He made the same claim in another thread that he linked to in this one. When I asked him for a cite, he failed to provide one. He has a history of pulling this type of dishonest shit and others have been banned for it.
Really? Even if I’m at a bus stop reading a good book? What if coffeespouse and I are having a ménage à trois with Taylor Swift, whereupon SenorBeef breaks through my bedroom wall like the Kool Aid man, saying, “I heard feminine voices shouting, “Oh my God!” and I had to enlighten you that’s just a superstitious delusion of weak minds.”?
One can go back in history and to the Crusades,and the killing of a lot of innocent people so the Isrealites could have some land,and to the Muslims killing people in Europe all in the name of religion.
Belief is just that “Belief” not fact ,but the desire to have a protector or a Father who will look out for them. People who have killed doctors because of their preforming abortions can always find a way to justify their misdeeds.
We are all just humans, deists, theists, or atheists. It is a matter of what one thinks they want, or need in their life. Some prefer to hope there is a Supreme Being, others do not find the need for one.
To me the best response to an Atheist (or Theist) is: That is your right!
If a guy in primary colors bursts though a solid wall and demands to have a theological discussion with you, well then that’s what you’d better do. Just humor him long enough and some other guy will burst through the other wall and start a fistfight with him; that’s how these things work.
It goes for both “sides”. I’m not interested. I have my own beliefs and unbeliefs, and they’re my business. I don’t try to “convert” you, you don’t try to “convert” me. In short, do what you want and let me do the same. I don’t want to hear all about “good news” or proof of whatever.
Write your books supporting or attacking whatever got you panties in a bunch. I don’t care. Don’t bother me personally with your pamphlets, or “I’m gonna sit at your table at a restaurant and start a fucking prayer service” (it’s actually happened) or follow me down the street gibbering about your own version of “the gods”. Likewise don’t push the opposite side either. I don’t want to hear it. So write your books. Let them sit on the shelf. If I want to know what you say, I’ll read the book. Meanwhile stay away.
Now if this “problem” is about some “new atheist” writing a book, get over it.
But it seems even-handed and fair and even warm and fuzzy to use the “both sides do it, it’s equally wrong” line. Not just in this debate, in lots of different debates, it’s easy to declare everyone equally guilty and move on.
But really - I’d imagine most people would consider me pretty militant, but I almost never bring up the issue. I’m discussing it here, but this is specifically a threat about atheism, and I’ll do it in other threads about religion, but you’ll never see me randomly prosetylzing atheistic beliefs to people.
Whereas religiously motivated actions tend to be so ubiquitous that they just seem normal. People saying they’ll pray for you, saying that whatever bad shit happened to you is okay because god has a plan, really just casually invoking their religion is extremely common.
So maybe someone can help me understand **ITR champion’s **logic. If we woke up tomorrow and the US had officially become a state sponsor of Islam, or Judaism, or Buddhism, making it the nation’s official recognized religion then that would make all of us Muslims, Jews or Buddhists, right? And everything the nation did after that would be caused by the states religion, all other criteria fall away, true? Furthermore **ITR champion ** would immediately renounce his / her current faith and would recognize themselves as a member of the state religion.
Because that’s how it happened in Soviet Russia or Communist China, right? Under state sponsored religion everyone accepts the state’s viewpoint and is complicit.
I thought one’s religious belief or lack there of strictly had to do with their personal choice but maybe I have that wrong.
“God bless you”, when you sneeze is fine. If you get sick and someone says “I’ll pray for you” that’s fine. An atheist could say “Gesundheit (health)” and that’s just as cool. But, I don’t want to be converted or proseltyzed (however it’s spelled) or get the hard sell. I have no use for the mititant “recruiters” of any faith (and I’m including “hardcore atheist” in there too). I don’t want someone “selling” any of it to me. If I wanna know, I will ask.
The problem is, people decide their way is the only way… the only right way and the only way that should be tolerated and allowed. Nonsense. “Are you a christian?” Ummmmm OK, if I say yeah, then what. Dollars to donuts, it’s the wrong religion or the wrong denomination, or the wrong church / preacher within the denomination. Who gives a %#$@
Actually, I’ve never had an atheist try to proselytize. I like that. Too bad the Bible thumpers can’t behave the same way - especially when they don’t even know what’s in the book they’re pushing.
Hmmmm, no. That’s the sort of thing that gets you quoted in books and articles about “Silly Things People Used to Believe”, like the people who used to claim that atoms and subatomic particles could never be anything other than mathematical abstractions. “Theoretical” is the right term.
Scientists at least occasionally use the same term I understand.
Likewise here with the possible exception of speaking in instances when someone tries to legislate their religious views. When they would impede on the rights or welfare of others such as on gays, pregnant women, or trying to institute something like ID as science when it clearly as not, I will speak to those who I believe either are on the fence or agree with my views on the separation of church and state who whom may not be bothered to vote against such legislation. Honestly I have mostly found myself in extensive discussion on line more than face to face with individuals. The funny thing is I rarely need to identify myself as an atheist to do so although I have no problem doing so if need be.
Also when people sneeze I will often say ‘Godzilla’.
In the case of the underlined, I would expect and encourage you to oppose them. They are trying to make their way the only way. That’s unacceptable to me and I’m against it. I’m not an atheist, but I’m not a very devout anything else either. I’m more of a LeaveMeAlone-ist.
Godzilla be with you. And also with you. Forever and ever, amen
