Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Kenny Howse on March 3, 2012 at 10:49am

What? No oath?  Are we not supposed to swear an oath to the FSM (May you be touched by his noodly appendages!)?

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Permalink Reply by archaeopteryx on June 12, 2012 at 12:30pm

Artor - Shh! Don't tell him about the secret handshake or our decoder ring --

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Permalink Reply by Marc Poulin on September 23, 2011 at 11:29am

It's funny you mention friends and religion. More often than not, I will make friends with someone, only to find out later on that they are Christian. Two of those friends (a couple) out of the blue stopped calling us, dodged our calls, and basically dissolved our friendship. We have no idea why, and when we asked the about it they play it off as being too busy. We never discussed religion whatsoever, but I'm wondering if somehow (facebook?) they found out about our atheism. 

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Permalink Reply by anti_supernaturalist on September 23, 2011 at 11:26pm

posted earlier on this site --but just in case you missed it. send it on to your "friend in Jesus"

 

commandment 0: thou shalt abase thyself

• xians demand individual, public confession of dogma.

You must publicly "proclaim” your faith. Due to xian influence, western ideologies do not consider their adherents true believers without a public admission of adherence -- “confessions”, oaths, affirmations, manifestos, slogans, banners, songs.

Fundies cannot interpret the world and human action except through their indoctrinated, lying mindset. The atheist therefore at some time must have “publicly confessed” atheism, as if atheism were another belief structure with its own dogma to confess openly.

As "a self-proclaimed atheist", you are worse than a heretic. After all, damned heretics at least believe in some god. Heretics are those who do not or will not believe what a dominant and politicly powerful in-group thinks true.

• xians hate “heresy” out of a desire of secular power

For more than 300 years xianity remained an almost amusing tinpot warfare among orthodox, gnostics, libertine free sex adherents, ascetic monks. Heretical scriptures can still be found -- in The Other Bible. (Search ISBN: 0060815981)

After roman emperor Constantine converted to arian xianity (another heresy!) in 312 CE, xians became heirs to vast secular influence and later to totalitarian rule in Byzantium ca 400 CE. Orthodox bishops prepared for takeover by getting together to throw away (and later burn) all writings that did not conform. As a result only 27 orthodox books of a so-called “new testament” passed the sniff test of theological purity.

But that was not enough. No heretic shall escape by hiding among true believers

• public confession of faith-based mandates

At a council in 325 CE at Nicaea (Iznik, Turkey) those same divinely inspired bishops produced a literal litany of faith-based affirmations which only an orthodox xian could find acceptable.
Their nicene creed is still in force today. Despite hatred for catholicism, protestant fundies dare not reject its most ancient core dogmas -- one god in three persons, incarnated in Jesus, his return from the dead, levitating into heaven, church based salvation cult, Christ’s curtain call judgement day, eternal blessing or eternal suffering doled out to everyone…death cult.

Moreover an affirmation of faith must be said out loud as part of every obsessive compulsive cult ritual by every “member” at every service in the sight of “God” and, of course, in the distinct hearing of one’s dear fellow xians, watched over by god-proxies, priests.

Xians, therefore, do you “honour” by imagining that you are somewhat like them! You may be a very damnable atheist but even you must have made a profession of faith -- “publicly confessing” your newly acquired “godma”. Do you not feel blessed?

 

the anti_supernaturalist

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Permalink Reply by Terri Lunt on September 24, 2011 at 2:37am

I believe that most people  are like sheep, who simply follow , they prefer to blend in, safety in numbers and that sort of thing.After all 'tis folly to be wise when ignorance is bliss'

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Permalink Reply by Albert Bakker on September 24, 2011 at 4:43am

Your friend at least is now less ignorant about atheism than he was. I hope his learning curve doesn't top off there and falls back to baseline. Hope he will one day decide to read the Bible too and laugh for the right reasons.

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Permalink Reply by Alena Rust on September 24, 2011 at 4:47am

Most religious people don't even know the basics of their religioni, still they call themselves religious. Then it is no surprise that they don't know about atheism which they barely know or follow.

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Permalink Reply by Ghost The Smoker on September 25, 2011 at 8:16pm

I completely agree.

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Permalink Reply by Evan Meinel on September 24, 2011 at 11:49am

Guys... I think we need an oath.

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Permalink Reply by William C. Walker on September 25, 2011 at 11:46pm

I affirm, I never swear.

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Permalink Reply by Unseen on September 24, 2011 at 12:34pm

Never. Why should they? They are comfortable thinking that The Big Guy In The Sky will give them eternal life and maybe even a bunch of virgins if they are Muslims (God has a virgin mill in Heaven just for Muslims). All they have to do is follow The Ten Commandments, asking for forgiveness if they fail to do so. It's a good plan.

 

What are we offering that can compete with that?

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Permalink Reply by Unseen on September 24, 2011 at 1:00pm

Here we go with the ad hominem. Leader? Where did that come from? To state an opinion now makes one a leader? I feel just fine. Why would you think I feel otherwise? Simply because you insulted me? My ego is big enough to handle that, certainly.

 

Here's an idea: If you feel I'm wrong, why not simply depend on your counter arguments?

 

I don't think a few leaders are going to eliminate the attraction of religion to most people. it's as simple as that. There's my argument. Now, instead of going ad hominem, I expect you to have a reply to that. If you have one. if you don't, go away.

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