So the sado-masochistic fundamentalist Christians are claiming the tornadoes in the American South are the Wrath of God. Is anyone surprised by this? Of course not. Does it make it any less disgusting. Of course not.
WITNESS!
Shorthand: Natural disasters are God's way of simultaneously warning humanity and punishing humanity since we are all sinner’s and no one on Earth would not deserve this horrific wrath.
So what can we take from this train(wreck) of logic?
“Do bad things happen to good people?” Well that question is technically irrelevant because there are no good people. Not good enough for the Christian God. He perfectly claims his perfect moral perfection as the perfect standard of his perfect Creation in which his imperfect subjects (that He created) fuck.it.all.up. Hence, his perfect and Divine retribution. Isn’t it wonderful?
Morons.
dick.
This a little less controlled and more angry than I usually write, butthis is personal.
The purpose of this website/blog is to inform atheists and engage theists in reasoned debate. Posts cover a variety of topics including skepticism, humanism, philosophy and critical analysis of religious belief systems. ...
I've long suspected that, for some, atheism (as opposed, say, to agnosticism or simple indifference) has many of the characteristics of religious faith, so here (via the New York Times) is just a bit more confirmation: ...
We live in a world where some people say that everything is everything. Professional poker is a “sport.” Alcoholism is a “disease.” Politicians we don’t like are “Nazis.” It sometimes seems like distinctions are more cloudy and nebulous than ever before.
One line which is en vogue to blur is that of religion. This makes sense, since religion has undergone dramatic change over the past few centuries in which the nature of religion and it’s role has been altered.
Religion is no longer tied to the state and law (sort of). Faiths are no longer the primary source for obtaining information regarding existence. However, one thing to keep in mind before I continue is that new institutions did not become like religions, but rather it is religion which is changing in order to adapt and remain relevant in an ever-evolving world.
Still, I am not of the post-modernist view that everything is up for debate, that nothing can be known for sure, and that everything is basically just everything else. Such sophistry is pseudo-intellectual and serves no purpose than to annoy those who still hold distinctions as relevant.
This is why the believer relishes in taunting the atheist with the claim that atheism is a religion. To the believer, everything is all relative, and everything must be relative, otherwise there may come a moment when one realizes how obsolete their faith really is.
It is a basic tactic of rhetoric to equate something someone cherishes with something they despise. So, in atheist circles, it’s not uncommon to hear or read someone compare their opponent’s stance to being “religious” or a “faith.”
I can say quite assuredly that liberalism isn’t a religion, nor is conservatism. In fact, I am bold enough to suggest that only religions are religions. I know, how foolish of me
One thing that is glaringly apparent when it comes to liberalism and conservatism is that not only are they not religions, they are characteristics which religions possess. Liberalism and conservatism are two fundamental ideas, while religions are large collections of fundamental ideas which are systematized into a mythology, sets of rituals, etc.
Trying to claim that liberalism or conservatism are religions is tantamount to saying “determinism is a religion.” Belief that all actions are predetermined is not enough to make a religion. Yes, one’s view of determinism may be defined by one’s religion, but that doesn’t mean determinism is a religion.
Instead, liberalism and conservatism are two very simple ideas. Liberalism is the pursuit of progress, while conservatism is the defense of tradition. There is nothing more to it, though we have attached much more. However, a look at how different countries define “liberal” and “conservative” in terms of individual issues shows that these terms don’t carry much meaning outside of political context.
It’s not that “liberal” and “conservative” have no meaning; this couldn’t be further from the truth. Rather, they have many meanings, and this is a result of the parallel evolution of similarly named ideologies in remote political environments.
Even in America, the classical liberals are seen as quite distinct from modern liberals, just as Jacksonian Democrats bear little resemblance to modern liberal Democrats. This is much the same case with the liberal Republicans of the Lincoln and Roosevelt era compared to modern conservative Republicans (I would argue the first conservative Republican was Reagan, as compared to the very liberal policies of Nixon, including the formation of the EPA, implementation of Title IX, desegregation of Southern schools, open ties with Communist China, etc.).
This is some indication of why these can’t be religions in their own right. Religions simply don’t fundamentallly change this often this quickly. There are probably several factors at play, but part of the problem is that liberalism and conservatism lack a clear, unchanging mythology, and they saying goes that today’s liberal is tomorrow’s conservative.
I would venture into trying to define some liberal and conservative mythologies, but there are a fair number, and I don’t want to forget any, nor do I want to over-simplify or redefine liberalism or conservatism. It means far too many things to far too many people for me to even attempt such a venture and not end up looking foolish. Maybe it would make a good topic for another post.
Ultimately, liberalism and conservatism can mean a lot of different things… they are just not religions.
Atheism and Christianity possess diametrically opposite views of the nature of God, man, and morality, and these antithetical views play out dramatically in the abortion debate. Atheists do not believe that human beings are created in ...
Atheism and Christianity possess diametrically opposite views of the nature of God, man, and morality, and these antithetical views play out dramatically in the abortion debate. Atheists do not believe that human beings are created in ...
Atheist Morality. Why do Americans still dislike atheists? A growing body of social science research reveals that atheists, and non-religious people in general, are far from the unsavory beings many assume them to be. ...
Atheism Explained. Posted on May 1, 2011 by hotk. Share this: Facebook · StumbleUpon · Reddit · Digg. About hotk. H.O.T.K. MINISTRY P.O. BOX 685 OKMULGEE, OK. 74447 has many rare and hard to find books. View all posts by hotk → ...
What do Atheist S.E. Cupp and Phyllis Schlafly have in common? A spot in ... God Discussion SE Cupp, the right wing's favorite atheist, and agnostic Andrew Breitbart, have teamed up with Michele Bachmann, Edwin Meese, Phyllis Schlafly and other social conservative icons who do not believe in separation of church and state in Newt Gingrich's ...
TweetShareEmailCevherShareAtheist Evolutionists and Creationist critics are borrowing some strategies from the homo gay community in the continuing war against Christians by using beards. These Godless monkey's uncles are trying to win ...
Hey y’all! It’s time for something completely different! I found a little quiz to see how you pronounce certain words and to see if you have any regionally-specific vocabulary for certain items. I also did my own little voice recording so you can laugh at my accent:
It’s free over at vocaroo.com. All you need is a microphone. You can share your voice by pressing “Post on the internet” and copying the “vocaroo link.”
If you want to blog your version of the challenge, leave a comment with a link so I can listen! If you don’t have a blog, just record your voice and paste the link in the comments box.
A growing body of social science research reveals that atheists, and non-religious people in general, are far from the unsavory beings many assume them to be. On basic questions of morality and human decency— issues such as governmental ...
David McAfee is a University of California, Santa Barbara student applying for a spot in their Religious Studies program for grad school. I don't know David and I don't know if he's a worthy candidate. But he has a lot of writing about ...
I've long suspected that, for some, atheism (as opposed, say, to agnosticism or simple indifference) has many of the characteristics of religious faith, so here (via the New York Times) is just a bit more confirmation: FAYETTEVILLE, ...
If my partner was an Atheist or Agnostic I would be fine with it if we respected each others views. What you believe is your own business and no else's. Having children would be a hard thing to deal with but its manageable. ...
Why read a ton of atheist blogs when you can read them all in one place?
Add your blog.
Want to share your atheist blog with the world? Please email your site to thedamned@iansbrain.com and if it's good enough we'll add it. All posts link back directly to your post. Help drive traffic to your site. Apply now.
