Morality is not determined by the church you attend nor the faith you embrace. It is determined by the quality of your character and the positive impact you have on those you meet along your journey
Saturday, July 26, 2014
This may sound arrogant but you know I DO kind of feel like this sometimes.
I mean if the other people in the car are seeing invisible people, hearing voices in their heads, and imagining a paradise waiting for them after they die, should they really be taking the wheel?
Sorry, Gryph, but I don't catch your drift. I have been an atheist since AT LEAST the age of six. And even before that I was extremely angry about being forced to go to church. I found the stupidity to be quite a turn-off..
Sorry, but I disagree with that cross-over analogy. This country has ALWAYS had religious people at the helm, as has been the case for most of national (world) history. For the most part they (our reps) have done their job secularly, without trying to force their beliefs on others.
Would I like to see a totally non-religious government? Yes, of course. But WE won't see it. In fact, I wonder if MAN will survive to see it.
You've not been one to really reach like this in the past. Here I think you are stretching credulity.
Sorry. Not gonna convince me of it. Especially since the laws of the COUNTRY for the most part have been maintained. A FEW problems doesn't mean the car is weaving.
Atheism isn't necessarily benign or harmless, either. When it's the official doctrine of the state, as it was in the U.S.S.R., and the state suppresses religious expression, it's every bit as destructive as a state's forcible imposition of religious expression.
I prefer the terms secular, and secularism. The goal of secularism is to keep state functions and laws both totally neutral regarding region, and completely separate from any religious influence.
In any event, I'm a heathen myself and I loathe organized religion and public piousness.
It isn't atheism that's harmful as official doctrine of the state, it's the "doctrine" part that's harmful. "Atheism" is benign and harmless. "It" has no doctrine, hierarchy, laws or authority.
And which USSR are you talking about? Khruschschev, yes, Breshnev, no and not during WWII.
Exactly, 6:39. ANY doctrine is harmful when the state uses it against its citizens -- INCLUDING atheism. Which IS a doctrine in this context, i.e." a belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a church, political party, or other group."
There was only one U.S.S.R. and atheism was always its official doctrine. Please stop trying to put cuddly atheist lipstick on that religion-suppressing pig. Please just accept the indisputable and historical fact that officially atheistic regimes have been every bit as destructive as state religion-supporting ones.
LOL, 7:56. There were all those wars in the name of true atheism, right?
As for the USSR,
"Convinced that religious anti-Sovietism had become a thing of the past, the Stalin regime began shifting to a more moderate religion policy in the late 1930s.[140] Soviet religious establishments overwhelmingly rallied to support the war effort during the Soviet war with Nazi Germany. Amid other accommodations to religious faith, churches were reopened, Radio Moscow began broadcasting a religious hour, and a historic meeting between Stalin and Orthodox Church leader Patriarch Sergius I of Moscow was held in 1943.[140] The general tendency of this period was an increase in religious activity among believers of all faiths.[141]
The Soviet establishment again clashed with the churches under General Secretary Nikita Khrushchev's leadership in 1958–1964, a period when atheism was emphasized in the educational curriculum, and numerous state publications promoted atheistic views.[140] During this period, the number of churches fell from 20,000 to 10,000 from 1959 to 1965, and the number of synagogues dropped from 500 to 97.[142] The number of working mosques also declined, falling from 1,500 to 500 within a decade.[142]
Religious institutions remained monitored by the Soviet government, but churches, synagogues, temples, and mosques were all given more leeway in the Brezhnev era.[143] Official relations between the Orthodox Church and the Soviet government again warmed to the point that the Brezhnev government twice honored Orthodox Patriarch Alexy I with the Order of the Red Banner of Labour.[144] A poll conducted by Soviet authorities in 1982 recorded 20 percent of the Soviet population as "active religious believers."[145]" "(Wikipedia)
Tow Truck Company Illegally Towed Vehicles at LGBT Event Because Owner Hates Gay People (Video)
The owner of poorly reviewed ASAP Towing in Orlando, Florida was arrested Friday and charged with illegally towing vehicles of people who took part in last month’s Gay Days events in Orange County.
Jacob P. Combs faces 29 counts of grand theft of a motor vehicles. The bigoted is facing nearly 100 total charges for illegally towing the vehicles between June 5 and 9 from a parking lot at Westwood Town Center, which is across the street from the hotel hosting the event.
What I don't understand is the need to equate "Atheism" with things like "Evil", "Hate", "immorality", etc., mostly because people fear what they don't understand. And in order for there to be "good guys" (them) there MUST be "bad guys" (us). The Angel/Devil syndrome. Most Atheists I know don't see these things, they just see people, and try to see the good that people are capable of doing, the great things they've achieved. Most Wars are started in the name of religion, because one group's "God" is better than another's. When I see war, I see needless suffering, greed and killing of people just because their leader happens to be (usually) a madman. It's a fight for power, resources (that should belong to everyone). We may speak different languages, but we all understand grief (especially for innocents) and we laugh and cry in the same language. Was it Iraq's "fault" their leader was nuts? Was it their fault President George W Bush started the war for no good reason (except "that man tried to kill my daddy" (from memory, not a direct quote). We were lambasted for raising our kids without religion, for not having our kids baptized, for not circumcising our son. We thought these decisions were theirs to make, and when they came of age, they could figure things out on their own. We taught them to save their money, give some away to charity, and how to spend wisely, We also taught them to think for themselves .So far it's worked out well. They have great friends, accepting and respectful of everyone, and can have those intellectual talks and still remain friends. My husband and I became atheists after being kicked out of our church, we tried others, and came to realize no organized religion was for us.
I can see this attitude. There's only one problem in my book: I don't get into vehicles with drunks!
ReplyDeleteToo late.
DeleteSorry, Gryph, but I don't catch your drift. I have been an atheist since AT LEAST the age of six. And even before that I was extremely angry about being forced to go to church. I found the stupidity to be quite a turn-off..
DeleteSimple, those at the helm of our country are religious, in some cases uber religious, and it is THEY who are in charge of which direction we go.
DeleteTherefore the analogy of being a sober passenger in a car driven by impaired drivers holds firm.
Sorry, but I disagree with that cross-over analogy. This country has ALWAYS had religious people at the helm, as has been the case for most of national (world) history. For the most part they (our reps) have done their job secularly, without trying to force their beliefs on others.
DeleteWould I like to see a totally non-religious government? Yes, of course. But WE won't see it. In fact, I wonder if MAN will survive to see it.
You've not been one to really reach like this in the past. Here I think you are stretching credulity.
Sorry. Not gonna convince me of it. Especially since the laws of the COUNTRY for the most part have been maintained. A FEW problems doesn't mean the car is weaving.
Atheism isn't necessarily benign or harmless, either. When it's the official doctrine of the state, as it was in the U.S.S.R., and the state suppresses religious expression, it's every bit as destructive as a state's forcible imposition of religious expression.
ReplyDeleteI prefer the terms secular, and secularism. The goal of secularism is to keep state functions and laws both totally neutral regarding region, and completely separate from any religious influence.
In any event, I'm a heathen myself and I loathe organized religion and public piousness.
It isn't atheism that's harmful as official doctrine of the state, it's the "doctrine" part that's harmful. "Atheism" is benign and harmless. "It" has no doctrine, hierarchy, laws or authority.
DeleteAnd which USSR are you talking about? Khruschschev, yes, Breshnev, no and not during WWII.
Exactly, 6:39. ANY doctrine is harmful when the state uses it against its citizens -- INCLUDING atheism. Which IS a doctrine in this context, i.e." a belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a church, political party, or other group."
DeleteThere was only one U.S.S.R. and atheism was always its official doctrine. Please stop trying to put cuddly atheist lipstick on that religion-suppressing pig. Please just accept the indisputable and historical fact that officially atheistic regimes have been every bit as destructive as state religion-supporting ones.
LOL, 7:56. There were all those wars in the name of true atheism, right?
DeleteAs for the USSR,
"Convinced that religious anti-Sovietism had become a thing of the past, the Stalin regime began shifting to a more moderate religion policy in the late 1930s.[140] Soviet religious establishments overwhelmingly rallied to support the war effort during the Soviet war with Nazi Germany. Amid other accommodations to religious faith, churches were reopened, Radio Moscow began broadcasting a religious hour, and a historic meeting between Stalin and Orthodox Church leader Patriarch Sergius I of Moscow was held in 1943.[140] The general tendency of this period was an increase in religious activity among believers of all faiths.[141]
The Soviet establishment again clashed with the churches under General Secretary Nikita Khrushchev's leadership in 1958–1964, a period when atheism was emphasized in the educational curriculum, and numerous state publications promoted atheistic views.[140] During this period, the number of churches fell from 20,000 to 10,000 from 1959 to 1965, and the number of synagogues dropped from 500 to 97.[142] The number of working mosques also declined, falling from 1,500 to 500 within a decade.[142]
Religious institutions remained monitored by the Soviet government, but churches, synagogues, temples, and mosques were all given more leeway in the Brezhnev era.[143] Official relations between the Orthodox Church and the Soviet government again warmed to the point that the Brezhnev government twice honored Orthodox Patriarch Alexy I with the Order of the Red Banner of Labour.[144] A poll conducted by Soviet authorities in 1982 recorded 20 percent of the Soviet population as "active religious believers."[145]" "(Wikipedia)
I would say that being a pagan feels like everyone else you meet is actually on a completely different planet and the dominant species is irrational.
ReplyDeleteIMAGINE:
ReplyDeletehttp://aattp.org/incredible-john-lennons-imagine-has-been-made-into-the-best-comic-strip-in-human-history/
Thanks, what a great idea.
DeleteTow Truck Company Illegally Towed Vehicles at LGBT Event Because Owner Hates Gay People (Video)
ReplyDeleteThe owner of poorly reviewed ASAP Towing in Orlando, Florida was arrested Friday and charged with illegally towing vehicles of people who took part in last month’s Gay Days events in Orange County.
Jacob P. Combs faces 29 counts of grand theft of a motor vehicles. The bigoted is facing nearly 100 total charges for illegally towing the vehicles between June 5 and 9 from a parking lot at Westwood Town Center, which is across the street from the hotel hosting the event.
http://aattp.org/tow-truck-company-illegally-towed-vehicles-at-lgbt-event-because-owner-hates-gay-people-video/
What I don't understand is the need to equate "Atheism" with things like "Evil", "Hate", "immorality", etc., mostly because people fear what they don't understand. And in order for there to be "good guys" (them) there MUST be "bad guys" (us). The Angel/Devil syndrome.
ReplyDeleteMost Atheists I know don't see these things, they just see people, and try to see the good that people are capable of doing, the great things they've achieved.
Most Wars are started in the name of religion, because one group's "God" is better than another's. When I see war, I see needless suffering, greed and killing of people just because their leader happens to be (usually) a madman. It's a fight for power, resources (that should belong to everyone).
We may speak different languages, but we all understand grief (especially for innocents) and we laugh and cry in the same language. Was it Iraq's "fault" their leader was nuts? Was it their fault President George W Bush started the war for no good reason (except "that man tried to kill my daddy" (from memory, not a direct quote).
We were lambasted for raising our kids without religion, for not having our kids baptized, for not circumcising our son. We thought these decisions were theirs to make, and when they came of age, they could figure things out on their own. We taught them to save their money, give some away to charity, and how to spend wisely, We also taught them to think for themselves .So far it's worked out well. They have great friends, accepting and respectful of everyone, and can have those intellectual talks and still remain friends.
My husband and I became atheists after being kicked out of our church, we tried others, and came to realize no organized religion was for us.