Question for Atheists

[Missy1961]

Now THIS is what bothers me. As Laura stated, the President has to answer to the American people.

There are many, many people who lead normal, law abiding, moral lives without feeling that they need to answer to a higher power but simply because it's the right thing to do. I don't need to be threatened with punishment in the afterlife to do the right thing in this one.

Great post.

 

[Shugardrawers]

Hey are we the last minority it's ok to trash now?? Someone posted a thread a while back. I swear, had they been in a room with us in person it would have gone like this:

OP: Would you ever hire...you, any of (whispers) those people?
Diser: What people?
OP: You know. Athiests! (whispering again) since they don't answer to a higher power they have no moral grounding!

As if, to quote Jiminy Crickett, letting my conscious be my guide just isn't enough Ignorance is rampant

 

[piney]

Hey are we the last minority it's ok to trash now?? Someone posted a thread a while back. I swear, had they been in a room with us in person it would have gone like this:

OP: Would you ever hire...you, any of (whispers) those people?
Diser: What people?
OP: You know. Athiests! (whispering again) since they don't answer to a higher power they have no moral grounding!

As if, to quote Jiminy Crickett, letting my conscious be my guide just isn't enough Ignorance is rampant

Who trashed you?

 

[xoprincessmomxo]

Really, IMO this great divide between the believers and non believers is gaining ground. I remember in my very small school we had a girl that was from an atheist family that was a few years older than me. I didn't even know it until my mom told me. She was popular, in cheerleading, no one treated her differently. But, now in our town, since the opening of two new "fear of Hell's flames and God's wrath" churches have opened up, catering to youth, the divide in school is incredible. Even on their myspace pages, they talk about not being able to stay friends with "non believers" unless they are able to "turn them on to God's love and forgiveness". It's not just the kids, even, it's the youth pastor's myspace and facebook accounts, too. And I know this because it's a small town, and I'm snoopy...

 

[Strangeite]

I'm not sure what Obama's beliefs truly are or are not.

I always find it interesting that despite Obama's many public demonstrations of his faith, people seem to always be skeptical that he is a "true" Christian. However, most of these people never questioned if McCain was a "true" Christian.

While I don't personally care if either one is Christian or not, their respecitve statements on baptism is illuminating and furthers why I am baffled why Obama is the one that people are skeptical about.

McCain on Baptism in a June 2007 interview to McClatchy newspapers:

"I didn't find it necessary to do so for my spiritual needs."

Obama on his Baptism in "Audicity of Hope":

When asked about his decision to be baptized, Obama said, "Kneeling beneath that cross on the South Side of Chicago, I felt I heard God's spirit beckoning me. I submitted myself to his will and dedicated myself to discovering his truth."

As I said, I don't really care, but I don't understand why Obama is the one that most Christians are skeptical of. His statement seems more inline with Christ's teachings.

 

[mkingdomlvr]

I always find it interesting that despite Obama's many public demonstrations of his faith, people seem to always be skeptical that he is a "true" Christian. However, most of these people never questioned if McCain was a "true" Christian.

While I don't personally care if either one is Christian or not, their respecitve statements on baptism is illuminating and furthers why I am baffled why Obama is the one that people are skeptical about.

McCain on Baptism in a June 2007 interview to McClatchy newspapers:

"I didn't find it necessary to do so for my spiritual needs."

Obama on his Baptism in "Audicity of Hope":

When asked about his decision to be baptized, Obama said, "Kneeling beneath that cross on the South Side of Chicago, I felt I heard God's spirit beckoning me. I submitted myself to his will and dedicated myself to discovering his truth."

As I said, I don't really care, but I don't understand why Obama is the one that most Christians are skeptical of. His statement seems more inline with Christ's teachings.

Actually, I was more unsure of McCain's real commitment to faith than I was with Obama's-which was part of my problem with him and the reason I said what I did earlier. I felt that McCain might have been using the faith statements to get people like me to vote for him.

The thing that made me a little unsure about Obama was the ease with which he abandoned his church-and it appears that he hasn't found a new one since he left. Most Christians I know, if they leave a Church for any reason, they immediately seek out another one. The NT is pretty clear about the importance of worshiping in community, and that makes establishing a relationship with a church critical. He may have been waiting to do anything pending the outcome of the election, who knows? I hope he finds a good church home in DC for himself and his family.

 

[NMAmy]

Hey are we the last minority it's ok to trash now??

Well, atheists and smokers. If you're an atheistic smoker, you should probably just never leave your home.

 

[Strangeite]

The thing that made me a little unsure about Obama was the ease with which he abandoned his church.

Did you listen to his speech on race? I wouldn't categorize his leaving the church as "with ease", in fact it was one of the most heart wrenching things I have ever seen a person go through in public. Go watch that speech on YouTube and tell me that he came to that decision easily.

 

[Strangeite]

Well, atheists and smokers. If you're an atheistic smoker, you should probably just never leave your home.

Unless it is to be put in the stocks.

 

[Goofyluver]

Well, atheists and smokers. If you're an atheistic smoker, you should probably just never leave your home.

A smoking heathen. For shame.

Some of the best people I know are smoking heathens.

 

[mkingdomlvr]

Did you listen to his speech on race? I wouldn't categorize his leaving the church as "with ease", in fact it was one of the most heart wrenching things I have ever seen a person go through in public. Go watch that speech on YouTube and tell me that he came to that decision easily.

I have seen the speech-and it was my understanding hearing it that he could NOT leave or deny Rev Wright and the Church. It was only when the heat would not subside about Rev Wright that he chose to leave.

It's his business, and his spiritual life-and certainly not the point of this thread.

 

[Planogirl]

A smoking heathen. For shame.

Some of the best people I know are smoking heathens.

What if you're a Christian smoker?

I'm personally not bothered by other people expressing their beliefs. In fact, I often enjoy it and the little phrase "God bless America" seems very harmless to me.

My outrage is reserved for those who judge others based on THEIR own personal ideologies and try to make laws based on the same. I feel that it's no one else's business what others do (as long as no victims are involved) and religion has no place meddling in private lives. Other than that, people can talk about their religion as much as they want as annoying as they may be.

 

[robinb]

A question regarding President Elect Obama. He closes his speeches with "God Bless the United States of America".

Personally, I like it. I believe in God, love my country, think the USA needs all the help it can get right now.

But today after listening to him, I began to wonder if anyone is bothered by it. If you don't believe in God is this offensive to you?

Every president in my memory has ended speeches with "God Bless the United States of America". I never hear any real feeling behind it ... it's more like a generic closing statement. I simply ignore it as it's not meant for me but the people who would be honked off if it were left out.

 

[Shugardrawers]

Well, atheists and smokers. If you're an atheistic smoker, you should probably just never leave your home.

I quit 2 years ago But dang I could really go for a smoke once in a while

You should have heard the snark when I was an athiest smoker who weighed over 300# The comments were BRUTAL!

I retract my statement. Smokers and overweight people seem to be the last groups it's ok to publicly make fun of

Who trashed you?

Oh, just some idiot with too much time on his hands and hiding behind a pm.

 

[luvmy3]

As long he doesn't pass any laws based one what "god wants", I don't care how he ends his speeches.

 

[piney]

I quit 2 years ago But dang I could really go for a smoke once in a while

You should have heard the snark when I was an athiest smoker who weighed over 300# The comments were BRUTAL!

I retract my statement. Smokers and overweight people seem to be the last groups it's ok to publicly make fun of



Oh, just some idiot with too much time on his hands and hiding behind a pm.

probably one of those spell-checkers.

to you.

 

[wonderlanne]

But today after listening to him, I began to wonder if anyone is bothered by it. If you don't believe in God is this offensive to you?

nope. if you don't believe in something, then it doesn't exist to you. doesn't mean anything to somebody who doesn't believe in it.

on that note, this is the reason the atheists who complain about "under god" in the pledge of allegiance (or the mention of god in anything) doesn't makes sense. say "over the rainbow" or just take a breath instead. can't bother you if you don't believe in it, and there's no reason to take it away from people who do believe.

 

[mom2rb]

nope. if you don't believe in something, then it doesn't exist to you. doesn't mean anything to somebody who doesn't believe in it.

on that note, this is the reason the atheists who complain about "under god" in the pledge of allegiance (or the mention of god in anything) doesn't makes sense. say "over the rainbow" or just take a breath instead. can't bother you if you don't believe in it, and there's no reason to take it away from people who do believe.

See that does bother me, because they added it in. I can handle the
song "God Bless America". That is the song. With the pledge, it was added over 50 years later. A few years ago, Texas passed a law that the kids had to say the pledge and the Texas pledge at the beginning of the school day. Then the next year they added god in the Texas pledge. It wasn't there before. That bothers me.

 

[wonderlanne]

See that does bother me, because they added it in. I can handle the
song "God Bless America". That is the song. With the pledge, it was added over 50 years later. A few years ago, Texas passed a law that the kids had to say the pledge and the Texas pledge at the beginning of the school day. Then the next year they added god in the Texas pledge. It wasn't there before. That bothers me.

if you don't believe in it, wouldn't it be sorta the same as sayin', "la di da"? it isn't an actual anything to atheists. i'd rather not hurt the people to whom it means everything than have it removed because it means nothing to me. to be bothered by it seems the same as it has meaning to me. it will never bother me enough to cause hurt to others over it.

to me, it is like anything...if i don't like it, i turn it off or change the channel or ignore it.

 

[Bobbles]

if you don't believe in it, wouldn't it be sorta the same as sayin', "la di da"? it isn't an actual anything to atheists. i'd rather not hurt the people to whom it means everything than have it removed because it means nothing to me. to be bothered by it seems the same as it has meaning to me. it will never bother me enough to cause hurt to others over it.

to me, it is like anything...if i don't like it, i turn it off or change the channel or ignore it.

I think what the previous poster is saying is that "under god" was added after it was being said for 50 years because a special interest wanted it.

It may be the same as how would you feel if it said "under allah" instead of "under god"?