[QUOTE=Lightnin’]
You don’t get it, do you? That’s not the point of this thread. Yes, the government eventually steps in and sets things right… but in the meantime, we’ve got the persecuted majority, such as the panel the OP started the damn thread with, telling us that we should just shut up and take it. “Don’t rock the boat, 'cause if you do, you deserve everything you’ve got coming to you because you’re trying to stop us from worshiping”.
Are you seriously unable to see how shows like that episode of Paula Zahn can piss us off? Tell you what- try this: imagine if she’d done a segment called “Why are Jews so Reviled”… and didn’t have a single Jew on her show to refute the “Well, if they’d just stop talking about being Jewish, we’d all get along just fine” conclusion.
[/QUOTE]
Recall that this subset of the thread stems from the “their prayer in our schools” statement made upthread. I was merely pointing out that for the most part organized prayer is not allowed in public schools. That’s it. If it shows up, it should be pushed out. I think it’s terrible that atheists should be discrimnated against in any way, but also don’t see why atheists are suprised that theism is so prevalent – given that an overwhelming percentage of the population in the US believs in God. Repeat: discrimination against atheists = bad. atheist who wants to live a life in the US and never hear a word about God = stupid.
[QUOTE=whole bean]
I think you might overestimate your intelligence. At least your posts concerning the establishment clause belie your claimed mental superiority. Then again perhaps you’re just not that well versed on the topic. Still so, an intelligent person would know to keep his or her mouth shut, were that the case.
[/QUOTE]
Well, considering how loudly the religionists bray 24/7 I’d say my point regarding their ignorance and stupidity has been proven then, if we go by your criteria.
And I, at least, know how to spell “populace,” and know that there’s a difference between that word and “populous.” Funny how ignorance doesn’t seem to prevent ANYONE from spouting off, isn’t it?
Also note that I have never suggested you should just shut up, which is after all the whole thrust of this thread, whereas you have just suggested I do so. Again, if an atheist dares to make her viewpoint known it’s all about how we should just shut up…
[QUOTE=whole bean]
I don’t expect you to even consider them. That’s not the point. But were you to mock me for something I believe and don’t expect you to believe, you wouldn’t count me among your friends.
[/QUOTE]
And if your way of making friends is “just roll over and take it”, I think I’ll pass.
Wow, we can agree. I have a warm fuzzy. Praise Hera!
[QUOTE=SmartAleq]
Well, considering how loudly the religionists bray 24/7 I’d say my point regarding their ignorance and stupidity has been proven then, if we go by your criteria.
And I, at least, know how to spell “populace,” and know that there’s a difference between that word and “populous.” Funny how ignorance doesn’t seem to prevent ANYONE from spouting off, isn’t it?
Also note that I have never suggested you should just shut up, which is after all the whole thrust of this thread, whereas you have just suggested I do so. Again, if an atheist dares to make her viewpoint known it’s all about how we should just shut up…
[/QUOTE]
Show me where in this thread I have told you or any other atheist to shut up. Show me where in this thread I have implied that you or any other atheist should shut up. You can’t, and you won’t. Now, in addition to being arrogant, you are also quite possibly a liar.
What’s funny is that the spelling of a word is your chosen counter-attack to my pointing to your ignorance of constitutional law (that is ignorance for a know-it-all genius). A spelling mistake? Really? That’s the best you have? “At least I know how to spell populace” is indeed the rejoinder to end all rejoinders. Now, I truly do have cause to question your self-proclaimed mental superiority. Your words belie your claimed intellect. At least you know how to spell populace, indeed.
[QUOTE=Merijeek]
And if your way of making friends is “just roll over and take it”, I think I’ll pass.
Wow, we can agree. I have a warm fuzzy. Praise Hera!
-Joe
[/QUOTE]
Who said anything about rolling over and taking it. In fact, a plain reading of my thread would indicate that I would not roll over and take your insults, notwithstanding your clear intellectual superiority, being an atheist and all. In reality, I have no idea what the religious affiliations, or lack thereof, most of my friends and acquaintances keep. It’s not important to me. Were someone to proselytize, I would be offended. Were they to criticize my faith, I would likewise be offended. Still, were I not religious, I would not complaint that I can’t seem to escape the Christmas season in the mall, nor would I begrudge someone the opportunity to preach his beliefs from a street corner. I do not support government endorsement of religion, but I understand that in a largely religious society, religion is a visible component.
So the video was taking WAY too long to load and I gave up. Is “Atheists need to just shut up”, a comment that a newscaster made on the video, in response to the story about the horrible treatment the atheist family was getting in that one town?
Also note that I have never suggested you should just shut up, which is after all the whole thrust of this thread, whereas you have just suggested I do so. Again, if an atheist dares to make her viewpoint known it’s all about how we should just shut up…
[/QUOTE]
I think the atheist viewpoint deserves to be aired, and atheists should feel as free as religious folk to chime in on any topics, religious, secular, or other.
You, specifically, SmartAleq, should shut up until you’ve learned to read for comprehension.
[QUOTE=lowbrass]
So the video was taking WAY too long to load and I gave up. Is “Atheists need to just shut up”, a comment that a newscaster made on the video, in response to the story about the horrible treatment the atheist family was getting in that one town?
[/QUOTE] Here’s the transcript of the show; atheist segment starts …well, I had to hit “page down” 16-17 times to get to it. A couple of highlights:
Some more!
And what the hell; one more:
Now, this is nothing like the whole show, or the whole segment … but it’s not misrepresentative. Go ahead and read the whole thing.
[QUOTE=whole bean]
In reality, I have no idea what the religious affiliations, or lack thereof, most of my friends and acquaintances keep. It’s not important to me. **Were someone to proselytize, I would be offended. **Were they to criticize my faith, I would likewise be offended. Still, were I not religious, I would not complaint that I can’t seem to escape the Christmas season in the mall, nor would I begrudge someone the opportunity to preach his beliefs from a street corner.
[/QUOTE]
Sorry for a minor hijack here, but I’m confused. You’re offended by someone proselytizing to you, but you are okay with folks preaching their beliefs on a street corner? What’s the difference in your mind?
[QUOTE=SmartAleq]
A) My friends not only laugh like hyenas when I go after stupid religious idiots, they’re right there making up their own jokes. My friends are smart enough to realize that sharing a nominal religious belief with a moron does not reflect on them any more than sharing a shoe size. It also doesn’t hurt that I know the bible better than probably 90% of the christians out there and use it regularly to refute and rebuke ignorant religionists.
B) If being able to accurately identify and label shit as shit makes me arrogant then I am more than proud to claim the label.
C) I’ve found that a good slap across the face, metaphorically speaking, is an excellent tool to snap otherwise sensible people out of a hysterical mindset and focus them on reality. I’d only be an asshole about insulting stupidity if I then cavilled at someone else insulting mine. Stupidity of every kind, be it religious, secular, or any other kind should be mercilessly mocked and insulted, because it’s the only way to let the stupid know that not everyone values and enables yahooism. In a country where reality tv makes obscene amounts of money, it’s necessary to draw the line and refuse to tolerate ignorance and the dissemination thereof.
D) I am smarter than crazy christians. Sorry if truth hurts, but there it is.
As has been pointed out upthread, I don’t have any rules that require me to be nice about anything. Stupidity irritates me, stupidity wielding power infuriates me and if I feel like it I’ll be just as abrasive as I like. If you don’t like my tactics, you are more than welcome not to use them–your choice. See, I’m a live & let live type…
[/QUOTE] God, you’re an idiot.
What a bunch of hooey. Paula Zahn has a panel of three *believers * discussing how atheists should “behave.”
Some ‘balance’ there, Paula. Fuck them and the horse they rode in on.
Fact is, I believe there’s lots to be gained if people like Richard Dawkins, George H Smith, James Randi, Judith Hayes or even someone like George Carlin, were given on-air time to debate religion with whomever the faithful choose. Never mind making books such as Carl Sagan’s “The Demon Haunted World” mandatory reading in high-school – if only for teaching the value of critical-thinking skills. A bit of Bertrand Russel wouldn’t hurt either.
I wonder, why are the theists so afraid of atheists “coming out of the closet”? Could it be because they don’t have an empirical leg to stand on?
I, like many others in this thread, have had to put up with all sorts of religious indoctrination since practically, berth, so why not give our childen – as I’ve given mine – the “other side of the story” and let them decide for themselves?
Oh, I know! Your nation might just become as secular as those evil Europeans! And lordy knows you wouldn’t want that to happen! Scary thought.
FWIW, I too deny the Holy Spirit. Sorry, you’ll just have to take my word for it for now – gave my webcam to my kid and rigging-up my hi-eight is too much of a hassle for said nonsense.
[QUOTE=RedFury]
I wonder, why are the theists so afraid of atheists “coming out of the closet”? Could it be because they don’t have an empirical leg to stand on?
[/QUOTE]
Nah. Mathematicians don’t either, and it doesn’t bother them. Frankly, if I were using empiricism to make any statement about God or anything else nonphysical, I’d just stay in the closet so everybody didn’t think I was stupid.
That Stephen A. Smith, noted blowhard sports commentator from ES frickin’ PN came off as the most reasonable person in the segment in entirely telling. You’re right, RedFury, someone like George Carlin would have demolished them.
The claim that this is a Christian nation won’t hold up by examining the intent of the founding fathers, so of course they rely on the ad populum argument that our citizens are overwhelmingly Christian. That doesn’t make us Christian in any way that should matter legally, but it is nonetheless very telling. For example, the CNN report above mentioned that there were at least 3 million atheists in the U.S. I recall also that pornography is a 6 billion dollar-a-year industry. Therefore each atheist is spending $2,000 per year on porn!
As the old saying goes, “There are no atheists in fox holes.” And no Christians in whore houses. Which do you suppose there are more of?
This is not a Christian nation, and nobody really wants it to be. They just want to be able to boss people around.
[QUOTE=Johnny Angel]
For example, the CNN report above mentioned that there were at least 3 million atheists in the U.S. I recall also that pornography is a 6 billion dollar-a-year industry. Therefore each atheist is spending $2,000 per year on porn!
[/QUOTE]
God, you’re an idiot.