The Happy Atheist

So, with this SCOTUS ruling on marriage, obviously there has been backlash on the right side of the spectrum. What disturbs me is the vitriol and sheer hate filled speech I keep seeing on the matter.

People who claim to be Christians are really getting nasty in some forums of speech, and it troubles me. We aren't seeing this from the other more conservative religions in this country. It's really disheartening to see, and so troubling to think that this is what has become of what once was a pretty benign and respectful group of people in this country.

It's easy to say that these offenders that claim to be Christians aren't in fact so, but that's too easy. They certainly think they are, and in most arenas that's enough to make it so.

I guess I want to ask, what happened to the peace, the tolerance, the love, and the compassion? We saw victims and families of victims of a heinous murder forgive him only days later in Charleston. In contrast, a minority in this country has simply had their right to get married acknowledge by the government as being enshrined in the Constitution, and look at all the hate.

Pleas, no trolls, I really want insight into this.

If you confine your reality to what can fit in one book, how small is your reality? How close is the horizon of your thoughts?

Do you realize the immense freedom of existence that exists outside of it? Do you ever wonder if there is more than just one book?

Should you be bared from using products and technologies that were produced by our understanding of them?

If you do not accept evolution, should you not be allowed antibiotics or vaccines?

If you do not accept the big bang and therefore quantum mechanics, should you not be able to use anything with a transistor?

A, Adad, Adapa, Adrammelech, Aeon, Agasaya, Aglibol, Ahriman, Ahura Mazda, Ahurani, Ai-ada, Al-Lat, Aja, Aka, Alalu, Al-Lat, Amm, Al-Uzza (El-'Ozza or Han-Uzzai), An, Anahita, Anath (Anat), Anatu, Anbay, Anshar, Anu, Anunitu, An-Zu, Apsu, Aqhat, Ararat, Arinna, Asherali, Ashnan, Ashtoreth, Ashur, Astarte, Atar, Athirat, Athtart, Attis, Aya, Baal (Bel), Baalat (Ba'Alat), Baau, Basamum, Beelsamin, Belit-Seri, Beruth, Borak, Broxa, Caelestis, Cassios, Lebanon, Antilebanon, and Brathy, Chaos, Chemosh, Cotys, Cybele, Daena, Daevas, Dagon, Damkina, Dazimus, Derketo, Dhat-Badan, Dilmun, Dumuzi (Du'uzu), Duttur, Ea, El, Endukugga, Enki, Enlil, Ennugi, Eriskegal, Ereshkigal (Allatu), Eshara, Eshmun, Firanak, Fravashi, Gatamdug, Genea, Genos, Gestinanna, Gula, Hadad, Hannahanna, Hatti, Hea, Hiribi, The Houri, Humban, Innana, Ishkur, Ishtar, Ithm, Jamshid or Jamshyd, Jehovah, Jesus, Kabta, Kadi, Kamrusepas, Ki (Kiki), Kingu, Kolpia, Kothar-u-Khasis, Lahar, Marduk, Mari, Meni, Merodach, Misor, Moloch, Mot, Mushdama, Mylitta, Naamah, Nabu (Nebo), Nairyosangha, Nammu, Namtaru, Nanna, Nebo, Nergal, Nidaba, Ninhursag or Nintu, Ninlil, Ninsar, Nintur, Ninurta, Pa, Qadshu, Rapithwin, Resheph (Mikal or Mekal), Rimmon, Sadarnuna, Shahar, Shalim, Shamish, Shapshu, Sheger, Sin, Siris (Sirah), Taautos, Tammuz, Tanit, Taru, Tasimmet, Telipinu, Tiamat, Tishtrya, Tsehub, Utnapishtim, Utu, Wurusemu, Yam, Yarih (Yarikh), Yima, Zaba, Zababa, Zam, Zanahary (Zanaharibe), Zarpandit, Zarathustra, Zatavu, Zazavavindrano, Ziusudra, Zu (Imdugud), Zurvan

China (170):

Ba, Caishen, Chang Fei, Chang Hsien, Chang Pan, Ch'ang Tsai, Chao san-Niang, Chao T'eng-k'ang, Chen Kao, Ch'eng Huang, Cheng San-Kung, Cheng Yuan-ho, Chi Po, Chien-Ti, Chih Jih, Chih Nii, Chih Nu, Ch'ih Sung-tzu, Ching Ling Tzu, Ch'ing Lung, Chin-hua Niang-niang, Chio Yuan-Tzu, Chou Wang, Chu Niao, Chu Ying, Chuang-Mu, Chu-jung, Chun T'i, Ch'ung Ling-yu, Chung Liu, Chung-kuei, Chung-li Ch'an, Di Jun, Fan K'uei, Fei Lien, Feng Pho-Pho, Fengbo, Fu Hsing, Fu-Hsi, Fu-Pao, Gaomei, Guan Di, Hao Ch'iu, Heng-o, Ho Po (Ping-I), Hou Chi, Hou T'u, Hsi Ling-su, Hsi Shih, Hsi Wang Mu, Hsiao Wu, Hsieh T'ien-chun, Hsien Nung, Hsi-shen, Hsu Ch'ang, Hsuan Wen-hua, Huang Ti, Huang T'ing, Huo Pu, Hu-Shen, Jen An, Jizo Bosatsu, Keng Yen-cheng, King Wan, Ko Hsien-Weng, Kuan Ti, Kuan Ti, Kuei-ku Tzu, Kuo Tzu-i, Lai Cho, Lao Lang, Lei Kung, Lei Tsu, Li Lao-chun, Li Tien, Liu Meng, Liu Pei, Lo Shen, Lo Yu, Lo-Tsu Ta-Hsien, Lu Hsing, Lung Yen, Lu-pan, Ma-Ku, Mang Chin-i, Mang Shen, Mao Meng, Men Shen, Miao Hu, Mi-lo Fo, Ming Shang, Nan-chi Hsien-weng, Niu Wang, Nu Wa, Nu-kua, Pa, Pa Cha, Pai Chung, Pai Liu-Fang, Pai Yu, P'an Niang, P'an-Chin-Lien, Pao Yuan-ch'uan, Phan Ku, P'i Chia-Ma, Pien Ho, San Kuan, Sao-ch'ing Niang, Sarudahiko, Shang Chien, Shang Ti, She chi, Shen Hsui-Chih, Shen Nung, Sheng Mu, Shih Liang, Shiu Fang, Shou-lao, Shun I Fu-jen, Sien-Tsang, Ssu-ma Hsiang-ju, Sun Pin, Sun Ssu-miao, Sung-Chiang, Tan Chu, T'ang Ming Huang, Tao Kung, T'ien Fei, Tien Hou, Tien Mu, Ti-tsang, Tsai Shen, Ts'an Nu, Ts'ang Chien, Tsao Chun, Tsao-Wang, T'shai-Shen, Tung Chun, T'ung Chung-chung, T'ung Lai-yu, Tung Lu, T'ung Ming, Tzu-ku Shen, Wa, Wang Ta-hsien, Wang-Mu-Niang-Niang, Weiwobo, Wen-ch'ang, Wu-tai Yuan-shuai, Xi Hou, Xi Wangmu, Xiu Wenyin, Yanwang, Yaoji, Yen-lo, Yen-Lo-Wang, Yi, Yu, Yu Ch'iang, Yu Huang, Yun-T'ung, Yu-Tzu, Zaoshen, Zhang Xi, , Zhin, Zhongguei, , Zigu Shen, , Zisun, Ch'ang-O

balto slavic: (125)

Aba-khatun, Aigiarm, Ajysyt, Alkonost, Almoshi, Altan-Telgey, Ama, Anapel, As-ava, Ausaitis, Austeja, Ayt'ar, Baba Yaga (Jezi Baba), Belobog (Belun), Boldogasszony, Breksta, Bugady Musun, Chernobog (Crnobog, Czarnobog, Czerneboch, Cernobog), Cinei-new, Colleda (Koliada), Cuvto-ava, Dali, Darzu-mate, Dazhbog, Debena, Devana, Diiwica (Dilwica), Doda (Dodola), Dolya, Dragoni, Dugnai, Dunne Enin, Edji, Elena, Erce, Etugen, Falvara, The Fates, The Fatit, Gabija, Ganiklis, Giltine, Hotogov Mailgan, Hov-ava, Iarila, Isten, Ja-neb'a, Jedza, Joda-mate, Kaldas, Kaltes, Keretkun, Khadau, Khursun (Khors), Kostrubonko, Kovas, Krumine, Kupala, Kupalo, Laima, Leshy, Marina, Marzana, Matergabiae, Mat Syra Zemlya, Medeine, Menu (Menulis), Mir-Susne-Khum, Myesyats, Nastasija, (Russia) Goddess of sleep., Nelaima, Norov, Numi-Tarem, Nyia, Ora, Ot, Patollo, Patrimpas, Pereplut, Perkuno, Perun, Pikuolis, Pilnytis, Piluitus, Potrimpo, Puskaitis, Rod, Rugevit, Rultennin, Rusalki, Sakhadai-Noin, Saule, Semargl, Stribog, Sudjaje, Svantovit (Svantevit, Svitovyd), Svarazic (Svarozic, Svarogich), Tengri, Tairgin, Triglav, Ulgen (Ulgan, lgn), Veles (Volos), Vesna, Xatel-Ekwa, Xoli-Kaltes, Yamm, Yarilo, Yarovit, Ynakhsyt, Zaria, Zeme mate, Zemyna, Ziva (Siva), Zizilia, Zonget, Zorya, Zvoruna, Zvezda Dennitsa, Zywie

I ran out of characters. This isn't half of the lis

Many of the Christians I encounter are very adamant about the bible and its word. They usually denounce scientific explanation for things.

Question: If God made everything, you and me and the world around us, then wouldn't studying the world around us also be studying God? It's his work according to you, so shouldn't you embrace anything that seeks to learn about it?

How about you behave with civility when you are in a public forum?

You must be aware that spewing hatred or rude comments just makes your side look worse?

Atheists?Agnostics: We should be setting an example of tolerance and open mindedness, as that is what most of us believe to be right.

Theists: You should be nonjudgmental and polite as that is what your respective holy book usually demands of you. And it's the right thing to do.

Agreed?

Do you understand why saying: "you can't prove God is not real" Is not a valid argument? Do you see why this doesn't work? It's the exact same as saying: "you can't prove the Lock Ness monster isn't real" or any other thing. Nothing can be proven to not exist. It's non existence demands that to be true.

Do you see why that doesn't work? It's a basic function of logic that preludes it.

For Anyone: State your belief system or lack thereof, and list your top three most feared things. Think hard.

Thanks!

How do you receive his answer? Do you hear it in your ears, or an internal voice in your head? Or some other means? Please be specific and try to give an example.

Serious answers only.

I know that sounds profoundly toll-ish.

But seriously, if you've read the bible, and you know what is supposed message is, doesn't he come off as a troll?

Atheist. Without religion. None. Zero.

Only once its care givers tell it things does it potentially gain a belief system.

Don't you think you should give them a fighting chance a free thought by teaching them about all religions, not just flooding them with your own and informing them of its infallible truth?

If you are an atheist who for one reason or another, have not or cannot reveal your non-belief to fellow friends and family members, what is the reason? Is your family against atheists? Do your friends seem like they would shun your just for not believing in their god?

What are your personal reasons for hiding your lack of belief?

Please no senseless answers.

"The Crusades were a series of religiously-sanctioned military campaigns waged by much of Latin Christian Europe, particularly the Franks of France and the Holy Roman Empire. The specific crusades to restore Christian control of the Holy Land were fought over a period of nearly 200 years"

There was a total of 9 crusades. The total death toll is estimated at 1.5 million. Crusades 1-8 were sanctioned by the Pope, with the Pope later endorsing the 9th.

What possible motivation could science have to lie to anyone?

Science gathers evidence, forms hypothesis, tests them, reviews the results, reforms their hypothesis, and retests. This is done repetitively until conclusions can be drawn based on the facts.

Religion, instead, already has all the conclusions and searches for anything to validate them.

It is not possible to apply the scientific method to religious matters but why then do theists have to call the most intellectually honest people around, a bunch of liars? Why not simply ignore them if they don't like what they have to say?

What books have you read where you believed everything in it, without something external showing it to have validity?

Do you believe you were born with your religion? As if it was innate in you? Or do you accept that you were taught your religion by people, usually parents, and that people are fallible?

Edit: don't take offense to this. That is silly. And don't cite two of friends of yours and expect that it completely disprove a study of tens of thousands of people. It's an independent study from many many sources. Grow up.

Barna released this 10 years ago:

Barna released the results of their poll about divorce on 1999-DEC-21. 1 They had interviewed 3,854 adults from the 48 contiguous states. The margin of error is ±2 percentage points. The survey found:

11% of the adult population is currently divorced.

25% of adults have had at least one divorce during their lifetime.

Divorce rates among conservative Christians were significantly higher than for other faith groups, and much higher than Atheists and Agnostics experience.

Barna report: Variation in divorce rates among Christian faith groups:

Denomination (in order of decreasing divorce rate)

% who have been divorced

Non-denominational ** 34%

Baptists 29%

Mainline Protestants 25%

Mormons 24%

Catholics 21%

Lutherans 21%

** Barna uses the term "non-denominational" to refer to Evangelical Christian congregations that are not affiliated with a specific denomination. The vast majority are fundamentalist in their theological beliefs

(I agree the study is 10 years old, however, more recent smaller studies show no change in this rate)

Anyone with a well founded scientific background need not answer.

To anyone else who's chosen fields or level of education has not given them a strong scientific understanding, I would like to hear in your own words; What is the electromagnetic spectrum?

There are many, many atheist children in the US and the world. Many of them are forced by their parents to go to church and to pretend they have a faith. Does this not almost constitute abuse? It can be very psychologically damaging to a child to think one way, and to have their parents force them to think another way, and not be able to reconcile this.

Should there be a way for children to choose to think as they will? Why should freedom of thought be denied to people under 18?