand.
After that I almost lost my mind I then went through my third deliverance where I had to repent for being raped at 17 and just about everything else I had ever done. It did no good this time. Where was that relieved feeling that I had felt before? I began seeing a counselor and taking lots of antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs prescribed by a psychiatrist that my mom and husband brought me to. I thought that I had committed the unpardonable sin, and the thoughts would not go away. The more I tried, the more the blasphemies would come. I began searching the Net and reading all that I could. I even joined a support group for people with religious OCD. I would pray and plead with god to heal me and forgive me, and every time I would talk with my "religious counselors" I would feel worse. One day my counselor told me that I needed to take a break from church. I was appalled, but I did it. I have been back to church maybe two or three time since then, but I began truly searching and I came across this website along with others and read about Buddhism and other ancient religions. What I found was astonishing to say the least.
I am no longer a Christian. Although I don't really know what I am, I know what I am not. It is so hard raising my three children as open-minded individuals. I have ingrained some pretty heavy stuff in them and getting it out is going to be hard. But what is worse is that if their friends and teachers were to find out about me, they would be blacklisted. It is ridiculous. We live in a small community where at Christmastime, a church group came in at PE and told the kids the "true" story of Christmas. I was so upset, but saying something would cause so much persecution.
Thank you ex-Christian for the stories and testimonies; sometimes it is all I have. Thank goodness for my husband who doesn't care which way or the other, he says we won't know anything till we die anyway. I could say much more but I have already said a lot so for now I think this is enough.
http://new.exchristian.net/2011/02/how-i-became-non-christian-in-bible.html
I'll put this at the top so no one is forced to scroll down. Another Cut & Paste. So what? Another story from the 6%'ers, big deal. If that's all your going to do now this discussion will get boring really quickly.
Again, just someone else's words, not yours. DM must be proud of DM jr.
Nothing random at all. It's off a site called 'Ex-Christians.net'
Again, just someone else's words, not yours. DM must be proud of DM jr.
Nothing random at all. It's off a site called 'Ex-Christians.net'
Church spokesman would like to silence all criticism of Catholicism in Scotland
http://news.scotsman.com/news/Make-antiCatholicism-as-unacceptable-as.6721565.jp
religion thrives on censorship
Humanist wedding ceremonies now more popular than Catholic services
Humanist Society of Scotland welcomes new figures that show their secular ceremonies are now the third most common.
http://news.scotsman.com/news/Make-antiCatholicism-as-unacceptable-as.6721565.jp
religion thrives on censorship
Humanist wedding ceremonies now more popular than Catholic services
Humanist Society of Scotland welcomes new figures that show their secular ceremonies are now the third most common.
http://news.stv.tv/scotland/229741-humanist-wedding-ceremonies-now-more-popular-than-catholic-ones/
Anyone who actually reads the first article you read will know that is not what it says.
You are simply lying again.
Are all athiests as bad liars as you?
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