http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060913/pl_nm/muslim_dcYes, we already have people in congress who believe in magic invisible men in the sky. Some even wear magic underwear.Truthfully, I’m OK with a Muslim congressman. He will put things in perspective for the religious right. BUT, IMO he must first denounce all Jihads, including the one against Salman Rushdie. All we need now is an Atheist in congress.
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I’m glad we finally have some diversity in congress. Its progress I guess.
Hah, and the Atheist in congress thing would be great….but I dont see it happening for quite awhile unfortunatly…
“All we need now is an Atheist in congress.”
Actually what we need is an openly atheist member of Congress since I can almost guarantee that we already have several nonbelievers in Congress.
Alex, any ideas on who those are, or how we might persuade them to be more open? Maybe send them a tie with the Darwin fish on it or something?
There must be an Atheist in congress, only they are not willing to tell the world out of fear.
Gay people have gays in political positions.
Why are we the last minority to get equality? Gawd.
People suck.
Atheism and politics are foes…can’t see anybody being elected to office on grounds of his/her lack of beliefs. In fact, one of the ways in which Twidle Dumb manages to stay in the White House is thru his religious claims and his hollier than thou attitude.
“God and country are an unbeatable team; they break all records for oppression and bloodshed”
Yeah, it’s great to have a Muslim in congress. Then they can expand their educational program to be taught throughout the country…
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=52335
Rather odd that the usual suspects of the defence of the myth known as Sep of Church and State are so silent…
Dave, why hasn’t AA objected…?
Why no law suite…? Is it because there’s no $ involved…?
That is simple Phreed. They are not teaching Islam as a truth that cannot be denied(like the christians do), They are teaching about the culture, dress and customs of other people. There is no requirement that the students believe IN the quaran, only that they are aware of it. Imagine that, a school doing it’s job.
American children are already very aware of their own culture, so Christianity is not given the same air time.
If you are going to kill many thousand of innocent people to get at the few extremists. You have a NEED to understand the history, culture and beliefs of those cultures. This could save many american and muslim lives.
We have already witnessed the aproach of NOT understanding the situation.
phreedm is a real loser. He comes in here and posts a really crappy response to something that he gets easily slammed for, and then doesn’t come back to further discuss. We call that a “hit and run” xian. He can’t back up anything he asserts with any type of logical foundation, so he just comes, rants some bs, and then runs away.. and waits for the next posting… thinking he is somehow “getting the voice out there”, when really he just looks like an idiot.
Mushukyou;
Phreedm thinks he is gawd…he he he…Only makes an appearance every 2,000 years and he is hung by the balls and it’s off again until next time…
“My politics are slightly left of none of your goddamned business”
I think it’s great if he’s actually elected. It would be refreshing to see ANY SORT OF diversity at all in our government.
Phreed, is it only ok for christians to “expand their educational program to be taught throughout the country”? You don’t seem to have problems with that. What if we atheists decided to get a group together and “preach” our message to the country? Would that be wrong too?
And, would it be so terrible to actually learn something about Muslims and/or the Middle East?
But, here’s the problem:
Not an “understanding of christianity and its teachings”, but “elements of religious teaching”. Christians don’t seem to be interested in helping others to understand them (many religions follow this confusing practice). Understanding doesn’t seem important in Christianity. Why is that?
I’m OK with this too, as long as he is the mohammedian equivalent of spanders. Nonsensical fundy muslims aren’t needed, just like nonsensical fundy xians. We do have a common enemy, rethuglicans.
Stay on topic, phred is trolling.
Muslim in Congress? Who cares..yet another jerk who I don’t want to listen to.
Heres an idea… I just dreamt up up a new form of espionage and warfare: Lets implicate N. Korea in some really silly anti-islamic behavior and focus th jihad their way. Trump up some story that Kim said islam was an affront to communism. Nothing like shaking up the jar of ants when you arent in it. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
phreedm,
EXCUSE ME?!? MYTH? (Calms down). Look, just ask any history teacher if church and stae go well together and you should hear: “Never”.
After all, if the church was running our country then they would try to burn us all like heartless scum. Well their god can shove it, because I WILL NOT BURN!
Crap, I meant “state” not stae”. Just a typo.
phreedm,
If you think the Muslim faith is false,please explain to us how Xtianity is any more valid and truthful,and why your religious opinions hold any more authority than mine or the person in the window at McDonalds.
Why do you keep refusing to answer my simple questions, which are.
Do you think that a woman should be allowed to preach in church and,
Should gays be allowed in church?
I’m waiting!!!!!!!!!!!
Phreed-
Your insistence that the separation of church and state is a myth is starting to sound like holocaust denial, at least psychologically.
Phreed’s posts of late have been more troll-like than anything else. He/She never engages in debate, never responds to challenges regarding his/her posts and constantly posts entries off-topic in an attempt to garner attention.
Your routine, Phreedm, has grown tired.
the candidate is connected to the nation of isam group.they hate whites
moslems kill atheists, they don’t believe in seperation of gov’t and religion.as for atheists in office it
won’t happen as long as people see us
as hedonists or communists.
Sorry have to disagree with you, perhaps this may be the case in the US, but there are many other countries where Atheists are quite able to be elected. In my country the Prime Minister is Agnostic and there are a couple of openly Atheist MP’s as well as Buddhists, Muslims and Christians.
PS here’s a great interview with Dawkins.
http://onegoodmove.org/1gm/1gmarchive/2006/10/richard_dawkins_4.html
I’m not sure if you guys are familiar with him:
http://www.rushholt.com/archives/2005/03/about_rush_holt_1.html
I actually did some design work for his campaign years ago when I worked for another company. Seems to be a pretty reasonable person.
I am not opposed to a Muslim in congress…hey he’s a democrat so he can’t be THAT bad. I also think its great that a black person will finally be elected to congress. Our country needs better role models for young black people so they will realize that they can do more with their lives then just sports and entertainment. MANY people in this country need to see good black role models…especially the racists.
I hope he wins. I think it would be funny to see the xtians squirm when they try to do their xtian bullcrap with him in the room (like praying). Are they all going to get down on their knees, face Mecca 4 or 5 times a day and pray to Allah with him? Hey, if he has to listen to their xtian bull then it should work both ways. Maybe they can meditate too then 3 or 4 hours later after all the religious bull they can get down to the business of running the country. See thats why religion has no place in the workplace, especially the government. Keep your religion at home where it belongs and out of the laws of my country.
I think the whole thing’s marvelous.
The ‘myth of separation of church & state’ meme will be conveniently ditched very soon, I’m guessing.
So transparent…
Claiming the teaching of the 5 Pillars of Islam is merely teaching culture…
Either it reveals your ignorance of all religions or else it shows your absolute hatred towards Christianity…
And yes…once again. A MYTH…!!!!
Show me any Federal document that utters the words Sep of Church and State…
Try reading Benjamin Rush’s “Defense of the Bible in all schools in America”.
Study the Bible Riots of 1844 and tell me how any of this could of happened if there was a so called “sep of church and state”.
And please don’t start posting quotes taken out of context of our FF’s. Try posting ENTIRE letters or speechs if you go down that path.
Spanders…you never answered my question…?
Gun of God:
That IS the case in the US and it’s getting worse and worse too…Good for you if you live in a country where people are open-minded enough to accept lack of believes in God as a value (BTW, I’m assuming you’re in one of EU countries…Can we all move there? Would you sponsor us? j/k). Enjoy your freedom FROM religion and DON’T EVER come to this country, you won’t find it here!!!
Phreedm, as always, taking things out of context, speaking out of both sides of his mouth, avoiding questions but demanding answers (this dude must be a lawyer without a doubt and a criminal lawyer at that!!!).
“God is not dead. He is alive and working on a much less ambitious project”
phreedm, which question? I never realized you asked me one. Sorry about that.
darwinluvsu,
I believe GOS is from New Zealand?
Good to see your posts here again GOS.
Thanks DVan
Ahhh! New Zealand, but don’t the aborigines believe in God (or are, at least, Pagans?)…Anyway, they have good hiking, snorkling and Atheists in government…not to mention Kiwis…I think I’m moving, anyone else coming?
“To the simple mind everything can be explained with a three-letter word”
phreddy:
Ummm…wrong thread.
WTF?
Is that the sweet nothing Barton whispers in your ear at night?
-GROAN- this old chestnut. Implied.
I’m hardly likely to read something by someone who thought not being white was a congenital disease, thanks.
The riots are proof we need to keep religion out of the schools. I’m not reinventing your hamster wheel for you all over again.
Oh, like you always do? Oh, that’s right – YOU’VE NEVER DONE THAT. You’ve only made the accusation of context-dropping, but have never proven it.
phreedm,
I will continue to ask you to,
Please explain to us how Xtianity is any more valid and truthful than any other religion,and why your religious opinions hold any more authority than mine or the person in the window at McDonalds.
Why do you keep refusing to answer my simple questions, which are.
Do you think that a woman should be allowed to preach in church and,
Should gays be allowed in church?
I’m still waiting
Phreed:
Show me any Federal document that utters the words Sep of Church and State…
Yes, you are right that the phrase “separation of church and state” is not in any federal document.
And please don’t start posting quotes taken out of context of our FF’s. Try posting ENTIRE letters or speechs if you go down that path.
ok, here are some direct quotes from nothing taken out of context that clearly states that the originator’s of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights wanted and intended for a seperation to exist:
From Thomas Jefferson:
“I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between Church and State.” Letter to Danbury Baptists (1802)
This was, by the way, not the only time he used this phrase. It appears again in a letter he wrote to Virginia Baptists in 1808:
“Because religious belief, or non-belief, is such an important part of every person’s life, freedom of religion affects every individual. State churches that use government power to support themselves and force their views on persons of other faiths undermine all our civil rights. Moreover, state support of the church tends to make the clergy unresponsive to the people and leads to corruption within religion. Erecting the “wall of separation between church and state,” therefore, is absolutely essential in a free society. “
James Madison, the principal drafter of the Bill of Rights, often wrote of “total separation of the church from the state” (1819 letter to Walsh); “Strongly guarded . . . is the separation between religion and government in the Constitution of the United States.”, and he declared “practical distinction between Religion and Civil Government as essential to the purity of both, and as guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States” (1811 letter to Baptist Churches).
Another iportant political figure:
Ulysses S. Grant also called for Americans to “Keep the church and state forever separate.”
Phreed, the country has freedom of religion but not freedom from religion. Personally I do not wish to abolish all religion if that is what makes people happy. They can and should be allowed to think what they want. My problem is when the president and other leaders make political decisions like going to war in Iraq based on their religious beliefs and when laws are enacted to force me to have to subject myself to a religious agenda….such as no abortion, or having to hear creationism in school. Even having to pay taxes to support churches and clergy members…thats what parishners are for. Thomas Jefferson clearly did not want laws to be made based off of a religious agenda.
Please answer: How would you honestly feel if by law you HAD to face Mecca 5 times a day and pray to Allah or forced to listen in class about the teachings of budda? As a Christian I doubt you would like it very much or feel it is a waste of time.
Please try to understand this and look at it from another point of view.
I don’t know what this candidate’s personal beliefs are, but he seems like he would make an ok senator.
“I am prepared to stand up to the big-mon_y interests,” he said, his voice rising and his signature New York accent growing more pronounced with every syllable. “I am prepared to talk about the growing gap between rich and poor. I’m prepared to talk about the fact that, in many ways, we are becoming an oligarchic society with a few people on top who have tremendous wealth while the middle class is shrinking, people are working very, very hard to keep their heads above water and poverty is increasing.
He added: “How many people do you know in the Senate who talk about that issue? Well, I will talk about that issue.”
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/10/11/sanders.senate.ap/index.html
BURLINGTON, Vermont (AP) — For three decades, Rep. Bernie Sanders has been a party of one, an avowed socialyst who rails against corporate America, Republicans, Democrats and all those he believes fail the poor and working families.
Now 65, the Brooklyn-born independent and his crusade could end up in the Senate.
(I just found out that the software here censors the word “mon-y”! And socialyst because the center letters are the name of a certain drug!)
Phreedm,
You have never won an argument on this blog. You have never answered ANY direct question critical of your beliefs. You are a giant hypocrit. You don’t even deserve the time of day. I’ll ask you an easy question, and if you answer it, i think everyone will understand you better.
Why do you post on this blog?
You make me wish I could invent a time machine so I could go back to xianity’s Birthday and prove to you that jesus never even existed.
Ryan,
You can expect an answer such as this…
“For knowledge. Not so much from what is said, but knowledge from WHAT is said…”
That was the answer Phreedm gave me when I asked in the Bradbury thread.
Well I guess it makes sense for someone completely devoid of knowledge to seek it; I would think you would be more receptive to it though. Oh well, cheers, heres to ignorance.
***TOTALLY OFF TOPIC***
Please check out this article and…long live Amerika, land of the free…
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7005177251
?God forgive America?
I thought all minors had to have a parent present when being questioned. Maybe that isn’t true in federal cases.
Good to know the MIB are tracking down the real threats.
Tshirt saying-”I Voted–and all I got was this stupid President!”
Thank you, Karen, you got the point and, I don’t think the issue here is whether or not the parents were present but the fact that the paranoia and the subversion has now extended to terrorizing 14-year old girls. With all the REAL crime that is going on in this country today and this clowns are justifying their expense accounts and fat paychecks with subversive actions like this…1984 here we come!!! Present day Amerika has a thing or two to teach the Communists…
BTW, Karen, you should check out http://www.cafepress.com – some real gems there for sayings on t-shirts, bumperstickers, magnets, etc. (like the one quoted below).
Have a good one!
?I died for your sins and all I got was a lousy t-shirt?
Dave Romm and I interviewed Keith Ellison on Shockwave on July 1, 2006 (and his Republican opponent Alan Fine on July 15). If you want to hear either interview, they’re both up on the Shockwave archive (near the bottom) at:
http://www.archive.org/bookmarks/David%20Romm