Why send your children to private school?

[August]

Y'know i've had religious proselytizers knock on my door maybe 10 times in the past 30 years. A simple "not interested" has always sent them away without a problem. Apparently they can indeed "just live and let live".

Seriously I just don't see why such a rare and insignificant event should elicit such strong negative emotions.

[Aramike]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

So I guess I'll have to ask for some examples. I hear Christians (or people calling themselves Christians) talking fire and brimstone against pretty much anybody who doesn't meet their standards. I see them on TV all the time. I never see any atheists doing that. Not that I'm either.

So you see them on TV, heh?

Well, in my daily life, I bump shoulders with Christians many times, and never once has any of them preached "fire and brimstone". Maybe a few have the "Fish" emblem on their car, maybe even a prominant cross displayed. Or even a "what would Jesus do?".

You know what I see from atheists? Condescending bumper stickers displaying parodies of Christian symbologies. Slogans condemning people who believe differently as stupid. And not to mention the absolutely imbecilic idea that somehow religion has led to war and violence more frequently than other human constructs (racism and cultural/territorial conflicts come to mind).

And these are things I see daily.

Also, as an aside, I've tend to find those who are driving with conservative, religious imagery or slogans displayed to be far more polite and considerate than the others.

[CaptainHaplo]

Steve..... your kidding right?

Go to google... type in:

athiest sues

the results..... About 851,000 results....

Everything from suing to remove "in God we trust" from money to a guy suing his childhood friend who became a priest for daring to tell people that Jesus of Nazareth was a real person! I mean c'mon.....

Atheist harrass - via lawsuit - people who they have no connection with - all in the sake of FURTHERING their OWN desire - remove God from everything... Take crosses off the gravestones of fallen military heroes, remove crosses at war memorials, etc etc....

851,000 results..... yea - they couldn't be out to impede the rights of others now could they?

*Edit - you see them on TV.... somehow that makes them intrusive and intolerant? Its easy to change the channel - their "intolerance" has no affect on you - unless you ALLOW it to. If they were out there chasing you down the street then they would be violating your rights and HARRASSING you - just like athiests do to anyone who disagrees with their agenda - but Xtians don't do that.... so who is worse again?

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

So I guess I'll have to ask for some examples. I hear Christians (or people calling themselves Christians) talking fire and brimstone against pretty much anybody who doesn't meet their standards. I see them on TV all the time. I never see any atheists doing that. Not that I'm either.

I think part of it is that those people - Christians and non-Christians alike - who are of the "live and let live" variety feel no need to be out there "talking fire and brimstone" against people who don't share their beliefs or live by their rules. If you're not dead set on everybody else converting to your beliefs, or else, there's no reason to rant and rail about why you're right and they're wrong and threaten them with whatever punishment supposedly awaits anyone who disagrees.

To a "live and let live" person, what someone else believes or how they live is not a burning issue as long everybody has the same freedoms and rights in respect to those things. They are not mortally offended by diversity or by a society that allows it to flourish instead of treating it as a crime or a sin. They do not see non-conformity as a threat against the validity of their own belief system, and they do not experience the insecurity and anger that comes from watching other people who do not conform to it live happy and productive lives anyway.

So the people who are most vocal and who tend to be most noticeable as the "face" of this or that ideology are, almost by default, the ones who ARE mortally offended by diversity of belief and feel that it should be controlled, mandated against, or stamped out entirely. They are the ones out there making a fuss, getting the press coverage, and stirring up controversy.

[VonHesse]

Originally Posted by CaptainHaplo

Steve..... your kidding right?

Go to google... type in:

athiest sues

the results..... About 851,000 results....

908,000 if you google "christian sues"...

There's pushers and prosthletizers on both sides. And a silent majority that just want to be left alone to believe what they feel is right. Either way, raw Google search numbers are a pretty poor benchmark.

[SteamWake]

Originally Posted by August

Y'know i've had religious proselytizers knock on my door maybe 10 times in the past 30 years. A simple "not interested" has always sent them away without a problem. Apparently they can indeed "just live and let live".

Seriously I just don't see why such a rare and insignificant event should elicit such strong negative emotions.

This is my MO as well.. however the wife has been known to proclaim herself as a pagin. That makes them scratch their heads.

[AngusJS]

Originally Posted by August

Hitler and Stalin were athiests.

Not really.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_H...eligious_views

It'd be wrong to imply that non believers are any less murderous than anyone else.

Then why are atheists extremely underrepresented in the US prison population?

Religion is just a handy excuse, a non religious excuse would serve just as well.

It's true that religion can be can be used to attain purely secular goals.

But beliefs have consequences, and a lot of violence happens for solely religious reasons.

[August]

Originally Posted by AngusJS

Then why are atheists extremely underrepresented in the US prison population?

If that's true and I doubt it is then i'd bet it's for the same reason that atheists are extremely underrepresented in foxholes.

[AngusJS]

Originally Posted by CaptainHaplo

Steve..... your kidding right?

Go to google... type in:

athiest sues

the results..... About 851,000 results....

"Christian sues" gives 1,290,000 results.

[TheBrauerHour]

As a social studies teacher in the great state of Texas, I can say that I am concerned about some of the changes being called for. Still though, the article that was posted is not entirely accurate, and seems to be stretching the boundaries of truth to make the story more appealing.

The comment about the slave trade is a prime example. The vocabulary term "Triangular Trade" actually did include slavery. By placing the issue of slavery inside the larger Atlantic triangular trade, we get to analyze the role of mercantilism and get into deeper discussions about slavery...not just the "slavery was bad" stuff. There is still plenty of discussion concerning the great work of abolitionists during the Antebellum era and the evils of slavery.

I took a look today at the latest and greatest proposed changes, and can tell you that the only people crying to high heaven were the teachers who worship all things liberal and refuse to teach a balanced approach to the students. Sure there are some blatantly obvious right wing changes that concern us all, but on the whole we, as professionals, will still supplement our instruction to provide a balanced education for our students.

[August]

Originally Posted by AngusJS

"Christian sues" gives 1,290,000 results.

And "Athiest sues Christian" yielded 3,020,000 results.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by CaptainHaplo

Steve..... your kidding right?

Nice comeback. Google this and get results. Yes, a lot of wienies are suit-happy, I'll give you that.


But you seem to have forgotten the Church and State thing.

[VonHesse]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Nice comeback. Google this and get results. Yes, a lot of wienies are suit-happy, I'll give you that.

Hmm, only 128,000 results... not sure what you're getting at Steve.

[Aramike]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Nice comeback. Google this and get results. Yes, a lot of wienies are suit-happy, I'll give you that.


But you seem to have forgotten the Church and State thing.

Again, how do you intend upon addressing the very first flaw in your argument?

[antikristuseke]

Originally Posted by August

If that's true and I doubt it is then i'd bet it's for the same reason that atheists are extremely underrepresented in foxholes.

Not over here they are not. That is one of those myths that really irritates me.