WASHINGTON (AP) – Seizing a historic opportunity to reshape the Supreme Court, President Bush swiftly chose conservative John Roberts as chief justice Monday and weighed how to fill another vacancy that could push the nation’s highest court to the right on issues from abortion to affirmative action.Polished and plainspoken, Roberts had been on a likely track to be confirmed as an associate justice and it appeared Bush turned to him for the top job to avoid an acrimonious fight at a volatile moment. Bush was on the defensive about the administration’s sluggish response to Hurricane Katrina and his poll ratings had fallen to their lowest point of his presidency.
Pretty shrewd move. Now Roberts will be compared to Rehnquist, not O’Connor, and this will make him much more palateable. Good move, bad news.
I can’t believe I am going to be the first to post in this thread.
All I have to say is…
This is just another step in moving America towards a theocracy.
Man that’s going to suck!
ugggh..this is taking a nightmare of a week and making it that much worse. i have signed several online petitions opposing the appointment of john roberts. not sure it will do any good, but at least my opinion is voiced. roberts represents everything that is wrong with our government.
Screw Jefferson, screw Paine, screw Madison and the Constitution itself when it?s not convenient for GW and his gang of theocrats. They are working this opportunity to inject xianity deep into the veins of public legal life. We?ll never get god off the money now. Every time you turn around on tv somebody?s gushing over god. The inmates are running the asylum. And non-atheist visitors to this site wonder why we are so forceful and outspoken.
“non-atheist visitors to this site wonder why we are so forceful and outspoken. “
I know, holy crap! If they were the minority that was about to get stepped on by the government, they would throw a fit! I hate to be Johnny Raincloud, but unfortunately, we are so abismally outnumbered that we have absolutly no hope of ever changing anything about xtianity in the government. Especially with a conservative supreme court. Even if we happen to get lucky and get a separationist as president, he’ll be overruled by the bible-thumping justices and republicans that now hold majority control in EVERYTHING! We’re circling the drain, and I think it’s time to abandon ship. I wish there was something else we could do, but I can’t find it. I’m just waiting for the news report that officially declares atheism illegal. Don’t think it’s too far away.
we’ve been heading for theocracy for many years. the biggest manifestation legislated against freedom of speech has been the proliferation of “hate laws” that are in many states. that is nothing short of a revival of blasphemy laws, such as exist in benighted countries like canada, france, germany and others where you can go to jail for offending the jews/zionists
Hi you guys, sorry I’ve been away from the no god blog for a few weeks. I finished a novel and it’s revisions and editiing time. Whew! This morning on my Google Alerts for Atheists, I came across the statement below involving atheists. I got pissed and wrote this Doctor of Psychology at Idiana State U.
What do you guys think?
BTW: Isn’t god wonderful! He spared all those people but flattened their homes!
——————————
Hello,
I came across a statement of yours (attributed to you) on a web site titled Science and Theology News (as if) and was wondering if you really did say this:
“I believe that someone who is an atheist can have a spiritually transformative experience that may, for them, lead them to become more caring and compassionate, have a greater sense of peace and be less selfish. They may or may not experience it as a sense of God.”
http://www.stnews.org/articles.php?article_id=1588&category=news
I immediately wondered if your even knew an atheist personally. If you take a small amount of time to investigate the atheist community, or the history of who atheists have been, I think you’ll find the opposite is true. For instance; they are certainly not selfish, they are extremely caring and compassionate, and strive to be at peace with themselves. Striving for enlightenment, in knowing themselves, is a trait I have observed in all atheists that I know. I know many. Generally atheists are skeptical and critical thinkers and the methods of conducting acts of compassion and selflessness are thought out well, logically, evidence based decisions.
I find it reasonable that one day science will conclude that there is a God Part of the Brain, neurological and or physically vulnerable to suggestions of spirituality and “god feeling.” I hope that when that day comes, we can then choose to turn it off, and enter an era where critically achieved, progressive growth takes place, without belief related decision or holy rampage, or senseless violence and mythological adherence, submissive to invisible dieties.
I am an atheist, like you I was born one, but my parents did not brainwash me. Instead they chose to let me discover on my own, what is reality. I cry for humanity regularly. Often, I pity humanity. I actively pursue better living for my countrymen, protection of their rights, equal quality of living and opportunity, justice. This level of care and activist behavior is similar to every atheist I have ever known. We are perhaps some of the best examples of humanity on Earth. But I rarely have the chance, or need to say so, this letter being one of those rare times.
I hope I have not rambled on too much.
You seem a fascinating woman and your work is important. Sorry to have bothered you.
James Mason
Lyons, Georgia.
It looks like Bush has a natural knack to slip by stuff that would otherwise hurt him. WMD? Just ignore the criticism. Then his administration had finally gotten in serious trouble over Valerie Plame: Rove was really being looked at. But O?Connor?s leaving, we want Roberts! Criticism over his confirmation? Not any more. There?s a flood. Photo op. More photo op. Flood disaster handled badly, ratings slipping? Rehnquist is dead! Let?s use that! He is hopping from one thing to another like a flea. The American attention span can’t keep up.
How do you stop what is rigged by the evangelical christians to go their way no matter what? The evangelical christians are running this country and they are running it in the dirt in hopes that their missiahs return to finish it off. Are children are fucked!
Bush lied to the people about WMD, and when Clinton lied to the people about his affair suddenly he was the worst president in history. But when Bush lies about WMD and ends up invading a country because of it…against the UN on top of that, he’s a F@%king hero?!??!?! WTF! I’m a little rusty on the constitution, but isn’t lying to the people considered a high crime punishable by impeachment? It sertainly was for Clinton, but then he wasn’t a true xtian because he was a democrat, and everybody knows that a true xtian is a republican because the bible says so (one of my friends told me this…not kidding)
You’re such a sillyhead.
Roberts isn’t an evangelical, he’s a fag shill.
Don’t believe me? Look at this illuminating press release:
http://www.godhatesfags.com/fliers/sep2005/20050902_roberts-may-be-fag.pdf
whatever happened to that harvard grad (i think it was harvard) students’ thesis to get >50K people to move to a lightly populated state to vote themselves into state gov’t to create a land of equality? now may be the time to sign yourselves up. or move to a different country, our choices are being limited drastically.
GAtheist- that is abysmal that a Psych Ph.D is writing that drivel. and as a side note, a church by my house has on its billboard “may god’s grace touch those on the gulf coast”
my question would be “isn’t what has happened bad enough?” might be time to pass out some atheist tracts.
How can anyone be shocked. Theists have been taking over the government and setting back progress and civil rights for years now. The Christians control the laws of America and the Zionist jews control our foreign policy. Based on the corruption in American Atheists, it would seem that the Zionist jews have infiltrated American Atheists as well. Why else would an alleged freethought organization bash Christianity and Islam, but protect Judaism, censor members to protect Judaism, Israel and Zionism, fire state directors who criticize Israel, have the National Spokesperson censor anyone who questions Judaism and Zionism and then slander and demonize them with hateful ad hominem attacks, etc?
How can we be suprised by whats happening in our government, when an Atheist organization has been completely compromised by religion and theists.
Dangerman,
Our country is so afraid of sex and glorifies war. We are deffininately one messed up country!
EA,
thanks for bringing that to my attention. But, I still say our country is run by a christian cult of some sort. And it still looks pretty grim for our childrens future
say_no_to_christ
Thank you for your response to faithstepper over on the davinci thread about Job. Again, I can’t get the thread to open, tho I’ve been workin’ it for quite a while now.
Anyway, you said what I feel. So what that god relaces Jobs stuff; He wiped out his entire family over a bet! What kind of god is that. What kind of father figure, as you said. But Job gets to see him face to face! Wow. How fulfilling. Faithstepper makes such a big deal about the fact that Job didn’t die.
I’d rather die than have my family destroyed. There are worse things than death.
Faithstepper, I hope you see this response here under latest posts, cos it won’t be under davinci.
jcc-I wanted to respond to yours from yesterday, I think it was–more about the atonement, but I can’t remember it all and I can’t access it. It’ll have to wait until the gods let me into the davinci thread.
Whine Whine Whine.
There’s a reason democrates aren’t in power politcally. They are just Stupid. And Yes that is probably 95 percent of the people who read or post on this board. Your not stupid for being an Athiest. I am an Athiest. And that seems to be the only thing I have in common with people who post on here. If you take Bushes 5 years in office there has been no change at all Athiests and are rights. Now politcally there have a lot of good changes. Kill terrorists, Lower taxes for all(
AthiestRepublican,
Kill, Kill, Kill
That seems to pretty much sum up “Bushes(sic) 5 years in office”.
Might is not always right.
AthiestRepublican,
Lower taxes for all?
I personally would rather those tax cuts gone to better use… say by paying down the national debt, better funding for education, or maybe even a little to strengthen dam and levy systems in the U.S.
And the truth is, the only people who got a substantial tax cut are the rich. The $600 annual tax break I got really isn’t worth mentioning, it’s almost a slap in the face?especially given the current financial state of our government.
By the way, being a Republican, you must be absolutely infuriated with the spending by our Government, as well as with the fact that Bush has created the largest Government (in terms of agencies and spending on those agencies) in US history. Aren?t Republicans against big Government and wasteful spending?
Kill terrorists is a good thing? maybe, but not the way we’re going about it.
The department of defense has about 230 scenarios for disaster to prepare for and have plans for the aftermath and such. 2…only 2 of those disasters involved hurricanes, and they both invovled hurricane during a terrorist attack. Come on! Stop focusing only on terrorists. You’ll never get rid of all of them, and ignoring real disasters like hurricane because of terrorists is stupid. A was appalled by this, being a meteorologist, since hurricanes can and do cause massive devastation on their own without the help of a terrorist. We need to start planning for natural disaster a little better and stop focusing only on terrorism, but then, I don’t think Bush can multitask.
AtheistRep:
I am a dem, but not stupid, perhaps middle school grammer would be in order.
#1 “Your not stupid for being an atheist”
Try “you’re” (a contraction for “you are”) not “your” (which is possessive).
#2 “…..Atheists and are rights”
Try “our” not “are”
If you are going to call dems stupid, at least post accurately.
and I’m the idiot that misspells grammar, I guess ive just proven myself wrong………
It’s okay mxracer652, you’re part of the 95% that are stupid. Incidentally can I be stupid if I’m not a Democrat?
The irony is what I was aiming for by quoting AR’s use of “Bushes” instead of “Bush’s”. I didn’t realise the presidential office was occupied by a small shrubbery. I think, on reflection, that it has done a remarkably good job. Who knew vegetation had such capacity?
Roberts looks like a ventriloquist’s dummy with painted-on hair.
Rep Atheist -
I’m just curious…is there anything that GWB and the Republicans could do that would cause them to lose your support?
Are you an American first, or a Republican first?
I already know that you think that I’m the nearest thing to a terrorist and traitor there is, so I’m wondering if I’m on the “kill” list. When will you know for sure that every terrorist is dead?
Is everything okay so long as it comes from a Republican? I’ve never understood loyalty to a political party…it seems silly, or even dangerous, like the fascism that evolved from Nazi party loyalty. To say that the Republicans are always right is quite similar to religious faith, wouldn’t you say?
Did you hear Barbara Bush’s statement on NPR’s Marketplace? She said, speaking about the displaced at the AstroDome:
“What I?m hearing which is sort of
scary is they all want to stay in Texas. Everyone is
so overwhelmed by the hospitality.
“And so many of the people in the arena here, you
know, were underprivileged anyway, so this–this (she
chuckles slightly) is working very well for them.”
Rep Atheist…do you support “letting them eat cake”?
Can you see how such attitudes might not be seen as compassionate, and might be seen as immoral, insensitve, or even bigoted?
How can anyone support such elitist snobbery?
They are all a bunch of crooks, but to insinuate that Republicans are intelligent and Democrats are stupid displays a serious lack of insight that diminishes the validity of everything you say, Rep Athiest. There’s plenty of blame for everyone to share regarding New Orleans, but to get all defensive everytime one’s politcal party is rightly criticized is just plain folly.
Real men admit when they are wrong, and aopolgize, and try to do better next time. Declaring that it’s always someone else’s fault and never taking responsibility when things go wrong on your watch is a sure sign of a sociopath.
One more thing…you say that athiests have not lost ground under GWB. No, we’ve gained ground on our own, while GWB has given the keys of control over to the religious. As an athiest, shouldn’t you be extremely disappointed in this administration?
You know that George W.Bush is gay, don’t you? He was also a sissy cheerleader back in school. That’s all he really ever has been…a cheerleader for the various Earth-rapers that support him. Now, I know you get your information from different sources than I do, but you can’t prove your truths any more than I can prove mine. So, why defend this guy at all costs? Is “winning” really all that important, even if it kills our country?
Your party is not your country. Your government is not your country. Your country is the land and the people. All the people. I accept you, you accept me. We help each other. There was a failure in the response to Katrina. If GWB was a real man, he would stand up and take the fall for what happened under his watch, pure and simple, plain as day, the American Way.
Go ahead and be a Republican. But don’t put it before being an American. Partisanship is destroying us. A real leader would insist that the right-wing tactics of smear and innuendo be ceased immediately, and apologies be made to those who have been insulted. Perhaps you think that all Democrts are stupid, but what you are not seeing is that the entire web is clogged with insensitive right-wing rants full of insulting commentary, bad words, and bad grammer. It’s plain to all objective viewers that the pot is calling the kettle black. You do not help your cause one bit with such insipid posts, and believe me, the world is beginning to see that the Republican Party is made up of under-educated bullies that value “winning” over common sense. If you can’t blog in a civilized, half well-composed fashion, you shouldn’t blog at all, because you are only making yourself and your “party” look stupid and insensitive.
You should really take this post to heart, although I suspect you will boil over with rage and spit back some tepid venom designed to make a rope leash look “wrong”. Well, it’s all right/wrong, left/right, black/white for the Republicans and the religious, so you tell me what the difference is.
No one should ever “love” a politician. I never have. I’ve always viewed them with suspicion…ALL OF THEM. To worship a leader is to ask for dictatorship. That’s the real goal of the Republican Party, right? To take over permenantly, and to destroy all opposition?
Good luck with that, bud…
rope,
That was really long…but really great.
Loved reading it?you’re right on the money.
rope leash,
You got that right. I am also an American. Not a Democrat nor a Republican. Down with King George.
By the way, I wonder what the other Justices are thinking. If I had the qualifications and tenor, and some smuck hired his friend to be the senior guy, I would be ticked. Have not heard a peep.
I would think old Antonin Scalia has to be pissed.
He is only second to Stevens in time-on-the-bench now that Sandra and Willy are gone. And, doesn’t Scalia go out and shoot animals with Cheney on occasion? I bet he thought he would be the shoe-in for that spot.
I shudder to think of what will happen to America with a conservative senate, house, and court. And most likely a conservative white house since the xtians are only going to vote for conservatives now. Goodbye two-party system…it was nice while it lasted
Democrats are going to end up like the Green Party or the Liberitarians. I think is says in the Declaration of Independence that those with the abilit to take action have the responsibility to take action. I think maybe it’s time we tried to get a nationally broadcasted TV show at least. We need to start showing the government we mean business. I would help organize stuff but I’m tangled up in Air Force business for about a year and wont be much use. I hope somebody would like to take on the challenge though.
I’m probably lucky that I am an Australian citizen then, if things get much worse over here I plan to move back home, If I can’t make a difference or see any possible improvement here over the next few years I would rather be in a more non-secular and less serious “what about the children” country where Jedi is a legal form of religion, I seriously like the fact that enough people put this on their census forms to warrent recognition.
Oops I mean’t SECULAR S E C U L A R
Sorry ’bout that.
Guess I missed AtheistRep’s post (seems to have been deleted prior to today).
“It is the patriot’s duty to defend his country against its government” -Thomas Paine.
Reluctant — No posts were deleted here. Look again
Sorry, David. Still can’t discover who they’re talking to, postal referent
. From another thread? Sorry.
Godzilla want more fish
I believe so
project management
…