Agnostics/Atheists are a fast growing demographic - this is good

Discussion in 'Elections & Campaigns' started by bhoyal, Jul 31, 2018.

  1. LiveUninhibited

    LiveUninhibited Well-Known Member

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    I don't think the premise of the thread title was that Americans becoming atheist is good in order to avoid mass murder. There are more obvious benefits such as peoples lives and laws not being determined by imaginary friends and bronze age morals.
     
  2. Smartmouthwoman

    Smartmouthwoman Bless your heart Past Donor

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    Very good news to those who love murder & mayhem. We're certainly seeing results from these statistics. Good work, godless ones!
     
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  3. yasureoktoo

    yasureoktoo Banned

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    I believe that is part.
    Muhammed married his cousin, and anything Muhammed did is OK.
    You can get away with that for a generation or two, but not 1200 years.
     
  4. yasureoktoo

    yasureoktoo Banned

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    A very important part of that equation you overlooked in that statement is.

    "It depends which God you are referring to".
     
  5. Smartmouthwoman

    Smartmouthwoman Bless your heart Past Donor

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    There's only One. :)
     
  6. yasureoktoo

    yasureoktoo Banned

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    Every member of any of the thousands of monotheistic religions will say that exact thing.
     
  7. Max Rockatansky

    Max Rockatansky Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Your OP title is misleading:

    "But it is important to note that these nones are not necessarily atheists. Many have moved from mainstream religions into New Age spiritual movements, as evidenced in a 2017 Pew poll that found an increase from 19 percent in 2012 to 27 percent in 2017 of those who reported being “spiritual but not religious.” Among this cohort, only 37 percent described their religious identity as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular.”

    Even among atheists and agnostics, belief in things usually associated with religious faith can worm its way through fissures in the materialist dam. A 2014 survey conducted by the Austin Institute for the Study of Family and Culture on 15,738 Americans, for example, found that of the 13.2 percent who called themselves atheist or agnostic, 32 percent answered in the affirmative to the question “Do you think there is life, or some sort of conscious existence, after death?” Huh? Even more incongruent, 6 percent of these atheists and agnostics also said that they believed in the bodily resurrection of the dead. You know, like Jesus.
    "

    A more accurate statement would be that more Americans are moving away from organized religions but still remain spiritually oriented.
     
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  8. Crawdadr

    Crawdadr Well-Known Member

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    That is a sincere statement, to intentionally attempt to cut your self off from God is a horrible thing. It is like blinding your self so that you dont have to see beauty.
     
  9. Crawdadr

    Crawdadr Well-Known Member

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    We all come to faith in different ways my friend. Some due to guidance from their community, others because of times of stress, then there are those that have an experience that helps them. Me I, took classes, I studied multiple religions, heck I flirted with all sorts of less then savory beliefs in my youth. But in the end I made a conscious choice on my faith and have tried to walk down that path ever since. When I was younger I understood that the universe was far bigger then me and that chance rarely actually existed. Everything was cause and effect. You know, I consider myself a logical individual, fairly educated, and rational. My faith needed to start from that point and grow. It is people that just "believe" that I worry about. They do not always look at scripture and see the three key underlying truths:
    A: That everything is of God and we should be caretakers including of our selves.
    B: Love all people as you would love yourself.
    C: Do no harm
     
  10. Ddyad

    Ddyad Well-Known Member

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    Atheism does require a leap of faith.
     
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  11. Injeun

    Injeun Well-Known Member

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    My brother was an agnostic until his backup light went out while cave diving. His first thought was, "Oh God"......
     
  12. bhoyal

    bhoyal Active Member

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    It's an expression. If he had said "oh crap!" does that mean he now must spend the rest of his life murmuring recitations to dung? :roflol:
     
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  13. Thingamabob

    Thingamabob Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Exactly.png
     
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  14. Thingamabob

    Thingamabob Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    ... or Holy Cow!
     
  15. Injeun

    Injeun Well-Known Member

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    Would you prefer he spend the remainder of his days declaring his disbelief in dung? ;-) Seriously, "oh crap" is probably what he said when his main light went out. Ever been cave diving without a safety line/rope?
     
  16. Injeun

    Injeun Well-Known Member

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    Which is why we have religious liberty. Still, it is fair to note that Jeffersons Declaration established the fact that the essence of our equality in freedom is based on the concept of the existence of one God from whom we all spring. So whether some Americans like it or not, God is in our freedom.
     
  17. bhoyal

    bhoyal Active Member

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    No. And never went with one either. Cave diving doesn't interest me.
     
  18. yasureoktoo

    yasureoktoo Banned

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    I've been Muff diving.
     
  19. yguy

    yguy Well-Known Member

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    And that makes it not condescending?
    Pilgrim, this thread was conceived as an atheist circle jerk; but I'm pretty sure even atheists who are not God haters rolled their eyes at the platitude.
    Probably wouldn't have lived to tell the tale.
     
  20. Colombine

    Colombine Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    So do people have to pretend to believe in these "Gods", even when they really don't, just to: "go along to get along"? Do you see that as a civic responsibility?

    Also, in a religiously pluralistic society such as the US, how do you decide which god has the upper hand?
     
  21. Aleksander Ulyanov

    Aleksander Ulyanov Well-Known Member

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    I look forward to Lent, I love fish fries
     

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