How I Learned Not to Fear the Anti-God Squad

Like anti-theist books and movies? Banning religious education in public schools? Taking God out of society?
The double standard is amazing. Theists write religious books, make religious movies, and try to plaster their religion all over society (bill boards, radio shows, etc). But as soon as some atheists write a few books and take out a few adds, suddenly they're attacking theists, trying to force their (lack of) beliefs on everyone, oppressing people, etc. When in fact this is nothing compared to what theists do ALL THE TIME. Thousands of preachers can openly denounce atheists as evil followers of satan every sunday, and that's just them exercising their religious freedom, everything's fine, nothing to see here. Yet when atheists write books pointing out how silly religious beliefs are, people flip out about it :rolleyes:
 
And by attacking theists, they prove that they are better at it?

There's a difference between attacking theists and attacking theism, and again between those two and attacking the imposition of theistic ideas onto the public. And until you start taking these differences into account, you're going to continue to produce bad ideas and posts.

Anyway, stop trying to reduce everything to an argument over which identity group is superior. That is an asinine pursuit, since all such groups exhibit more or less similar flaws and, in the first place, people don't generally choose which groups they are members of in the first place. You might as well argue about what color of hair is the best, or which English accent (the answer to the latter is California, by the way).
 
There's a difference between attacking theists and attacking theism,
Yep, there's a term for that type of attack. It's called ad hominem, which sam is very good at concerning her condescension towards non theists.

and again between those two and attacking the imposition of theistic ideas onto the public. And until you start taking these differences into account, you're going to continue to produce bad ideas and posts.
She's been making bad posts (where religion and politics are concerned) ever since before I got here.
 
mikenostic
Why should believers welcome this emergence of unbelief? Why not? We should be glad that there are people, even the devil's disciples, who take religion seriously enough to attack it, especially in these days when God seems to appear only in quarrels over holiday displays, during political campaigns or on the self-help shelves of Barnes & Noble. Should the primary goal of religion really be to fund municipal crèches, allow politicians to end every speech with the tag "And God bless America," or inspire works like "Tea With God: A Divinely Inspired Self-Help Book" and "The Christian Entrepreneur: How to Profit From Your God-Given Idea"?

The bold statement is where I stopped reading, as it lost what little credibility it had after that.

I don't know about you, but the bit in italics establishes in my mind the author was writing with a bit of tongue in cheek
 
Sounds good. Let's see it.
there's a ton of it out there

In the US, the current occupant of "the stage" is the fundie wing of the Republican Party.

So that's what needs to be replaced.

How about the Jim Wallis or Wendell Berry crowds?

yes, and there's also a ton of ...
God seems to appear only in quarrels over holiday displays, during political campaigns or on the self-help shelves of Barnes & Noble. Should the primary goal of religion really be to fund municipal crèches, allow politicians to end every speech with the tag "And God bless America," or inspire works like "Tea With God: A Divinely Inspired Self-Help Book" and "The Christian Entrepreneur: How to Profit From Your God-Given Idea"?

:eek:
 
mikenostic


I don't know about you, but the bit in italics establishes in my mind the author was writing with a bit of tongue in cheek

Ha. Had I continued to read that far, I probably would have gotten that. DOH!
But in all fairness, the article did appear to be initially serious. I guess I need to turn my satiradar on huh?
 
That's more or less exactly what I was about to say. If theists weren't trying to force their religion on everyone, most atheists wouldn't bother writing books or making films etc pointing out that religion is stupid. Does he really think that atheists are so annoyed over "holidays displays, political campaigns, or self-help shelves of Barnes & Noble"?
I think it was the author's point to suggest that the nature of "god" has deteriorated greatly in the contemporary world of theism. IOW it is basically a whimsical dressing to mundane affairs.
The author was welcoming the atheist critique of such religious affairs since social discourse is a historically evident catalyst for religious reformation.

He wasn't so much addressing the psychological needs of an atheist.
He was surveying the state of affairs of theism.
 
hehe
all part of the contribution to discourse for a better God Squad

;)

Okay, can't resist. Anyone remember the TV show "Mod Squad" from the 60's?
Every time anyone refers to our moderators as the "Mods", I think of the "Mod Squad".

Sorry for being off topic, but I couldn't resist.:)
 
Hopefully you'll have to do better than that if you want to be on the think tank for the next Humanist sponsored bus advertisement campaign

;)

Is this in reference to a Canadian Bus Ad. No atheist ad should ever include the word probably. Bloody pretenders!

Shouldn`t you be out rounding up cows in the streets of New Delhi. I hear they`re paying $25 a head. Good money LG.
 
Okay, can't resist. Anyone remember the TV show "Mod Squad" from the 60's?
Every time anyone refers to our moderators as the "Mods", I think of the "Mod Squad".

Sorry for being off topic, but I couldn't resist.:)

Julie was a cutie. Even at four years old I could tell that.
 
Julie was a cutie. Even at four years old I could tell that.

I was about 12 yrs old when I watched that show. Michael Cole was my heart throb! The Mod Squad. Cool clothes, So Seventies!!! Bad teens, who turned good, to re-pay their debt to society. So cool.
 
Is this in reference to a Canadian Bus Ad. No atheist ad should ever include the word probably. Bloody pretenders!
I guess the devout upper echelon of sci has some hard work ahead of it to bring the masses in to line, eh?


Shouldn`t you be out rounding up cows in the streets of New Delhi. I hear they`re paying $25 a head. Good money LG.
Is engaging theists in useless/nefarious activities for a pittance part of the atheistic plan for world domination?
 
Is engaging theists in useless/nefarious activities for a pittance part of the atheistic plan for world domination?
Everything has a price:D

Actually theists are quite good at useless & nefarious activities and won't require any real training. And now you want to get paid for it?
 
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