text: Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path. #16
  Only an Atheist would say that Marxism does not kill people of faith. They have always been opposed to people of faith of every religion. ...and your 5th to 11th dimension is still a farce! Atheism is intolerant of any other worldview, and there are deaths of millions that prove it!
  Last edited by easeltine; 06-20-2012, 06:54 AM.
  Atheism is the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. An absence of belief in god or gods does not lead to a desire to kill people of faith. You keep using this absurd logical fallacy that attempts to compare a disbelief in God with views held by Marx and Engels, Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, and Adolph Hitler in order to demonize atheists. I could do the same thing with religion, bring up all of the horrible incidents in world history where Christians were responsible for mass murder and genocide, and attempt to link that so I could say belief in God leads to murder�but I won�t; because I know these kinds of comparisons are logically fallacious and essentially dishonest.
  Many groups have deceivers in them purpose is to undermind the government body of the organization, just like you all are trying to undermind each other. It is a farce, Doesn't fly well with anyone. HOwever even those that present lies no how to add enough deception to try and deceive someone out of a group or cult. Do all groups do it, I suspect all do. However even if each group got rid of the one trying to deceive you still got issue of purism of any group including atheism. Society just ignores evil and only focus on the good anyone group of any kind does, something good might happen in the world. However good works is a deception in any group, for most groups do it. Some do it has act of repentance for killiing someone, for hurting someone or anything that look bad on a group. It is a type of repaying to try and maintain peace. That is more society then necessarily one group, especially if one avoids the law. If settled in court it can bring about retribution of one kind or another, but it does not solve the issue. Only teaching does. And deception in teaching does not work will unless it makes you think. Yet to remain at that level for a long period can bring conusion that not of God. It brings about hate or deception. that is believable.
  "Atheism is the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. An absence of belief in god or gods does not lead to a desire to kill people of faith."
  When one looks at the historical context regarding governments it is easy to see that historically speaking, "An absense of belief in god or gods HAS lead to the desire to kill people of faith." Atheism has always been the core in Communism that have lead to this persecution and deaths of Christians. Atheism is always part of Communism. Your Atheism in the context of Secular Humanism is just a Utopian Society that will never exist. Here is what I have concluded looking at Atheism in regards to historical context - Atheism in government has always eventually proven itself intolerant of people practicing faith.
  Well, Easeltine, the same could be said of religion in government, that it will eventually be proven intolerant of people who don�t believe in god. That�s why the founding fathers wrote in the Constitution that �no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States (Article 6);� and why in the First Amendment they put �Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.� One�s religion or lack of it was not supposed to be a factor in choosing a President, a Congressman, or a Senator; and the United States was never supposed to be a Christian nation. Unfortunately, the religious right has hijacked the Declaration of Independence; and creationists are busy trying to introduce religion in our classrooms as science�with the ultimate goal of creating a Christian theocracy. Religion, especially Christianity, is inherently intolerant. One of the basic teachings is that those who don�t accept Jesus as their personal savior are going to suffer unimaginable horror throughout eternity in Hell. Atheists have no such beliefs. We don�t want to kill you, Easeltine, we just think that your beliefs in invisible supernatural beings and biblical mythology in general are delusional. Want to know what happens when religion is the basis of government? Look at the Islamic nations under Shari'a (the �infallible law of God�), where the penalty for adultery and homosexuality is stoning to death. Leaving Islam is punishable by death, and those who insult Mohammed will have a death sentence imposed (Fatwā). Shari�a is the basis for state laws in Yemen, Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Mauritania, Oman and Iran. They have religious police to maintain compliance, and religious courts.
  Really, Easeltine, of the more than one billion people in the world who identify themselves as atheist/secular/nonreligious how many do you think want to kill you because you�re a person of faith? Do you have any idea how many people have been killed in the name of God as compared to a disbelief in God?
  Oh, and Easeltine, I have no illusion that there will ever be a �utopian society.� That�s more of a Christian ideal, where �the faithful� believe that their Jesus is going to descend from the sky in the future (the �second coming�) to create the kingdom of God on Earth. �Collective salvation,� as well as a �human paradise,� is unattainable.
  Get off your rocker dodge and realize something first of all true Christians and people of other faiths are in general very tolerant, knowing they too were once seep in sin. However the right wing groups that go by religious law in the since of forcing all to think as they do are the ones that there is a problem. Nazism, communism(atheist) and so forth. Chrstians look at each person being a person that can be saved. For Christ came to redeem those that were lost. Not those that were saved. To seek those that were not His own. Now with this said. Dodge ministers and teachers of faith usually in general are tolerant people, however that are groups that form that are not of God, but think of themselves as God and when they rise up for example David Koresh or Jim Jones. then beware. It is dangerous. Now I am sorry about this fact, but it is true, their goaled is to control people. Most religious people I know do not control people. A cult or occult is one that is controlling. What happens in a normal church is people attend two to three times a week unless of work and then they attend or try and attend at least one service. Usually, no one calls you unless it is a small church to check on your well being unless you are old, disables or are known to be sick. Usually the pastor has time for other people in the community to at least make contacts. However some weeks it all about studying and preparing for weeks ahead when one has no time to study because of weddings, funerals, hospital calls and so forth. Usually a pastor never sees a soul unless they are busy witnessing. So what is this idea that you think you have to have control over others especially on this board. See some people have oodles of time and others have no time. Meaning to even get a clergy on this board would be amazing for any length of time. So if you experience a church with control you are in the wrong church. A church is there to help you, not to controll you.
  Will, I was brought up pretty strongly against Communism. It was also anchored into me that Communism = Atheism = Anti-God, Anti-Christianity. It is not only Far-Right ideas, but the First Inaugual Speech of John F. Kennedy, (not to mention his opponent at the time, V.P. Nixon). I have to admit that currently Extreme Islam is more dangerous than Communist China from my perspective. ...and deep down you know that the Far Right is much less of a threat to all of us than Extreme Islam.
  Last edited by easeltine; 06-22-2012, 03:57 PM.
  But atheism is a religion in itself. Any system of belief that argues it's validity or superiority, and/or seeks converts, is by definition a religion.
  Hello �stage director� -- If atheism is a religion then sanity is a mental illness, bald is a hair color, and not playing baseball is a sport. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=2gCJn85isxE
  Atheism in a religion, just not based on any God, but themselves. Meaning they believe they are the only superior life form in the universe and anything that believes differently is less superior then themselves. Proof every time my threads get deleted or anytime dodge decides my points are irrevelatant because he does not understand. Doesn't mean someone else does not understand. He feel he superior to all life on this board.
  Turtle -- the definition of religion is a belief in and worship of a supernatural entity, a personal God or gods, and usually involves devotional and ritual observances. Atheism is the rejection of the existence of God or gods, the word itself meaning �without god.� It is the direct opposite of �theist,� meaning one who believes in the existence of a God or gods.
  No, Turtle, I don�t worship myself. That�s another religious word, having to do with reverence and adoration for a �god.� I am not ardently devoted to myself, nor do I adore myself. You keep projecting religious ideas onto people who have no belief in religion, thus demonstrating that you have a very limited understanding of the meaning of words. You are very confused and challenged on many levels.
  No dodge, for a christian if you do not have Christ in the center of your life you are bowing to other idols. For a Christian a person that is Christ centered, Christ is above all things in his life. Comes before anyone or anything else, however it does not mean you do not do things or help people. Why because it simple. To be Christ center is to love others as yourself. To love God is to obey God. Following the golden rule and loving your neighbor has yourself. Yourself, you will sacrifice your life to help another. Is there acceptions, ask fire departments, squads, doctors and nurses. There are times you know there nothing more you can do to help someone so you leave them be. Unless God says to do something else.