Posted on 07/01/2007 11:45:23 AM PDT by tpaine
Alright then, tell me how I am wrong, it will be interesting to see what you come up with (if anything at all).
And please, go light on the insults this time.
Read “the God delusion” or “God is not great” if you want to see how “loving” atheists are. In fact go read any left-leaning web-site or blog for more proof.
Utter crap. The Dixie Chicks already tried that line of "reasoning".
Show me in the First Amendment where it says you have a right not to be insulted when someone responds to what you say, and all I'll say is that someone needs to take Rush Limbaugh off the air at once. His stock in trade is parodying and insulting people who disagree with him.
Is that a joke? I was responding to a post in which you baldly stated that all atheists -- some of whom can be foud in the conservative community and on Free Republic -- are psychopaths incapable of love. And after lobbing that grenade, you have the gall to complain about insults?
That is so over the top I honestly don't know whether you could possibly be this dense and capable of typing an English sentence, or you're engaging in an elaborate, if not subtle, work of satire.
But to get back to the rest of your post I would like to ask if you have any proof, facts or figures that atheists love their mothers or their country I would love to see it.
85.7% of athiests in a recent survey I just made up love their mothers. Of the other 14.3%, 8.2% were raised by single fathers, 4.1% honestly didn't like Mom, and 2.1% had their mothers visiting and staying in their houses and were just really annoyed when the pollster called. It's summer, you know. The little old ladies want to spend time with the grandkids.
As far as love of country goes, the population Reference bureau (prb.org) estimated in 2004 that 21% of members of the US military were self-described atheists, free-thinkers or agnostics.
And you should know that unlike Christians, who are taught to love and respect their parents (read the 10 commandments), atheist are not required to do so
I ask again, where do you get this stuff? Atheist parents most certainly do teach their children to love and respect them. If you've ever been over to dinner at an atheist household, you must have observed that the father always gets the first and largest portion when they feast on the blod of the innocent. And dad always goes first at the raucous orgies held every Wednesday night.
and often don’t because “hey, since nothings’ going happen to me after I die why should I care”, that’s just how they think.
You have no insight into how anyone else thinks, but provide plenty into how you think. You are incapable of doing the right thing because it is the right thing, and require the fear of Hell to keep you in line. You assume everyone else is the same, and further assume that anyone without the fear of Hell must therefore be amoral. Don't project your failure of character onto others.
The reason I say this about atheists is because it is the truth
Grammatically speaking, when you make an unqualified statement such as "atheists are" you are speaking of all members of that group or at least the vast majority.
While no doubt there are such people among atheists, the atheists I have known have as a group been about as moral as the Christians. (Not that this is saying a great deal!)
I'm sure you are aware that many of the greatest crimes of history have been committed by highly religious people, often for specifically religious reasons.
During the 20th century the religious crimes were dwarfed by the anti-religious crimes, but its the only century for which this is true.
True.
without being insulted by people who disagree with me.
False.
It’s called freedom of speech.
Exactly. And I exercise mine when i type: Idiot.
“Regardless of what you think of me and my beliefs, I do have the right to say what I want without being insulted by people who disagree with me. It’s called freedom of speech.”
Actually, you have the right to say what you want. Others have the right to insult you and disagree with you. Freedom of speech does not protect you from insults. Grow thicker skin.
For those who don’t know, Gelernter is a computer scientist at Yale who was blown up by the Unibomber, losing most of his hands.
I read his book about the experience and its aftermath.
If all you can site are surveys you made up, then don’t even bother.
And don’t question my faith, I have never said that I fear Hell (just reread my posts), I (and other Christians) do the right thing out of love for God and nothing else.
“I’m sure you are aware that many of the greatest crimes of history have been committed by highly religious people, often for specifically religious reasons.”
I know that some Christians have committed crimes in the past, but these crimes were motivated by materialism, not Christianity. Those people let their faith slip and lost site of the true meaning of being Christian.
Americanism:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
Google "inquisition" for a little light reading. For example:
The Inquisition was a Roman Catholic tribunal for discovery and punishment of heresy, which was marked by the severity of questioning and punishment and lack of rights afforded to the accused.While many people associate the Inquisition with Spain and Portugal, it was actually instituted by Pope Innocent III (1198-1216) in Rome. A later pope, Pope Gregory IX established the Inquisition, in 1233, to combat the heresy of the Abilgenses, a religious sect in France. By 1255, the Inquisition was in full gear throughout Central and Western Europe; although it was never instituted in England or Scandinavia.
Initially a tribunal would open at a location and an edict of grace would be published calling upon those who are conscious of heresy to confess; after a period of grace, the tribunal officers could make accusations. Those accused of heresy were sentenced at an auto-da-fe, Act of Faith. Clergyman would sit at the proceedings and would deliver the punishments. Punishments included confinement to dungeons, physical abuse and torture. Those who reconciled with the church were still punished and many had their property confiscated, as well as were banished from public life. Those who never confessed were burned at the stake without strangulation; those who did confess were strangled first. During the 16th and 17th centuries, attendance at auto da-fe’ reached as high as the attendance at bullfights. Source
Are you comfortable with someone using the identical explanation why the 9/11 terrorists should not considered “really” Muslim?
By your definition, a crime cannot be committed by a Christian, because anyone who commits a crims is by definition not a Christian. This is a very convenient argument, but not very convincing.
If you want the larger picture of how dangerous atheism is, just read up on our history.
You should know that every atheist leader was a dictator of some sort and that atheism was the state religion of the communist (no Christianity aloud). Stalin killed more people than all the crusades combined.
I was mocking you. Demanding facts and figures about atheists loving their mothers? The only sane response is mockery.
And don’t question my faith,
Wouldn't dream of it. I just point out that it has also moved over into the areas of life in which most people, including most devout believers, exercise thought.
I have never said that I fear Hell (just reread my posts), I (and other Christians) do the right thing out of love for God and nothing else.
You wrote that atheists cannot love their parents because they do not believe in an afterlife. The inference is that without fear of Hell or the hope of Heaven there can be no morality.
Stalin also killed more people than the inquisition (and that was motivated by greed as well).
..Americanism is not some religious ideology
It is rooted in Judeo\Christianity--let's not mistake the fruit with the tree which bore it...
It is possible for an atheist to be moral. He must not kill, cause pain, disable, deprive of freedom, deprive of pleasure, deceive, break promises, cheat, break the law, or steal. To be good he must try to prevent or lessen the above.
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