mariano, atheism, atheist, morality, morals, ethical, ethicsThe same people who can't shut up about Jesus just can't seem to understand why atheists might want to advertise their viewpoint. I will give them this: the motivation is different. Atheists aren't really hoping you'll convert to atheism, we just want to let other atheists know they're not alone, and it's okay to believe or not believe as you will.
Atheists live in a world that rejects us, even demonizes us, at every turn. Speaking as a US citizen, god is on my money, in my pledge, the reason for a Federal holiday, and permeates the language and culture. Belief is the assumed default, to admit that one does not believe can generate any reaction from stupid misunderstanding (one person actually said to my nephew, "so, you're Jewish?") to outright hostility. Everyone in our culture thanks god for the great and the small, speaks of miracles and prays for us.
It can be a little lonely.
Mariano, who declares that atheism is dead (we'll categorize this under "demonize"), adds a little extra stupid to his outrage over the bus ads.
Yes, they are at it again. Having nothing better to do with vast amounts of money more atheist bus ads are being purchased.
Okay, where is the vast amount of atheist money, and how do I get some of it?
What has Mariano's panties in a bunch? The idea, as shown in the above picture, that one can be moral and ethical without god. The truly ridiculous thing about Mariano's outrage is that this is an undeniable fact. Arguing about this is like arguing whether or not water is wet. Secular societies have lower rates of violence and teen pregnancy. Atheists are better at marriage. Atheists make up the tiniest portion of the prison population. Sorry, Mariano, Jesus doesn't make you better than me.
LOL @ "Sorry, Mariano, Jesus doesn't make you better than me."
ReplyDeleteYou know, I haven't until recently begun speaking about my beliefs. While I was coming to realize I was viewing things from an Agnostic perspective, I sort of kept it hidden. Now, I feel the need to speak up because the first person I talked to about my personal beliefs judged me, hard. Telling me I worship the devil, blah blah. After mixed-reviews from my family, I sort of came out of my shell, hoping to converse with as many Christians & faith-followers as possible, to instill some intellect in Church-goers that Atheism is not a Religion. We don't work from a common doctrine. We don't hate God, because we can't hate something we think doesn't exist. & That most Atheists are genuinely, good people.
That divorce statistic I often use to prove my point. It's a damn good statistic.
Thanks for this post!
That's why I love the internet, rationalbeauty. It gives me a whole world full of people who don't hate me because I don't believe in god. That I find fellow gamers or nonmommies or whatever is just icing on the cake.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to hell!
Oh I don't hate you because you don't believe in God, I hate you because you have an unhealthy obsession with Gears of War ;)
ReplyDeleteit's gonna get ugly over there in beamstalk land when the gamer crusades begin.
ReplyDeleteMariano wears panties?
ReplyDeleteI have no idea, though I wouldn't particularly care if he did.
ReplyDelete'Twas hugely amusing to see PhysicistDave rip Mariano a new one over Christianity's inherent moral relativism.
ReplyDeleteThis sign doesn't even need to be viewed as an overtly atheist message. People with the belief in a God or several gods can look at this sign and take it as a message promoting the separation of church and state (and the two sadly always seem to find their way back together in their unhappy union). As is 'laws can be good despite not being based on rules out of the Bible..."
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing preachy or anything, so what's the big stink about?
ps. I stumbled upon your blogge randomly, and I hope you don't mind me making comments.
comment away!
ReplyDelete