The Atheist That Hates

There are a lot of reasons any religion shouldn’t be...

Wed, 08 May 2013 15:06:50 -0400

There are a lot of reasons any religion shouldn’t be taught to children too young to comprehend it, but this is also a good one.

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Mon, 06 May 2013 17:17:38 -0400

Blasphemy laws are further proof of the impotence of any god.

Fri, 03 May 2013 14:26:05 -0400

Blasphemy laws are further proof of the impotence of any god.

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Thu, 02 May 2013 08:50:52 -0400

My boyfriend is a Jehovah's Witness. I'm not religious & do not believe in a higher power, but I have not let this get in the way of our relationship. I told him I support him and will listen when he tries to explain certain things to me (even though I really don't want to) and I can't help but cringe because he has such an incredible mind and an even bigger heart. He's second guessing himself, his dreams, because these people say he's not 'allowed' to. I don't know how to bring him out of this.

Thu, 02 May 2013 08:45:30 -0400

That definitely does sound like a difficult situation to be put in. With Jehovah’s witness especially they are a rather extreme sect of Christianity. In some ways it is a little surprising that a relationship would be able to take hold at all in that kind of situation. I can definitely understand having altruistic reasons for wanting him to distance himself from his religion.

In short though it may be next to impossible. He likely didn’t arrive at his position through reason or logic, so it will be very hard to get him to accept any form of logic or reason to distance himself. If he truly is an intelligent person there is at least a chance that he could see the light, so to speak, but he would need to be so compelled that he has to overcome what has taken likely a lifetime to be trained in to. He would have to care about what is truth and what is right more than something he has always been told to hold so close to him.

When you discuss with him does he seem to have any questioning or doubt? Or does he feel so assured by his faith that he finds it impossible to question or doubt? If you don’t see any signs of him questioning, doubting, or possibly wanting to change his views chances are he won’t. In that type of situation even though you may care for him it will be best for you to recognize if the situation has no hope of changing. There are some religious people that simply will never change their point of view, regardless of evidence or reasoning, if he feels that way you’ll likely only find yourself further frustrated by the situation. I wish you look, every mind we are able to save from the prison of religion gives us a chance for a brighter future.

Anonymous Threatens Columbus Diocese over Gay Teacher's Firing

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:06:00 -0400

Anonymous Threatens Columbus Diocese over Gay Teacher's Firing:

COLUMBUS — The hacktivist group, Anonymous, is threatening to dig up dirt on members of the Columbus Catholic Diocese if a fired gay teacher is not allowed to return to her job at Bishop Watterson High School. The group released a video Friday in support of former phys-ed teacher Carla Hale, who was fired from Bishop Watterson after referring to her partner as her spouse in a published obituary. The Anonymous video includes the group’s trademark Guy Fawkes mask, along with a computer-generated voice that threatens to find “skeletons in the closets” of members of the Diocese if Hale is not reinstated. The video’s release comes after dozens of students gathered outside the Diocese’s Downtown office on Friday morning to protest Hale’s firing.

Read More at: http://abc6onyourside.com/shared/news/features/featured/stories/wsyx_anonymous-threatens-columbus-diocese-over-gay-teachers-firing-1159.shtml

This has been a big topic of discussion around here as of late. I have been following the story and it is amazing just how many people in central Ohio are willing to openly make bigoted statements in public about a woman who did a great job as a teacher for so many years. I’m quite sure that if “Anonymous” does have to start digging up skeletons it won’t be so hard. Catholics have more skeletons in their closets than Superman has capes.

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Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:05:05 -0400

Hi there! Fellow Atheist here with a different kind of question. Do you find it difficult to make Atheist friends? I live in a.. less enlightened part of the country so when I meet someone like-minded it's pretty rare. I REALLY want an Atheist friend, but they all seem to be more independent or try to push me away. I am not socially impaired by any means so this is really strange for me to basically get rejected or ignored by someone I could really have a fun relationship with.

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:27:30 -0400

Hey, thanks for the message. I think a lot of it comes down to where you live and the type of people in your area. I am not an overly social person myself so I haven’t really gone out to look to make new friends in quite a while. In my area I am lucky because I know of at least a couple possible humanist/Atheist groups that I am sure I would get along with quite well. I’ve been invited to attend by a couple of people before and politely declined, not because they don’t seem like wonderful people, but mainly due to my lack of time.

The internet is a wonderful resource for bringing people together. I would suggest maybe looking for any groups or clubs local to your area, American Atheist keeps a large number of affiliate groups and there may be one near you. There are other options such as Twitter and Facebook, there are many non-believer groups on Facebook and Twitter has a good representation of Atheists. It may take a while and some searching to find anyone local to you but it gives you an option, besides there is nothing wrong with having lots of awesome internet friends too. Looking on the internet may be an easier option in some ways, I definitely understand a lot of Atheists being a bit socially reclusive.

Atheist Music Video Stirs Controversy: “That Doesn’t...

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:09:44 -0400

Atheist Music Video Stirs Controversy: “That Doesn’t Make Sense”

Comedy music video “That Doesn’t Make Sense” debuted yesterday. It’s a catchy song about well-meaning parents trying to answer their daughter’s religion question; its adorable blasphemy ends up nowhere near where you’d expect.

Some interesting discussion is happening in the comments regarding whether faith *should* make sense and whether it’s videos like this — or religions themselves — that are dangerous.

My comment: Thank you for the submission. I wouldn’t normally look to YouTube comments for insightful commentary about religion but something that gets people talking is a good thing. I actually liked this video quite a bit, make sure you watch until the end, it is worth it.

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Tue, 23 Apr 2013 16:31:57 -0400

Pretty much yes.

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:41:58 -0400

Pretty much yes.

Why does everyone hate atheists? Is it because they represent everything anti-Christ? Is it because they are a minority composed of homosexuals? Is it because they are godless and therefore more inclined to court the devil? Is it because they have no moral principles and can't be trusted? Is it because all religions are against them for some reason?

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:31:00 -0400

There are a lot of various reasons on the individual level why people feel prejudice and discriminate against non-believers is no big deal, it is so casual that it seems socially acceptable in most areas of the world to be openly prejudice against non-believers. I think that the biggest reason is that at the heart of every religion the most important aspect is belief. Above everything else, even if your actions are horrible, you still have to believe, you have to have “faith”. To a believer someone openly professing their non-belief is the equivalent of committing the ultimate sin and not caring one bit. Of course to the non-believer their concept of sin means nothing at all, but to the believer it is very important.

You can often see it even in the religious books, in the Qu’ran there are special instructions for Muslim men (of course women don’t get the same treatment) to marry a Jew or a Christian but the idea of marrying a non-believers isn’t really addressed. It is simply expected that the man will attempt to convert his new family to Islam. In some places officially converting to the religion is even a requirement in order to get married. Non-believers are essentially treated as less than human, to the believer they shouldn’t exist at all, it has been that way historically for thousands of years in almost every culture, and it is a long standing tradition that needs to be abolished.

Basically non-believer not only celebrate and openly profess their non-belief but in doing so they rub it in the face of all believers that their belief is not very important. In that way the believers own insecurity is exactly what drives them to be prejudice. Looking at another believer, even of a different religion, they will say at least they believe, they believe in “something”. That is looked down upon far less than not believing anything at all. In my own way I like to look at it as all the people still trapped inside their own religious prison look at the free man happily running through the fields and hate him for his freedom, well paying no attention to the people holding them captive still. I’m sure the religious see it differently, but it is all a matter of perspective.

Regarding "Islamophobia"

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 11:50:00 -0400

I realize perhaps a little bit of clarification on my part would help. I don’t in any way deny that there are a lot of ignorant and irrational people out there that make blanket prejudice statements against Muslims, but I don’t think labeling it a “phobia” is a good description. Generally we don’t fault people for phobias, we don’t get mad at someone because they are arachnophobia, we would never argue and yell with someone because they’re agoraphobic. Phobias are medical conditions, people that are often labeled “Islamaphobic” suffer from a form of ignorance or prejudice, not a phobia and just as importantly not all people that comment on Islam are doing it from a place of ignorance or prejudice. In some ways my disagreement with the term is purely definitional, not a practical objection that such prejudice people don’t exist.

well, it's different for Islam because in the United States (as well as Europe and other places too, I guess) it's a religion whose followers are often persecuted, as opposed to Christianity, which is a dominating power in American politics. Muslims are oppressed to an extent that Christians never are, usually by Christians themselves, so the term addresses the harassment of Muslims simply for being Muslim rather than atheists being against all religion.

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 11:36:16 -0400

Still doesn’t make it a phobia. If someone is a prejudice person that is simply how they are. What I have a problem with is that there can be almost no rational discussion of Islam without someone pulling out the “phobic” card. That is completely ridiculous. I realize that there are many ignorant things said about Muslims, many hateful ridiculous and stupid things. I don’t endorse those and generally try to separate myself from people that do. Not all commentary on Islam falls in to the ignorant prejudice category. Really many of the people that have these prejudice ideas are simply racist, they look only at the color the person’s skin and assume them to be a Muslim, racism is a very fitting term for people that react in that way. It really has very little to do with Islam in that case, just the race of the person. One of the biggest problems I have with the term “Islamaphobic” is that it gets used just as often to try to stop someone from even making a comment about Islam, true or not, as it is to label someone who has a true irrational prejudice.

I have to ask TATH a question... Knowing that you claim Agnostics are "Atheists with no balls" who like to take more of a middle-of-the-road stand, are you an Islamophobe? I ask this because Many people in your camp say they're not Anti-Islam and all religions should exist peacefully with one another, blah blah blah... Yet Islam is The most irrational religion alive today and unlike older religions of the past, it's still packing quite a punch in the Killing department!

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 10:25:37 -0400

Are you new to my page? I don’t get the “your camp” statement because I am someone that is opposed to all religions. Personally I think “Islamophobe” is a term that shouldn’t exist. It is a ridiculous illogical term, so no I would certainly not simply accept such a label. I am opposed to Islam, because of what it is not because I have some irrational fear. No one has ever claimed I’m “Christianphobic” or anything else of the sort whenever I make comments about any other religions. Why would it be different for Islam? I have no idea what this has to do with agnostics in any way.

What an amazing girl Malala Yousafzai is, this is just a small...

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 09:39:39 -0400

What an amazing girl Malala Yousafzai is, this is just a small but important way of appreciating her struggle.

Considering the reason I’m probably choking is because...

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 08:51:14 -0400

Considering the reason I’m probably choking is because I’m stunned Lawrence Krauss walked in to the room I’d hope he’d do something.

Who would win in a wrestling match: Allah or Christ?

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 09:19:31 -0400

Allah is willing to fight dirty. Jesus would likely just pout about it and say “I’m telling dad on you!”. That would get real confusing though since Allah is also his dad….sort of, in a weird twisted way. I think they would both probably lose to Vishnu, two extra arms is an advantage you just can’t overcome.

So recently my mom was helping my cousin get into a university. she was telling me that; " I hope he get's in, but I don't really care. I just want my points with God." She does this with my sis and I as well. "god will reward me for taking care of you "depressed" people. should I be scared that my mother only seems compassionate b/c she wants a reward?

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:55:31 -0400

Even though it is a little bit creepy to hear it said out loud I would give your mother a bit of credit for being honest about it. There are many people out there that have nearly the same thought day in and day out but most of them don’t have the courage to admit it to others. There are a lot of people in this world that only care about what is in it for them, the ones that are looking for how they will be personally rewarded or inconvenienced by doing something. It may sound like a slightly cold selfish world view but it is surprisingly common. There are a lot of people that are only worried about themselves, everything else is secondary.

I wouldn’t really be worried about it too much, I would be a little bit comforted in knowing that your mother will be entirely honest about her motives. It would be wonderful if she did good things for the simple sake of doing them or was more concerned about how it would affect other people, but she sees her reward as her driving force to do something good. At the very least it can be said that she is still trying to do something good, even if it may not be for the most pure reason. Personally I would just accept that the world is filled with selfish and self-centered people and for better or worse, it appears your mother is one of them. No offense intended of course. Using religious as blind and thoughtless justification to do good is much more forgivable than using the same criteria for bad. If she was using the same excuse as a reason to torture and kill sinners I would be much more worried.

How do you cope with studying religions, given that you find their statements so absurd? I'm asking you this because I was once in a camp organised by mormons (I had a superficial reason for attending it, the story is long and irrelevant for the question) and we had an hour a day for studying the bible. The thing is, I remember wanting to smash my head with a brick when hearing how wonderful and inspiring they found things that seemed so stupid and irrational to me. How do they make you feel?

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 16:12:20 -0400

When I started to study religion it was much easier for me to not feel burdened with it because I made the choice on my own. No one had been strongly pressuring me to read the bible or had even really mentioned it to me, I decided to pick it up on my own. At that time I was only 13 and the bible was really a bit of a mystery to me, I certainly knew what people said it was, but I had never read a word of it for myself. Once I started to read it I was amazed and felt as if I had cracked a secret that most people didn’t know, the bible is bullshit.

When you are forced to learn about it chances are it is going to be a burden. Ever since I started studying the bible more and more I never looked at it as wanting to know the bible, I looked at it as wanting to understand why others believed the bible. Studying it to me is preparation in some ways, I am never caught off guard by a Christian anymore, I can discuss the specifics of Christianity with a fairly refined theological view of the topic. If you can look at it that way perhaps you would enjoy learning the topic more, if that isn’t something that really interests you chances are any bible study is going to just feel like a burden.