We Atheists Might Scare Religious Leaders, but We're Not Leaving

Earlier (maybe another board even) someone said something like: Atheists were likely to be like Jeffrey Dalmer.
Well Christians practice ritualistic cannibalism every Sunday. Eat this... this is my body...

here is how i see it. there may be a creator, there may not. if there is a creator i feel it is far more important to him how we act and treat others and the earth he created than in what way or what form we recognise his exhistence in. if how we worship is that important to god why does no religion claim even half of man believe it to be the path. going to a good church, temple or mosque is a good thing. it makes a community closer by bringing them together once in a week and having them set aside petty squabbles and even mediate major ones. the good churches tell us stories of cooperation, community, many good ways for us to lead our lives, and even a crude form of justice and of course redemption and forgiveness. some people whose lives are 100%religion heart and soul lose sight of this fact and get more wrapped up in forcing their particular sects teachings on others instead of using their excess monies and time to help the less fortunate as ALL of the abrahamic religions of the old testament teach us we should do.

Can anyone give me just one example, in all of world history, of a free and civil theocracy?

as an atheist I don't understand why people want to be confrontational about their beliefs. Live and let live. I don't flaunt my atheism or criticize christians or other believers. What do I care?

Where would we be now if the Islamic religion had not thrown out the precis calendar created by Omar Khayyám? Where would we be now if that Christian mob had not burned down the library of Alexandria (the greatest collection of knowledge on earth at the time)? Where would we be now if the Vatican had not told Galileo Galilei to shut up at risk of death? Where would be be now if the Thirty Years War between two nutty religious factions had never happened? Where would we be now if Hitler's persecution had not killed thousands of scientists who just happened to be socialists and communists or of Jewish ancestry? We would be thousands of years ahead. That's what. (No wonder those aliens refuse to land.)

"They know that it is human nature to take up causes whereby a man may oppress his neighbor, no matter how unjustly. ... Hence they have had no trouble in finding men who would preach the damnability and heresy of the new doctrine from the very pulpit." Galileo Galilei

i'm a christian and my best friend is an atheist, and we talk about our beliefs all the time without getting mad and throwing pointless ''santa clause, tooth fairy, burning in hell for not believe'' insults that are already worn out.. we're only going to live once and I wish us both well where we are going after we die if that is we go anywhere.. and yea hate me all you want I don't care I don't believe all atheists are going to hell or any other religion for that matter, I have some atheists friends who help and are more of good than some people that I go to church with.. my imaginary god tells me that ''he can only judge'' so I let him and not point fingers trying to assume the good atheist is going to burn while the pedophile priest is going to heaven ('while not all are pedo's) my faith is just a way of life and it's okay if people poke fun yea some things don't make sense but life all together doesn't really make sense

"A man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties and needs; no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death" Albert Einstein

Since the burden of proof is on the individuals making positive statements, will someone please present evidence as to God's existence?

You sweet talker! How dare you speak reason in English?! Keep talking like that and somebody might listen. If they do, they might start living. Do you really want dead-head religious zombies awake instead of waiting to live in Paradise, after they die? Imagine the damage that such stupid beings could cause if awake. Why you might see insane female democracies disintegrating, biosustainability and controlled population, reversed global warming, a repaired ozone layer, and an end to resource exhaustion. Is that what you want?! Be reasonable now. Who needs the human race? Quiet down and let the #$%$ fools stay asleep till "Judgment Day". Hotel Aloirav

Rorschach has given up on rational argument and has gone to beginning most of his posts with an insult and then continuing with lists he shows no understanding of. He would benefit from a few lessons in courtesy, logical argument, and above all, history.

I am a follower of Christ, I share the gospel with those who want to hear it. I don't force my religion on anyone. If I strike up a conversation with someone and they don't want to talk about God that's fine. I have many friends who are atheists. Some that we discuss each other points of view and others who will do nothing but bash religion. My point is there are good and bad in all how they choose to present themselves and their point of view. The media on the other hand is there to stir the pot. To divide as much as possible by only looking at the extreme and never focusing on the normal Christian or Atheists. We are all entitled to our beliefs.

“Secular schools can never be tolerated because such schools have no religious instruction, and a general moral instruction without a religious foundation is built on air; consequently, all character training and religion must be derived from faith.” -- Adolf Hitler, speech made during negotiations leading to the Nazi-Vatican Concordant of 1933, 26 April 1933

---- “The Government of the Reich, which regards Christianity as the unshakable foundation of the morals and moral code of the nation, attaches the greatest value to friendly relations with the Holy See, and is endeavouring to develop them.” – Adolf Hitler, speech to the Reichstag, 23 March 1933

---- “We were convinced that the people needs and requires this faith. We have therefore undertaken the fight against the atheistic movement, and that not merely with a few theoretical declarations: we have stamped it out.” – Adolf Hitler, speech in Berlin, 24 October 1933

"Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful." Roman philosopher Seneca. 150 a.d.
These words are as relevant today as they have ever been at any time in history.

" I created the universe, man, woman and a snake to talk them into getting the original sin. Later, I impregnated a virgin Jewish woman with myself as her child so that I could be born. Once alive, I had myself killed as a sacrifice to me, so that I could save you from the sin that I originally condemned you to. Then I arose and rejoined myself in heaven again."_God
P.s. If you refuse to believe in my story or fail to believe, love, honor worship or obey me OR my son (who is actually me), I will cast you into a lake of fire after you die, where I will torture and burn you and make you suffer and cry for all eternity. But I LOVE you! What a load of crap.

According to Leo, Christians change their religion to fit environment. So moving Christmas to a pagan holiday (the winter solstice) was done knowingly to "fit in". Sounds like some Christians actually practice evolution (consciously) not only for their benefit but also to promote their religion in non-Christian countries.

Unfortunately, its impossible to be logical with believers. And if you even attempt to hold a discussion, they retaliate by quoting their bible at you. Talk about circular! But you are correct, we aren't going away. In fact, we are becoming more vocal. And good for us! Such superstitious nonsense is harmful in many ways.

Flew has been the Big Dog of Atheism ever since he wrote the “Atheist manifesto” in 1950. He challenged non-Atheists to “prove it” (essentially). However, in 2004 he renounced Atheism due to the inability of rational thought to account for the information content in DNA, which he called “the integrated complexity of the biological world”. He concluded that pre-existing intelligence had to be considered. “I had to follow the Evidence, no matter where it took me.” (Flew, interview with Lee Strobel, radio broadcast).

The author mentions several ways in which religion, and Christianity has not been a force for good. And he's right. Throughout history, people have used God as an excuse to hurt others. But this is not because belief in God makes you a bad person, or an idiot. It happens because people are people. Some of us are better in nature than others, but we are all capable of lying, cheating, stealing and killing, given the right circumstances. And some of us have a great capacity for persuasion, which we can use to hurt or harm.
Personally, I've always found that the belief held by some atheists that human beings are essentially good to be just a much of a myth as they believe my God to be. To each his own.
For me, Pascal's theorem makes sense. It does me no harm to serve God, in this world or the next.

After many many years of lying to myself and to everyone who knew me, I finally had to be absolutely and brutally honest with the cold hard fact that I truly honestly did not believe hardly any of the religious bunk that had been fed to me over the years. Now, I'm proud to be an atheist (if that's what others insist on labeling me) and can finally be comfortable and at peace knowing that I'm no longer having to put up this religious yet hypocritical facade anymore. I am educated, have a professional career, posses high moral standing, give to and volunteer at several charities, have a mostly conservative outlook on social and fiscal issues, and have a fantastic family and many great friends (most of which are religious). Yes, we are here, we are growing in number daily, and we will resist any and all attempts at legislating religious mandates on our society. Bank on it.