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Penn Jillette: Time for Atheists to Stand up and be Counted
CNN ^ | 6/2/16 | Penn Jillette

Posted on 06/04/2016 12:51:05 PM PDT by marshmallow

This weekend on the Mall in Washington, a bunch of atheists — tens of thousands, including me -- will get together just to be counted as not having a personal god.

Why? Whether the pollsters bemoan it or celebrate it, the percentage of Americans who are losing their religion is rising. And in a presidential election year, candidates need to take note.

Two of those remaining, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, still give lip service to being religious -- even if many on either side of religion don't believe them or want to claim them. (Why would this be the only thing either one of them would tell the truth about?) The Libertarian candidate, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, who has the most executive experience and the least amount of experience lying, seems to never mention god. He's the one who believes that separation of church and state gives the most freedom for theists and atheists.

This tracks with a growing reality about religion in America. And those of us who are atheists -- living godless since forever -- have been trying to get a hint as to why so many are suddenly seeing through the glass darkly.

Some think the September 11 attacks caused a big spike in atheism, as many people hipped to the fact that a benevolent god wouldn't allow that to happen. I don't think that was it. I don't think that day created a lot of atheists, but I think it made a lot of atheists want to speak up a little more.

After that day, the immorality of letting religion run wild, while atheists kept quiet and enjoyed delicious potluck suppers full of community and Jell-O, was inescapable.

(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Current Events; Religion & Culture; Skeptics/Seekers
KEYWORDS: 2gaymagicians; antichristian; atheistsupremacist; evangelicalatheists; fundamentalatheism; liberalbigot; thenogodgod
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1 posted on 06/04/2016 12:51:05 PM PDT by marshmallow
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To: marshmallow
This tracks with a growing reality about religion in America. And those of us who are atheists -- living godless since forever -- have been trying to get a hint as to why so many are suddenly seeing through the glass darkly.

Here's a hint. The collective church stopped preaching Christ and started preaching well-being.

2 posted on 06/04/2016 12:54:43 PM PDT by Fzob (Let the saving love of Christ be the measure of our lives.)
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To: marshmallow

Tens of thousands of people gathered to celebrate being pissed off at a being they claim does not exist.


3 posted on 06/04/2016 12:55:49 PM PDT by Joe 6-pack (Qui me amat, amat et canem meum.)
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To: marshmallow

Penn Gillette = Wolf in Sheep’s clothing

I wouldn’t piss in his mouth if his teeth were on fire.

~RK~


4 posted on 06/04/2016 12:56:11 PM PDT by Roger Kaputnik (Just because I'm paranoid doesn't prove that they aren't out to get me.)
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To: marshmallow

That dude used to make good razor blades back in the day.


5 posted on 06/04/2016 12:57:32 PM PDT by humblegunner
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To: marshmallow
Penn Jillette photo: penn-jillette penn-jillette.jpg

From looking at him, he won't be standing for very long and there will be little if any jogging...

6 posted on 06/04/2016 12:57:47 PM PDT by Snickering Hound
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To: humblegunner

My dad use to run with Pat Frawley some of the stories where crazy


7 posted on 06/04/2016 12:58:44 PM PDT by al baby (Hi Mom yes I know john 3:16)
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To: marshmallow

I wouldn’t like this jerk if he was Billy Graham’s best friend.


8 posted on 06/04/2016 12:59:28 PM PDT by ilovesarah2012
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To: marshmallow

What’s this moron babbling about now?


9 posted on 06/04/2016 1:00:06 PM PDT by Bullish (Face it, insanity is just not presidential.)
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To: marshmallow

Atheists need to stand up and be counted? Like they’ve been silent shrinking violets until now?


10 posted on 06/04/2016 1:01:18 PM PDT by MayflowerMadam (Trump loves America and will protect the people who live here first, last and always. - Coulter)
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To: Snickering Hound

That’s a really old picture. He’s dropped close to 100 pounds.


11 posted on 06/04/2016 1:02:36 PM PDT by discostu (Joan Crawford has risen from the grave)
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To: marshmallow
After [9/11], the immorality of letting religion run wild, while atheists kept quiet and enjoyed delicious potluck suppers full of community and Jell-O, was inescapable.

So 9/11 was the fault of "religion," not psychotic members of the cult of Islam. Fine reasoning there, Gillette. Meanwhile, how about the 100 million+ people killed by Godless communist Russia and China and Godless socialist Nazi Germany, eh Penn?

12 posted on 06/04/2016 1:03:15 PM PDT by Mr. Mojo
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To: marshmallow

Nothing like an entire country living in a complete spiritual vacuum! What could go wrong? What could take its place?


13 posted on 06/04/2016 1:04:06 PM PDT by miss marmelstein (Richard the Third: With my own people alone I should like to drive away the Muslims)
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To: marshmallow

Isn’t this the big bad tough guy that doesn’t want to offend Islam?


14 posted on 06/04/2016 1:04:24 PM PDT by VanDeKoik
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To: Snickering Hound

He lost all that weight


15 posted on 06/04/2016 1:05:45 PM PDT by al baby (Hi Mom yes I know john 3:16)
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To: Joe 6-pack

That’s valid. What are they standing up for?

Eternal Death?


16 posted on 06/04/2016 1:07:06 PM PDT by eyedigress ((Old storm chaser from the west))
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To: Mr. Mojo

It’s a trick that atheists like to use.

When the subject of their ire is a Cristian or a Jew, they talk specifically about Christianity and Judaism, and how they are just evil and stupid.

When the subject is a Muslim, they switch out Islam or Muslim and replace it with generic “religion”.


17 posted on 06/04/2016 1:07:13 PM PDT by VanDeKoik
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To: Fzob

You write some truth. I have noticed that so many church congregations have organized as a collective rather than a way for the individual to grow in Christ. As collectives, they always have a mission which emulates a socialist system to give to the needy. Their congregations become a collective effort to engage in a socialist cause and use it to give the truth of Christ. That may be a good thing, however, the Church needs to reach the well off sector of our society even more. It is that sector that is producing our leaders and the well educated. We need that moral element in our nation’s decision makers. It is troubling that these same Christians see no problem when Big Government uses socialism to build their support by doing the same thing.


18 posted on 06/04/2016 1:10:36 PM PDT by jonrick46 (The Left has a mental disorder: A totalitarian mindset..)
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To: marshmallow

He should take a cue from his partner Teller and just be quiet.


19 posted on 06/04/2016 1:10:58 PM PDT by Eccl 10:2 (Prov 3:5 --- "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding")
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To: eyedigress

They aren’t standing for anything, that’s the point. Boiled down to it’s essence, they’re standing against people who profess a belief in God. To paraphrase CS Lewis, I don’t believe in the existence of atheists. Those who proclaim to not believe in God, really do believe in God, they just refuse to accept the ramifications of what that belief entails, and people who do accept God, anger them to no end.


20 posted on 06/04/2016 1:11:57 PM PDT by Joe 6-pack (Qui me amat, amat et canem meum.)
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