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View Full Version : Atheists Taking A Stand!


TyronePalmer
06-18-2016, 04:58 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QfgZGcDO1c

Washington (CNN)

Thousands of atheists turned out Saturday on a muggy Washington day to take part in "Reason Rally," dedicated to boosting the political power of the growing number of non-religious Americans.

"We are here, we are one, we are joined and we are celebrating our secular movement and we want more of this in our government," said rally attendee Doc Gregory, from Hagerstown, Maryland.

Signs and slogans bearing atheist slogans -- "I think therefore I'm Atheist" -- proliferated on the National Mall as musical guests and promotional videos played on stage. A small group of protesters stood nearby, holding signs that said "God Doesn't Believe in Atheists."

What is Atheism?

"Atheism is, in the broadest sense, the absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is the rejection of belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities. Atheism is contrasted with theism, which, in its most general form, is the belief that at least one deity exists." (Wikipedia)

"Atheism is usually defined incorrectly as a belief system. Atheism is not a disbelief in gods or a denial of gods; it is a lack of belief in gods.

The only common thread that ties all atheists together is a lack of belief in gods and supernatural beings." (American Atheists)

Psalm 14:1-3

"The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside, They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one."

Psalm 94:8-19

"Understand, you senseless among the people; And you fools, when will you be wise? He who planted the ear, shall He not hear? He who formed the eye, shall He not see? He who instructs the nations, shall He not correct, He who teaches man knowledge? The Lord knows the thoughts of man, That they are futile. Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O Lord, And teach out of Your law, That You may give him rest from the days of adversity, Until the pit is dug for the wicked.

For the Lord will not cast off His people, Nor will He forsake His inheritance. But judgment will return to righteousness, And all the upright in heart will follow it. Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity? Unless the Lord had been my help, My soul would soon have settled in silence. If I say, “My foot slips,” Your mercy, O Lord, will hold me up. In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul."

Question: When will Christians come together and take a strong stand against evil?

Esaias
06-18-2016, 05:03 PM
You do realise that atheism is NOT 'growing', but is actually in decline, right? Therefore this entire news article is nothing but a propaganda piece designed to give the appearance that Christians are declining and atheism is surging, when in fact the exact opposite is true:

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/global-study-atheists-decline-only-18-world-population-2020

Esaias
06-18-2016, 05:06 PM
""We are here, we are one, we are joined and we are celebrating our secular movement and we want more of this in our government," said rally attendee Doc Gregory, from Hagerstown, Maryland. "

There is no 'neutrality in politics' or government. We will either have a government opposed to God, Christ, and the Bible... or we will have a government submitted to God, Christ, and the Bible. The atheists 'want more' atheism in government.

Unfortunately, most professing Christians (at this point) are thinking 'What's so bad about that?'

And the beat goes on...

Fionn mac Cumh
06-21-2016, 09:27 AM
Here is the thing, keep GOD in you house, church, and heart. Keep GOD out of your politics, government, and professional life.

aegsm76
06-21-2016, 10:58 AM
Here is the thing, keep GOD in you house, church, and heart. Keep GOD out of your politics, government, and professional life.

The framers of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill or Rights did not believe that.

aegsm76
06-21-2016, 11:09 AM
I did not go looking for this, but did happen to notice this article, today.

http://www.wnd.com/2016/06/more-evidence-america-was-destined-to-be-christian-nation/?cat_orig=education

Fionn mac Cumh
06-21-2016, 11:23 AM
The framers of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill or Rights did not believe that.

What? Separation of church and state? They didnt establish a national religion. Its up for debate if any of them were as Christian as we like to make them out to be.

aegsm76
06-21-2016, 01:36 PM
fmc - have you done any study in this area? Did you go read the link?

Fionn mac Cumh
06-21-2016, 01:53 PM
fmc - have you done any study in this area? Did you go read the link?

We have a freedoms of religion. The government however, is supposed to be separate from the church. If we were supposed to be christian or destined to be christian, why isnt there a national religion? Why is there separation of church and state?

aegsm76
06-21-2016, 03:53 PM
The infamous "separation of church and state" appears nowhere in our founding documents. It was in a letter written by Thomas Jefferson and dealt with the issue that a state should not have an official state religion. By which he meant appointment of a specific organization. He clearly believed that Christianity was the official religion, just not a specific congregation/organization.
Here is a link to the letter.
https://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/danpre.html
and here is how he ended it.
"I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection & blessing of the common father and creator of man, and tender you for yourselves & your religious association, assurances of my high respect & esteem."
Also, Jefferson attended church services which were held in the House of Representatives. So, he obviously had a different interpretation of "separation" that what is meant now.

Fionn mac Cumh
06-21-2016, 04:01 PM
The infamous "separation of church and state" appears nowhere in our founding documents. It was in a letter written by Thomas Jefferson and dealt with the issue that a state should not have an official state religion. By which he meant appointment of a specific organization. He clearly believed that Christianity was the official religion, just not a specific congregation/organization.
Here is a link to the letter.
https://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/danpre.html
and here is how he ended it.
"I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection & blessing of the common father and creator of man, and tender you for yourselves & your religious association, assurances of my high respect & esteem."
Also, Jefferson attended church services which were held in the House of Representatives. So, he obviously had a different interpretation of "separation" that what is meant now.

Again, we are not talking about what they did in their personal lives. I am talking about governing this country with religious view point.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

Thats cut and dry straight up.

I am for freedom of religion, & against all maneuvres to bring about a legal ascendancy of one sect over another.
-- Thomas Jefferson, letter to Elbridge Gerry, 1799 (see Positive Atheism's Historical section)

Because religious belief, or non-belief, is such an important part of every person's life, freedom of religion affects every individual. Religious institutions that use government power in support of themselves and force their views on persons of other faiths, or of no faith, undermine all our civil rights. Moreover, state support of an established religion tends to make the clergy unresponsive to their own people, and leads to corruption within religion itself. Erecting the "wall of separation between church and state," therefore, is absolutely essential in a free society.
We have solved, by fair experiment, the great and interesting question whether freedom of religion is compatible with order in government and obedience to the laws. And we have experienced the quiet as well as the comfort which results from leaving every one to profess freely and openly those principles of religion which are the inductions of his own reason and the serious convictions of his own inquiries.
-- Thomas Jefferson, to the Virginia Baptists (1808) ME 16:320. This is his second kown use of the term "wall of separation," here quoting his own use in the Danbury Baptist letter. This wording of the original was several times upheld by the Supreme Court as an accurate description of the Establishment Clause: Reynolds (98 US at 164, 1879); Everson (330 US at 59, 1947); McCollum (333 US at 232, 1948)

aegsm76
06-22-2016, 08:47 AM
You cannot "govern" any country without using some kind of religious viewpoint.

fmc - do you have a problem with prayer before public events? Do you have any issue with placing quotes from the Bible in public places?
If you answered these with a "yes", then you do not understand what Jefferson or the founders intended.
They opened all meetings with a prayer and Biblical quotes are all over Washington DC, carved into stone.
Congress still opens sessions with a prayer.
SCOTUS still opens sessions with a prayer.

Barb
06-24-2016, 06:42 PM
We have a freedoms of religion. The government however, is supposed to be separate from the church. If we were supposed to be christian or destined to be christian, why isnt there a national religion? Why is there separation of church and state?

'Separation of Church and State' is NO WHERE in the Constitution.

Jito463
06-25-2016, 11:23 AM
The infamous "separation of church and state" appears nowhere in our founding documents. It was in a letter written by Thomas Jefferson and dealt with the issue that a state should not have an official state religion. By which he meant appointment of a specific organization. He clearly believed that Christianity was the official religion, just not a specific congregation/organization.
Here is a link to the letter.
https://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/danpre.html
and here is how he ended it.
"I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection & blessing of the common father and creator of man, and tender you for yourselves & your religious association, assurances of my high respect & esteem."
Also, Jefferson attended church services which were held in the House of Representatives. So, he obviously had a different interpretation of "separation" that what is meant now.

:thumbsup

Exactly. People love to throw around the term, but they have absolutely no idea of where it came from, or what it really means.