That would describe my position exactly. I’m an atheist, and I don’t feel marginalized or unAmerican because the Pledge says “under God”. The first amendment is vague, and I can see valid arguments on both sides. This is where the Courts play a key role, and they’ve ruled over the years that “ceremonial desim” is acceptable. Fine. Now let’s move on to weighter issues.
Spontaneous generation doesn’t require a god. As far as Hell goes, I don’t think “God is real and I hate him and want him dead !” is what the theists want to here. Antitheism, instead of atheism.
I take issue with this, especially since it comes from some “religious tolerance” site. If anything, it shows religous INtolerance. It says “the people” are a bunch of bigots, who want Uncle Sam to make their prejudices the law of the land.
“I want my religion to be plastered everywhere and respected. To hell with someone else’s religion. I want the government to respect my religion and ignore or disrespect all others”. It’s bigotry and intolerance, and it’s incredibly obvious to some of us.
I’m not bitter about religion. I’m happy not to have one, and whether other people have one or don’t generally isn’t my concern unless they manage to make it my concern.
It sounds to me like you were never an atheist, just embittered. Which would explain your lack of understanding of what atheists actually think.
I still have fond memories of going to church with my parents when I was a kid. When home, I attend with them, and we both respect each others’ beliefs.
I’m bitter about the religiosity of smarmy patronizing comments like yours and the constant efforts to legislate religion against me, but I have no ill will toward religion in itself.
The polls were done by Gallup, and your remarks are your opinions only, and do not reflect the feelings or opinions of others. Your attack upon the site does show you to be everything you called the people who own the site.
I guess you haven’t noticed that it was the atheists that filed the law suit against the religionist. Who is trying to force their way on the public, the atheists, of course.
The Bible was written by men, not God. God has never harmed anyone for anything. Men have done the terrible deeds and blamed it on God. You need to talk to someone informed to help you with this hate. You are the only one being hurt by your own hate.
Sorry to post twice in a row, but I wanted to offer my own experience as a counter example to those who say that most kids don’t bother to say the pledge.
I had no idea that saying the pledge of allegiance was optional until high school, when my History teacher spoke to us about it on the first day of class Sophomore year. He asked that, if we chose not to particpate, we still stand silently as a show of respect to him. Before then, it had always just been done. Nobody ever mentioned the fact that it was voluntary.
When I decided that I didn’t care to say the pledge, I routinely got nasty looks. Rarely from the students, but from the teachers. One teacher (a substitute), called me “disrespectful and unpatriotic” for sitting quietly while others gave the pledge. I was usually the only one who sat out. More than once, a teacher asked me, immediately afterward, why I hadn’t recited the pledge. Way to put a 15 year old kid on the spot and force him to explain his nascent atheism.
Tom, I don’t align myself with any one but me, I can’t align myself with those who in the past used violence because they are all dead now. This is 2005.
But if it makes you feel good to continually attack me, then so be it. I am not moved by rants.
The only evidence we have for any god is the Bible and simililar books; unless proven otherwise I’ll take it as an accurate portrayel of his personality. People as a rule don’t blame him for it, the excuse him or even praise him for it.
By “informed” I suspect you mean “true believer”. My hate isn’t hurting me, it’s protecting me. The history of religion is a history of nearly unalloyed evil. It should be opposed at all times, as it is inherently destructive, tyrannical, irrational and sadistic. Yes, I’ve heard all of the peace-and-love speeches; I don’t care about them. What I care about is the multimillenial history of evil and craziness due to religion.
Results are what matter, and religion has produced very bad results. Relevant to the OP, mixing state and church has a long and nasty history; nothing good is likely to come from it. The state at least is a necessary evil; religion is evil without the necessity.
I strongly disagree. The cited poll shows support for government endorsement of all things “Christian”. Displays of the 10 Commandments, in God we trust, under God, funding for Christian charities, etc. By simply substituting Muslim in place of Christian, such as Muslim charities, the Koran instead of the Commandments, there is dare I say, no support. It’s right there in the numbers. Here’s the thing. Muslims pray to the same God as Christians do. They follow the same basic core precepts and laws as Christians do - don’t kill, don’t steal, don’t lie, Different verbage maybe, but all saying the same things. Jehovah, Allah, Yahweh, all are simply different names for the same Creator. So why then must Government be pushed into supporting only one brand of religion? The Constitution would forbid it anyway. That is a good thing. How would you feel, if the situation were reversed? What if Muslims were a huge majority, and the Los Angeles Mullah declared you to be unAmerican, and wanted “There Is No God But Allah and Mohammed is his Prophet” plastered on coins, court houses, etc? You’d scream like a scalded cat. Just because a poll shows a certain result does not mean it is the right thing. I’m Catholic and am grateful for the Nonestablishment Clause. I know enough about my own church history and well documented abuses to know what can happen if ANY faith gains political power. It’s a recipe for disaster.