California Atheists prevail on xmas in Santa Monica

[Si modo]

I don't know why atheists care about religious displays. I don't and I'm an atheist. If people want to believe in fairy tales why should it bother me?

For those who truly don't believe, I don't think it does.

I can't imagine being offended by a statue of Zeus with a thunder bolt in the lobby of the local court house. Yet let a picture of Jesus creep in and the Atheist lose the contents of their bladders and their minds.

Only some of them. And, it's not just atheists and/or agnostics who have issues with ONLY Christianity.

 

[peach174]

Some Atheists groups are trying to get Jesus out of Christmas. when Jesus has always been the reason for the season.
They say it's a violation of Church and State when the Federal Government has declared it a Federal Holiday!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's our Constitutional right. The 1st Amendment says very clearly that it gives us the people the freedom to express our religion.

The same Constitution, gives them the right as a minority, to have their own holiday of expression.
They need to pick a day for their holiday to express their opinion and signs , like the ones there in California.
But they don't have a right to high-jack Christmas and try and make it a secular holiday.

Why can't they just make Christmas as a day or two off from work and make it a gathering of friends and family only?

 

[catzmeow]

It could be that I just haven't run into Atheists who don't want to crush the civil rights of others. (Skull Pilot may be one.)

I really have zero spiritual beliefs (which probably qualifies as atheist), but I sang Joy the World quite happily the other night (though I'd have preferred the Hallelujah Chorus).

I think that the majority of atheists are really "apatheists." They don't know, and they don't care. I basically fall into this category, though occasionally I am interested in exploring Christian topics--I can't stand fundamentalists of any stripe. The ones who are the most public and outspoken are usually still butthurt from something to do with their Christian upbringing (Campbell is a good example...he claims to be in his 70s and is still pouting over his indoctrination).

 

[Uncensored2008]

Only some of them. And, it's not just atheists and/or agnostics who have issues with ONLY Christianity.

What if it's ONLY Zeus?

The City Hall in West Covina, CA had a statue of an elephant in the lobby since the 50's. A few years back, someone pointed out it was actually the god Ganesha and was placed there when Ganesha park by the Los Angeles fairgrounds had opened.

No one cared, the ACLU didn't file law suites, Jillian didn't shit herself (well, maybe she did, but this wasn't the cause.) it was a non-event. That was the only god at city hall, but no one cared, no Christian churches up in arms.

It's called "tolerance."

 

[Uncensored2008]

I really have zero spiritual beliefs (which probably qualifies as atheist),

Probably not, probably agnostic, which is "don't know, don't care."

but I sang Joy the World quite happily the other night (though I'd have preferred the Hallelujah Chorus).

I think that the majority of atheists are really "apatheists." They don't know, and they don't care.

That is agnostic.

I basically fall into this category, though occasionally I am interested in exploring Christian topics--I can't stand fundamentalists of any stripe. The ones who are the most public and outspoken are usually still butthurt from something to do with their Christian upbringing (Campbell is a good example...he claims to be in his 70s and is still pouting over his indoctrination).

I was forced to go to church my whole childhood. I got over it.

 

[InDoctriNation]

I really have zero spiritual beliefs (which probably qualifies as atheist),

Probably not, probably agnostic, which is "don't know, don't care."

but I sang Joy the World quite happily the other night (though I'd have preferred the Hallelujah Chorus).

I think that the majority of atheists are really "apatheists." They don't know, and they don't care.

That is agnostic.

I basically fall into this category, though occasionally I am interested in exploring Christian topics--I can't stand fundamentalists of any stripe. The ones who are the most public and outspoken are usually still butthurt from something to do with their Christian upbringing (Campbell is a good example...he claims to be in his 70s and is still pouting over his indoctrination).

I was forced to go to church my whole childhood. I got over it.

Agnostics can still be atheists. I can say that I don't believe in any of the gods proposed by any religion, and still not know or care one way or another. That means I'm an agnostic atheist, and I have yet to meet an atheist who isn't an agnostic as well. You seem to think that atheist is a dirty word on par with fanaticism, when really it's just a lack of belief in deities. Past that, you really can't say much about what an atheist believes, because there is no dogma that atheists subscribe to. It's simply a response to one question. Does that make sense?

 

[Uncensored2008]

Agnostics can still be atheists.

Nope.

Atheism is the active faith that there is not and cannot be a god. Agnostics don't have that kind of faith.

I can say that I don't believe in any of the gods proposed by any religion, and still not know or care one way or another. That means I'm an agnostic atheist, and I have yet to meet an atheist who isn't an agnostic as well.

Again, atheism is the faith that there is not a god. Agnostics are the fence sitters, those who say " I just don't know."

There could be a god, it's a big and mysterious universe. Quarks are really weird, and the quantum world is mystical.

You seem to think that atheist is a dirty word on par with fanaticism, when really it's just a lack of belief in deities.

The facts show otherwise. Atheists are fanatical and seek to deny civil rights to others. Lack of belief isn't a proactive denial of any possibility of higher intelligence as is found among Atheists.

Past that, you really can't say much about what an atheist believes, because there is no dogma that atheists subscribe to. It's simply a response to one question. Does that make sense?

American Atheists | Welcome Free Thinkers

Looks pretty dogmatic to me.

 

[InDoctriNation]

What can I say to that. You are defining a word to mean something that it does not mean and making a bunch of baseless generalizations and assumptions about a rather large group of people. You think it takes faith to not believe in something that has not been demonstrated to exist (you must think it takes faith to not believe in bigfoot, fairies, and leprechauns as well). I think this conversation is over if you're going to continue to misrepresent the position of atheism.

 

[Uncensored2008]

What can I say to that. You are defining a word to mean something that it does not mean and making a bunch of baseless generalizations and assumptions about a rather large group of people.

I'm not the one defining it.

Prior to the 20th century, the distinction was of implicit versus explicit Atheism. After that, implicit atheists were re-termed "agnostic." Explicit and hostile beliefs remained "Atheist." Currently the term refers to explicit denial of the supernatural.

About

Atheism is at war with Christianity and seeks to crush religion.

Atheists United

You think it takes faith to not believe in something that has not been demonstrated to exist

It takes a great deal of faith to categorically deny the possibility of higher powers.

I have no faith, ergo I am agnostic.

(you must think it takes faith to not believe in bigfoot, fairies, and leprechauns as well). I think this conversation is over if you're going to continue to misrepresent the position of atheism.

There is evidence that these things don't exist. There is no evidence precluding the possibility of deities or higher beings. The demand that these cannot exist is based on faith alone.

I'm not a religious man, so I can't be an Atheist.

 

[martybegan]

It could be that I just haven't run into Atheists who don't want to crush the civil rights of others. (Skull Pilot may be one.)

I really have zero spiritual beliefs (which probably qualifies as atheist), but I sang Joy the World quite happily the other night (though I'd have preferred the Hallelujah Chorus).

I think that the majority of atheists are really "apatheists." They don't know, and they don't care. I basically fall into this category, though occasionally I am interested in exploring Christian topics--I can't stand fundamentalists of any stripe. The ones who are the most public and outspoken are usually still butthurt from something to do with their Christian upbringing (Campbell is a good example...he claims to be in his 70s and is still pouting over his indoctrination).

Yes, Campbell is quite butthurt over alot of things.

To me agnostics were those who didn't have a dog in the fight, its a lack of caring. What I consider Atheists are those who profess there is no god, believe it 100%, want you to believe it too, and look down on you as an idiot if you do have some faith in something.

Lets call them "Asshole Atheists", the smarmy self important cousin of the fire breathing evangelical christian.

 

[Photonic]

Some Atheists groups are trying to get Jesus out of Christmas. when Jesus has always been the reason for the season.
They say it's a violation of Church and State when the Federal Government has declared it a Federal Holiday!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's our Constitutional right. The 1st Amendment says very clearly that it gives us the people the freedom to express our religion.

The same Constitution, gives them the right as a minority, to have their own holiday of expression.
They need to pick a day for their holiday to express their opinion and signs , like the ones there in California.
But they don't have a right to high-jack Christmas and try and make it a secular holiday.

Why can't they just make Christmas as a day or two off from work and make it a gathering of friends and family only?

Yes, your Pagan holiday has *always* been about Christ.

 

[Photonic]

What can I say to that. You are defining a word to mean something that it does not mean and making a bunch of baseless generalizations and assumptions about a rather large group of people.

I'm not the one defining it.

Prior to the 20th century, the distinction was of implicit versus explicit Atheism. After that, implicit atheists were re-termed "agnostic." Explicit and hostile beliefs remained "Atheist." Currently the term refers to explicit denial of the supernatural.

About

Atheism is at war with Christianity and seeks to crush religion.

Atheists United

You think it takes faith to not believe in something that has not been demonstrated to exist

It takes a great deal of faith to categorically deny the possibility of higher powers.

I have no faith, ergo I am agnostic.

(you must think it takes faith to not believe in bigfoot, fairies, and leprechauns as well). I think this conversation is over if you're going to continue to misrepresent the position of atheism.

There is evidence that these things don't exist. There is no evidence precluding the possibility of deities or higher beings. The demand that these cannot exist is based on faith alone.

I'm not a religious man, so I can't be an Atheist.

Actually, there may be no evidence of a deity or higher being, so would not taking the default position of not accepting a claim be the norm?

 

[catzmeow]

Probably not, probably agnostic, which is "don't know, don't care." That is agnostic.

I was forced to go to church my whole childhood. I got over it.

Most of us were forced to go to church for most of our childhoods. I got over it, as well, though I still don't enjoy it.

Someone can be "not-knowing" (agnostic) while still being an a-theist (literally: having no gods or religious beliefs). It's like the term asexual. Asexual doesn't mean anti-sexual, it means "having no sexuality."

The people that you like to categorize as atheists are probably more accurately identified as anti-theists.

 

[Uncensored2008]

Actually, there may be no evidence of a deity or higher being,

No evidence of a particular being, but there are indicators of order and intelligence in the universe.

so would not taking the default position of not accepting a claim be the norm?

As I said, I'm agnostic. Those who demand that a god cannot exist do so on the basis of faith, not evidence.

 

[manifold]

Probably not, probably agnostic, which is "don't know, don't care." That is agnostic.

I was forced to go to church my whole childhood. I got over it.

Most of us were forced to go to church for most of our childhoods. I got over it, as well, though I still don't enjoy it.

Someone can be "not-knowing" (agnostic) while still being an a-theist (literally: having no gods or religious beliefs). It's like the term asexual. Asexual doesn't mean anti-sexual, it means "having no sexuality."

The people that you like to categorize as atheists are probably more accurately identified as anti-theists.

Agreed, as long as you are using the lowercase 'atheist'. I'd say that Atheism is in fact what you call anti-theism. Kind of like the difference between liberal and Liberal.

 

[Uncensored2008]

Most of us were forced to go to church for most of our childhoods. I got over it, as well, though I still don't enjoy it.

Someone can be "not-knowing" (agnostic) while still being an a-theist (literally: having no gods or religious beliefs). It's like the term asexual. Asexual doesn't mean anti-sexual, it means "having no sexuality."

Except that in our culture, "Atheist" indicates a particular religion. Just as "Democrat" as a word mean community or mob rule, where the party is vastly different.

Atheists are those who wage war on Christians.

The people that you like to categorize as atheists are probably more accurately identified as anti-theists.

More "anti-Christians." You won't find them putting up attack banners during Ramadan, they exclusively attack Christians.

 

[Photonic]

Agnostics can still be atheists.

Nope.

Atheism is the active faith that there is not and cannot be a god. Agnostics don't have that kind of faith.

I can say that I don't believe in any of the gods proposed by any religion, and still not know or care one way or another. That means I'm an agnostic atheist, and I have yet to meet an atheist who isn't an agnostic as well.

Again, atheism is the faith that there is not a god. Agnostics are the fence sitters, those who say " I just don't know."

There could be a god, it's a big and mysterious universe. Quarks are really weird, and the quantum world is mystical.

You seem to think that atheist is a dirty word on par with fanaticism, when really it's just a lack of belief in deities.

The facts show otherwise. Atheists are fanatical and seek to deny civil rights to others. Lack of belief isn't a proactive denial of any possibility of higher intelligence as is found among Atheists.

Past that, you really can't say much about what an atheist believes, because there is no dogma that atheists subscribe to. It's simply a response to one question. Does that make sense?

American Atheists | Welcome Free Thinkers

Looks pretty dogmatic to me.

There are atheistic agnostics.

Atheism in and of itself is simply the lack of, not the believe in a lack of. It's best you learn that now before you continue to spout propaganda your church has taught you to.

 

[Photonic]

Actually, there may be no evidence of a deity or higher being,

No evidence of a particular being, but there are indicators of order and intelligence in the universe.

so would not taking the default position of not accepting a claim be the norm?

As I said, I'm agnostic. Those who demand that a god cannot exist do so on the basis of faith, not evidence.

Who said anything about demand? You don't sound like any agnostic I've ever known. You sound like someone who is pretending to be agnostic so you can relate to the position of atheism enough to denounce it without your motives appearing suspicious.

 

[Dot Com]

I'm a secular humanist, ACLU card-carrying, Atheist Libral Thats why I started this thread

 

[Uncensored2008]

I'm a secular humanist, ACLU card-carrying, Atheist Libral Thats why I started this thread

Have you beat up and Christian kids today?