http://humaniststudies.org/enews/At the recent AAI convention, Sam Harris dropped a bit of a bombshell — He doesn’t like to use the word “Atheist” and he thinks we should not use it, due to the stigma associated with it. He proposed no alternative. The auditorium was mostly silent.I gotta admire a man who would take a minority position, but I must disagree. Not to kiss butt, but I am totally with Ellen on this one. The word Atheist has a stigma, but it also has a power. It raises eyebrows. It makes conversation, and this is how you beat bigotry.Check the link to see the arguments and chime in — let us know what you think!(thx janet)
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Doesn’ mean it is true either!
Comment from: alexatheist
Interesting view…
But it’s not me who states an atheist must be an expert on christianity…
It’s the atheist who tells me he(she) has read the bible and understands the message and chooses not to believe…
Absolutely…but by your own admission…you don’t know everything about the bible…so if you decide to take the little bit you do know and decide the message is wrong…that’s your choice…
But we both know why you choose not to believe…and I have to admit…I have no easy answers…
There can only be 3 beliefs…
Monotheism
Polytheism
Atheism
Reason tells me the last 2 are not logical…(Something can not come from nothing. A creation can not be equal to or greater then the creating force.)
There are only 3 major religions who start from Monotheism…2 are related…one is modified from polytheism…
Of the two, one is the extension of the other…combining the two…
Reason is what lead me to study this combination…
And it’s logic that tells me it explains lifes mysteries the best…as difficult as it may be to accept those answers…
Now I’m sure someone will slam me for my beliefs and decisions…but all that does in the end is prove how intolerant they are…
phreedm
How does reason tell you that polytheism is not logical, but monotheism is?
That’s a load of BS, your first reaction is to criticize everyone’s knowledge of the bible when xianity is dismissed, and to proudly claim we’ve missed The MessageTM.
Then who created god, ad infinitum? If a deity can be uncaused, then why can’t anything else, including more deities? What proof do you have?
And again, we’ll have the ability to clone humans within a few years/decades, is that not a creation equal to the creator? Answer that question without jumping to the “see, you agree that everything complex has a designer” BS.
Your logic isn’t all that well thought out. You DO know that you need a philosophy PhD to talk about logic, right?
What “life mysteries” do you have? Maybe we can help.
Whenever I see pdumb use words like “logic” and “reason” in conjunction with religion, I’m reminded of a movie titled “The Princ(wow! the comment police wont allow this word)ess Bride”, in which the phrase “I don’t think that word means what you think it means” comes up.
Mr. Ellipsis must be ecstatic since ignorance is bliss.
It’s not so much that I choose not to believe as I’m not capable of believing even if I really wanted to. I just can’t preform a mind trick on myself of that magnitude.
I have found that science provides me with all the answers to life’s mysteries.
I proudly own up to being unapologetically intolerant of religion and what it makes otherwise good and intelligent people do. Why would anyone be tolerant of backward thinking?
Got no problems at all with the beliefs of the religious. Won’t say a word if they keep it between consenting adults. It’s just that so many of them don’t.
I don’t like it that children get brainwashed before they can make up their own minds, but nobody is ever going to pass laws against it, if my guess is right. Bleating to the contrary is just that good old martyr attitude in action.
The religious are allowed to make their beliefs known and argue for them in appropriate places. So am I. Is it intolerant to tell them they are deluded? I hope not, because they are.
I’m also allowed to say that I don’t like the lies, fraudulent tactics and intimidation used to push any religion onto others. It’s especially annoying to hear that the religious majority in a country with control over most elected offices, is claiming persecution when others object to their constant efforts to get more power and influence.
Then they claim that they are being persecuted because they are not allowed to be bigotted against homosexuals.
It’s not that we love the believer and hate the beliefs. It’s more the actions those beliefs inspire in some, like lying, cheating and killing.
They never told me that parts of the OT were traceable to a polytheistic period when I was a Christian. I just came across that last month. Funny, that.
“What Dawkins promotes is making children wards of the state…”
What Dawkins asks is why claim your 5 year old is a Christian child when you would never claim your 5 year old is a Republican or Democrat child. Dawkins is suggesting this brainwashing of children with religious stupidity is just plain wrong and makes no sense. Christians brainwash their children anyway because they know an unbrainwashed adult could never believe the insanity Christians believe in.
“atheists are just as scripturally ignorant”
How much does a person have to know about the stupidity of the Bible to know the Bible is crap? I can look at any paragraph in the Bible and I’m sure I’m going to find nothing but boring insane bullshit.
“atheists are just as scripturally ignorant”
You tell me…
ignorant-lacking knowledge or information as to a particular subject or fact.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ignorant
Comment from: DD Dropout [
You mean like AA? Or the ACLU?
Ok…I’ll ask…where?
phreedm, your bible is pure bullshit, full of miracles that never happened, full of lies, violence, and stupidity. A person has got to be bloody insane to believe anything in that boring book. The Bible talks about God as if that man-made bloodthirsty magic man was real. What kind of a goofball could believe that crap?
Do you believe in astrology phreedm? I know you’re stupid but I hope you’re not that stupid. How much does a person have to know about astrology to figure out it’s pure bullshit? Hardly anything at all. It’s the same with the Bible. I can read any paragraph randomly in the Bible, and I am certain to find nothing but nonsense.
Phreedm, when someone slams you for your irrational beliefs, it accomplishes making you look ignorant and irrational.
Please don’t use “reason” and “logic” when you speak. You go by “beliefs”, not knowledge. Thus, you do not apply logic as you should.
This is why you have imaginary friends.
You’re an idiot.
I agree that we need a new term instead of atheist. I am not comfortable describing myself and my beliefs as “against” or “no” something. I prefer a positive term that says what I am for. Rationalist, Hmanist, Realist, Evolutionist, etc
CAB4Reason,
Yeah, I remember about 10 years ago when George W Bush made June 6th jesus day in Texass. I couldn’t believe it.
If you all decide to give Texas back to Mexico please give me a heads up. My schedule is kinda busy and I don’t know spanish very well though I could probably get by on “donde los banos” and “cerveza”.
Phreedm,
Some of the theists I agree with are pantheists. Which of the 3 categories does that fall in? (none)
“I agree that we need a new term instead of atheist.”
Atheist works for me, but you could call yourself “sane” or “not insane” instead.
Holy Roller: “Do you believe in God?”
Atheist: “No, I’m not insane”.
Thanks for that information TXatheist. I looked it up and found this:
“I urge all Texans to answer the call to serve those in need. By volunteering their time, energy or resources to helping others, adults and youngsters follow Christ’s message of love and service in thought and deed. Therefore, I, George W Bush, Governor of Texas, do hereby proclaim June 10, 2000, Jesus Day in Texas and urge the appropriate recognition whereof, In official recognition whereof, I hereby affix my signature this 17th day of April, 2000.”
– George W Bush, “Jesus Day 2000″ Proclamation
That’s all the evidence I need to prove our current president is an idiot. A governor of an American state has no right to single out one religon for this special treatment. Bush showed off his disrespect for the First Amendment and he showed off his stupidity.
It doesn’t matter what you call yourself; if you have no theology, you’re an atheist.
I am sad that Harris seems to be worried about offending others. Has he even read The End of Faith?:)
Comment from: BobC
Got proof…?
Comment from: TXatheist
Classical pantheism, which is expressed in the immanent God of Kabalistic Judaism, Advaita Vedanta Sanatana Dharma, and Monism, generally viewing God in either a personal or cosmic manner.
Pantheism points to a single god…