Atheism: Love it or Leave it? - Part 3

[enterthemadness]

So...here's the short story. Short version. I asked Gov. Gary Johnson of Libertarian Party last night what his view is of Pagans, well, Neo-Pagans and Wiccans. It was voted up then voted down quickly and when I asked the chat community there, a few people texted he has answered this before, he's cool, freedom of religion......and now I'm watching his Google+ Townhall from last October meeting/hangout with Pagans and Hindus. This is amazing...which brings me to my question to you all, my friends...


When will a candidate for President...from the Republican, Democrat, Libertarian Parties...when will they have a serious discussion with atheists? Not some joke discussion, but a serious 'I want to talk to you, hear your view points, type of thing.''?

 

[Thundercrack85]

Obama was the first to acknowledge non-believers in an inaugural address. Bush also made some references to non-believers.

In a 2004 speech he said: "... I will be your President regardless of your faith, and I don't expect you to agree with me necessarily on religion. As a matter of fact, no President should ever try to impose religion on our society. A great -- the great tradition of America is one where people can worship the way they want to worship. And if they choose not to worship, they're just as patriotic as your neighbor ..."

Santorum would hate this guy.

No politician will ever ask you your view points. Only his matter.

 

[WildcatNC]

So...here's the short story. Short version. I asked Gov. Gary Johnson of Libertarian Party last night what his view is of Pagans, well, Neo-Pagans and Wiccans. It was voted up then voted down quickly and when I asked the chat community there, a few people texted he has answered this before, he's cool, freedom of religion......and now I'm watching his Google+ Townhall from last October meeting/hangout with Pagans and Hindus. This is amazing...which brings me to my question to you all, my friends...


When will a candidate for President...from the Republican, Democrat, Libertarian Parties...when will they have a serious discussion with atheists? Not some joke discussion, but a serious 'I want to talk to you, hear your view points, type of thing.''?

I'm not sure they need to. Most Atheists I know of don't really think of themselves as a group, with a hierarchy, platform, etc. I'm not sure that rational thinking and evidence based beliefs is a "lobby" of any kind.

I could be wrong though.

 

[8wid]

Why Atheists Laugh at Religion

 

[enterthemadness]

Why Atheists Laugh at Religion

Watched this earlier in night owl morning. Got me thinking so I searched teh youtubes...and found a few videos, due to language I cannot post them here...but...

S*** Christians/People say to Pagans. Found two videos with a title like that. And then another one about Athiests.

And these people in the video mostly used real life experiences.

Which further got me thinking, if I ever come out, and say I'm Pagan, I know what I can use. And was wondering if Athiests use this one. But the bible verse Matthew 7:12. Basically says don't do to others that you don't want done to you. Has any of you used that verse in response to a person questioning you?

 

[WildcatNC]

Watched this earlier in night owl morning. Got me thinking so I searched teh youtubes...and found a few videos, due to language I cannot post them here...but...

S*** Christians/People say to Pagans. Found two videos with a title like that. And then another one about Athiests.

And these people in the video mostly used real life experiences.

Which further got me thinking, if I ever come out, and say I'm Pagan, I know what I can use. And was wondering if Athiests use this one. But the bible verse Matthew 7:12. Basically says don't do to others that you don't want done to you. Has any of you used that verse in response to a person questioning you?

If your Pagan you should just wear a cape about it. F*** 'em.

I think many peoples fundamental mistake in arguing against religion is to use the methods that make you realize its all nonsense in the first place, logic and reason. Thats a mistake.

Religious Ideologues aren't logical or reasonable by nature or they would know better (for the most part). The whole concept of believing those myths as real requires some major suspension of reason.

My suggestion is to encourage their beliefs, praise them, and regale them with stories of your own faith and belief. If you are TRULY pagan then anything you believe is just as valid as what they do, and vice versa. Just act as such.

 

[enterthemadness]

Thank You, WildcatNC. But you know this is the South. I've talked openly about Pagan beliefs to Christians, at the time I was still a Christian. And one person, a teen said something along the lines of devil Worshippers. I asked him if he knew of the genocide Christians did to Pagans in the Roman Empire Days, he didn't know of this. Then my Speech teacher, when I told her most people in the world are Pagan--well, to be fair, Non-Abrahamic--she flat out said "That's a sad thing". She said she believed in Freedom of Religion, then says that. WTF.

I wish I had more Athiests and Pagan friends to talk to...I'm probably Pagan-Agnostic. I just believe in worshipping the Mother Earth, seasons, see Gaia as basically a Goddess whose in everything. So when the Sun burns out, basically Mother Earth is dead. Cause there's no life--or little life without Sunlight.

And I only talk about this here cause I love you guys. That's why I put Athiests before Pagans, when I said I wish I had more friends. Cause I came out of that closet to Athiests in this thread, not Pagans on a forum. Which does speak volumes about my beliefs.

 

[WildcatNC]

Thank You, WildcatNC. But you know this is the South. I've talked openly about Pagan beliefs to Christians, at the time I was still a Christian. And one person, a teen said something along the lines of devil Worshippers. I asked him if he knew of the genocide Christians did to Pagans in the Roman Empire Days, he didn't know of this. Then my Speech teacher, when I told her most people in the world are Pagan--well, to be fair, Non-Abrahamic--she flat out said "That's a sad thing". She said she believed in Freedom of Religion, then says that. WTF.

I wish I had more Athiests and Pagan friends to talk to...I'm probably Pagan-Agnostic. I just believe in worshipping the Mother Earth, seasons, see Gaia as basically a Goddess whose in everything. So when the Sun burns out, basically Mother Earth is dead. Cause there's no life--or little life without Sunlight.

And I only talk about this here cause I love you guys. That's why I put Athiests before Pagans, when I said I wish I had more friends. Cause I came out of that closet to Athiests in this thread, not Pagans on a forum. Which does speak volumes about my beliefs.

I am a southern boy, I understand the bible belt culture. I guess I just don't give a ****. I pretend to be Pagan at times just to piss them off when they get overbearing or really stupid. It amuses me.

I consider myself Agnostic really. I think its the only honest answer. None of us truly know one way or the other. I think evidence based beliefs is a good place to start though.

I am also a spiritual person by nature, in that general, hippie kind of way. I love Mythology and Anthropology so I enjoy the variety of belief systems in the world even as I dislike the stranglehold religion has on peoples brains.

 

[Milu]

My opinion on beliefs: believe what you want, but don't be rude about it and don't hurt others.

 

[8wid]

If you're Pagan you could argue that the old Roman idea that formed Christianity by claiming the pagan gods are the embodiement of the emotions expressed by one all-powerful god controlling the universe, by saying the opposite perception is true.

 

[Schlosser85]

My aunt is convinced Wiccan=Devil worshipper.

 

[Thundercrack85]

In a way they are, at least to Christians. When Christianity was still "Christianizing" Europe, the Church proclaimed that all other gods were either false, or demons / devils. Many of the witches they murdered for devil worship were really just pagans who never converted.

 

[8wid]

Witchcraft murder: Killers' 'obsession' took on 'feral character'

 

[WildcatNC]

My aunt is convinced Wiccan=Devil worshipper.

Yea, most of the entire south thinks that

 

[enterthemadness]

Yea, most of the entire south thinks that

It's amazing how late last year I was in the same boat. Now I know better, cause it's called "researching" & this thread. Wicca is just Pagans that practice magik. Nothing wrong with that. I like being in the South, but not a big fan of hiding my religion. But nothing I can do about that, not changing any time soon. Don't feel like getting banned from the local coffee shop either.

 

[8wid]

Kirk Cameron on social issues

Once again Kirk Cameron can even answer a question in a straight forward way.

http://piersmorgan.blogs.cnn.com/

 

[Thundercrack85]

Who cares what this idiot has been has to say?

 

[enterthemadness]

Who cares what this idiot has been has to say?

Well, I like Kurt...good actor in his movies, seems nice, but I don't agree with his views. He was only on the show cause he's Christian...and the producers wanted a big name Christian on the show. I'd rather hear Tebow's view on social issues, wait no, cause that may destroy his career.

 

[Franklin Richards]

I like it when he tells evangelicals to circumvent people's intelligence.

 

[enterthemadness]

Wow, guess I wont get a job at my favorite coffee shop in town.

Stopped by to get a coffee..closed. Probably because of Church or lack of business, cause I know they cut hours there. So I check Facebook page. Someone left a comment that really put things into perspective.

Christian owned and Christian Staffed.

.

 

[Thundercrack85]

Well, it's progress in a way. That sign used to say "Protestant owned and Protestant staffed, Catholics need not apply".

What's the name of the specific shop?

 

[enterthemadness]

The shop is called Cups-N-Cones. It's...wow. That good. 60 flavors of ice cream. Cupcakes, pies, cakes from a bakery. They have scones at times, make those themselves. My fav c--point us, it rocks.

 

[Aesculapius]

I think the main crime, no matter what your belief, is feeling that people must be forced to believe the way you do. There is no belief system out there that does not have a-holes who feel the need to not only gain more people to their system of beliefs, but to do so through underhanded means. Athiests have some of the worst zealots in fact when it comes to this.

 

[moviedoors]

I think the main crime, no matter what your belief, is feeling that people must be forced to believe the way you do. There is no belief system out there that does not have a-holes who feel the need to not only gain more people to their system of beliefs, but to do so through underhanded means. Athiests have some of the worst zealots in fact when it comes to this.

I agree plenty of atheists can be *******s, plenty off people in general are *******s, but underhanded? In what way? And it what way that could even compare to pushing something as intellectually bankrupt as something like Creationism, which the religious love to underhandly call a science.

You're post was so agreeable until that last sentence.

 

[Franklin Richards]

You're atheist by default. You had to learn about The Boogie Man.