why is it so important to prove god does not exist.....

[manu1959]

well.....seems odd in america a country partly founded by people fleeing religious persecution with laws protecting us from a government run by the church or a church run by the government and laws protecting ones right to practice whatever religion one wants....

that there are people that seek to denigrate people that believe in god and seem bent on trying to prove god doesn't exist......

why do some of you feel so compelled......

 

[Iriemon]

well.....seems odd in america a country partly founded by people fleeing religious persecution with laws protecting us from a government run by the church or a church run by the government and laws protecting ones right to practice whatever religion one wants....

that there are people that seek to denigrate people that believe in god and seem bent on trying to prove god doesn't exist......

why do some of you feel so compelled......

My guess is that lots don't want to play by or be bound by the same rules that religion imposes.

 

[dilloduck]

well.....seems odd in america a country partly founded by people fleeing religious persecution with laws protecting us from a government run by the church or a church run by the government and laws protecting ones right to practice whatever religion one wants....

that there are people that seek to denigrate people that believe in god and seem bent on trying to prove god doesn't exist......

why do some of you feel so compelled......

My guess is that lots don't want to play by or be bound by the same rules that religion imposes.

Which rules are those ?

 

[Iriemon]

well.....seems odd in america a country partly founded by people fleeing religious persecution with laws protecting us from a government run by the church or a church run by the government and laws protecting ones right to practice whatever religion one wants....

that there are people that seek to denigrate people that believe in god and seem bent on trying to prove god doesn't exist......

why do some of you feel so compelled......

My guess is that lots don't want to play by or be bound by the same rules that religion imposes.

Which rules are those ?

Marriage, divorce, pre-marital sex, homosex, being rich, tithing, prayer in school, abortion, creationism, etc etc

 

[manu1959]

well.....seems odd in america a country partly founded by people fleeing religious persecution with laws protecting us from a government run by the church or a church run by the government and laws protecting ones right to practice whatever religion one wants....

that there are people that seek to denigrate people that believe in god and seem bent on trying to prove god doesn't exist......

why do some of you feel so compelled......

My guess is that lots don't want to play by or be bound by the same rules that religion imposes.

don't then.....no one forces anyone to do so....

 

[strollingbones]

My guess is that lots don't want to play by or be bound by the same rules that religion imposes.

Which rules are those ?

Marriage, divorce, pre-marital sex, homosex, being rich, tithing, prayer in school, abortion, creationism, etc etc

o please....what is the divorce rate in most bible belts states...nearly 50%...pre marital sex is there too...and homosexuality...(ted haggard and i could go on) you cant be rich and be in the church?...or are you saying being rich is a christian trait? tithing is not necessary something done only in church...prayer in school...that is so fucking lame...no one can stop you from praying...and do tell me where the bible instructs one to pray...do you know? i do...and will give you the chapter and verse if needed...abortion is just a hot button issue to christians till one of their own needs one...or else it would have been outlawed by now...creationism is just stupid and yall are so proud of faith over science....

but please enlighten me on what the rules are...for religous people

 

[manu1959]

My guess is that lots don't want to play by or be bound by the same rules that religion imposes.

Which rules are those ?

Marriage, divorce, pre-marital sex, homosex, being rich, tithing, prayer in school, abortion, creationism, etc etc

last i checked none of those is a have to......either as a member of a church or not.....

 

[Shogun]

well.....seems odd in america a country partly founded by people fleeing religious persecution with laws protecting us from a government run by the church or a church run by the government and laws protecting ones right to practice whatever religion one wants....

that there are people that seek to denigrate people that believe in god and seem bent on trying to prove god doesn't exist......

why do some of you feel so compelled......

My guess is that lots don't want to play by or be bound by the same rules that religion imposes.

don't then.....no one forces anyone to do so....

thats not EXACTLY true... Marriage amendments, anyone?

 

[Shogun]

Which rules are those ?

Marriage, divorce, pre-marital sex, homosex, being rich, tithing, prayer in school, abortion, creationism, etc etc

last i checked none of those is a have to......either as a member of a church or not.....

tell that to married gay couples after last november.

gosh.. i WONDER who was the biggest force behind THAT jackboot goose step...

 

[Coloradomtnman]

well.....seems odd in america a country partly founded by people fleeing religious persecution with laws protecting us from a government run by the church or a church run by the government and laws protecting ones right to practice whatever religion one wants....

that there are people that seek to denigrate people that believe in god and seem bent on trying to prove god doesn't exist......

why do some of you feel so compelled......

I'm an agnostic and I really don't mind if people are religious. I find it annoying, but I think hip hop music played loudly in car stereos annoying, but I wouldn't think to tell someone they can't do it.

However, there is a contradiction in our society. We are a (subjectively speaking) technologically advanced civilization thanks to the scientific method which is grounded in reason. Faith in something which can't be shown to be true has a lot of power in this country: just look at the religious grass roots organizations like the South Baptist Coalition. They wield a lot of influence. For the godless, they are a constant threat to Roe v. Wade, science funding, science education, same-sex marriage (aka equality), and seperation of church and state. So science has provided many tangible results. Religion has historically provided only tangible strife (wars, suppression of information, the Spanish Inquisition, persecution of those who believe differently, etc.). Now, I'm not saying that religion is only a source of strife. It provides a foundation and support for billions of people worldwide, but that isn't physical or tangible. Atheists' modus operandi is reason and faith is anathema to reason and the scientific method.

Nonbelievers, in general, wouldn't want to stop those who believe in a higher power from believing and support freedom of religion (otherwise we atheists might be persecuted again); but we also believe in freedom FROM religion. We want women to have the right to choose, we want people to have the right to choose to die, we want better environmental stewardship (because we'll still be here after the Rapture), we want equal rights for homosexuals because we don't follow an ancient text that arbitrarily condemns homosexuality, we don't want to live in a Christian theocracy much like Christians wouldn't want to live in a Islamic theocracy.

We, nonbelievers, also resent the faithful's persistent self-righteousness and behavior as though because their religion is the right one, to act in God's name is right. To operate with such lack of doubt would seem to result in one not questioning authority or one's own dogmatically held beliefs. Nonbelievers use reason to understand life, the Universe, and everything (to quote Douglas Adams). Reason allows one to always remain open to new experiences, information, and allows for change. Religion is typically very traditional and, to nonbelievers, stagnant. People, cultures, nations, civilizations, even mountain ranges change, but religion tries not to.

And these are just some of the reasons why there is so much tension between atheists and adherents to organized religion. If you asked an atheist if Wiccans, or Buddhists, or if some other obscure (like Sky Dancer's) religion bothered them, I bet the answer you'd get is: Not really. But monotheistic religions really bother us: Judaism, Islam, and Christianity because their God is the one and only right God and we'll all burn in Hell even though we CAN'T believe. These are the religions that cause the most strife. Atheists are tired of it.

 

[manu1959]

Marriage, divorce, pre-marital sex, homosex, being rich, tithing, prayer in school, abortion, creationism, etc etc

last i checked none of those is a have to......either as a member of a church or not.....

tell that to married gay couples after last november.

gosh.. i WONDER who was the biggest force behind THAT jackboot goose step...

how is god stopping them from getting married.....i know plenty of married gay folk......

 

[Shogun]

I'm still waiting for Dr. Christian to start healing amputees in an era a little more current than the fucking stone age.

 

[Iriemon]

Which rules are those ?

Marriage, divorce, pre-marital sex, homosex, being rich, tithing, prayer in school, abortion, creationism, etc etc

last i checked none of those is a have to......either as a member of a church or not.....

Well, thank goodness for that, eh?

 

[Shogun]

last i checked none of those is a have to......either as a member of a church or not.....

tell that to married gay couples after last november.

gosh.. i WONDER who was the biggest force behind THAT jackboot goose step...

how is god stopping them from getting married.....i know plenty of married gay folk......

God via christians. do you really need me to post link after link addressing the result of the 08 election in California? Really?

Let's put it THIS way.. What demographic, SPECIFICALLY, do you think will be the loudest in protesting the recently overturned ban on gay marriage in Iowa? Care to venture a guess?

 

[manifold]

why is it so important to prove god does not exist?

That's easy. One word. Validation.

Except for those few of us that have attained omnipresent supergalactic oneness, everyone seeks validation for who they are and what they believe.

 

[manu1959]

My guess is that lots don't want to play by or be bound by the same rules that religion imposes.

don't then.....no one forces anyone to do so....

thats not EXACTLY true... Marriage amendments, anyone?

really what does god force you to do.....

 

[catzmeow]

really what does god force you to do.....

God doesn't bother me. It's the people who claim to be his spokespeople and impose their own stifling morality on everyone else, that get on my last damn nerve.

 

[Iriemon]

Which rules are those ?

Marriage, divorce, pre-marital sex, homosex, being rich, tithing, prayer in school, abortion, creationism, etc etc

o please....what is the divorce rate in most bible belts states...nearly 50%...pre marital sex is there too...and homosexuality...(ted haggard and i could go on) you cant be rich and be in the church?...or are you saying being rich is a christian trait? tithing is not necessary something done only in church...prayer in school...that is so fucking lame...no one can stop you from praying...and do tell me where the bible instructs one to pray...do you know? i do...and will give you the chapter and verse if needed...abortion is just a hot button issue to christians till one of their own needs one...or else it would have been outlawed by now...creationism is just stupid and yall are so proud of faith over science....

but please enlighten me on what the rules are...for religous people

I think you misunderstood me to claim that religious rules are now being imposed in all these subject matters. That was not what I meant, if my post was unclear.

But, IMO, that is one reason why some people may feel compelled to "denigrate people that believe in god and seem bent on trying to prove god doesn't exist" is because 1) some religious mores are imposed (eg ban against gay marriage) and 2) there is a fear additional ones will be (eg abortion).

 

[sealybobo]

well.....seems odd in america a country partly founded by people fleeing religious persecution with laws protecting us from a government run by the church or a church run by the government and laws protecting ones right to practice whatever religion one wants....

that there are people that seek to denigrate people that believe in god and seem bent on trying to prove god doesn't exist......

why do some of you feel so compelled......

Because you use God to stop stem cell research.

You use God to discriminate against gays

You paint liberals as godless

Because more wars have been started over religion than any other reason.

 

[Iriemon]

don't then.....no one forces anyone to do so....

thats not EXACTLY true... Marriage amendments, anyone?

really what does god force you to do.....

Nobody said anything about God forcing anyone to do anything. It is the tension between rules that believes want versus rules nonbelievers want. Abortion is a classic example. Obviously I am making large generalizations here.