Evangelical Atheists

[Por_sha911]

Replace the word "blanket" with "Jesus"

[unimog406]

It seems to me that there are people with open mouths and closed minds on both side of the fence. the trick is try and accept them for what they are, and not to be offended, and not to take part. A rational theistic debate is one thing, but to degrade to name calling [on either side] is a failure of diplomacy. perhaps this is in response to the evangelical christian thread?

-BC

[Por_sha911]

Well stated BC. My post is to point out that people are offended by Christians that are bold in their faith but feel it is acceptable to be equally outspoken (or evangelical) in espousing their belief that there is no God.

[competentone]

Originally posted by unimog406
A rational theistic debate...

Wonderful oxymoronic term!





Contradictions do not exist.




End of debate.

[K. Roman]

I'm an atheist, I just don't talk about it...It's my personal belief!

[IROC]

I will admit that there are those (Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, et al) that are really pushing the limits of what used to be considered polite when discussing non-belief, but I think alot of it has grown out of years...decades...centuries...of intolerance for those that do not believe in the same way that the majority does.

One of my favorite cartoons:

[VaSteve]

Originally posted by K. Roman
I'm an atheist, I just don't talk about it...It's my personal belief!

Word. I have seen a number of people go out of their way to make a point that their is no God or religeon is evil or whatever. One guy at the track had stickers to that effect all over his toolbox. What's the point of spending that much energy disbelieving or against something?

Same I don't get the FSM or Darwin things people put on the car. Sure I guess it's funny, but by the time you've seen the 3rd one, the joke isn't funny anymore.

When it comes to this topic, I have to subscribe to the Diff'rent Strokes mentality:

"The world don't move to the beat of just one drum,
What might be right for you, might not be right for some...

[Rick Lee]

Does anyone who puts these abortion or whatever cause bumper stickers on their car really think they're going to change someone's mind with it? I just never understood that stuff.

[VaSteve]

Originally posted by Rick Lee
Does anyone who puts these abortion or whatever cause bumper stickers on their car really think they're going to change someone's mind with it? I just never understood that stuff.

I think they must...advertising works. Then again, *I* don't make life changing decisions based on what I see on someone's bumpersticker. I guess some do...

[Rick Lee]

If anyone ever did pay attention to a bumper sticker, these are the two I'd like to see on every car:

Forget world peace. Visualize using your turn signal.

and

Hang up and drive!

[Tobra]

Same thing with the Kerry/Edwards bumper stickers, of Gore/Lieberman. I like funny bumper stickers,

"Welcome to California, now go home"

is one of my favorites.

I never get the Jehova Witness home visits, lot of effort for little return, going door to door proselytizing

[Rick Lee]

I did have the "Ted Kennedy's car has killed more people than my gun has." on my old E30 for a time. AND I actually saw Ted Kennedy walk past my car and see the bumper sticker one day when I was parked in front of the DNC. So that made it all worthwhile.

[NICKG]

"The Power of Christ Compells you!"
"The Power of Christ Compells you!"
"The Power of Christ Compells you!"

[Purrybonker]

Originally posted by Por_sha911
Well stated BC. My post is to point out that people are offended by Christians that are bold in their faith but feel it is acceptable to be equally outspoken (or evangelical) in espousing their belief that there is no God.

atheists don't go around bombing or killing people in the name of their beliefs, nor do they generally come knock, knock, knocking on your door trying to sell you on their version of how to live your life.

(to name but a small portion of the evil that the religious foist upon the citizens of this planet)

There's a huge gulf in how the religious and the non-religious go about being "outspoken". One kills, maims, ruins lives, imperils women and children, causes virtually every war this planet has ever seen, whereas the other "has stickers all over his toolbox" gee whizzzz, how rude!

Being outspoken about atheism is not "the opposite" of being outspoken about religion. It's simply a questioning of the status quo. Anytime a status quo is challenged it needs to be championed or no social progress will ever be made. Think slavery, discrimination, equal rights, emancipation, etc. etc.

The religious are given a huge social "free ride" to indulge their
beliefs (tax breaks, social freedom to indulge without restriction) yet atheists benefit from non of this.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

How many people have been killed in the name of religious fervor?

How many people have been killed in the name of atheism?

I rest my case.

[jluetjen]

You're right -- Athiest rarely if ever have killed in the name of athiesm. Rather they kill in their own name -- which I guess stands to reason since athiests are in some respects their own gods. But athiests kill none-the-less, and as far as I know (and have researched on the BBS in the past), no less frequently then people who chose to peg their killing to a particular religious belief.

Killing is killing. It doesn't matter how you group it.

[Rick Lee]

I can't recall any war that started over atheism, but there sure have been a lot because of organzied religion.

[Scott R]

Originally posted by jluetjen
You're right -- Athiest rarely if ever have killed in the name of athiesm. Rather they kill in their own name -- which I guess stands to reason since athiests are in some respects their own gods. But athiests kill none-the-less, and as far as I know (and have researched on the BBS in the past), no less frequently then people who chose to peg their killing to a particular religious belief.

Killing is killing. It doesn't matter how you group it.

There was a study back in 1997 that I remember reading and was able to find on Google. Some 75% of all prison populations were Christians, and only .02% were atheists.

http://www.netscape.com/viewstory/2006/09/03/christianity-makes-you-poor-stupid-and-immoral/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thekn0wledge.com%2Fjoomla%2F index.php%3Foption%3Dcom_content%26task%3Dview%26i d%3D49%26Itemid%3D32&frame=true

Statistically of course compared to Atheists and Agnostics that is. Figured released in the U.S by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, 1997 showed startlingly revelations.

Christians made up 75% of the United States prison population compared to Atheists tiny 0.2%, Christians make up 75% of United States population as a whole and Atheists only 10% which means Christians have over 10% higher levels of criminality.

Religion
Prison Percentage %
Catholic
39.164%
Protestant
35.008%
Muslim
7.273%
American Indian
3.222%
Nation of Islam
2.320%
Rasta
1.987%
Jewish
1.773%
Church of Christ
1.744%
Buddhist
1.180%
Jehovah Witness
0.890%
Adventist
0.502%
Mormon
0.399%
Scientology
0.254%
Atheist
0.209%
Hindu
0.159%
Sikh
0.019%
Krishna
0.009%

These results are mirrored in the UK who keep very through statistics on their prison populations. Whose largest group of prison inmates is Anglican Christian at 36%, Roman Catholics 17% and Muslims 8 %. Levels of Religious belief especially that of Atheism are always very hard to record statistically because of their abstract nature. The 2001 census showed 71% of the UK public were Christians, however this figure is ridiculous and the same census had Jedi as the UK's fourth largest religion. Other studies have shown UK church attendance to be 7.5% on an average Sunday and only 23% of babies are now baptized. Only 14.4% of the UK population belong to a Christian denomination. A 2004 "YouGov" survey showed only a minority 44% of the UK believe in God. Although you could never be 100% accurate when measuring such matters, what is clear is that Christians are a minority in the UK everywhere apart from within its prisons.

[jluetjen]

I wasn't thinking...

Any killing in the name of communism is by definition killing in the name of Athiesm since communism is an athiest system. So let's put Stalin's and Lenin's names down as people who killed in the name of athiesm. And then how about Pol Pot? The Kims (father and son) of North Korea, Than Shwe of Burma/Myanmar?

It would take a while to total up the number of deaths (if they are even all known) under that list of leaders. Stalin alone trumps just about any other killer on the planet

[Purrybonker]

Originally posted by jluetjen
I wasn't thinking...

Any killing in the name of communism is by definition killing in the name of Athiesm since communism is an athiest system.

Now that's about as ridiculous as an argument can get. Stalin was left handed too. I guess left handedness is the root of all evil?

Hitler was a good Catholic. But that example makes zero point about the evils of catholicism, nor does the observation that Stalin was an atheist make any point about the "evils of atheism".

Martin Luther was amongst the most outspoken in his hatred of the Jews (as was the norm for his time). Does that make him an equivalent to Hitler?

Get a grip...