What if you're a gaytheist?

At least no one has said atheists can't marry each other

/yet

shivashakti: You believe in a homosexual God?

Yeah, that's gotta be more offensive than merely not believing in one at all!

MaudlinMutantMollusk: At least no one has said atheists can't marry each other

/yet

I technically can't hold a civil or government office in this state.

Excellent find, subby.

H.A.H.A.H.A.
Hispanic Atheist Homosexuals Against Hate Association

Funny, I have a super religious neighbor, and she is the outcast of the neighborhood. She recently god pimped her van, and we have been snickering ever since.

AbbeySomeone: GAT_00: MaudlinMutantMollusk: At least no one has said atheists can't marry each other

/yet

I technically can't hold a civil or government office in this state.

Why?
Religion or lack thereof
Politics
Not able to get security clearance
Feeble job skills
All of the above?

In Tennessee, it is illegal for atheists to hold government office. It's true. There's no law against serving in TN government and being gay.

How is it anyone's business what sky wizard someone does or doesn't believe in?

GAT_00: I technically can't hold a civil or government office in this state.

1) move, or stop biatching about it
2) I don't think your state can violate the 1st Amendment.

Well, one of these conditions does involve a choice and the ability to not tell the world about it without living a painful double life.

GAT_00:
In Tennessee, it is illegal for atheists to hold government office. It's true. There's no law against serving in TN government and being gay.

Interesting. So states can create constitutional laws that are in direct conflict with the US Constitution, but they can't pass laws that conflict with Federal Law

/and who would have the nerve to challenge it?

MaudlinMutantMollusk: GAT_00:
In Tennessee, it is illegal for atheists to hold government office. It's true. There's no law against serving in TN government and being gay.

Interesting. So states can create constitutional laws that are in direct conflict with the US Constitution, but they can't pass laws that conflict with Federal Law

/and who would have the nerve to challenge it?

I think that last part is the real issue. It's not that they are within the law, it's that people there are too intimidated to call them on it.

I love it when folks try to draw me in to this see we Christians are soooo good debates. I am a disabled combat vet, I have adopted three of my foster kids, was on my own since age 15 really, managed to get my way to an MS in school even with a job and all of these kids, I volunteer to help mentor kids. Then I have to say sorry to burst your bubble but I am and always have been an atheist

FTA: "America is the well-known exception to the rule that the wealthier and better-educated a country is, the less religious its population."

Ha ha! From another Fark post:

Lunch Scholars

when it comes to being discriminated against by evangelical christianity, i'd imagine pagans and muslims could relate to any persecution atheists might suffer from the same group. A friend of mine is very openly pagan and has been insulted, her house broken into, and had her neigbors call the cops on her during rituals.

Weaver95: A friend of mine is very openly pagan and has been insulted, her house broken into, and had her neigbors call the cops on her during rituals.

It happens in the non-Evangelical north too if you aren't careful. But yeah, places like Florida have the worst clashes because some areas are accepting next to places they would likely kill you.

Florida has all sorts of religious problems. My girlfriend got public attention just for wearing a crystal point around her neck in Tampa.

Most in Florida don't look at pagans as having a real religion so they don't care. I have heard people refer to pagans as whatever they know the parents to be. But Atheists really get them riled up just for existing somewhere.

What's worse than being gay in the Bible Belt?

Pretty much nothing.

Makh: It happens in the non-Evangelical north too if you aren't careful. But yeah, places like Florida have the worst clashes because some areas are accepting next to places they would likely kill you..

I think that's really what it comes down too - know the area before you out yourself as being non-traditional. some places don't care if you're gay, atheist, christian, muslim, jew, pagan or whatever. Meanwhile, other places will call down the wrath of god on you for being the wrong flavor of baptist.

I've often wondered what a purely pagan township would look like. Or a town that was predominately atheist for that matter. would such a community be harrassed by state and federal officials? would they coexist without issue? it's the sort of idle specualtion that gets me through a long boring shift on a sunday afternoon like today.

Weaver95: I've often wondered what a purely pagan township would look like.

Salem Mass. Large community grew out of people coming for miles around expecting to see them. Many of the houses have bind runes all over them. Most people are ok with it. Some non-pagans aren't too happy about the pagans. Commercials air on the local TV asking shouldn't Salem capitalize on Salem's nautical roots. Yeah, that would make the costal town unique.

David Silverman, president of American Atheists, concurs: "We challenge the whole concept that you can't be good without God."

Theist: There is no prescriptive morality without God.
Atheist: Look at my description of morality.

Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. ~ Philip Dick

Bevets: David Silverman, president of American Atheists, concurs: "We challenge the whole concept that you can't be good without God."

Theist: There is no prescriptive morality without God.
Atheist: Look at my description of morality.

Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. ~ Philip Dick

Congratulations, you just proved that it is ACTUALLY possible to be good without God. How does that feel?

shivashakti: Which is odd because, historically, Salem, MA has NOTHING TO DO with Wicca or any other form of NeoPaganism. Wicca was invented in the mid-20th century and had nothing to do with the famous Salem witch trials.

Yeah, that's what I said. Actually some of it looks like it was older than that. But for the most part, I think it grew in population from the last 30 years.

Bevets: Atheist: Look at my description of morality.

Woah, High school flashback.

Funny, the people who said I couldn't be good without God, were the ones who beat and molested me. When it came up why was I getting beaten, they pointed to parents and school officials that I was not a believer in God. And the school officials went with it until my parents got lawyers.

I can see you being that kind of parent, you sick fark. And don't give me that shiat about those who did that to me weren't really Christian. Oh yes they were.

shivashakti: Which is odd because, historically, Salem, MA has NOTHING TO DO with Wicca or any other form of NeoPaganism. Wicca was invented in the mid-20th century and had nothing to do with the famous Salem witch trials.

I'm not entirely sure 'invented' is the proper term. more like 'codified'. the hermetics of the day were attempting to organize a wide variety of beliefs under one umbrella (the early christian church went through a similar period of reorganization).

David Silverman, president of American Atheists, concurs: "We challenge the whole concept that you can't be good without God."

Bevets:

Theist: There is no prescriptive morality without God.
Atheist: Look at my description of morality.

cameroncrazy1984:

Congratulations, you just proved that it is ACTUALLY possible to be good without God. How does that feel?

You missed the point. Atheists may pat themseles on the back for following 'a code', but they have no coherent basis for the code, no reason not to cheat their own code, and no compelling reason for others to follow the code.

...

There are some cultures who believe it is right to love their neighbors, and others who believe it is right to eat them, both based on feelings. Do you have a preference? ~ Ravi Zacharias

shivashakti: Weaver95: I'm not entirely sure 'invented' is the proper term. more like 'codified'. the hermetics of the day were attempting to organize a wide variety of beliefs under one umbrella (the early christian church went through a similar period of reorganization).

Sure, the Golden Dawn and then Crowley tried to syncretize many different belief systems into one, but none of it was really like Wicca until Gardner cobbled Wicca together from various sources (Aradia, Crowley's writings, Golden Dawn style ceremonial magick, Freemasonry, plus the false scholarship of Margaret Murray).

then again, I see quite a number of similiarites between what the golden dawn and Crowley were trying to and what the early church was doing when they sat down to decide what was canon and what wasn't acceptable. it took the christians a couple centuries to beat their doctrine into shape. I figure we can spot the pagans at least 90 years or so to get their act together.

15th century artists must have known something. Most early depictions of Jesus Christ portray him as very effeminate.

NTTAWWT

Bevets, the golden rule stands on its own. The moral atheist is basically saying, "hey, maybe if I'm not a douchebag, others won't be all douchey to me." Pretty simple really.

And onr more thing--according to most Christian dogma, you don't have to be good to get to heaven; you just have to BELIEVE (and in some cases seek forgiveness). How exactly does that compel moral action?!?!

Bevets: You missed the point. Atheists may pat themseles on the back for following 'a code', but they have no coherent basis for the code, no reason not to cheat their own code, and no compelling reason for others to follow the code

Bevets, you are basically saying that if you weren't religious and weren't afraid of getting your ass kicked after you die, you would be out raping and pillaging right now. You are both the scariest and most common type of religious folk.

Godscrack:



15th century artists must have known something. Most early depictions of Jesus Christ portray him as very effeminate.

NTTAWWT


"I always give good head, I must thsay!"

MaudlinMutantMollusk: At least no one has said atheists can't marry each other

Well, almost no-one...

GAT_00: In Tennessee, it is illegal for atheists to hold government office. It's true.

Though currently unenforceable, due to Torcaso v Watkins.

Bevets: Theist: There is no prescriptive morality without God.

In what way does the existence of God (an "is" statement) itself give a basis to cross from the descriptive to the prescriptive (an is-ought bridge)?

Yes, God (allegedly) says you ought to do this, that and the other. On what basis is this anything besides more description?

Bevets: Atheists may pat themseles on the back for following 'a code', but they have no coherent basis for the code, no reason not to cheat their own code, and no compelling reason for others to follow the code.

That the basis may be (at an ultimate level) utterly arbitrary, does not mean it isn't coherent.
And "no compelling reason for others to follow" sounds like "no reason others OUGHT to follow" on the one hand, and on the other presumes the criteria measure of what makes a reason to follow "compelling".

Mugato: Bevets, you are basically saying that if you weren't religious and weren't afraid of getting your ass kicked after you die, you would be out raping and pillaging right now.

Not quite. He's more admitting he doesn't understand why atheists aren't out raping and pillaging.

abb3w: Mugato: Bevets, you are basically saying that if you weren't religious and weren't afraid of getting your ass kicked after you die, you would be out raping and pillaging right now.

Not quite. He's more admitting he doesn't understand why atheists aren't out raping and pillaging.

I don't see the difference but it doesn't matter. Bevets isn't going to answer any of this unless it's via a pasted quote.

abb3w:
Mugato: Bevets, you are basically saying that if you weren't religious and weren't afraid of getting your ass kicked after you die, you would be out raping and pillaging right now.

Not quite. He's more admitting he doesn't understand why atheists aren't out raping and pillaging.

If you have no innate desire to rape and pillage it's easier to understand why others wouldn't...just sayin'

Weaver95: then again, I see quite a number of similiarites between what the golden dawn and Crowley were trying to and what the early church was doing when they sat down to decide what was canon and what wasn't acceptable. it took the christians a couple centuries to beat their doctrine into shape. I figure we can spot the pagans at least 90 years or so to get their act together.

Many things and holidays are out right pagan but thinly veiled as Christian. Interestingly in the bed and breakfast we stayed in at Salem, had bind runes painted and carved into it from the 1930s. Ok so not exactly like the Gardner style of Wicca but still pretty cool.