# Another Example of Atheists Destroying Christian's Rights **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 30, 2012, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-example-of-atheists-destroying-christians-rights/623555 "2012-05-30T16:52:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 39
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-example-of-atheists-destroying-christians-rights/623555/761 "2012-06-07T00:25:36Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Not according to the Jews. Oh, sure, they’ll get to a \*better \*one, being the chosen people and observing all 613 rules and whatnot. That’s not what the Jews believe. The “chosen people” thing doesn’t mean they get a better heaven and I don’t think any of the commandments are expressed in go-to-heaven terms. There’s very little reference to anything heaven-ish in the Old Testament and if it exists in Jewish belief at all, it’s a very minor thing. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-example-of-atheists-destroying-christians-rights/623555/762 "2012-06-07T00:38:47Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > In a thread filled with angry little men, apparently. (If you really want to walk that road) I’m actually very happy right now. Sinning with strong drink and herb. Apologies to **GEEPERS** for the “angry little man” jab. Uncalled for drunken humor.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-example-of-atheists-destroying-christians-rights/623555/763 "2012-06-07T00:59:13Z")
> [@dngnb8](#): > > This has even spread to kids who wore the US Flag symbol on their shirts. I feel you are mischaracterizing what occurred in Morgan Hill on May 5th, 2010. The previous Cinco de Mayo, there had been incidents surrounding the Mexican and American flags. The school administrators were attempting to avoid another incident. [Cite](http://dailycaller.com/2011/11/11/federal-judge-school-can-censor-student-display-of-american-flag/). Compare it to wearing the Union Jack on Saint Patrick’s Day in Northern Ireland a year after there had been a near-riot. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-example-of-atheists-destroying-christians-rights/623555/764 "2012-06-07T00:59:23Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > That’s not what the Jews believe. The “chosen people” thing doesn’t mean they get a better heaven and I don’t think any of the commandments are expressed in go-to-heaven terms. There’s very little reference to anything heaven-ish in the Old Testament and if it exists in Jewish belief at all, it’s a very minor thing. Well, I was being tongue-in-cheek to some extent, but according to rabbi [Irving Greenberg](http://www.momentmag.com/Exclusive/2011/08/rabbis.html): > [@](#): > > Belief in the afterlife - a world to come in which the righteous get their true reward and the wicked get their deserved comeuppance - is a central teaching of traditional Judaism. This belief stems from the conviction that a loving God would not allow injustice to win. > > When the facts of life did not fit the Bible’s emphasis on reward and punishment in the here and now, this faith in the afterlife was emphasized. In the Middle Ages, when Jews suffered so much while enemies ruled the world, the stress on the world to come grew stronger. Some religious teachers taught that this life is “unimportant,” and that one should live only to be worthy of eternal bliss. This view spilled over into asceticism and less respect for the body and material activity. > > Early modernizers reversed direction. They validated Judaism and dismissed Christianity by insisting that Judaism is interested only in doing well in earthly life. Christianity was criticized as otherworldly, repressive and dreaming only of getting to heaven. It was described as cruel for condemning people to eternal damnation. This modern one-sided emphasis on mortal life robbed Jews of the profound consolation of eternal life and justice for all who suffered unjustly and innocently. > > What is needed is the classical Jewish ability to hold both sides of the tension. Such Judaism would inspire people to find God in the secular, to unite body and soul, to work for _tkkun olam_ (repairing the world) in the here and now. At the same time, it would uphold the reality of the spirit and the immortality of the soul. This faith offers the consolation of a final reunion - with those we have loved and lost with the _El Maleh Rachamim_, the Infinite God of Compassion But as you can see from the various quotes in the cite, Jewish eschatology seems kind of all over the place. One thing for sure though, they do not believe the afterlife (to the extent that there is one) is/will be a Jews-only club, the righteous gentiles get a spot too (righteous gentiles being defined as “those who observe the 7 Noahide laws”, with a possible “try not to be a jerk” general sub-clause depending on who you ask). ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-example-of-atheists-destroying-christians-rights/623555/765 "2012-06-07T01:30:13Z")
> [@Latro](#): > > Well, I’m educated and I must say that most of the venom came from you, GEEPERS. > > You really are chuck full of hate, aren’t you? > > You are not a follower of Christ. First the attempt at a gay slur and now this? Your posts have deteriorated to nothing more than personal attacks. Knock it off. [/Moderating] ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-example-of-atheists-destroying-christians-rights/623555/766 "2012-06-07T01:50:16Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > First the attempt at a gay slur and now this? Your posts have deteriorated to nothing more than personal attacks. > > Knock it off. > > [/Moderating] Would it be a personal attack if GEEPERS told another poster that they are not a real atheist? As I see it, telling G he’s not a follower of Christ is (to\*\* Latro\*\*) a conclusion he has reached based upon G’s posts in this thread. Though I disagree with\*\* Latro\*\*. I think G is a follower of Christ, he’s just a pretty crappy one. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-example-of-atheists-destroying-christians-rights/623555/767 "2012-06-07T02:06:39Z")
Actually, this thread is about to its end, anyway. Not only has GEEPERS failed to present a coherent defense of his position, but increasingly, those responding to him are engaged in little more than expressing their own personal prejudices. It is hardly a debate and it is taking an awful lot of time to babysit. (No. I will not move it to The BBQ Pit. If someone feels a need for a Pitting, let him or her start fresh, rather than making the Pitizens wade through 15+ pages of sludge to get to this point.) [/Moderating] ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-example-of-atheists-destroying-christians-rights/623555/768 "2012-06-07T02:13:43Z")
I was going to say the same thing. GEEPERS is another one who cherry picks a small number singular things from the sea of truthful rebuttals and still manages to get most of even that much wrong. There really is no point in continuing the tidal wave of truth against the pitiable cries of “nuh uh!” ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-example-of-atheists-destroying-christians-rights/623555/769 "2012-06-07T02:24:03Z")
Closed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-example-of-atheists-destroying-christians-rights/623555.md?page=38)