Rhaedas

Who put the IGWT onto money? Into the PoA? They were all christian-based motives, to fight the bad, evil atheistic communists.

Is Judeo-christian a general enough term to use then?

Amaranth

Ask a Buddhist, Taoist, or Wiccan. Maybe even perhaps a plain Jane, non-religious atheist? How about an American-Indian Shaman? I could certainly go on here...

Perhaps you should read the history on the subject, and note that the phrase was added at the behest of a Babtist minister?

A stronger point would be a more appropriate summation.

Amaranth

Biff the unclean

Who said that?
What makes you think Atheist Americans believe in any god?
What makes you think that a nation whose Constitution prohibits it from monkeying around with religion has any business dropping it's motto of E Pluribus Unum and adopting an advertising slogan for religion?

tdekeyser

Ok... good points. But what about this:

Why are the police/law enforcement not investigating churches for abuse? Of children at least!? How many times have you seen on the news a horrible incident stemming from faith? MANY in the last 5 years!

Why don't we have congressmen/lawmakers get on CNN and say, "We are noticing that too much harm is stemming from churches. We will be proposing a new law that says a church must PROOVE it's claim of faith before they can get a license to open a church.

I would CHEER such a law.

cpickett

Because it was started by Reverend M.R. Watkinson, when he sent the following letter to then Secretary of the Treasury, Salmon P. Chase:

Dear Sir: You are about to submit your annual report to the Congress respecting the affairs of the national finances.

One fact touching our currency has hitherto been seriously overlooked. I mean the recognition of the Almighty God in some form on our coins.

You are probably a Christian. What if our Republic were not shattered beyond reconstruction? Would not the antiquaries of succeeding centuries rightly reason from our past that we were a heathen nation? What I propose is that instead of the goddess of liberty we shall have next inside the 13 stars a ring inscribed with the words PERPETUAL UNION; within the ring the allseeing eye, crowned with a halo; beneath this eye the American flag, bearing in its field stars equal to the number of the States united; in the folds of the bars the words GOD, LIBERTY, LAW.

This would make a beautiful coin, to which no possible citizen could object. This would relieve us from the ignominy of heathenism. This would place us openly under the Divine protection we have personally claimed. From my hearth I have felt our national shame in disowning God as not the least of our present national disasters.

To you first I address a subject that must be agitated.

And to be fair, "Under God" is much the same, the Knights of Columbus had a large part in making that part of our pedge, in 1954.

jerusha

Your topic is silly. There are many Gods in our world. If you choose not to believe in one. So be it.... But I think the majority of people do believe in a God.
And you very well know no one can prove it. So it's a moot point.
We believe because we choose to believe.

tdekeyser

Then no policy, law, court, teacher, president, judge, child care taker should be using that "belief" to justify thier actions. You can believe what you want, but if your belief influences ANYONE in an unfair/dangerous way, then it should be a law that it need to be proven.

I guess it was silly that Anrea Yates killed her kids right? Or how about Elizabeth Smart? I can go on and on....

The catholic church should be SHUT DOWN in my opinion as well.

Look how much spent $ and killing we are doing to fight terrorism (aka a different religion). Why are we not spending $/stopping it here for the killing/abusing of children here in our own country?

Rhaedas

Your topic is silly. There are many Gods in our world.

Many beliefs, you mean...

If you choose not to believe in one. So be it....

And that's really the topic's point...being an atheist, you have to pretend in today's world, the 21st century, that such deities exist, even if you don't believe. Try being around your christian friends one day, and play as if you've lost your belief in a god...see how welcoming they are of your opinion.

But I think the majority of people do believe in a God.

Just not the same ones, which again, in the USA, is grouped into a bad thing to believe, unless it's the christian god.

And you very well know no one can prove it. So it's a moot point. We believe because we choose to believe.

One wonders how you're so convinced, if you even admit that it's a given you have no evidence. I'm all for everyone believing god, allah, unicorns, or flying monkeys exist...this thread is more about having to live in a world where saying you aren't convinced is threatening, if not dangerous to the non-believer.

So it's hardly a silly topic, it's just one you don't want to admit is true, because status quo is on your side.

beyelzu

My boss is an xian, he tithes, and he knows maybe a tenth as much about the bible as I do.

He also thinks my atheism is silly and will make god comments and when I respond, diplomatically that I dont really see things that way, he says crap like"I dont really want to get into the whole notbelieving thing"


My brother works for the same company, he has made peace with them by going with a pretty simple vague deism, of course in reality he is as much of an atheist as I am. Seems many xians just cant fathom atheism, but if you are a vague deist its ok.

Gothic_J

ever since I became an atheist, I invoke god a lot more. the irony plzes me.

common quotes:
there is a god, and he is good.
god did it.
definitly god's influence there.
wow. what would have happened without god?

what disconcerts me - the effect of hitting a wall - is that other people say these things, and *believe* it.