Fastest growing religion in the USA

[SixPackBack]

Atheism :2thumbsup

Read it and weep bitches.

<!--startclickprintexclude-->http://edition.cnn.com/2009/US/10/21/new.york.subway.ads/index.html


<!--endclickprintexclude--><!--startclickprintexclude--><!--endclickprintexclude-->NEW YORK (CNN) -- Some New Yorkers may want to reconsider exclaiming "Thank God" when arriving at their destination subway station beginning Monday.
<!--startclickprintexclude--><!----><!--===========IMAGE============-->http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/US/10/21/new.york.subway.ads/art.nyc.atheist.subway.ad.jpg<!--===========/IMAGE===========--> <!--===========CAPTION==========-->A coalition of atheist groups will place ads in New York subway stations next week.<!--===========/CAPTION=========-->


http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/img/2.0/mosaic/base_skins/baseplate/corner_wire_BL.gif


<!--endclickprintexclude-->Or at least that's what a coalition of eight atheist organizations are hoping, having purchased a month-long campaign that will place their posters in a dozen busy subway stations throughout Manhattan.
The advertisements ask the question, written simply over an image of a blue sky with wispy white clouds: "A million New Yorkers are good without God. Are you?"
On October 26, a dozen bustling New York City subway stations will be adorned with the ads as "part of a coordinated multi-organizational advertising campaign designed to raise awareness about people who don't believe in a god", according to a statement from the group, the Big Apple Coalition of Reason.
New York City's subway system (http://topics.edition.cnn.com/topics/new_york_city_subway) is one of the busiest in the world with more than 5 million riders per day and more than 1.6 billion total passengers in 2008, according to the Metro Transit Authority.
Recognizing this, the Big Apple Coalition of Reason decided the "best bang for the buck" was to place posters in popular subway stations to capitalize on the amount of potential viewers, says Michael De Dora Jr., executive director of the New York Center for Inquiry, one of the associated atheist groups.
De Dora says the ambitions behind the advertisements are threefold.
First, the coalition hopes the promotion will enhance awareness of New York City's secular community. He explained that the coalition also hopes to encourage "talking and thinking about religion and morality," as well as support involvement in groups that encourage a sense of a social community for non-believing New Yorkers.
John Rafferty, president of the Secular Humanist Society of New York, another member group of the coalition, said the ads are in no way an anti-religious campaign. They are looking to reach out to more people who have similar feelings, but might not be aware of an outlet to express their beliefs, he said.
Rafferty and De Dora cite the American Religious Identification Survey, released earlier this year, as evidence of a shift away from organized religion. Those checking "none" for religion rose from 8 percent of the population in 1990 to 15 percent in 2008, effectively making "no religion" the fastest growing religious identification in the United States.
De Dora said that the "million" New York nonbelievers mentioned in the advertisements is the result of an extrapolation based on the survey's findings. With more than 8 million residents living in New York's five boroughs, the organization projects more than a million potential atheist New Yorkers.
De Dora said individuals "don't need religion to be good people and productive members of society" and ultimately he feels that groups of nonbelievers are "adding to cultural life of NYC."
The United Coalition of Reason, which is a national organization that helps local groups advocate atheist ideas, approached the New York nonbeliever associations in August with an offer of a donation from an anonymous source to help pay for the subway station ad campaign. The donation amount was for exactly $25,000 and specifically allocated for the subway advertising promotion.
Rafferty says the groups involved expect no substantial backlash over their ads. Since news of the campaign was made public early this week "reaction has been mixed," De Dora said. He emphasizes that the Big Apple Coalition of Reason ads are not "forcing issues, they're just getting ideas out there," with the hope of fostering discussion in New York.
The ads are "not poking fun at religion and not being outright nasty," he said.
A year ago some unease was caused by advertisements that ran inside subway cars promoting Islam. While the ads themselves weren't controversial, they were partially funded by an imam of a Brooklyn mosque who served a character witness for convicted 1993 World Trade Center (http://topics.edition.cnn.com/topics/world_trade_center) bombing mastermind Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman.
In a statement to CNN, Metro Transit Authority spokesman Aaron Donovan said, "The MTA maintains basic advertising guidelines with prohibitions on nudity, four-letter words, and the like. Beyond that, to accord with the First Amendment, our advertising guidelines are written so as to not prohibit the free exercise of religion or abridge the freedom of speech."
According to the Big Apple Coalition of Reason in their statement, the New York City campaign is just one component of a "nationwide effort" by the United Coalition of Reason that will see billboards and postings in transit systems across the United States

[Hitcher]

The last thing us Atheists need is an organisation. Goodness me, next we'll be meeting for an hour on Sunday mornings and spending money to fund bludging clerics and unnecessarily extravagant meeting halls.

[R6_kid]

Don't tell the Christians that there's work to do, they'll get back to work and be in our faces even more!

[SixPackBack]

The last thing us Atheists need is an organisation. Goodness me, next we'll be meeting for an hour on Sunday mornings and spending money to fund bludging clerics and unnecessarily extravagant meeting halls.

What Atheists do need, and will gain great satisfaction from is the knowledge the dark ages are slowly slipping away.

[bogan]

....
Rafferty and De Dora cite the American Religious Identification Survey, released earlier this year, as evidence of a shift away from organized religion. Those checking "none" for religion rose from 8 percent of the population in 1990 to 15 percent in 2008, effectively making "no religion" the fastest growing religious identification in the United States.....

Um, I thought atheism was a religon? so those checking none arent voting for atheism. Also religious advertising! thats gonna piss a lot of people off :oi-grr:

[Hitcher]

What Atheists do need, and will gain great satisfaction from is the knowledge the dark ages are slowly slipping away.

If only that were true. Christianity, particularly its fundamentalist form, is growing at an alarming rate. The Dark Ages are returning. We see evidence of that daily as superstition gains greater currency than sound science.

[SixPackBack]

Um, I thought atheism was a religon? so those checking none arent voting for atheism. Also religious advertising! thats gonna piss a lot of people off :oi-grr:

I certainly hope so.


If only that were true. Christianity, particularly its fundamentalist form, is growing at an alarming rate. The Dark Ages are returning. We see evidence of that daily as superstition gains greater currency than sound science.

Fundamentalists should be maniupulated into wiping each other out IMHO.

[XxKiTtiExX]

Well Jesus, Joseph and Mary...

May god have mercy on your soul you sad little man. I'll pray for your forgiveness on Sunday..











:bleh:

[SixPackBack]

Well Jesus, Joseph and Mary...

May god have mercy on your soul you sad little man. I'll pray for your forgiveness on Sunday..











:bleh:

If you wish to help me out send money!;)

[Clockwork]

Well Jesus, Joseph and Mary...

May god have mercy on your soul you sad little man. I'll pray for your forgiveness on Sunday..











:bleh:


148084
Right! It's a stoning for you. Go on, stand over there!

[DidJit]

Fundamentalists should be maniupulated into wiping each other out IMHO.

You're sounding rather fundamentalist yourself... :jerry:

Atheism is in danger of becoming what it was a reaction to — an organised religion.

[Shagz]

There's a whole lot of intolerance in this topic, and incorrect statistical analysis. Any learned statistician will tell you, "I need the data before I'll believe any quotes."

Question everything.

Oh yeah, Atheism isn't a religion.

[Drunken Monkey]

The last thing us Atheists need is an organisation. Goodness me, next we'll be meeting for an hour on Sunday mornings and spending money to fund bludging clerics and unnecessarily extravagant meeting halls.

Does that mean we'll finally get to have sex with little boys?

[buffstar]

Calling Atheism a religion is like calling Bald a hair colour

[Mikkel]

What Atheists do need, and will gain great satisfaction from is the knowledge the dark ages are slowly slipping away.

Alas, I fear that it is going the other way. If you want an entertaining and disconcerting bid at what we may have in store, I'd warmly recommend "Blind Faith" by Ben Elton.


Um, I thought atheism was a religon? so those checking none arent voting for atheism. Also religious advertising! thats gonna piss a lot of people off :oi-grr:


Calling Atheism a religion is like calling Bald a hair colour

You bloody well beat me to it.

If I had to choose any one religion I'd go for this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discordianism). In particular I like the bit about the curse of greyface (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discordianism#Curse_of_Greyface).

[bogan]

how i see it; religions are based on faith, aetheism requires the faith that there are no higher powers (as there isnt any proof)

[peasea]

If you wish to help me out send money!;)

Yeah, me too. The Yanks have "In God We Trust" written on their cash.

I like it.

[R6_kid]

how i see it; religions are based on faith, aetheism requires the faith that there are no higher powers (as there isnt any proof)

Bollocks. Aetheism was a name conjured up to group those who chose to believe that they didn't need a 'God' in their life.

It's not a religion, it's the name for people who are 'without a god'.

"Atheism can be either the rejection of theism, or the position that deities do not exist. In the broadest sense, it is the absence of belief in the existence of deities."

As opposed to those who chose to believe in one God - monotheism.

There is no 'faith' involved with aetheism, it is the lack of faith which makse you aetheist.

[bogan]

Bollocks. Aetheism was a name conjured up to group those who chose to believe that they didn't need a 'God' in their life.

It's not a religion, it's the name for people who are 'without a god'.

"Atheism can be either the rejection of theism, or the position that deities do not exist. In the broadest sense, it is the absence of belief in the existence of deities."

As opposed to those who chose to believe in one God - monotheism.

There is no 'faith' involved with aetheism, it is the lack of faith which makse you aetheist.

hmmm, i though that was agnostic. Hang about, ill see if i can conjur up some experts from the RR thread.

[R6_kid]

hmmm, i though that was agnostic. Hang about, ill see if i can conjur up some experts from the RR thread.

Agnostics are better described as 'on the fence' rather than not having a belief.

[bogan]

Agnostics are better described as 'on the fence' rather than not having a belief.

yeh, i always though agnostics didnt know, aethiest believe there is definetely no god.

[SPman]

I certainly hope so.
should be maniupulated into wiping each other out IMHO.Well.....the Bible Belt Baptists and Muslim Fundies are having a good go in Iraq and Afghanistan......and the Zionists and Muslims in Palestine......if they could just do it without involving everyone else....


Agnosticism - Greek: α- a-, without + γνώσις gnōsis, knowledge; after Gnosticism) is the philosophical view that the truth value of certain claims — particularly metaphysical claims regarding theology, afterlife or the existence of deities, spiritual beings, or even ultimate reality — are unknown or, in some forms of agnosticism, unknowable.[1]It is not a religious declaration in itself, and an agnostic may also be a theist or an atheist.[2]

[Brett]

Don't tell the Christians that there's work to do, they'll get back to work and be in our faces even more!

You need Jesus ma Nigga.

[SPman]

Does that mean we'll finally get to have sex with little boys?
Did you hear about the Irish exorcism?

A couple have called in Satan to remove a priest from their son!

[Slyer]

Yes. I look at the stats for New Zealand and smile. :)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/NewZealandReligionsGraph.png
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_New_Zealand

Red: Christianity
Yellow: Other
Blue: No Religion

Also remember that many people who list themselves as Christians don't actually believe, I don't think there are many that list themselves as no religion but secretly do believe. ;)
If the trends continue, No Religion will be the largest group in the next 10 years.
I don't necessarily want to see all religion gone, just as long as it is in the minority and has no power, I'm happy.

[SixPackBack]

Yes. I look at the stats for New Zealand and smile. :)


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_New_Zealand

Red: Christianity
Yellow: Other
Blue: No Religion
Also remember that many people who list themselves as Christians don't actually believe, I don't think there are many that list themselves as no religion but secretly do believe. ;)
If the trends continue, No Religion will be the largest group in the next 10 years.
I don't necessarily want to see all religion gone, just as long as it is in the minority and has no power, I'm happy.


Sweeeet:2thumbsup...........'Other' is slightly worrying; if its made up of Hindu or Buddhist we are safe, Muslim fundamentalists however are of grave concern.

[EJK]

http://www.notempire.com/images/uploads/org-207.jpg

Repent, The End Is Extremely Fucking Nigh

[Skyryder]

Nahh You’re wrong SPB The Trinity Televison Network that's God's TV station said the fastest growing religion was Feminism, Humanism, Satanism, Witchcraftism, UNism, Federalism and Obamaism. Yep according to these guys the Anti Christ has arrived and he will announce himself in 2012 in the raiment of the Galactic Alignment. :dodge:

Skyryder

[Hitcher]

the Anti Christ has arrived and he will announce himself in 2012 in the raiment of the Galactic Alignment.

Now that will be fun. I wonder if he can be persuaded to come earlier?

[R6_kid]

I'm sure a gentle rubbing will give the desired effect.

[Shagz]

I don't necessarily want to see all religion gone, just as long as it is in the minority and has no power, I'm happy.
Dude, religion doesn't have any power as it stands.

[Slyer]

Dude, religion doesn't have any power as it stands.
Not in New Zealand, correct.

[Indiana_Jones]

We didn't start the fire........

-Indy

[SPman]

I'm sure a gentle rubbing will give the desired effect.You'll go blind.........

[Laxi]

I'm a total atheist ( would go for antichrist but for the negative connotations)
the only problem is it's all christians that are wising up, as long as the muslims, jews and what ever the hell the chinese are keep breeding like flies and trying to force their fairy tales on the rest of the world, we're all screwed

[Slyer]

Hinduism, Buddhism and Judaism are massively preferrable to Christianity and Islam.

[McJim]

Hinduism, Buddhism and Judaism are massively preferrable to Christianity and Islam.

Tell that to an atheist palestinian....

Buddhism is the only religion that doesn't say "Don't kill anyone!....except for those people, these people, people that say that, people who wear this, people who go there on a tuesday....."

Buddhism is not hypocritical. I'm a atheist coz I grew up watching Catholics and Protestants stab each other.

[MisterD]

Buddhism is not hypocritical. I'm a atheist coz I grew up watching Catholics and Protestants stab each other.

Interesting. I'm an atheist because I realised that the methodist chapel I went to was a social club to which god was really only incidental and it was something to do before the pub opened...

[bogan]

I'm a total atheist ( would go for antichrist but for the negative connotations)
the only problem is it's all christians that are wising up, as long as the muslims, jews and what ever the hell the chinese are keep breeding like flies and trying to force their fairy tales on the rest of the world, we're all screwed

Are chinamen even allowed a religion, arent they communist or something?

I used to be an atheist, not anymore (c-c-combo breaker:banana:) cos I had heaps and heaps of time to think when I was real sick, and it just doesnt make sense to me anymore.

[SARGE]

Yeah, me too. The Yanks have "In God We Trust" written on their cash.

I like it.

what many Non- Americans dont know is that in tiny little letters underneath that are the words


"all others- Cash"

[SARGE]

Now that will be fun. I wonder if he can be persuaded to come earlier?

dont worry Hitcher .. im sure some fucktard promoter or Michael Jackson's dad will put on a second show and charge 300 fucking dollars for the nosebleeds

[SARGE]

Interesting. I'm an atheist because I realised that the methodist chapel I went to was a social club to which god was really only incidental and it was something to do before the pub opened...

i used to be an atheist until it became cool and trendy... now im thinking more Norse Heathen, Fairy Worship or Scientology

[peasea]

what many Non- Americans dont know is that in tiny little letters underneath that are the words


"all others- Cash"

Oh shit, I thought the first letter in 'cash' was an 'h'.

See? Putting an 'h' in everywhere can fuzzy the brain......

"Holy how, Hatman, hits a honspiracy!"

[peasea]

i used to be an atheist until it became cool and trendy... now im thinking more Norse Heathen, Fairy Worship or Scientology

OMG, you'll be supping latte`s with Tom Crooze next.:oi-grr:

[SARGE]

OMG, you'll be supping latte`s with Tom Crooze next.:oi-grr:

i actually look like Tom Cruise when im not drinking

[peasea]

i actually look like Tom Cruise when im not drinking

Drinking what? Latte`s?
In your tasseled leathers?

[Ooky]

:whistle:
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=148246&stc=1&d=1256297619

[Slyer]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2369/2541860177_be46d5b78d.jpg

[Highlander]

The Yanks have "In God We Trust" written on their cash.



And yet it is against the law to pray in schools.

Or maybe we are losing something in the translatiion from American to English.

[McJim]

This is in danger of winding up in the Scottish Thread.

It will be interesting to see the cultural response to this ad campaign in the New York subway. A lot of USA has contact with the rest of the world and you will find open minded folks in these areas, often very enlightened people too. I think any backlash will come from the bible belt of USA where people are not so open minded.

Would be a good poster campaign for an Amish area.......

[Dave Lobster]

Isn't most of NY foreign anyway?

[Ronin]

Now that will be fun. I wonder if he can be persuaded to come earlier?

And will he be wearing a Tron suit?

[James Deuce]

yeh, i always though agnostics didnt know, aethiest believe there is definetely no god.

Agnostics acknowledge to potential for a "higher being" to exist.

I on the other believe in nothing other than the mammoth capacity for humanity to behave as badly as possible at the least appropriate moment.

[James Deuce]

And will he be wearing a Tron suit?

Nah, Tron guy is dead.

[James Deuce]

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-M-vnmejwXo&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-M-vnmejwXo&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

[SixPackBack]

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd300/SixPackBack/Religion-Flowchart_1.jpg?t=1256507889

......................

[SPman]

Are chinamen even allowed a religion, arent they communist or something?
.
One of our guides was Buddhist and her husband was Muslim, I think anything goes, these days.

[Insanity_rules]

You guys heard the one about the dyslexic, agnostic, insomniac didn't ya? He stayed awake all night contemplating if there really was a dog.

I'm more of the belief that I am the all singing all dancing centre of the universe and the sooner you all realise this the happier this world will be.


One of our guides was Buddhist and her husband was Muslim, I think anything goes, these days.

Almost sounds like a bad joke in itself

[James Deuce]

I'm more of the belief that I am the all singing all dancing centre of the universe and the sooner you all realise this the happier this world will be.



Solipsism isn't all you're cracked up to be.

[Insanity_rules]

Solipsism isn't all you're cracked up to be.

:laugh: Too true but misdiagnosed in my case, I have more of a superiority or even a divinty complex. Now bow down before me puny mortals and I shall rule with a stern but kindly hand.

[cc rider]

:laugh: Too true but misdiagnosed in my case, I have more of a superiority or even a divinty complex. is that were you think everyone is better or where you are scared of couches :blink:

Now bow down before me puny mortals and I shall rule with a stern but kindly hand.....I've heard them called a lot of things, but never puny mortals....or did you mean morsels :whistle:

....anyways, sounds a little to much like church discipline :spanking:

[Slyer]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10605956
Sigh...

[Marmoot]

Some New Yorkers may want to reconsider exclaiming "Thank God" when arriving at their destination subway station beginning Monday.......Or at least that's what a coalition of eight atheist organizations are hoping, having purchased a month-long campaign that will place their posters in a dozen busy subway stations throughout Manhattan.

In my opinion, Atheist Evangelist is an oxymoron, and just as bad as their Christian Fanatic counterparts.

[SixPackBack]

In my opinion, Atheist Evangelist is an oxymoron, and just as bad as their Christian Fanatic counterparts.

You miss the main point, and that is people are turning away from religion. :2thumbsup

[Marmoot]

You miss the main point, and that is people are turning away from religion. :2thumbsup

No, You miss the main point. People are only switching religion.

[SixPackBack]

No, You miss the main point. People are only switching religion.

Not at all. Folk like myself after being brought up in christian/muslim/jewish house households are finally saying god is a fairy tale. And rightly so.

[Mikkel]

I used to be an atheist, not anymore (c-c-combo breaker:banana:) cos I had heaps and heaps of time to think when I was real sick, and it just doesnt make sense to me anymore.

I hope you'll get better soon then.

[Marmoot]

Not at all. Folk like myself after being brought up in christian/muslim/jewish house households are finally saying god is a fairy tale. And rightly so.



Yo SixPackBack I am really happy for you and Imma let you finish, but apparently Atheism is said to be a religion.

Read the thread topic and the first post.

[SixPackBack]

Yo SixPackBack I am really happy for you and Imma let you finish, but apparently Atheism is said to be a religion.

Read the thread topic and the first post.

Calling atheism religion in this context is more likely an abscence of correct descriptor, and/or inaccurate language.

Religion; a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.

Atheists do not believe in a 'superhuman agency', they do not practice 'devotional and ritual observances'. They simply do not believe!

Semantics aside this is one atheist glad to see the blindness lifting.

[Dave Lobster]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10605956
Sigh...

That's hilarious!!!

Some you can fool ALL the time.

[Marmoot]

Calling atheism religion in this context is more likely an abscence of correct descriptor, and/or inaccurate language.

Religion; a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.

Atheists do not believe in a 'superhuman agency', they do not practice 'devotional and ritual observances'. They simply do not believe!

Semantics aside this is one atheist glad to see the blindness lifting.

May I point out that the 'belief in superhuman agency' is marked as "especially" and thus is not compulsory to the definition.

In essence, taking the factor above off, the definition simply becomes 'a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs'. Atheism indeed fits in there.
I give the original poster my seal of approval.

Don't confuse faith in God with religion. Both may coexist, but are by no means prerequisite of each other.

[SixPackBack]

May I point out that the 'belief in superhuman agency' is marked as "especially" and thus is not compulsory to the definition.

In essence, taking the factor above off, the definition simply becomes 'a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs'. Atheism indeed fits in there.
I give the original poster my seal of approval.

Don't confuse faith in God with religion. Both may coexist, but are by no means prerequisite of each other.

Arguing [and proving you wrong] will see this thread thrown into the scottish thread. I care not how the information is veiwed, only that individuals are turning away from religion and god.

[Hitcher]

In my opinion, Atheist Evangelist is an oxymoron, and just as bad as their Christian Fanatic counterparts.

One wonders it the author of the above understands what "oxymoron" actually is and why evangelism should be denied to atheists.

[Marmoot]

One wonders it the author of the above understands what "oxymoron" actually is and why evangelism should be denied to atheists.

because I agree with sixpackback in principle that atheism is a concept to shun religion, while evangelisation is the movement to spread religion.

However, in evangelising atheism to gain more followers, the atheists inadvertently converted their anti-religion concept into a religion.

[SixPackBack]

http://brainz.org/50-most-brilliant-atheists-all-time/

[SixPackBack]

MeSSwKffj9o

................

[peasea]

MeSSwKffj9o

................

Ya know?

Sometimes I think you're a fucking genius just for posting links that make us laugh. Never mind the factual stuff.

On ya dude.

[SixPackBack]

This one made me laugh.

bkII6Mr9LTg

[bogan]

http://brainz.org/50-most-brilliant-atheists-all-time/

pfft aethiest hardouts, let me know when one of them can turn water into wine, then ill be impressed :2thumbsup

[dipshit]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10605956

"At a special service during the church's annual conference in Auckland at the weekend, about 700 male members of the church swore a "covenant oath" of loyalty and obedience to Mr Tamaki and were given a "covenant ring" to wear on their right hands."


But i thought christianity was opposed to homosexual marriages..???

:scratch:

[Mikkel]

"At a special service during the church's annual conference in Auckland at the weekend, about 700 male members of the church swore a "covenant oath" of loyalty and obedience to Mr Tamaki and were given a "covenant ring" to wear on their right hands."


But i thought christianity was opposed to homosexual marriages..???

:scratch:

Homosexuality is ok, as long as at least one of the involved is a church official. ...can't get married though, but nothing prevents them from making an oath and getting a ring.

[Indiana_Jones]

You miss the main point, and that is people are turning away from religion. :2thumbsup

You make it sound like it's something new and hasn't been going on since the start of mankind?

-Indy

[bikemike]

No, You miss the main point. People are only switching religion.

What is religious in Atheism? I think there is an imbalance of understanding across the theist divide, even if the disagreement is equally felt.

Atheism is evidently not religious, and to me the absence of any kind of worship seals it.

I like this which is from God is not great; Christopher Hitchins:


"Our belief is not a belief. Our principles are not a faith. We do not rely solely upon science and reason, because these are necessary rather than sufficient factors, but we distrust anything that contradicts science or outrages reason. We may differ on many things, but what we respect is free inquiry, openmindedness, and the pursuit of ideas for their own sake. We do not hold our convictions dogmatically: the disagreement between Professor Stephen Jay Gould and professor Richard Dawkins, concerning “punctuated evolution” and the unfilled gaps in post-Darwinian theory, is quite wide as well as quite deep, but we will resolve it by evidence and reasoning and not by mutual excommunication…..We are not immune to the lure of wonder and mystery and awe: we have music and art and literature, and find that the serious ethical dilemmas are better handled by Shakespeare and Tolstoy and Schiller and Dostoyevsky and George Eliot than in the mythical morality tales of holy books. Literature, not scripture, sustains the mind and—since there is no other metaphor—also the soul. We do not believe in heaven or hell, yet no statistic will ever find that without these blandishments and threats we commit more crimes of greed or violence than the faithful. (In fact, if a proper statistical inquiry could ever be made, I am sure the evidence would be the other way.) We are reconciled to living only once, except through our children, for whom we are perfectly happy to notice that we must make way, and room. We speculate that it is at least possible that, once people accepted the fact of their short and struggling lives, they might behave better toward each other and not worse. We believe with certainty that an ethical life can be lived without religion. And we know for a fact that the corollary holds true—that religion has caused innumerable people not just to conduct themselves no better than others, but to award themselves permission to behave in ways that would make a brothel-keeper or an ethnic cleanser raise an eyebrow.

Most important of all, perhaps, we infidels do not need any machinery of reinforcement. We are those who Blaise Pascal took into account when he wrote to the one who says, “I am so made that I cannot believe.” In the village of Montaillou, during one of the great medieval persecutions, a woman was asked by the Inquisitors to tell them from whom she had acquired her heretical doubts about hell and resurrection. She must have known that she stood in terrible danger of a lingering death administered by the pious, but she responded that she took them from nobody and had evolved them all by herself. (Often, you hear the believers praise the simplicity of their flock, but not in the case of this unforced and conscientious sanity and lucidity, which has been stamped out and burned out in the cases of more humans than we shall ever be able to name.)

There is no need for us to gather every day, or every seven days, or on any high and auspicious day, to proclaim our rectitude or to grovel and wallow in our unworthiness. We atheists do not require any priests, or any hierarchy above them, to police our doctrine. Sacrifices and ceremonies are abhorrent to us, as are relics and the worship of any images or objects (even including objects in the form of a man’s most useful innovations: the bound book). To us no spot on earth is or could be “holier” than another: to the ostentatious absurdity of the pilgrimage, or the plain horror of killing civilians in the name of some sacred wall or cave or shrine or rock, we can counterpose a leisurely or urgent walk from one side of the library or the gallery to another, or to lunch with an agreeable friend, in pursuit of truth or beauty. "

[R-Soul]

What if he could not be arsed because we are just not worth his time...? Then he is lazy...

[R-Soul]

Agnostics acknowledge to potential for a "higher being" to exist.

I on the other believe in nothing other than the mammoth capacity for humanity to behave as badly as possible at the least appropriate moment.

As they say: the one thing man learns from history is that man does not learn from history...

[avgas]

but asking for religious advice from the 1 place on earth where people don't think anything exists outside the city walls.....

Isn't that like doing periphery test on a race horse and claiming it has cataracts.
Doing a English test in china and claiming all Chinese are stupid.
Doing a land survey in Ruakaka and claiming New Zealand has no tall buildings.....

[Marmoot]

What is religious in Atheism? I think there is an imbalance of understanding across the theist divide, even if the disagreement is equally felt.

Atheism is evidently not religious, and to me the absence of any kind of worship seals it.

If you bother to read the thread topic.....

[slofox]

let me know when one of them can turn water into wine, then ill be impressed :2thumbsup

Turning water into wine is piss easy. You just pour the water onto a grape vine. The vine turns the water into fruit. I can turn the fruit into wine. There ya go. Magic!

Doesn't mean I'm not an irreligious bastard though....

[R-Soul]

The thing about religion and priests is, to paraphrase a famous quote, that those qualities that would make a person want to be a "holy man" are exactly those qualities that make them inherently unsuitable for the job (much like politicians really).

Qualities like:

- wanting to influence a community
- wanting their opinion to be regarded as the truth
- an absolutely unshakeable faith that their way is right,
- an intolerance of others viewpoints of such a strength that they actively go out to convert them
- their inability/lack of imagination to see things from others viewpoints
- their gullibility in having been completely convinced of their viewpoint to start off with


Any person that believes that their religious viewpoint is fact and not faith, is mistaken. All religion is merely an opinion.
NOBODY has a red telephone hot line to God or The Truth. The pope wakes up in the morning, has a turd. He sees and hears all that we see, nothing more, nothing less. He just has a lot of money to spend on more people to give him alternative viewpoints on faith (which he ignores completely). And he has access to the opinionate ramblings of ther supposed "holy men" from centuries ago who ALSO did not have a hotline with God. :jerry:

[R-Soul]

but asking for religious advice from the 1 place on earth where people don't think anything exists outside the city walls.....

Isn't that like doing periphery test on a race horse and claiming it has cataracts.
Doing a English test in china and claiming all Chinese are stupid.
Doing a land survey in Ruakaka and claiming New Zealand has no tall buildings.....

New Zealand has tall buildings? :eek:

[george formby]

- wanting to influence a community
- wanting their opinion to be regarded as the truth
- an absolutely unshakeable faith that their way is right,
- an intolerance of others viewpoints of such a strength that they actively go out to convert them
- their inability/lack of imagination to see things from others viewpoints
- their gullibility in having been completely convinced of their viewpoint to start off with



Our Minister, who art ACC in Wellington, Shallow is thy name in this kingdom & in the kingdom of motorcycles, thy will begone, always & forever, Ahem!:laugh:

[bikemike]

If you bother to read the thread topic.....

Have indeed. Since all the little children have been inoculated with this religion stuff, it will take something more than absence of religion to undo what has been done in the name of god.

I don't mind stating my position in discussion with all and sundry here, in NZ. I have friends devout in various faiths whom I would and do stand and support and defend in any need, but I will not let the appeal to god go unchallenged and they know this and respect it.

I am sure it is a harder thing to do in the USA...

So a little 'evangelising' doesn't bother me, nor change the implicit truth that Atheism is not a religion.

[Marmoot]

So a little 'evangelising' doesn't bother me, nor change the implicit truth that Atheism is not a religion.

Sigh.....

dude, it's the thread and the original poster that calls Atheism a 'religion'.

[LBD]

The last thing us Atheists need is an organisation. Goodness me, next we'll be meeting for an hour on Sunday mornings and spending money to fund bludging clerics and unnecessarily extravagant meeting halls.

I can see the epitaph on Hitchers grave stone now....

Here lays Hitcher...an Atheist, all dressed up and no place to go!

But take a sincerely devout person lives a honest and up right happy life. (with out being a pain to society.) If there is no God, he has lost nothing....if there is and he has followed the right one....bingo

[SixPackBack]

I can see the epitaph on Hitchers grave stone now....

Here lays Hitcher...an Atheist, all dressed up and no place to go!

But take a sincerely devout person lives a honest and up right happy life. (with out being a pain to society.) If there is no God, he has lost nothing....if there is and he has followed the right one....bingo

A dollar each way huh, that would be an agnostic.

[kezzafish]

If there is no God, he has lost nothing....

Except his whole life (the only one he gets)

[Indiana_Jones]

Atheists seem to be worst then bloody Jehovah's Witnesses or fags

Great for you mate, you don't believe in a god, now fuck off.

Just the same for every other reglion really, great you love your god, I don't want to hear about it, cunt muscle.

-Indy

[Slyer]

Worst thing about the religious? Intolerance. ^^

[Indiana_Jones]

Could pretty much say the same about any group of people.

My fav is the global warming boys, if you don't agree you're a witch!

A WITCH! :facepalm:

-Indy

[Indiana_Jones]

Or how the ragheads call you an infidel if you don't like their boy in the sky :sunny:

-Indy

[HenryDorsetCase]

Calling Atheism a religion is like calling Bald a hair colour

beautifully put. I will be stealing that, just so you know.

:)

[HenryDorsetCase]

But take a sincerely devout person lives a honest and up right happy life. (with out being a pain to society.) If there is no God, he has lost nothing....if there is and he has followed the right one....bingo

j7jhb8_UPfw

[bogan]

Atheists seem to be worst then bloody Jehovah's Witnesses or fags

Great for you mate, you don't believe in a god, now fuck off.

Just the same for every other reglion really, great you love your god, I don't want to hear about it, cunt muscle.

-Indy

too right, although I'm yet to have Aethiests or fags come knocking on the door, thank the heavens for that :rolleyes:

[Indiana_Jones]

too right, although I'm yet to have Aethiests or fags come knocking on the door, thank the heavens for that :rolleyes:

Just you wait, the day of judgement is coming...

and when it does come, aethiest fags campaigning land rights for gay whales will come knocking on your door!

-Indy

[bogan]

Just you wait, the day of judgement is coming...

and when it does come, aethiest fags campaigning land rights for gay whales will come knocking on your door!

-Indy

Will have to make sure I get a few cylons running by then, that'll sort em out, but no turning to the one true god this time :facepalm:

[Indiana_Jones]

I guess all I'm trying to say is I don't really care what people believe, just don't need to get in everyone's grill about it, yo.

-Indy

[Teflon]

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