[270KIDZ]

Originally Posted by warbeak2099

Arkansas, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas all have different clauses in their constitutions which say that people who don't believe in God can't hold public offices.

Now is this a law that's actually enforced?

In Kentucky, it is against the law to carry icecream in your back pocket but how many people actually get arrested for it.

*That does not justify that, and I agree that this is wrong. Just wondering if it is really an issue.

[warbeak2099]

Originally Posted by 270KIDZ

Now is this a law that's actually enforced?

In Kentucky, it is against the law to carry icecream in your back pocket but how many people actually get arrested for it.

*That does not justify that, and I agree that this is wrong. Just wondering if it is really an issue.

Find me an atheist politician in any of those states, or any state in the US. I will bet you that you won't find many if any. Yes, a person who is an atheist is looked down upon by a great deal of American Christians. There are more right wing religious individuals in this country than you may think.

[270KIDZ]

Originally Posted by warbeak2099

Find me an atheist politician in any of those states, or any state in the US. I will bet you that you won't find many if any. Yes, a person who is an atheist is looked down upon by a great deal of American Christians. There are more right wing religious individuals in this country than you may think.

People vote for people like them. Do I need to bring up the Obama demographics.

76% (2008 census) of people are Christians in America.

It isn't fair, but it's how the world works.

**Not saying there isn't a discrimination issue, too. But the lack of athiests in office isn't fully contributed to discrimination.

[warbeak2099]

Originally Posted by 270KIDZ

People vote for people like them. Do I need to bring up the Obama demographics.

76% (2008 census) of people are Christians in America.

It isn't fair, but it's how the world works.

**Not saying there isn't a discrimination issue, too. But the lack of athiests in office isn't fully contributed to discrimination.

You just supported my point. Ignorant people will vote for whoever is most similar to them, regardless of their ability. There are a ton of ignorant people in America who vote like this. The problem affects a lot of minorities, not just atheists and other non-theists.

[270KIDZ]

Originally Posted by warbeak2099

You just supported my point. Ignorant people will vote for whoever is most similar to them, regardless of their ability. There are a ton of ignorant people in America who vote like this. The problem affects a lot of minorities, not just atheists and other non-theists.

Who says it wrong to vote for people that are like them? That's the core of Representative Democracy. The problem is what factors people compare themselves with these people.

Race is an unfair but unfortunately fairly prevalent factor. Race doesn't affect decision making.
Religion (more morality than religion) is a fair factor to judge a candidate on because it does affect decision making.

Problem: People confuse morality with religion.

[warbeak2099]

Originally Posted by 270KIDZ

Problem: People confuse morality with religion.

Yes that was my point. Many people assume that if you aren't a believer, you're an immoral psychopath.

[Dr.Phil.McGraw (Banned)]

Originally Posted by warbeak2099

You just supported my point. Ignorant people will vote for whoever is most similar to them, regardless of their ability. There are a ton of ignorant people in America who vote like this. The problem affects a lot of minorities, not just atheists and other non-theists.

jesus tap dancing christ.

"ignorance affects alot of persecuted minoritys in america... not just the atheists.... I am sure there are others"

lol. funny.

perhaps CNN should do a "godless in america" special to bring the horrors your people have endured living in america to light.

maybe a holliday? martin luther king day, then 6 months later have richard dawkins day.

write your senator when atheists are being shipped into the country packed in cargo containers or have years of slavery under their belt, or were locked in internment camps during a war, or were locked in a foreign jail indefinitely because a siek turban REALLY looks like a muslim turban.

ever notice how absolutely everything is manufactured for righthanders?

left handers are more likely to die in car accidents because the console is designed for rightys. that is genocide.


prejudice against atheists is less noticable then prejudice against smokers.
thats officially the line.
if it aint worse than getting kicked out of a restaurant and forced to stand out in the cold for 5 minutes every 2 hours then it aint discrimination.

[Dr.Phil.McGraw (Banned)]

Originally Posted by warbeak2099

Yes that was my point. Many people assume that if you aren't a believer, you're an immoral psychopath.

wait... werent you saying (in the 50 cal forum) that I was the one who oversimplifies?

you make me proud.
soon the student will become the teacher.

[warbeak2099]

1. I'm not an atheist so "you people" doesn't apply to me.
2. I'm not saying it's as bad as other problems in America, just saying it exists. There you go again over-exaggerating to make everyone else seem ridiculous.
3. I wasn't oversimplifying. I said MANY people, I didn't make a generalization. I didn't say ALL Americans. I said there's a lot of people.

I don't know how you decided that I was whining about this or saying that it's a great travesty. I'm just saying it happens. You were denying that it's a problem at all. Just because it's not as bad as slavery doesn't mean it's not a problem at all. I guess if something's not as bad as a previous historical wrongdoing, we should just ignore it. "Well it's not as bad as the holocaust, let's just forget it!"

Cmon man now you're just trolling again.

[T-Vizz the 2nd]

Sigged that bit about yelling at the deaf.

[VanishPaintball]

Originally Posted by Dr.Phil.McGraw

prejudice against atheists is less noticable then prejudice against smokers.
thats officially the line.
if it aint worse than getting kicked out of a restaurant and forced to stand out in the cold for 5 minutes every 2 hours then it aint discrimination.

Right. Because when I don't believe in god next to someone, they get lung cancer.

Your old style of trolling was funnier.

[p3ngu!n]

Originally Posted by vanquish_v12

People will always judge you no matter what your beliefs are. And Christians generally believe you're going to hell whether you're agnostic, atheist, hindu, or whatever, doesn't matter what you are if you haven't accepted Jesus. So like you said, just don't give a **** about it.

oh looky, islam doesn't state that its the only way to heaven does it?

stop being a ***** cause you irrationally hate a group of people. there are differences between christians and church goers.

[hsilman]

Originally Posted by warbeak2099

Find me an atheist politician in any of those states, or any state in the US. I will bet you that you won't find many if any. Yes, a person who is an atheist is looked down upon by a great deal of American Christians. There are more right wing religious individuals in this country than you may think.

I can find tons for you, probably in some church every sunday too.

[ἔρως-φιλία-ἀγάπη]

Originally Posted by Fubarius

There's actually quite a few different shades of grey when it comes to Agnosticism. You're describing what's sometimes known as Strong Agnosticism. Where the belief is that one doesn't know if there is a deity or not, and neither can anyone else.

On the other end of the spectrum you have Agnostic Theism. Where one doesn't know for a fact if there is a deity or not, but there could be one, and chooses to believe in one anyways.

And then you get Agnostic Atheism. Where one doesn't know for a fact if there is a deity or not, but there could be one, and chooses to believe there is NOT one at all.

Thanks for the information. I guess you would have to consider me an agnostic theist, because there's always a chance there is no God.

Originally Posted by tipsyfry

Well, it might sound dumb but.. I feel almost guilty by not saying there isn't a God. My entire life i've been pushed towards christianity and being a believer, yet recently my family took a huge twist and turned their beliefs more towards mesianic jewish? I believe. I just turned 16 so i've got alot to learn, and I try not to wrap my life around religion right now, so what I believe & say now will most likely change in the future.

By not saying there is a God, I feel as if i'll go to hell. Which could also allude to that I believe in heaven & hell. I honestly just don't know the "right" thing to practice. Therefore i'd define myself as Agnostic.

Interesting. Yours and my life sound pretty similar, except that I am a Christian and pretty much do base my life around truth. I'm definitely not religious though.

Also, there are not many core differences between Christianity and Messianic Judaism. Messianic Jews believe that Christ was the Messiah God promised the Jews. I'm not sure what they think about the trintiy or Jesus being the son of God though. They believe that he was resurrected and that he saves people from their sins though. Altogether, not much difference.

Originally Posted by warbeak2099

Arkansas, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas all have different clauses in their constitutions which say that people who don't believe in God can't hold public offices.

Google it.

If those laws are on the books, then that's ridiculous.

But, as hsilman said, there are tons of atheists in office. The argument that atheists are being discriminated against in public office really doesn't hold much water now. Actually, atheism is probably considered more politically correct than Christianity.

Or do you really mean to tell me that all of those office holders in Washington and everywhere else are Christians?

[Umami]

Originally Posted by ἔρως-φιλία-ἀγάπη

If those laws are on the books, then that's ridiculous.

But, as hsilman said, there are tons of atheists in office. The argument that atheists are being discriminated against in public office really doesn't hold much water now. Actually, atheism is probably considered more politically correct than Christianity.

Or do you really mean to tell me that all of those office holders in Washington and everywhere else are Christians?

Well, I know several people that work in the White House (mostly staffers), and you'd be amazed by the number of elected officials who support one cause because of their constituency, but personally believe something else entirely. I wouldn't be surprised if there were many officials who publicly stated they were christian, and went to church, but in fact were agnostic or atheist.

I know for sure several NE congressmen are atheist or agnostic.

[hsilman]

America's political obsession with Christianity has a lot more to do with status quo and perceived tradition than any Biblical based religious belief.

[warbeak2099]

Yea I agree, but when's the last time you heard of an office holder who was openly atheist? That'd be a campaign killer.

[Umami]

Barney Frank maybe?

[warbeak2099]

Originally Posted by Umami

Barney Frank maybe?

He's Jewish lol.

[VanishPaintball]

Originally Posted by ἔρως-φιλία-ἀγάπη

But, as hsilman said, there are tons of atheists in office. The argument that atheists are being discriminated against in public office really doesn't hold much water now. Actually, atheism is probably considered more politically correct than Christianity.

Or do you really mean to tell me that all of those office holders in Washington and everywhere else are Christians?

Originally Posted by Edgell, P., et. al. (2006)

In a 1999 Gallup poll, only 49 percent of Americans say that they would be willing to vote for a presidential candidate who is an atheist—compared to 59 percent willing to vote for a homosexual candidate and over 90 percent professing willingness to vote for a female, Jewish, or black candidate.

More than 3/4 of the population profess to be Christians. Nonbelievers, even in the most lenient interpretation of the category, make up 15% or so. Only about 1% actually identify as "atheist." One of the biggest issues in the last presidential election was what Barack Obama's preacher had to say to his flock.

Seriously, show me a holder of public office who was elected whilst proclaiming to be an atheist. More suitably, show me enough that the number correlates with the demographics (1/100 if going atheist, a little more than 1/8 of going with "nonbeliever").

It's up to St. Peter to determine if those saying they're Christians are really Christians. If you have to claim to be Christian to get elected, the point stands.

Ref.
Edgell, P., Gerteis, J., & Hartmann, D. (2006). Atheist as other. American Sociological Review, Vol. 71.

[hsilman]

this is a forum devoted to religion and philosophical discussion, so I disagree that the point stands. Whether or not they ever exhibit Biblically based Christian values or show that Christ is the head of their lives instead of anything else is not just a moot point. I would definitely argue that not a single politician in american history has done that.

now, are they devoted to the same "Christianity" that the vast majority of americans claim when responding to the Gallup polls, then yes. But that "Christianity" has nothing to do with any religion, but an embodiment of American nationalistic values, which are quite related to the Christian "holy days" and how they were established, than again, anything to do with the Bible.