I’m giving it serious thought. I wonder what kind of turnout they’re expecting!
Sure, what the Hell, oh wait I guess I mean what the Hey, I’ll go. I’m only a few minutes for DC myself.
My apathy towards religious matters of all sorts extends to this march.
I wish I could go (too far. Plus, you know, I’m Canadian. No voting power). I’d carry a picket sign reading “Origin of Species, Darwin:p34” and hand out Kissing Hank’s Ass pamphlets to passers- by (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, go to http://www.jhuger.com/kisshank.mv for a fun read)
No, I don’t think they’re going to change anybody’s religious views, but it would be nice to meet atheists from across the US and let others know they’re out there, in every shape and colour (awww. snort)
hijack
Cat Fight, have you seen the fish-shaped signs for the back of your car that at first glance look like, you know, THAT fish but when you get closer the fish has feet and is made up of the word EVOLVE?
hijack over
DC is too far from CA, but it sounds TOO COOL.
Those of you who go, carry SDMB signs (maybe someone will think they belong to a coven or something) and try to get on TV.
Hey, I’d go, just for the fun of it…If I could afford it, that is. Oh, well. Maybe another year. ;(
Ranchoth
bump
It’s two days to the march. Is anyone still planning to go, and if so, do y’all wanna meet somewhere?
Robin
I’ll be there. I’m quite the newbie, but I’d be honored to meet some of you in the flesh.
I can’t believe I’d never seen that before. It’s fantastic. Thanks!
And I won’t be physically in D.C. for the march, but I’ll be astrally projecting good vibes for you with my Orgone Pyramid.
Newbie, schnewbie.
Tell ya what. If you’re still going tomorrow, meet me in front of the Washington Memorial at about 10:30 a.m. I’ll be wearing a Straight Dope T-shirt. (Same goes for anyone else who’s going to be there.)
Robin
I ALWAYS wondered, why exactly do atheists speak out so
fervently; If we Catholics help persuade someone, or help others
spiritually, we gain favour in Gods eyes.
So what exactly are atheists evangelists (yes, we have an atheist
evangelist on TV in my town) hope to accomplish by convincing
others that there is no God (or at least u shouldnt follow him)
And what keeps atheists from stealing, murding, ect.? If you folow
morals, why bother?
Ive always wanted ta ask that, just outta fun ta see waht an
atheist says…
-PK
PolskiKing: I’m an atheist, and I keep my mouth shut. Here on the board, I openly discuss it, but I restrict this to when one of the faithful asks, with an honest desire for a real answer (as opposed to looking for a blatant opening for witnessing), why I believe the way I do. In real life, nobody but my wife knows I’m an atheist.
See, I don’t believe in anything supernatural, from John Edward to the book of Revelations. It’s all of a piece to me – frightened people trying to cope with the Great Unanswerables by inventing stories for comfort. (It cannot be a coincidence that every single faith of which I’m aware encodes its beliefs and behavioral mores in narrative format.)
But I don’t feel the need to take that away from anybody, either. Thinking there’s an immense loving spirit in the sky (or underground, or in the sun, or in the trees, or whatever) who cares about us and will take care of The Good People after death gives life structure and meaning for a lot of folks, and the alternative – shit just happens, sometimes for no reason, and that’s all there is – is just too scary to contemplate. Who am I to wish that comfort blanket be removed?
Yes, there are a few militant atheists who try to force their enlightenment on others. They’re a minority, though, and for the most part they’re “new” atheists, people who have recently had their cognitive breakthrough, and who therefore want to scream their realization near and far. IMHO, they’re hypocrites, because one of the complaints we atheists have about evangelical types is that they want to force all of us to pretend that the God mentioned on our money and in courtroom oaths has some basis in reality. I don’t want Christians meddling in my life; I don’t meddle in theirs.
And therefore I find it curious that so many Christians, for whom evangelism is encoded in Scripture, insist on a Great Atheist Conspiracy that bears less relationship to reality than it does to a mirror-image version of their own missionary zeal.
Oh, and re the “if you don’t believe in God, where do morals come from” thing, go to Great Debates and search for one of the eight godzillion threads in which that question has been beaten into bloody dust. It’s Friday afternoon and I don’t feel like going over it for the umpteenth time.
But basically, doing good for religious reasons is, to me, an extra layer. See, it looks like this:
“Do the right thing because God says so.”
vs.
“Do the right thing.”
See how easy that is?
I can only speak for myself here, but the main reason I’m going to this is that I’m really not comfortable living in a country whose leadership equates patriotism with religiosity. This country was founded on the principle of true religious freedom for all, and I think we’ve strayed from that. (There’s a discussion in GD right now. I’m too lazy to post the link.)
That said, I want my son to be able to assume his rightful place in an American society that doesn’t treat him as second-class because of whatever belief system he chooses to have. I want him to be able to participate in activities without being forced to pray to something he may not believe in. I want him to be able to go to public school that truly respects diversity of all people without resorting to the notion that although all are equal, some are more equal than others.
I remember being a high-school student who was forced to listen to prayers to Jesus. I was also forced to walk past a hallway in the girls’ locker room that had a Christian Christmas display. I wasn’t born Christian, I’m not Christian now, and I don’t want to be Christian. I also resent being treated as second-class because of something I don’t agree with.
If religion makes you feel better about things, and if it gives you a sense of purpose for your life, go for it. It’s not my call. Just don’t treat me as a second-class citizen because I don’t believe as you do.
Robin
Dammit…I completely forgot about this. I am unable to go because I just committed to going on a trip with some friends a few days ago.
You have my support, though.
Because we’re extremely scared of people like yourself who think that murder is only wrong because someone told them it is. We certainly don’t want a government that feels that way!