Atheists being persecuted in the USA.

a reply to: greavsie1971

Hate religion not people.
I hate the attitude some followers of religion display against anyone who isn't in their club.
I hate the fact people use their religion as a tool to discriminate against others because of who they are (gay folk).
I hate the higher than thou attitude and the condescending tone they use when threatening you to Hell.

If I get pushed and I have all my life from religious folk well I push back.

originally posted by: boymonkey74
a reply to: tsingtao

Wow.
Maybe you should take your own advice.
Like I and others have said If religion didn't encroach into state affairs school (unless it is an RE lesson which teaches all) didn't persecute gay folk and let women rule their own bodies there wouldn't be a problem.
But it is a constant battle to make sure the religious don't make the country you live in doesn't become a theocracy.

Or is that what you want a Christian theocracy?.

ya, like THAT would ever happen. lol!

don't ya think the US missed it's chance before the stupid atheist movement showed up?

glad you peoples are just lookin' out for everybody.

why all the paranoia?
seriously, why?

we have it bad enough with a secular government.

originally posted by: boymonkey74
Also I have noticed while a loud dude the guy in the OP has many valid points why hasn't anyone even attempted to address what he says?.

coz he is a typical whiny a$$ douche, playing a victim.

name a few "valid points" i couldn't hear anything but "poor me"

originally posted by: Annee

originally posted by: tsingtao

if the atheists kept it out of our faces and in their home, where it belongs, everyone would be better off.

This really does make me feel I'm living back in the 50s.

When you walked around with a fake smile, pretending everything was all happy happy, as you kept your "closet door" shut and shoved everything else under the rug.

No thanks.

well then, i guess you don't expect anyone else to do that either.

were you a closet atheist? a hippie?
hari krishna?

a reply to: tsingtao

Keep it up every post you put here confirms my OP.

originally posted by: technical difficulties

originally posted by: tsingtao

" The ONLY way it's going to change is force, I'm afraid."

yeah, that'll work.
why don't we all just wear grey jump suits too.
logan's run, here we come.

that kid in the op vid is a major douche.
if the atheists kept it out of our faces and in their home, where it belongs, everyone would be better off.

i don't care what anyone believes or doesn't believe.
just don't shove it down my throat.

Yes, god forbid Christians become slightly less privileged in this country. And your solution to everyone being better off would be true, if by everybody you mean "everybody but atheists".

boo frikin hoo.

and God WILL forbid it.

just be glad atheists can marry in all 57 states and can get a wedding cake without filing a lawsuit.

originally posted by: boymonkey74
a reply to: tsingtao

Keep it up every post you put here confirms my OP.

what doesn't kill ya, makes ya tougher.

should tell that to your victim in the vid and the group suing over the ground zero cross.

you need to push back? so do i.

btw, charles1952 is always spot on.

originally posted by: sdcigarpig
But how can you remove something that is ingrained in some of the most important documents that shaped the country?

Are you not reading my posts? I don't think the word "God" should be removed from the founding documents or any songs written by citizens. Nor do I think we should rewrite history. You're taking this to an illogical extreme to (it seems) make a case against doing what we CAN logically and reasonably do to increase the separation of church and state.

Even the very oaths of office that elected officials take, end with the statement: So help me God.

That's not true. Actually, the oath of office of the president does not include God. It's just common practice to say that at the end. And it's EASILY made obsolete or optional in any oath. Swearing on the bible in court is another thing that is already optional. One can affirm without the use of a bible or God. It's perfectly legal.

So church and state, will always at some level be intertwined.

Perhaps, but it doesn't have to be AS intertwined as it is now.

originally posted by: 3u40r15m
I don't get why atheist always rant about Christians, when they aren't the ones going door to door like Mormons. And touching kids like Catholic priest.

Mormons and Catholics are both Christians.

originally posted by: DeadSeraph
a reply to: Bone75

I've seen this innumerable times on ATS. In fact, I've even seen self proclaimed Christians telling OTHER CHRISTIANS they are going to burn in hell, right here, on this very website.

I see this all the time as well. The true teachings of christ would not want and negativity towards another human being, yet when some christians battle non believers, they get nasty. Or like back in the crusades, they just kill all non believers. To me, they are not true christians. A true christian will take any negativity and pray for that individual and accept his hate and not fight back.

There are so many fake people its not even funny.

a reply to: boymonkey74

well so its annoying and not alright for Christians to put up billboards for our beliefs, but he can where a shirt that calls every religion false ??? A little bit of the pot calling the kettle black i would say, and I've seen plenty of christian billboards and monuments, etc vandalized myself so get over it.

This guy is nothing but a whinny foul mouthed neckbeard.

like Jesus did to the men selling in the church? or was jesus not a real christian when he did that? a reply to: ninjamikec

wrong there both cults of Christianity especially Mormonism. a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

I spent most of my young adult life rebelling against religion. I was borderline atheist for a long time. More agnostic really. I have since settled into my own beliefs, and I am still against organized religion of any sorts. BUT I do have to say, being in a bible state like Ohio, I never ONCE had anyone "persecute" me for not believing. I have however had several atheists berate and belittle me for believing. One is a really good friend that I have had to block on FB because he is always posting (and I am paraphrasing here) things like "If you believe in God you are just stupid"

Well, simply put, he nor anyone else has any proof otherwise. So to me, that's kind of hypocritical. If you can't prove God doesn't exist, you have no right to fault those of us who believe he does.

The worst BY FAR is muslims. I worked for a muslim owned company for almost 5 years, and they are the most judgemental group I have ever seen. Far right Christians can be bad too, but at least they don't kill or behead people over it.

Live and let live.

originally posted by: poncho1982
I spent most of my young adult life rebelling against religion. I was borderline atheist for a long time. More agnostic really. I have since settled into my own beliefs, and I am still against organized religion of any sorts. BUT I do have to say, being in a bible state like Ohio, I never ONCE had anyone "persecute" me for not believing. I have however had several atheists berate and belittle me for believing. One is a really good friend that I have had to block on FB because he is always posting (and I am paraphrasing here) things like "If you believe in God you are just stupid"

Well, simply put, he nor anyone else has any proof otherwise. So to me, that's kind of hypocritical. If you can't prove God doesn't exist, you have no right to fault those of us who believe he does.

The worst BY FAR is muslims. I worked for a muslim owned company for almost 5 years, and they are the most judgemental group I have ever seen. Far right Christians can be bad too, but at least they don't kill or behead people over it.

Live and let live.

The universe got along for about 14 billion years without any concept of a higher power. I don't know why we have to prove God doesn't exist when it's only in the last million years that the word "God" has even existed. To put that into perspective, that's 7% of the universe's lifespan. The dinosaurs lived longer than that. So now you think that because this idea of god been around for a few thousand years, that effectively makes it as old as the universe? Naw. The idea of god is exactly as old as we are. And chances are, when we die, the idea will die with us, and it will be as much a curiosity for the next species as Cthulu is for us.

I don't know why we have to prove God doesn't exist when he hasn't existed for billions of years before we came along. But that's just my reasoning.

a reply to: ninjamikec

If it weren't for those bloody crusades that were in retaliation for the slaughtering of Christians, you and everyone else would be on your knees praying to Mecca every day.

What I notice is this:

When you stand to be counted you will end up on someones tally.

Atheists, Christians, Muslims....they have people who do not just believe in what they do, they proclaim it to others since they see it as truth. Not just to others, but to those who are ideologically opposed to their views.

Atheists have confrontations with all believers and out of their self vindicated belief that they are correct, they proceed to justify their behavior as being of service to mankind. "religion is backwards and by challenging it I am liberating mankind in my own small way from backwardness"

Religious believers do it too. Sure.

The point is that it leads to conflict. I have lost speaking terms with some members here by them proclaiming my views as dumb, moronic, backwards..ect. I see it as unecesarry and unprovoked insults. I react accordingly. I too stand to be counted at that point. I admit it. I am human.

Did they free me? No. They pissed me off and insulted me.

I think it would be best to avoid it all together.

Religious believers may have done it to them too, but I wasnt one of them. That is no excuse anyways.

So just keep it to yourself. If you need to carry a sign, or wear a T shirt, or what ever then you are standing to be counted. As a result you deserve all the negative and positive attention it brings.

originally posted by: AfterInfinity

originally posted by: poncho1982
I spent most of my young adult life rebelling against religion. I was borderline atheist for a long time. More agnostic really. I have since settled into my own beliefs, and I am still against organized religion of any sorts. BUT I do have to say, being in a bible state like Ohio, I never ONCE had anyone "persecute" me for not believing. I have however had several atheists berate and belittle me for believing. One is a really good friend that I have had to block on FB because he is always posting (and I am paraphrasing here) things like "If you believe in God you are just stupid"

Well, simply put, he nor anyone else has any proof otherwise. So to me, that's kind of hypocritical. If you can't prove God doesn't exist, you have no right to fault those of us who believe he does.

The worst BY FAR is muslims. I worked for a muslim owned company for almost 5 years, and they are the most judgemental group I have ever seen. Far right Christians can be bad too, but at least they don't kill or behead people over it.

Live and let live.

The universe got along for about 14 billion years without any concept of a higher power. I don't know why we have to prove God doesn't exist when it's only in the last million years that the word "God" has even existed. To put that into perspective, that's 7% of the universe's lifespan. The dinosaurs lived longer than that. So now you think that because this idea of god been around for a few thousand years, that effectively makes it as old as the universe? Naw. The idea of god is exactly as old as we are. And chances are, when we die, the idea will die with us, and it will be as much a curiosity for the next species as Cthulu is for us.

I don't know why we have to prove God doesn't exist when he hasn't existed for billions of years before we came along. But that's just my reasoning.

Ah, but see, I never said you had to prove it. Just that you had no right to fault me or any other believer, simply because you don't. Both sides are just as intangible as the other. But you did kinda prove my point about how atheists act towards people who believe.

I do NOT believe the world was created in 7 days
I do NOT believe in Adam and Eve and all that jazz
I DO believe in the basic principles (love thy neighbor, etc)
I DO believe in evolution
I DO believe in a higher power
I DO believe in an afterlife

I also believe in aliens

I respect your right to not believe any of it.
I do NOT however respect you not respecting others different views on it though. It's one sided and judgmental.
Most everything that is wrong in the world today can be traced back to that very attitude. Intolerance and judgement

a reply to: poncho1982

I addressed the idea, not those who invest in it.

originally posted by: tsingtao

originally posted by: boymonkey74
a reply to: tsingtao

Wow.
Maybe you should take your own advice.
Like I and others have said If religion didn't encroach into state affairs school (unless it is an RE lesson which teaches all) didn't persecute gay folk and let women rule their own bodies there wouldn't be a problem.
But it is a constant battle to make sure the religious don't make the country you live in doesn't become a theocracy.

Or is that what you want a Christian theocracy?.

ya, like THAT would ever happen. lol!

don't ya think the US missed it's chance before the stupid atheist movement showed up?

Atheist movement has been here since America's inception. Atheists have existed forever. It just so happens that the persecution against them has lessened in recent centuries.

glad you peoples are just lookin' out for everybody.

why all the paranoia?
seriously, why?

Because the paranoia is justified looking at all the religious governments from the past.

we have it bad enough with a secular government.

Good point, government should just be smaller in general. Secular or otherwise.