PAPAL ENCYCLICAL SMEARS ATHEISTS, SECULARISMAND DISTORTS HISTORY”Organized religion has rarely abolished tyranny– enlightenment and secular values have!” — AA President An Atheist advocacy group criticized the new encyclical made public this weekend by Pope Benedict XVI. In a 75-page document, the pontiff urged the world to adopt Christianity, and said that Atheism “led to the greatest forms of cruelty and violations of justice,” specifically in the form of Marxist ideology. With books on Atheism now hot sellers and Atheist/Freethought groups thriving, the pope claimed, “Let us put it very simply: man needs God. otherwise he remains without hope.” “Benedict needs to go back to school and study history,” said Ellen Johnson, President of American Atheists. “The most noxious and oppressive tyranny inevitably cloaks its mis-deeds in the rationale of religious faith. It is the values that originated with the Enlightenment and secularism which offers humanity the real hope in the form of freedom, progress and diversity.” Johnson also disagreed with the claim that Communism and Marxism was a necessary component of Atheism. “Those regimes didn’t justify their violation of human rights on Atheism. For them, just like fanatical theocracies, it was and is all about power — not reason.” Dave Silverman, Communications Director for American Atheists, added that Benedict’s call for the world to embrace Catholicism will only contribute to the deep religion-based culture wars now taking place. “Look at militant Islam, look at militant Christianity, and it’s pretty clear that our world is suffering from too much religion and too little secularism.” Silverman added that the papal encyclical was “a convenient distraction from scandals involving religious leaders, the church cover-up of the priestly pedophiles, efforts to restrict rights for women, gays and other groups — you name it!” “The pathway to peace is accountability and truth, not deflection and defamation,” Silverman added. “Whether it’s the pope or some ayatollah or other preacher, none of these religious leaders seem to think that freedom and the separation of church-mosque-temple and government are good things. We do.” (AMERICAN ATHEISTS is a nationwide movement that defends civil rights for Atheists, Freethinkers and other nonbelievers; works for the total separation of church and state; and addresses issues of First Amendment public policy.)
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All clergy are in the protection racket.
According to theists, the existence of Stalin somehow means that every other tyranny – virtually all of which have been under the banner of heaven – never existed. They sure are lucky ol’ Joe came along!
And whatever you do, don’t mention the Crusades or the Spanish Inquisition.
“Let us put it very simply: man needs God. otherwise he remains without hope.”
It took him 75 pages to get around to that?
But I think he has it backwards.
Man without god, still has hope, it is the god without man that is hopeless.
Atheism “led to the greatest forms of cruelty and violations of justice,”
Such as…?
I can think of many examples of cruelty and violations of justice but every single one points to religious fanaticism.
this pope needs to better explain himself and not confuse that which has been done in the name of religion to that which has not been done in a poor attempt to cover their own crimes against humanity.
The logical mistake that Pope Dumbass makes is assuming that cruelty that is NOT done in the name of religion must be done in the name of atheism.
I just read in the Sunday Buffalo, NY News that they are closing and consolidating more Catholic Schools and Churches….due to a lack of interest…..
soon the poop will be talking shit to no one….
Arguments like the pope and others make about how many horrors were conducted by atheists or christians or mormons or whoever masks the real issue. Neither good deeds nor bad deeds of the followers or any faith or non-faith provides any evidence of the existence of any god.
There are very good atheists and very good religious people. But the good deeds of the religious in no way prove the existence of god, no more than the good deeds of atheists prove that there are no god.
There is no evidence to indicate the existence of any god or gods, any to believe in something with no evidence is delusional. But the pope and all religious followers are inherently dangerous, no matter how well intentioned they might be, because once you believe in a non-existent god you can rationalize any act, good or bad. As long as you act in gods name, any bad deed becomes a good thing that is merely god’s will.
All the history, quotes of famous people, good and bad deeds, etc, all add up to nothing. All that matters is, can you prove god exists, and if not, then it is a dangerous delusion to act as though a god existed.
karen,
Right on the money!!!
Here here, physics101
alatham,
Sorry to nitpick. The expression is “Hear, hear”. As in “listen up people!”
“Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.’”
The Vatican is claiming that the “Pope didn’t intend the remarks to be offensive.”
Remember this? Will we get a similar statement? Don’t think so. Why you ask? Because we would never threaten the catholics with violence. Ironic isn’t it?
As much as christians want to demonize atheists and we want to demonize them. It is beside the point! Individuals commit crimes for their own reasons. No criminal is excused because of what they do or not believe in, period. I will not support anyone who harms others, unless in self defense. I think atheism is true, I think it is far less dangerous to society. But if an atheist behaves bad, I will wish to see justice done. The big problem with the christians(at least the crazy ones) is that they will NOT punish their own. I want no part of a group so willing to overlook evil.
sounds like the pope is desperate his only hope is ignorant third world people not much money there.the sooner the world is rid of these boy lovers the better.
jshanewhit:
On point 100%
cathars,hussites and countless others
didn’t have much hope when the catholics burned them,impaled them etc.with the churchs blessing.he seems to have overlooked the host of africans taken as slaves by catholics or the injustice against the first americans by catholic invaders.
“Let us put it very simply: man needs God. otherwise he remains without hope.”
That is sooooooo wrong. I’m without god, yet I continue to hope that all religion will disappear. In fact, this hope grows stronger every day.
The good news is (according to http://www.worldslastchance.com)is the next pope will be the last one. I wish.
to borrow an old saying-
man needs god like a fish needs a bicycle.
“Let us put it very simply: man needs God. otherwise he remains without hope.”
Well, the church needs god to ensure people keep dumping money into their private slush-funds…..
http://tinyurl.com/2qdmj3
I, personally, do not like the fact that there is one man (the pope) who is allowed to make decisions for all the other believers.
This is just an incredibly dangerous belief, and it brings about bad stereotypes on all of the ‘already bad’ stereotypes Christians hold.
Unfree,
Christians have a bad stereotype because they’re delusional.
The Pope certainly doesn’t help though.
Unfree,
Don’t you know the catlicks believe the pope is “the personal representative of gawd”?
Of course, like all of the other xtian religions, they also believe they are the only ones that are the “True Christians”
I do know that actually, and I hate the idea of it. But let them believe they are the only “True Christians” because they are sadly mistaken.
But that is the reason protestantism are not catholic
The RCC should just shut up for about 500 years!
Unfree
Yes protestants believe they have a “personal relationship” with imaginary beings. Not a plus.
Note that there is a Catholic Military school here in Virginia.
The hypocritical scumbags.
What
why is it not a positive to believe you have a personal relationship with supernatural beings.there is a 50/50 chance it will make you a good person or a deranged fanatic.that is better odds than the state lottery.
reason
The 50/50 probability would apply only if one’s ignorance about the system in question indicated that those were the only two possibilities. But clearly they are not – the number of untestable assertions that one can make is only limited by one’s imagination.
– and one should revise one’s probabilities.
Catholics can always claim that they were being duped into nasty behavior by the ones with the hot line to the gawds. But if one claims to have a the gawds on your speed-dial then plausible deniability is lost.
What
Catholics may be dupes but mormons are protected by magic underwear from being tricked.the group in the russian cave clearly have god on speed dial because he told them this May the hammer comes down.
reason
Damn. Gotta git sum o dem majic undies.
When is your war on xmas thread coming? I have a couple of things for that.