Freethinker's corner

Bigotry and intolerance is built into Christianity. Atheism is merely non-belief in a supernatural deity. Atheism does not dictate anything as it is not a religion.  When pointed out to the Christian, the bigotry and intolerance is denied. As an excuse the christian thinks all he/she has to say is that it is a teaching of god, as to what is good and what is evil. This is a sort of “God said it, I believe it” outlook. 

The morals at the time the bible was written, were very barbaric. That is why the bible and a great number of it’s contents are not applicable to the present times. The bible is archaic, from a time when ignorance and fear reigned. It is puzzling as to why christians want to return to such a barbaric era.

Atheism is merely non-belief, not a religion. Morals have been part of the human equation long before atheism and religion and are separate from both.

Freethinker: somebody who does not accept dogma: an independent thinker who refuses to accept established views or teachings, especially on religion.

Freethought is incompatible with theism. The very nature of freethought is an anathema to religious belief. The rigid doctrines of many religions creates a mental state wherein everything is looked at and evaluated from the viewpoints of that dogma.

Theists are asked to believe solely on faith, blind unthinking faith is required to accept many of the propositions presented by various religions. As a result many theists become vulnerable to manipulation and can be convinced of propositions which have no basis and cannot be proven. Hysterical alarm about this or that harmless situation, law, or occurrence is very possible. I have seen religious co-workers create hysterical imaginings about any little change made at work. Anything that might produce change is feared and avoided.

Freethought, and to be a freethinker is a requirement for the intelligent Atheist. The prevalence of religious belief within the United States is such that freethought, outside the box of dogma, is the only way an individual can escape from and stay free of religious influence.

The religious believer, inside the box built by his/her religion, fears atheists. They fear the change that atheists represent, and see atheists as a threat to their way of life, their children, their beliefs.

Unless religion is forced to accept change, religion must be eradicated, to guarantee the survival of the human race. Christianity in particular puts forth a doctrine of doom, toward which, consciously or subconsciously  the believer works to make come to fruition. Numerous wars have been fought, will be fought, unless these doomsayers are either kept out of public office or eradicated by forcing change.

I make a call now to all believers who wish to preserve the right to continue believing what ever they desire.

There are always some faction of believers who try to force their way into government in an attempt to make their beliefs the only beliefs permitted. These individuals are taking different offices in our great country so that ultimately they can make this the “Christian Nation” they envision.

The problem is this: there are so many different beliefs, even within Christianity, that one “flavor” does not mix well with another. Which ultimately will possibly take control, and enforce it’s particular set of beliefs on all others? Suppose it is Catholicism, suppose it is Sarah Palin’s Pentecostals.

I make a call to all who wish to preserve their rights to believe what they desire. Join the Americans United for Separation of Church and State today.

I hope Richard Dawkins will forgive my use of the title of his book. This title explains much as to why non-believers and believers have reached a loggerhead.

When believers ask you to accept their beliefs blindly what they are asking is for you to enter a state wherein your critical thinking and reasoning power is suspended. You are to accept on blind faith concepts which are totally adverse to common sense and reason.

Whereas you present truth and logic based on evidence, this truth and logic does not mean that the believer will be convinced. After all, christians are in a state of suspended logic when exercising blind faith. While in this state they cannot see the non-believer’s side of the argument, and the non-believer, not in the suspended state, will never see the side of the arguments presented by the believer.

Much like the drinker of alcohol, who believes they sound more intelligent under the influence, so do the believers in blind faith. The pentecostals who get “drunk” on the lord and have delusions like speaking in tongues are an extreme example of this phenomenon.

There you have it. Will this mean I will stop trying? No. As long christians are trying to persuade others into their delusion I must oppose them in an attempt to deter the return to the blind faith which was exhibited by the Dark Ages, when religion ruled. I will do this for the sake of those who have not yet fallen to the blind faith doctrine. To show that to be a good person, and have moral standings, no god need apply, and to show nonbelievers they are not alone.

Hyenas act in very much like a wolf’s manner when attacking their prey. They nip, and keep up the attack until their prey becomes tired, and is an easy kill.

People behave in this manner to some degree, only using words instead of nips. The words are repeated over and over, without new content, until the drum in your ears is difficult to bear. When you cannot stand the strain any more, you leave, which is what these loathsome people desire. When you leave it makes the job of spreading their lies so much easier.

Well, despite the insults, despite the repetition faced daily, I resolve not to go away. Steadfast in my resolve to spread the truth, I will persevere.

Religion must not be allowed a free reign, a return to the Dark Ages must be averted.

The religious indoctrinate their children in the most vulnerable years. In this way there is no contradictory information present that might interfere with the “programming”. With repetition these childhood lessons will become instilled in the child and remain with him/her into adulthood. Once the receptivity of childhood has passed the adult will more than likely retain the “programming” until death. Whereas in every other aspect of life these individuals will seem perfectly normal, when it comes to faith they will irrationally defend it despite the nature of any argument against it.

Religious dogma when adhered to, displaces the capacity of an individual to do critical thinking. This is true especially in the case of thought associated with belief.

Though appearing totally normal in every way, except when defending irrational beliefs, these people will forever be gullible to new manipulation as long as it is sown and maintained in accordance with their religious beliefs.

“Faith is believing what you know ain’t true.” –said by Mark Twain so many years ago.

In adulthood these programmed individuals will always be seeking to bring the lord back by following his teachings. When they bring the lord back they know it will be the end of mankind, so, to hasten the end of mankind, they reason, would bring the lord sooner. If these individuals reach political office, that is when they become a danger for mankind. High office would lend them the means to bring their god back even sooner. Ever wonder why when a religious man, like George Bush or his father,  gets into office, we always end up in a war?

Church-going Americans have grown increasingly intolerant of politicians. This intolerance was associated with issues such as abortion and gay rights. At the same time it was found that those asked said that they were growing bolder about pushing their beliefs on others, even at the risk of being offensive.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article7845.htm

The truth hurts, but intolerance has become standard radical right  “Christian” teaching, and indeed something they are proud of.

http://www.sullivan-county.com/identity/intol_right.htm

The Christian radical right is not a majority of Christians, although they would very much like to be. It would be to their delight if they could force their belief onto the majority of Americans. They are advocating political goals, supporting monetarily those candidates which will further their goals.

Individuals like Antonio Scalia, James Dobson, and Billy Graham urge their followers to become intolerant.

Believers and non-believers both have a stake in maintaining and strengthening the Separation of Church and State.

www.Au.org

Public schools in America have been and are still under attack. Poor achievement scores have lent to this building dissatisfaction with public education. Many have asserted that school vouchers are the answer. This, they argue, will allow people to send their children to private schools. Despite the dismal records of private schools, which have achievement levels only equal to, sometimes less, than public systems, the crescendo of voices supporting school vouchers has grown.

Many of these voices belong to parents whose religious beliefs shape what their idea of what education should encompass. If they can get public vouchers to pay the costs of their children attending a religious school then they would be able to insulate their children from concepts which contradict their faith. Also, as a desired side effect, the fact that the vouchers effectively remove money from the public school systems, they hope to bring down the public school system.

http://www.theleftcoaster.com/archives/007807.php

http://www.sullivan-county.com/nf0/nov_2000/char_sch.htm

Churches used to be the central hub of education, and in many cases controlled local governments. The Dark Ages were indeed their period of premier dominance. Having failed to insert the ignorance of Creationism, or Intelligent Design into the school curriculum, bringing down the public school system has now become the goal so as to stop the teaching of those concepts adverse to religious belief. With Churches once again in charge of education, they hope, a return to faith will result.

Are we really willing to return to the time when Churches were in charge of education? The Dark Ages?

http://www.biblegateway.com/keyword/?search=dragons&version1=9&searchtype=all

http://www.biblegateway.com/keyword/?search=Unicorns&searchtype=all&version1=9&spanbegin=1&spanend=73

The Bible reads like Grimm’s Fairy Tales complete with Dragons and Unicorns. These were the beliefs at the time of the Bible’s creation by a  backward and ignorant people who were trying to explain their world. Many people try to explain these passages away or ignore them entirely.

The King James Version of the bible is the edition most Christians rely on and study extensively. This version of the bible is full of these references.

I guess the Unicorns and Dragons must not only have not made it on the Ark but were also unlucky enough to never had left any fossil evidence of their existence.

http://atheism.about.com/library/glossary/western/bldef_calvinism.htm

Calvinism is the Protestant theological system designed by John Calvin (1509-1564). Calvinist theology is often labeled "federal" or "covenantal." According to this perspective, God has made to agreements or covenants with humanity, both of which are important when it comes to understanding human history.

Usually divided into the following doctrines:

1.Total Depravity (Inability) refers to the fact that human sin has affected every aspect of the human character – thought, emotions, will, etc.

2.Unconditional Election is the doctrine which teaches that God chooses some to be saved and some to be damned. These choices are not, however, based upon any acts performed by those people or any merit which they have achieved (otherwise, there would be a violation of the principle of Total Depravity).

3.Limited Atonement is a concept which teaches that Christ died for the sins of some (those predestined to heaven), but not for others (those predestined to hell).

4.Irresistible Grace refers to the fact that when God has bestowed his grace upon a person because they have been predestined for heaven, it is impossible for a person to "resist" this grace and not end up in heaven. No matter what they do and no matter what they think, they are saved.

5.Perseverance of the Saints is the doctrine which argues that the saints (i.e., those whom God has saved) will always remain under God’s protection until they are brought to heaven. In other words: Once a Saint, Always a Saint.

The above doctrine puts believers in a catch 22 situation. Why bother being good? Usually phrased as:

You can and you can’t,
You shall and you shan’t;
You will and you won’t.
You’re damned if you do,
And damned if you don’t.

Some of the more controversial of John Calvin’s quotes:

(source different from above.)

Let it stand, therefore, as an indubitable truth, which no engines can shake, that the mind of man is so entirely alienated from the righteousness of God that he cannot conceive, desire, or design any thing but what is wicked, distorted, foul, impure, and iniquitous; that his heart is so thoroughly envenomed by sin that it can breathe out nothing but corruption and rottenness; that if some men occasionally make a show of goodness, their mind is ever interwoven with hypocrisy and deceit, their soul inwardly bound with the fetters of wickedness.

Who will venture to place the authority of Copernicus above that of the Holy Spirit?

[Those who assert that] the earth moves and turns … [are motivated by] a spirit of bitterness, contradiction, and faultfinding; [possessed by the devil, they aimed] to pervert the order of nature.

John Calvin lived during the waning years of what has been labeled the Dark Ages. During this time religious zealots were resisting the discoveries of science. In particular they were raging against the discovery that Earth was not the center of the Universe, and that it moved, rotated, and indeed, circled the sun instead.

In many ways the ideas espoused by John Calvin rendered Christianity a hardy blow. People were helpless to change their fate, so why adhere to the restrictive rules of a belief system since if they were predestined to go to either heaven or hell they could do nothing to change it. Under the ideas put forth even many members of the churches could be predestined to hell and no matter the effort to alter the course of events hell is where they would go. Each and every parishioner was expected to behave as if they were one of the “chosen” ones never knowing whether they were chosen or not until they landed at the side of god or in a fiery pit of sulfur.