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- SheilaNoya, on 11/03/2007, -18/+256People are less afraid now to admit that they don't believe in God. When I was growing up in the 1950's, admitting that you were an atheist would get you fired from your job, accused of being a communist, and shunned by 99.9% of the public. Fortunately, society has progressed a lot since then and we no longer let the churches scare us into fake submission.
- insllvn, on 11/07/2007, -24/+163Please, God, deliver us from your followers!
- lucidguru, on 11/02/2007, -25/+138The rich, the educated and a growing online youth no longer have any reasons to believe in imaginary deities. Life is too good, and we have too much time to think about the meaning of life and come up with our own conclusions; why would we believe some fictional story?
Hopefully enough people will come around and realize that religion is nothing more than a business that has unfair tax advantages. THEY DON'T PAY ANY! Churches, synagogues and other "religious" places should not be exempt. They should be taxed like all businesses regardless of their beliefs. - inactive, on 10/31/2007, -13/+114Your idea of "heaven" was crowded? THAT"s funny!
- Incosian, on 11/02/2007, -16/+114Religion began when the first scoundrel met the first fool.
- CannedMango, on 10/31/2007, -13/+105You may as well be bragging about getting to be first in line to see Santa this Christmas
- MJG2007, on 11/02/2007, -11/+97
How many drive by shootings were there in the 1950s? - more than most people really imagine. Street gangs isn't exactly a new concept and violence both with and without firearms isn't something that started after 1950 (ever hear of the gangsters in Chicago or New York during prohibition?).
How many babies were born out of wedlock in the 1950s? 13% of teen pregnancies in 1957 (the highest year recorded for teen pregnancy) were to unwed mothers. Of course back then, more women tended to get married in their teens (my mother and two sisters were married in the 50's and each of them were 15 years old at the age of marriage) I'm pretty sure that you aren't suggesting we return to the days when half of all girls married before their 18th birthday (and one wonders how many of those were the results of "accidents" involving a failed rabbit test).
How many school shootings were there in the 1950s? - That we can agree there were not many. Most "hoodlums" just quit going to school which sort of cut down on the incidents of violence IN the schools.
How many high school dropouts were there in the 1950s? In 1950, around HALF of all students never completed high school. Are you trying to suggest that half of all students never graduate high school in the United States today? (Hint: the dropout rate is around 13 percent)
What percentage of the population was on welfare in the 1950s? The percentage of people living in abject poverty was much higher too.
How much violent crime was there in the 1950s? More than most people would think. Don't confuse reporting of violent crime with the actual violent crime rate (think about the difference between domestic violence as it was treated in 1950 and how it is treated today).
We like to romanticize the past, but the 1950's while in some respects was better than today, in other respects it was much much worse. - bugsy187, on 11/02/2007, -8/+89It's kind of strange how some christians get pleasure telling people they'll go to hell.
- inactive, on 10/30/2007, -10/+72Theres no hell, either.
- Wrathernaut, on 11/02/2007, -13/+74Aw come on, heaven's great... Why wouldn't you want to spend eternity worshiping a narcissistic sadist?
- WiseWeasel, on 10/31/2007, -15/+71That's fine; as a neo-athiest, I'll be going to iHeaven xTreme... Enjoy your stay in regular heaven with all the other schlubs, sucker!
- inactive, on 11/02/2007, -1/+54As an atheist, I personally follow most of the code of morals laid down by Jesus in the bible. "Do unto others", "turn the other cheek", etc. It's not difficult.
But I don't believe that God exists or that Jesus was the son of God.
What's the big problem? - floridiot2, on 11/07/2007, -5/+58Ohhh how I wish for a nation where no one cares what religion you are.. What a world that might be..
- WiseWeasel, on 10/30/2007, -7/+52Correlation does not imply causation. You fail at logic. Here are a couple more selected correlations to counter your "argument":
How many cases of polio were there in the 1950s?
What was the average life expectancy in the 1950s?
What was the average level of education in the 1950s?
What was the average inflation-adjusted income in the 1950s?
How many black presidential candidates were there in the 1950s?
What were your job prospects as a minority background citizen in the 1950s?
I doubt most people would want to be living in the 1950s rather than today, and your arguments otherwise are incredibly weak. - SquigglyP, on 10/30/2007, -6/+50The removal of the word 'God' from everything is a reflection of the fact that:
1) The people of this country are starting to realize that there are more than just christians living here
2) There is supposed to be a separation of church and state (tho try telling that to the ***** in command)
You are free to believe what you want to believe. So am I. The state's job isn't to give your religion free advertising. - ajimmykid, on 10/31/2007, -5/+45if you can't bring yourself to believe in the notion that there may not BE a God. I feel sorry for you.
- FuzzyWhisper, on 10/30/2007, -5/+45Right, except a healthy marriage doesn't usually entail one spouse threatening the other with eternal torture in a pit of fire if he or she doesn't "choose" to be loving and respectful.
- bitcloud, on 11/02/2007, -9/+48"Secular America" means "Tolerant America"
people who aren't so arrogant as to assume knowledge of EVERYTHING are a little easier to get along with generally... (they can also share their knowledge and allow you to improve upon that knowledge.. it's quite nice really) - zenoizen, on 10/30/2007, -8/+47Actually, people are turning away from the word of god because it's entirely false.
- inactive, on 10/31/2007, -10/+49How many people have actually picked up the Bible and read it. The book is full of hatred, murder, incest, rape, man’s inhumanity to man, anti-women’s rights. And that is only the Bible’s good points.
The laws and society we have today was built by men who had the guts to tell the Bishop of Rome and his henchmen that they are wrong. Christianity is a religion of war and violence not of peace. The reformation of Christianity was started by Islamic ideals. Blasphemy definitely not. It is ironic that most people get their religious knowledge from a Parson on a pulpit and not from the source. Do your own historical research from verifiable facts. Islamic Moorish Spain was a centre of learning. Those concepts found their way throughout Europe into the Golden Age of science and logic.
The Middle Eastern Islam which is show on TV, is not Islam but a bastardised ideology by extremist control freaks operating under the disguise of Islam. Worst still is the extremist Christian fundamentalist ideology promoted in the USA under the disguise of democracy.
If you want an insight into humanity, read the collected wisdom of Buddhist monks. Pure Buddhism is not a religion but a philosophical sub-set of the Hindu religion with the religious beliefs removed. Pure Buddhism deals with ethical and moral dilemmas and how to live harmoniously in a society.
Where every other religion has conquered the world by stealth violence; the fundamental humanitarian teachings contained within Buddhism have been quietly integrated within modern societies.
There is no proof there is a GOD; only an ideology professing to a man made concept. No-one knows what happens after death; it is pure speculation. What is important is what you do with your life when you are alive. An ***** by any other name is still an *****. There are plenty of religious wolves masquerading as puritanical lambs.
Mankind will be psychologically free when the last church stone falls on and kills the last living preacher.
The moral of the story is: ***** will always baffle BRAINS. - JackHorner, on 10/31/2007, -11/+49organized religion is something for humanity to overcome in order to be at peace with each other. We must let go of these foolish beliefs before its too late.
- inactive, on 11/07/2007, -0/+38Clearly you're not married.
- vuke69, on 10/31/2007, -2/+40You say strange, I say sick.
- JigoroKano, on 11/02/2007, -8/+45By not taxing Churches, the government is already favoring them over other scams.
- inactive, on 11/02/2007, -10/+44"To have faith is to deny reason. To claim both is to have neither."
- pintomp3, on 10/31/2007, -7/+41if only. the number of evangelical christians has been rising and is estimated at as high as 100 million. many of our elected officials incorrectly believe this country was founded on christian principles. we are getting closer to banning abortions, to banning gay marriage, and teaching creationism in schools. we have bogus law schools and universities. there is an entire paraprofessional system set up to compete with the secular one. america was always secular, the rise is the evangelical america.
- richIsBored, on 10/31/2007, -5/+35If I'm to believe in your God I have to make one of two possible concessions. Either he's mute or a total douche.
I mean here you are believing in him for fear of going to hell. And if your notion of God turns out to be true kudos to you for making the right choice.
But seriously, what's it like deciding to believe in something simply because your fate in the hereafter depends on it? I mean, you can reveal whatever life experiences you've had to substantiate your beliefs but in the end your god is threatening you and you're just doing what is necessary to save your ass aren't you?
And if we put whatever spiritual experiences you've allegedly had aside, what's left? A book that's supposedly his word? But who told you that? Did God? And if not him then how do you know the men who speak for him are any authority on the subject? How do you know that what you've been taught isn't just something your father taught you and his father before him and so on until we get to one guy who made the whole thing up?
I mean in order to accept this notion you have to either believe that God is incapable of speaking to anyone except for a select few prophets who he had play secretary for him by writing the Bible, or that he's just a douche and refuses to speak to you directly.
I dunno. Maybe you actually can hear him. That must be nice. As for me, all he has to do is pipe up. Until then I think the whole thing is a crock of *****. - spyrochaete, on 11/02/2007, -3/+33The ratio of good atheists is the same as the ratio of good Christians. How can you respect a religion that eternally damns good people because they're good for the wrong reason? Sounds like an elitist xenophobic country club to me.
- aroq, on 11/07/2007, -15/+44"I have faith" is synonymous with "I believe something for no reason."
Enjoy your cop-out, ye faithful. - inactive, on 10/30/2007, -4/+33This article does not account for the "blind-faith" or the "lip-service" generations. Belief in God is either disappearing completely or reaching a "fundamental" level. In maybe 30 years or so you will have the religious zealous vs the anti-religious.
- unearth, on 11/07/2007, -1/+30-Wait, before you go, what's heaven like?
-It's fine... There's a shortage of chairs...
-Oh.
-...Yeah.. - scoot2006, on 10/31/2007, -1/+29If there is a god and I end up in front of it when I die, I'm giving it the finger for being such a complete ***** to so many people.
Oh, and keep your ***** pitty. - Tippis, on 10/31/2007, -2/+30...especially since doing so means they'll go there themselves ;D
- KraftDinner101, on 10/30/2007, -7/+35I refuse to think that I "walk" with a figment of someone else's imagination.
- unearth, on 10/30/2007, -1/+28It already exists, and it's called Sweden. Those people have it made.
- Dumbledorito, on 10/30/2007, -2/+29As was noted by those who collected them, why do you think there were all those school films trying to curb behaviors if those behaviors weren't a problem?
- BbIT, on 10/30/2007, -7/+33Spot on. Spot on.
- Marthinus, on 11/03/2007, -7/+32As a very serious Christian I am very happy about the current situation where no one is forced to be a 'Christian' just because of group pressure. I am of the opinion that a lot of the problems the Christians have today that relates to hypocrisy etc. was caused by pressure 'Christians', so now at least if you do not want to do what the Bible says you can fully reject it and carry on with your life instead of being critical and unhappy in Church.
- thomas, on 10/30/2007, -3/+28God is leaving us to fend for ourselves? At what point in history did god have our backs? If you payed attention in history class you would know that things are getting better not worse. And you can ask for gods blessings all you want all you are doing is wasting your life.
- wdcampbell3, on 10/30/2007, -7/+31No doubt helped by people such as Richard Dawkins, Christopher HItchens:
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/113
And of course Marcus Brigstocke :)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=UY-ZrwFwLQg
I do agree that blind faith is a dangerous and often maliciously leveraged force. Is it the age of the Brights? - petewiz, on 10/30/2007, -1/+25Even if there is a Heaven, ***** it. I don't want to spend an eternity with someone ("God") who makes the purpose of human existence to praise him; especially someone who would tolerate disgusting human atrocities (slavery, genocide, war) as well as (according to their own mythology) allowing evil incarnate ("the Devil") set up shop and torture people for all eternity, just for things as petty as being gay or not going to his weekly fan-club meetings. Sounds like a sadistic, *****-up egomaniac to me.
- otakushark, on 10/30/2007, -3/+25Probably 50% of the world's population asks the god of their choice daily for "blessings" and it doesn't seem to have any effect on the way the world is going.
- vuke69, on 11/01/2007, -7/+29"...and the world began it's ascent into happiness, peace and prosperity when god was abandoned"
- SquigglyP, on 10/31/2007, -0/+22damn, all you need is a beat and that will go straight to #1 on the R&B charts.
- TheSpook, on 10/30/2007, -4/+25> "As a Christian we are taught to respect and tolerate the other religions and beliefs that exist in our world."
... as long as you're not gay or anything. - Arcesius, on 10/31/2007, -3/+24god that's so ***** up... I'm amazed christians think that because someone's an atheist means that they don't have any morals... I'd propose that anyone who gets their "morals" from "God" is on less firm footing than someone, like myself, whose moral code is founded upon the notion that you get what you give, you reap what you sow (yes, yes, I know that's the christian concept of it... albeit largely ignored), karma's a bitch, for every action there's a reaction, and stuff like that...
- derkmerkin, on 10/30/2007, -2/+23well *****, if you think thats hard, try being a PS3 supporter on digg.
- SquigglyP, on 10/30/2007, -4/+25you lost me at "we believe in an Omnipotent God"
- Orat, on 10/30/2007, -2/+23This is the fire and brimstone speech of the 21st century- disgust and resentment thinly veiled with fake pity, which they believe is translated as genuine concern.
- zenoizen, on 10/31/2007, -14/+34Yeah, churches should start paying taxes in these United States. Especially Christian churches, as Christianity is and always has been as much a political movement as a religion.
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