Atheists challenge the religious right

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By Jane Lampman, Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
Thu Jan 4, 3:00 AM ET


For some time, the religious right has decried "secular humanism," a philosophy that rejects the supernatural or spiritual as a basis for moral decisionmaking. But now, nonbelievers are vigorously fighting back.

Atheists challenge the religious right

lol - I recall someone interviewed on radio (a "middle of the road" social commentator) saying of the "Christian Right", they are not Christian (in their attitudes) and they are not right (creation v evolution).

well..... I'm technically atheist, but I don't think secular humanism is correct either..... They tend to wanna use eugenics and sociology and what not as an excuse for immoral behavior. On a philosophical note, I personally believe some things dubbed "supernatural", such as ritual magick, can be scientifically explained through energy flow and the mechanics of energy.... However, magick is by far NO MIRACLE. You couldn't use it to make it instamatically rain blood and open time portals or whatever hollywood tells people it's supposed to do. I also believe spirituality is explainable through energy mechanics. I explain it like this, energy, scientifically speaking, doesn't die... It recycles (reincarnation). Well, our thoughts, feelings, opinions, experiences, etc (untangible parts of us) are made up of energy. This energy, much like DNA, is specific to the individual. But this is just my theory.

Unbelievably I think snake and I agree on something at least partially... I think that there are various kinds of energy flows, many of which we either haven't discovered or can't comprehend.

For example, they've very recently found out that the human body has a miniscule electric field, and that acupuncture manipulates that field - that's a gross simplification but the general gist of it is true. Perhaps things like the 'soul', the 'i-ching', etc... really do exist, as a kind of energy we lack the sophistication to define.

I don't believe in the God of Christians or Muslims, but I believe there may be some sort of force out there that people, in their lack of understanding, call a 'god'. If there is a something that directs these forces, or even just something that they revolve around, it could be called some sort of god.

It's funny, but the atheist extremists can be just as bad as the theist extremists.

Agreed. Both sets of people can be extremely unpleasant to be around.

I don't care for anybody telling me what to believe - whether it be Christians prosletizing on the benefits of accepting Jesus, or Athiests prosletizing on how all religious people are ret*d.

I may have said this before but:

Belief in God isn't the enemy.

It's the cookie cutter "Gods" that churches shove down your throat.

One must find their definition of "God"

To one "God" may exist.

To another there are many "Gods"

All are correct though.

That's partly why I posted this. There are aspies who insist that over 90% of aspies, or some such large number, are atheist, and yet I see a substantial number of believers on this site. The fundamental problem I have with extremists is that they are possessed by centainty. I'm more comfortable with people who experience doubt.

I am not so much interested in whether or not so one is religious or a atheist as whether or not that person's theism or non theism results in them being a better person.

Well, I think living one's life by some sort of code or set of principles, which are not abandoned when they become inconvenient, makes one a better person. (Not in a "better than others" sense.)

Yeah, it's more like a "better as an individual" sort of thing. People focus so intently on comparing themselves to others, when the only person that matters (in a philosophical/spiritual sense) is number one. There's more to being an individual than living on your own and being self-relient; it also involves finding your own beliefs and discovering things for yourself. I know I say this too much, but don't rely on others to do things for you. If you have someone else tell you what to believe, than you don't really believe it.

Yes, I imagine it goes down the line of 'owning' your belief. Much like 'memorizing' information doesnt mean you 'understand it.'

Barry Goldwater

In his older years Barry Goldwater became much more libertian. Atheism is trying to get to the real truth of the universe and expand human freedom not take it away. But I agree flakes that want to get rid of "In God We Trust" on money are
not helping atheism.

One question I have, and it goes back to a speech given by Pope Benedict XVI a little while ago that caused much of the Islamic world so much offense (although this isn't what apparently caused the offense) is this: If religious people, or a religion in general to say, "I will defend your right to think and say what you want because I believe that it is good for people to find their own way to God even if they may not find their way to God (or even wish to) at all," isn't that a good thing compared to the alternative? That is: "You must be compelled to join by religion by brute force, or if you fail to join by religion you must pay some sort of taxation (ie: dhimmitude)."

Any force, in my opinion, doesn't work.

Hell, take governmental beliefs (same as religious but your 'god' is a system, so to speak). Socialism to me, does not work. Reason being is because I'm being FORCED to donate money.

On the way home, UNICEF asked me for donations. I said no. Between me staying above poverty and the government taking all my money for services *I* dont use, I've little left to donate.

Difference between Welfare and UNICEF? I was asked by UNICEF to donate, welfare just takes my money where people can potentially abuse it.

Now, yes, you SHOULD donate, we feel good when we do. But what I'm suggesting is that being TOLD to donate is not the same as WILLINGLY donating funds.

Now, I dont want to get into a debate about politics, but force in ANY way is bad. In other words, lose the choice, lose the will.

Of course, you dont have to believe this, I just like having choice.