19 responses to “More Atheist Oppression: Freedom from Religion in Georgia”

1. 

   yoyo

   October 3, 2009

   As long as you would be just as happy with the girls banners reading “do it for the flying spaghetti monster” or “do it for allah” then I agree with you. The problem is that all religions make exclusive claims eg: my view is the only permissible view, I think that is the main reason people try and minimise religious comment in public schools. Who are we to tell the sikh kid that their faith wont win the football game? So if the most popular girl in the cheerleading squad is a scientologist, you’d be happy with a scientology slogan?

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2. 

   yoyo

   October 3, 2009

   The shorter version of my POV is that those who argue against minimising relious displays in school are almost always doing it on the basis that the only correct profession of faith is a protestant or catholic version. That is what your constitution wanted to prevent.

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3. 

   Stop

   October 3, 2009

   How long do we have to engage in these lame-brain national debates about religion? How long do we have to halt our forward progress to discuss what should be obvious? Over and over again, the same nonsense is churned up. The same shop worn arguments; the old same ideas. How long do we have to ride the stem cell, abortion, euthenaisa, homosexual, separation of church and state, gay marriage, Merry Go Round?
   Why do the religious find it so necessary to proclaim, convert and spread their view? They are like a tasteless, pushy salesman who doesn’t know when to stop, even when the customer is walking away. Why can’t they confine their mystic revelations to their churches, temples, mosques, sweat lodges or where ever they go to pay homage to whomever or whatever it is they pay homage to.
   They are not convincing. They are not threatening. They are simply bad mannered, insensitive, self-centered and annoying. It’s all about them, their road to salvation and their right to free speech. They are on God’s path and buddy; you better get on it too. And don’t even dare to suggest they shut up.
   I don’t know why they can’t just keep their banners, nativity scenes, door to door “have-you-found-Jesus,” Hare Krishna road shows to themselves? Enough is damn well enough. Nobody wants to hear it anymore. Shut up already.

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4. 

   Walt

   October 3, 2009

   Dude, you are more fervent in your atheisim than most Chistians are with theirs. Why must you engage in these lame-brain national debates about anti-religion? Over and over again, the same nonsense is churned up. Why do the fervent athiests find it so necessary to proclaim, convert and spread their view? Why can’t they confine their mystic views to their bars, sex shops, opium parlors, democratic headquarters or where ever they go to pay homage to whomever or whatever it is they pay homage to.
   They are not convincing. They are not threatening. They are simply bad mannered, insensitive, self-centered and annoying. It’s all about them, their right to silence the God fearing and their right to free speech. They are on Obama’s path and buddy; you better get on it too. And don’t even dare to suggest they shut up.
   I don’t know why they can’t just keep their banners, porno shows, and door to door “have-you-found-Obama,” Enough is darn well enough. Nobody wants to hear it anymore. Shut up already.

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5. 

   Philip France

   October 3, 2009

   Dear Stop,
   I recommend a profund book: The Life and Christian Character of the Civil Institutions of the United States by Benjamin F. Morris.
   As Selwyn Duke indicated in his article, Christianity and the Judeo-Christian worship of God is woven into the fabric of our nation. Without it, we are not the United States. If you don’t like it, fine. However, you would be more intellectually honest if you were to move to North Korea than to complain as you do.

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6. 

   yoyo

   October 3, 2009

   You know it’s quite strange, I’ve never had atheists knocking at my door clutching a copy of Dawkins,cant remember the last time i read about a dispute between the armed followers of Hitchens against those of Onfrey for example.
   I have no problem with the cheerleaders writing any damn thing on their banners as long as other points of view are also encouraged.

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7. 

   yoyo

   October 3, 2009

   I think Philip has inadvertantly made Stop’s point. Anytime an atheist/muslim/scientologist raises their head and asks for equivalent space, a fundie christian tells them that they are not American and must therefore shut up.

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8. 

   WhataWitWaltHoltonIs

   October 3, 2009

   Walt,
   All right (Dude?) you’ve got it nailed! Obama is in fact God. That’s right! Obama is the Supreme Being; The Creator of the Universe; God in all His majesty. Don’t ask for proof, dude. Just accept it on faith. He’s God and that’s it. Now lower your head and offer a prayer to Obama – “Our Obama who Art in Washington…” (You can figure out the rest for yourself dude.) Just tell me where exactly, are these “opium parlors” you’re talking about? Do you have them in Idaho, or do you have to go out of state to find them? Do you even know, or do you just Believe they exist? “Opium parlors”…I think Walty might have uttered a lie. That’s a sin you know. But, just say three Our Obamas and you’ll be forgiven.
   In His (Obama’s) Name…
   WhataWitWaltHoltonIs
   P.S.
   Walt, I think you’re a big enough boy to say “damn” instead of “darn,” by golly, gee wiz,

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9. 

   WhataWitWaltHoltonIs

   October 3, 2009

   Philip,
   Do the North Koreans have universal health insurance?

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10. 

    Janice

    October 4, 2009

    You guys all need some serious rehab. Stereotypers Anonymous. 🙂

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11. 

    Susan Q.

    October 4, 2009

    Who cares what high school cheerleaders in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia
    have to say…About anything?
    Apart from high school boys in Fort Oglethorpe and the town pedophile…Nobody!
    You can’t tell me that some adult, fire-and-brimstone, Southern Baptist (probably working at the school) didn’t have a hand in all this “commit to the Lord” and “take courage and do it” foolishness.
    But: “The cheerleaders are not trying to push a religious cause, to shove religion down someone’s throat, said local youth minister Brad Scott…The cheerleaders are just using Scripture to show motivation and inspiration to the players and the fans.”
    Does Scott really think the rest of the country is stupid enough to buy that piece of rotten baloney? If those little Georgia Peach, Fort O, cheerleaders really want to motivate their team of adolescent boys, they don’t have to use some silly banner to do it. Know what I mean?
    This kind of thing is exactly what youth minister Scott says it isn’t; pushing a religious cause and trying to shove religion down someone’s throat. Why can’t these people just be honest enough to say it – “Hey, we’re Christians; the mighty, mighty Christians! We wanna make you a Christian. Christianity is the one and only true religion. Christianity is American and if you don’t like it, move to North Korea.”
    Youth minister Brad Scott may not say that, but I’ll bet he thinks it. And if that’s true, then he and the folks clutching their Bibles in church this morning are not all that different from the stinky Taliban guy clutching his Koran in some dirt hole on the Pakistan border.
    And that’s why we have to fight them there as well as we have to fight them here. Because, come on, it’s not so much your soul that they are after; it’s your body; and worse yet your mind. You know – “Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.”
    Can I get an Amen on that somebody?
    .

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12. 

    yoyo

    October 4, 2009

    “Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.”
    I like the quote Susan. I’ll add it to this one
    “Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.”
    Steven wienberg
    let’s put that on the cheerleader’s banner.

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13. 

    Shaun

    October 5, 2009

    Yoyo,
    I seem to remember you leaving a comment on our poster “Dan” telling him to put his thinking cap on and add something intelligent to the conversation. Well, talk about the pot calling the kettle black. Personally, I think Philip gives you way too much credit when he complements your articulation and intelligence. I don’t know why, but the left goes red when religion is mentioned. Everyone drags up the same old cliches of how religion starts wars and persecutions and any reasoning flies right out the window. Dress it up anyway you like….when people deny the existence of God they come to hate him and anyone bearing his name.

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14. 

    yoyo

    October 5, 2009

    Shaun, If you have the time re-read my first comments on this topic. I dont have a problem with people spreading their relgious belief as long as it is not exclusionary. The comments following basically told atheists to leave the country. Re cliches about religion starting wars that wasn’t my comment however we get sick of the cliche about atheist having no morality. Short comment formats tend to lend themselves to sloganeering.
    as for your last comment, I’m sure you deny the existance of many gods yourself. I’m hopeful that like myself you dont hate all those who follow the gods you dont believe in even if particular adherants or particular points of theology make you sick.

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15. 

    Shaun

    October 5, 2009

    Fair enough, no I don’t hate people who don’t share the same religous beliefs as me. The article was about a group expressing a religous belief for motivation which is just fine by my standard. Would I mind If someone/group used a sign expressing atheistic beliefs or those of a different religion..yes I would mind. However, I would not try to ban them or deprive them of that right either. The reason I believe so many(christians) lament other religions from gaining a following is that it marks a change in our society.
    As Philip said, christianity is woven into the fabric of our state and helped make us what we are today. As the influence of christianity fades in America our culture and way of life will change as well. Not for the better by my worldview.
    Yoyo, I apologize If I snapped back and seemed rude, while I definitely meant to be to some extent my point is,and this has been blasted from Selwyn’s articles, that the left takes on a whole new demeanor whenever religion comes up. If religion is another man-made belief system than why do we keep isolating it from society? By treating it as somehow different you validate it’s existence, at least that’s the way I see it. I would love to go further but typepad is so impersonal Ill stop here.
    Shaun

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16. 

    yoyo

    October 5, 2009

    No offence taken, I understand that many christians may feel dismayed if they feel that their faith is in danger of being surplanted by another (or by none at all). However since you have one of the more plualistic societies (and one of the most overtly relgious western societies) people of other faiths WILL ask for their space in the sun.
    Therefore I think the pressure to ensure people dont feel excluded or affronted leads to the pressure to remove relgious statements from public schools. One in, all in, or none at all.
    This has not been such an issue on my polity because we have a more secular society, no one seems to fight to remove nativity scenes for example. and I confess, I dont know if the pressure to remove religious items form the public sphere in your country is in response to an increase in those items.
    However, my state attorney general from the left side of politics has just let us on the left down by allowing relgious groups to continue to discriminate against people of other faiths, atheists, gays etc even if they receive government funding. So I wouldn’t say that it is a unidirectional change these things tend to vary according to many factors including electoral pressures.

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17. 

    Walt

    October 6, 2009

    So yoyo,
    Do you consider your sect of atheism evangelical? Are you an athiest missionary?

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18. 

    yoyo

    October 6, 2009

    No I tend to put my time into trying to change peoples political point of view rather than their religion. When the religion impacts on politics particularly health, womens freedoms and education I may be a bit more lippy. But I have no particular stake in making more atheists. it doesnt get me browny points in non-heaven, and i dont fear for the non-souls of those i have not managed to “convert”.
    I do get pissed when religious groups stop the majority of non-religious students having ethics classes if they dont want to attend religious studies. The catholic archdiosis in sydney wants the kids to sit and stare at the wall if their parents dont want them to go to religious studies. (This is at public schools BTW).

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19. 

    yoyo

    October 6, 2009

    Bugger, lost the last comment. No walt I’m more interested in changing people’s politics than their relgious beliefs. Where religious belief impacts on health, womens issues or education, i may get a bit lippy.
    In Sydney, the majority of public school students dont go to the hour of relgious studies, their parents are pushing for an ethics class designed by St james college instead but the catholic archdiosis is fighting the move prefering the non-attending children to sit and stare at the wall if they wont take religious education. That annoys me greatly.
    However i have no stake in increasing the number of atheists, I dont get browny points if i convert people and i dont worry about their non-soul if they continue to follow a god.

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