Camp Quest was specifically designed for children of agnostics,atheists, brights, freethinkers, humanists, Unitarians, or whatever terms might be applied to those who maintain a naturalistic, not supernaturalistic, world view. Our campers are girls and boys ages 8-17. Our 2007 camp will be July 8 – 15 at Camp Watanda (about 70miles north of Sacramento, in the California Gold Country). Seecampquestwest.org for details.Please direct info requests to the Camp Director, Chris Lindstrom at:(650) 949-3192 campdirector@campquestwest.org
I did it last year, and I’ll be doing it again this year. It’s a great experience and the bugs aren’t that bad. Please consider this wonderful experience, alone or with your kid.
their is a god = there is a god
I think Atheism is a belief system, and can be called a religion, because it touches on religious matters. For example, there is nothing religious about math, because 2+2 = 4 no matter what your belief (or non-belief) is in God. However, when one asks a question “Is there life after death,” that is a religious question. Math has no concern or viewpoint, so it is not religious. Neither does the sport of football. Atheists, who have an answer, have their religious answer. If they say nothing happens, your dead, that’s it, that’s a religious statement. It directly is in opposition to Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, etc., the other religions. If Atheism didn’t have a religious component, it wouldn’t care about the question or have an answer, like math or football. But the vocal Atheists I hear (Dawkins, Harris) do have a position, and it is an important issue to them. They also have the urge to debate anyone with a contrary opinion as to the state after death, if the topic comes up. How could something be “not religious” when it cares so deeply about religious issues and questions? Think about it.
If you think you have no religion, as if there is some kind of neutral unbiased position on religious matters, I think you are likely deceived. And what you think happens (or doesn’t happen) in the next life has a great impact on how you live this life. I think I can quote you the preceding sentence by Atheist Sam Harris from his book (I think I remember him writing it).
,,,Bernie of FreeGoodNews.com
bdehler,
As well as being deluded, and emersed in wishfull thinking, you obviously don’t know the difference between religion and philosophy?
Sorry, should read, ‘immersed’
Bernie:
Not this old saw again.
How many mathmeticians do you know? Football fans paint themselves, have pre-game rituals, perform all sorts of ridiculous good luck dances, etc. They even riot when their team loses.
Oh, we’re not supposed to care about our fellow human beings?
Most of us have heard the ‘casual secularist’ argument before.
It’s really quite insulting.
Just because belief is absent, doesn’t mean feeling is absent.
Bernie
American football is really a sub-sect of Christinsanity. KA has already pointed out some of the ritualistic factors. There are also services on every day or night of the week except usually Tuesday and Wednesday. The coaches and players even praise the Christian god when they win their high honor, the Super Bowl Trophy. Communicants consume beer and hot dogs. (Or pizza or nachos-it’s not as literal a denomination.) Services are held in mega-churches and broadcast over TV, with helpful interpretations by former high priests who have access to instant replay.
remy
Kudos!
KA
YES! Thank you.
Krystalline Apostate said:
“Most of us have heard the ‘casual secularist’ argument before.
It’s really quite insulting.
Just because belief is absent, doesn’t mean feeling is absent.”
I don’t think the “belief is absent” for an Atheist. For an undecided agnostic, yes. But from what I hear from Atheists, they have no doubt– there is no afterlife. That’s a definite belief, not an absence of belief.
The sport of football has no care or opinion on the question “what happens after you die?” Neither does the art of cooking. But when it comes to the Atheist, there’s a definite opinion on this “religious” question. It’s the same for the question “Does God exist?” Therefore, there is a religious component to the Atheistic worldview. That is my point. That’s why I say if an Atheist thinks they have no religious outlook, they are self-deluded.
…Bernie of FreeGoodNews.com
bdehler,
Why is it that you believers insist on changing the language to fit your arguments?
To repeat: Philosophy and Religion are two very different animals. (I probably shouldn’t write animals, as it might confuse you, but I’ll leave it for now.)
Bernie:
Well, I’m 99.999999999% positive there isn’t an afterlife. You got proof? Prove it.
Sell me that car. Otherwise, I walk off the lot.
…& I think you missed the point entirely. On purpose?
Football causes high passions, as does cooking. Indeed, every year out in Oakland, if the Raiders lose, the fans riot.
I feel strongly about my fellow human beings being lied to about some superstitious claptrap. If you walked a mile in the shoes of an atheist, you’d see much that would make your eyes pop out, & anger would muddy your vision.
Religion doesn’t improve people. Not really. It has no explanations: if the boundaries of knowledge are reached, some abstract, unseen deity’s given the credit.
I don’t want the world blown to shit because of some addled hairy-eyed fanatics.
That’s not religion, that’s giving a shit about what happens to others.
So cut the Tu quoque already.
I’m not like you in that way.