Friday morning February 26th, 60 representatives from the Secular Coalition of America met with White House staff to discuss three issues of concern to it’s members which consists of non-religious Americans. Those three issues included protecting children from religiously motivated neglect and abuse, ending proselytizing in the military and working to ensure that various faith based initiatives don’t cause religious discrimination to individuals in need.
While that agenda seems fairly benign and something most individuals regardless of faith or lack thereof would agree with, that didn’t stop the right wing smear machine from spreading fear and lies about the meeting. Apparently the idea that non-religious Americans should be treated with the same respect all other citizens expect from our government is enough to cause right wing hysteria. Sean Hannity of Fox News was found to have made at least 4 factual errors in his quick statement about the meeting falsely claiming that this meeting in some way meant that the nonreligious were getting special treatment from the Obama adminstration. Sean’s statement was nowhere near as inflammatory as what occurred in the right wing blogosphere, which basically labeled the groups participating in the Coalition as hate groups. For perspective on this issue, it is important to realize that one of the groups runs a summer camp and another one is the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers.
#117 Scott, I think we’ve explored our earth thoroughly enough that if fire-breathing dragons existed, we would have found them by now. So I believe that we’ve proved that negative well enough to say “there are no fire-breathing dragons on planet earth”. Whether they might exist somewhere else, who knows?
#119 Well, Ralph, it depends on your definition of “God”. There are many out there. The Deist one who created the universe with its physical laws and then left, for example. And obviously we know more about our physical world and can properly attribute events to their scientific causes.
But as far as proving or disproving some amorphous cosmic consciousness… good luck.
But then, I personally am content to let the question remain unanswered. To me, it doesn’t matter whether God exists or not.
#121, qb,
Apparently the Haitians got what they deserved and most people prefer it that way.
Are you suggesting Gaia doesn’t like Catholics?
BTW, I don’t know if you got my invitation some time ago, but there is a blog that would suit your intelligence, perspective, and wit. You already know some of the regulars from DU and I’m sure you would be welcomed with open arms.
This isn’t my blog but the owner is a heck of a great guy. http://tinyurl.com/64avjh
Ralph–you are clearly a label denier with a fairly well developed dogma surrounding it. I think you are what Pedro would call an asshole and quite possibly have also made a religion of it.
Quibbling over the obvious is a very religious habit of mind. “Something missing.” Or just a contrarian for the issue?
#122 – Phydeau,
#117 Scott, I think we’ve explored our earth thoroughly enough that if fire-breathing dragons existed, we would have found them by now.
Perfect lead-in. Thanks.
It is also true that we know enough about our universe to know that a universe that contained a god who temporarily suspended the laws of physics every so often would be demonstrably different than the universe in which we live.
Does the downtown bus run all night?
#126 It is also true that we know enough about our universe to know that a universe that contained a god who temporarily suspended the laws of physics every so often would be demonstrably different than the universe in which we live.
(Reminds me of the old joke: There are those who argue that one day the universe will vanish and be replaced by something inexplicably stranger. There are others who argue that this has already happened.) 🙂
Hmmm… well, I wouldn’t come to that conclusion… a God who could suspend the laws of physics could make a universe do whatever he wants it to do, even look perfectly normal to everyone.
When it comes right down to it, my only “belief” is that proving or disproving the existence of a God or Gods with 100% certainty is not possible. Of course, if a big bearded guy shows up in the sky throwing thunderbolts and rending the earth, I might change that belief… 🙂
Well I’m an anthropologist. And during sex I like to cry out Homo Erectus.
@Bobbo
“So HMyers how do you stay away from the BS if you find your tax dollars going to religious groups”
I don’t care. 😉
From my perspective, if there is no God then how can there be religious groups and what does that mean?
Religion to me is other humans trying to make sense out of this place we find ourselves in.
I don’t have any ill feelings towards religious groups or individuals. To each, their own.
#131–Dude!==seriously you are missing the entire point. I assume you are doing that because you don’t care. But as with all the “care less” – – you should, of course unless your life is so totally captured by other issues its a matter of scheduling, but you are posting here so thats not likely.
Now, after you “care” that still doesn’t say “how much” you should care. I support not care that much, but not none. In the course of human affairs, absolutes should be rare.
Reminds me of the day a couple of decades back when I ran into an acquaintance I hadn’t seen in a few years. (Hi, Tildy!) She told me she had worked for Madalyn Murry O’Hair’s atheist organization and that the biggest problem she had with it was people, including relatives, asking her how she could work for a devil-worshipper!
“Hello!” she would tell them. “If you don’t believe in God, you don’t believe in the Devil either!” But they rarely listened.
Somehow it all reminds me of a Monty Python sketch — “Oh no! Atheists! Run away! Run away!”
# 30 Dallas said, in part:
“Really, I don’t mind religions.”
Same here, most of the time. Most of my experience with religion involved Roman Catholicism, and I must say I have always enjoyed a lot of the music, even Gregorian chant, and many of the churches are works of art — just _look_ at some of those stained-glass windows! And some of the costumes are great too. I always thought it would be fun to wear some of those great outfits and stand at a big imposing altar, turn around and sing to a bunch of people in Latin and have them sing back in Latin. Then I found out that priests are supposed to be celibate. Then I found out about sex. Then they got rid of the Latin. “Never mind!”
But I must say, I do like the idea of most of the population meeting every week with experts in the field who lecture them on the right thing(s) to do…
#133 – Uncle Patso,
Your post reminds me of some joke (I hope) or story of someone being asked, “Yes. I know you don’t believe in God. But, exactly which god is it that you don’t believe in?”
Yes. The answer is all of the above. I think it’s one of Dawkins’ best points. I’ll quote as well as human memory is capable, which is probably not very well, but the gist should be right. “We are all atheists about a great many gods, [Zeus, Thor, Odin, Baal, etc.,] I just go one god further.”
I don’t remember if he actually listed gods in that. I think he had listed them in the discussion leading up to the quote.
He also points out that when the religious folk of the world can truly understand why they themselves do not believe in all of the other gods that humans have dreamed up, they will also understand why atheists reject their god as well.
Of course, religious folk understanding why they reject other gods than the set in which they choose to believe, be it the Hindu set, the Catholic set (a vast plurality, IMHO), the smaller Protestant set (presumably just the one with multiple personality disorder plus the bad one), the Jewish one (that still acknowledges right in the first commandment that there are others, but disallows their worship, as is the case for all of Christianity as well), the Muslim set (the only one that may truly be just one), or any other set, seems highly unlikely at best.
Religious folk generally can’t answer why they reject the other gods.
I actually know one practicing Catholic who actually acknowledges that all religions may have a piece of the puzzle, thus negating the question in his case.
I want to be come a Druid (Reformed). I can worship bushes.
#136 – qb,
Listen to Reverend Jesse Jackson on this one please … Stay out the Bushes.
http://tinyurl.com/yj8pxog