Atheists bummed by Democrats' God flip ("a step backward in tolerance for nonbelievers.")

God has returned to the Democratic Party platform, a move some atheists say is a step backward in tolerance for nonbelievers.

“We’re disappointed,” Teresa MacBain, spokeswoman for American Atheists, told POLITICO. “What appeared to be a bold move by the Democrats to be inclusive has been pulled away. It sends a mixed message. Many, many people who are nonbelievers fall in the lines of the Democrats.”

The party was criticized for removing “God” and “Jerusalem” from its platform. It reversed the decision earlier Wednesday to reflect President Barack Obama’s views.

Republicans, not to mention some Democrats, had criticized the party for removing the language. GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan told Fox News on Wednesday morning that Democrats had “purged” the language from the platform.

“It’s not in keeping with our founding documents, our founding vision,” Ryan said. “I’d guess you’d have to ask the Obama administration why they purged all this language from their platform.”

""Ask me how I can while not being a Christian/Jew/Hindu/Buddist...I will tell you how a secularist can believe in such values, but not believe in the religion. Sorry, no-can-do. There's a biblical injunction against it. "Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself....Proverbs 26:4"

I'll tell you anyways: Whether a great god in the sky (though obviously non-active), or some mysterious divine intervention, or just shit happened in the Big Bang, all humans have pretty much the same emotions. I've seen it my world travels while Navy.

Point is that most humans have empathy and sympathy in their brain pan or heart if you will. They need not believe in a higher power to feel and think. The Christian/Judeo ethics (no matter the source) have bettered this world in countless ways. Most people subscribe to the age old axiom of "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." That's how I live my life because I don't want to hurt anyone - again, empathy.

It makes sense, because it is the fine line between civilization and anarchy. That's how I can believe in such human values without the need for a paternal god to show me that such values work on a secular level.

Disclaimer: I am a diest, much like Thomas Jefferson in early days. I'm not so stupid as to not believe there is something amazing behind the big bang and all that occurs in our universe. Just don't quote scriptures of old superstitious men who thought the world was flat and the Sun revolved around the Earth. Your Biblical quotes are lost on me.

Last thought: I admire most peace-loving religions (Islam aside), and appreciate their faith. I wish I had the same, but my intellect won't allow me to believe one particular religion or book knows what's really behind this all.

I fully support Israel and any individual/nation that wants to live in peace and prosper by their own means. It's simply a good thing for mankind.

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