How many atheists are in Obama cabinet ?

[Blarch]

Thats right, I'll wait.

None ? ...Thats it, I want my vote back, I am outraged, this is disgusting.

Being an Atheist, should I go nuclear ? ...should I demand my vote back ?

Should I question if Barack will disown his kids if they become Atheists ?

This board is out of fucking control, the gay community is and HAS hurt it's cause. I am a supporter of gay rights and have been called a homophobe many times already.

Trust me when I say this .... THE GAYS WILL GET MORE SUPPORT FROM OBAMA THAN THE ATHEISTS.

Change will come for the gay community, but Atheists will still being getting shit on when the gays have their day.

[cali]

1. um, what civil rights are denied to atheists?

[bigwillq]

4. ...

:thumbsup:

[dmallind]

6. The right to hold office in seven states

and the right to even work for the government in two.

[yardwork]

38. That is disgraceful. As a non-Christian and the mother of an atheist, I agree with your point.

Also, the points are related. A government that can't manage to provide rights to one minority group will probably deny others as well.

[Sebastian Doyle]

55. How the Hell would they enforce that?

Would you have to recite Scriptures from memory to "prove" you weren't an atheist? Hell, that wouldn't even work, since I know some atheists who can quote the Bible as well as I can.

[Alexander]

59. It's moot, since atheists are mostly unelectable today anyway.

The only atheist member of Congress is Pete Stark of California, and he "came out" about his atheism after he was already a congressman for several terms.

[Posteritatis]

65. Most of them use weird wiggle language in their requirements

Stuff like "the state will not require religious tests for any office so long as the candidate is a monotheist" or something like that.

It stuns the hell out of me that the stuff is still on the books and at least nominally enforcable. (Though I could have sworn the number was closer to fifteen or so than seven.)

[Hippo_Tron]

63. That seems blatantly unconstitutional, hasn't it been challenged?

[QueenOfCalifornia]

12. Try being

an atheist and being elected to anything. Ever. I am treated like I have a disease by people when I tell them I am an atheist. It's like I just declared that I talk to an imaginary, invisible, 6 foot tall jewish carpenter and that life sucks now but gets really terrific when you die. Oh, wait... I am supposed to smile when the world tells me this crapola and pretend they are making sense. :eyes:

[cali]

34. I'm sorry but finding it difficult to get elected because you're an atheist

is different from not being able to get married to the person you love. And yes, less onerous. And here in Vermont, no one particularly care if you're an atheist. My ex-House rep is an atheist. He got defeated but not because of his atheism.

[yardwork]

41. That's not the point, though. Let's not compare oppressions.

The point is that there are some minorities in this country who are legally denied rights, and as long as this is tolerated, the country will likely continue to have serious problems in all areas.

[Matt_in_STL]

45. I have to point something out though

Let me preface by saying, Cali, I am a longtime lurker and love your posts. With that said, I think the point of the OP is that as atheists, we certainly do see discrimination against us, especially if we come out as such. Yes, I agree that it is not right at all for gays to be denied the right to marry, but I don't think, in my mind, that one discrimination is more deserving of our scorn than another.

I completely agree that the gay community has every right to be loud and vociferous about the marriage issue, but I don't think it should overshadow the fact that there is plenty of other discrimination to go around. It is just that, as an atheist, discrimination regarding atheists is my vocal issue. While I have heard "At least you get to marry" plenty of times on here, I could come back with "at least you are somewhat accepted when you come out as gay". Try coming out as an atheist and see how widely accepted you are. I bet you won't see "Atheist Eye for The Christian Guy" on Bravo anytime soon.

[cali]

46. thanks.

Most of the people I know and associate with are atheists. I'm not exactly an atheist although I don't believe in God. My point is simply that atheists aren't denied any civil rights. Gays and lesbians are.

[Alexander]

58. Your point is wrong.

Atheists cannot even legally work for the government in two states. And they can't legally get elected in seven.

"Atheists aren't denied any civil rights" my ass.

[riverdale]

93. Do you have a link to that information?

[greyl]

66. If you don't have belief in any God, you are an atheist.

It's not true that atheism is the belief that there are no Gods.

[Alexander]

57. It's not "difficult", it's ILLEGAL in seven states.

Atheists are forbidden from holding office in several U.S. states.

"And here in Vermont, no one particularly care if you're an atheist."

Ah yes, because it's okay in Vermont, everyone is okay with atheists everywhere. Right. :eyes:

[QueenOfCalifornia]

64. It's true.

But how many Rick Warren's have been appointed to a cabinet post? None? That's right none.

No one likes the idiot saying the idiotic prayer... BUT HE WILL GO AWAY IN 2 TO 3 MINUTES... It isn't a cabinet post. Rick Warren is a homophobic ass of monumental proportions ---

I hate the fundees as much as anyone here but people are saying they are going to work to get Obama out of office in 2012. He hasn't even been sworn in.

People you know probably don't care if I am an atheist - But most people think they need to help me understand where my immortal soul is going.

I think I need to stay away from DU till after the inauguration. Sorry if I am pissing anyone off - I have had enough of this issue to last me till forever.

I want gay people to be able to marry their SO's. I think it's a crime that they can't.

[skepticscott]

81. Do you seriously think

that Rick Warren is just going to fade into obscurity after January 20th? Do you imagine for a moment that he's just going to go back to his church when he's done giving his little prayer and have nothing further to do with politics or with Barack Obama? That's so far down the well of delusional that you may never climb out again. He is hungry for more political power and influence and sees the legitimacy that Obama has handed him as just another stepping stone towards that goal. He wants to have the ear of the president (or at least to appear to his flock to have it) and to be able to influence public policy to conform to his own skydaddy-based agenda. He'll smile and spin and, now that the spotlight is on him, always say less in public than what he really thinks, but make no mistake-he will never give the least bit of ground on any issue that matters to him. He will only take and take and take, as long as Obama keep giving ground in an attempt to appear "inclusive".

Ask yourself: when has any member of the lunatic religious right ever voluntarily given up political access and influence?

[Jennicut]

75. I think atheists in public office are only welcome in our neck of the woods though

In New England.

[awoke_in_2003]

84. In the babble belt,

atheists may be looked down on just a little bit more than homosexuals. But that is beside the point- oppression of any form is wrong.

[harun]

83. As many as are denied to gays, NONE.

This board is out of control, as the OP states. I will be taking a few months off to see if it gets back to important matters, if not I will move on.

[LeftyMom]

101. Wrong on both counts!

Ass, door, blah blah... :hi:

[Starbucks Anarchist]

2. Does their atheism prevent them from marrying each other?

No? Really? :wow:

[treestar]

91. It certainly prevents them from being offered the chance to give

the invocation at the inauguration. Or anywhere for that matter.

Truly, what have the atheists gotten from Obama? They should just abandon him. :sarcasm:

All women should be doing it too, after all, Warren would surely not agree that there should ever be a woman president of anything. :sarcasm:

[Yotun]

3. Stop giving us a bad name please... nt

[eShirl]

5. good thing you can still legally marry

[Shiver]

7. Can't find any outright laws against atheists

But then again, I've only looked at this Wikipedia page. Has some interesting stuff on it, too:

According to Mother Jones, 52 percent of Americans claim they would not vote for a well-qualified atheist as president. More recently a 2007 Gallup poll produced nearly identical results. A 2006 study at the University of Minnesota showed atheists to be the most distrusted minority among Americans. In the study, sociologists Penny Edgell, Joseph Gerties and Douglas Hartmann conducted a survey of American public opinion on attitudes towards different groups. Forty percent of respondents characterized atheists as a group that "does not at all agree with my vision of American society", putting atheists well ahead of every other group, with the next highest being Muslims (26 percent) and homosexuals (23 percent) (survey results can be found here in PDF form).html. When participants were asked whether they agreed with the statement, "I would disapprove if my child wanted to marry a member of this group," atheists again led minorities, with 48 percent disapproval, followed by Muslims (34 percent) and African-Americans (27 percent). Joe Foley, co-chairman for Campus Atheists and Secular Humanists, commented on the results, "I know atheists aren't studied that much as a sociological group, but I guess atheists are one of the last groups remaining that it's still socially acceptable to hate." Nevertheless, atheists are legally protected from discrimination in the United States.

Technically, being an atheist is illegal in Massachusetts. Although it's still on the books, the 1961 Supreme Court case Torcaso v. Watkins ruled it and all other laws like it (many states have laws on the books prohibiting atheists from holding public office, among other things) unconstitutional on a first amendment basis.

Research is fun! :bounce:

[riverdale]

94. contumeliously reproaching Jesus Christ or the Holy Ghost

I'm going to contumeliously reproach that goddamn ghost right here and now.

[mtnsnake]

8. My guess would be at least half of them are.

They just won't admit it because it's not the politically correct thing to do.

[Quixote1818]

37. I agree. Probably half of the Bush Administration was Atheist too.

We know Rove is.

[mtnsnake]

61. No doubt Bush himself is, too.

Surely if he really believed in a supreme being watching over him, he would never have committed the multitude of crimes he is guilty of.

[beam me up scottie]

78. Bullshit. Christians like Bush think God is behind them.

Do I need a supreme being watching over me to stop me from committing crimes?

[WinkyDink]

95. Satanists. Or at least, Mammonites.

[Cha]

100. The bushits are more like

devil worshppers and you better believe they're not admitting that but don't mind using Jesus as a cover for their crimes.

[DUlover2909]

60. I think almost everyone in the world is an atheist at heart.

At least their behavior indicates that it is so. People don't read their religious texts that are supposedly "God's word". If I believed in god I would be so fiercely religious that I wouldn't dare break a single rule, ever and I would constantly read the bible. People pay lip service to their religion and turn around immediately and steal, lie, cheat, etc. I see it every day. Nobody I see ever turns the other cheek and practices forgiveness. If someone gets insulted or offended, they respond in kind. I see very little real Christian values being practiced in society. I do however see alot of hatred and evil. That does not mean to say that atheists are evil. It means hippocrites are evil.

By the way, to all of you out there that enjoy modern medicine and all the modern day conveniences, most of it was brought to you by scientists and researchers that used objective facts and data to create something good. That's all atheism is: looking at the world objectively. I'd like to know how much one's education correlates to the likelihood of being an atheist.

[mtnsnake]

62. Interesting post

Thanks for sharing!

[polmaven]

9. I need to ask....

What civil rights are being denied to atheists?

[Matt_in_STL]

10. To which I would ask

Is it okay to crap on a group based on their non-belief because they have the right to marry? In all honesty, I am all for gay marriage, but do I think I will see discrimination against atheists come to an end or see the gay community back atheists in the way I feel everyone should be backing the gay community? Probably not. At this point you see many, many people in the gay community coming out all the time and having a great acceptance in society. How many widely known, accepted people do you see in our government or in accepted society as a whole that are "out of the closet" atheists?

I am with the gay community 100% on gay marriage but I would hope for the same fight from them when it comes to gaining wider acceptance for atheism. We may have the right to marry at this point in time, but what opportunities would not be given to us should we come out about our non-beliefs?

[polmaven]

11. That has not answered my question...

What rights and or discrimination is being legally allowed against atheists...?

You have asked the question yourself....,"what opportunities would not be given to us should we come out about our non-beliefs?" What do YOU think would be legally denied opportunities? If there are any, then yes, it is unacceptable discrimination.....I just am unable to think of any.

[Matt_in_STL]

13. Oh, I see

It is okay to discriminate as long as nothing is legally denied. Got it. Thanks for clearing that up.

As I said before, it is not right that the gay community is denied that right and they have my backing 100%.

[polmaven]

19. Where did I SAY

that is "okay to discriminate as long as nothing is legally denied"????? You have not yet answered the question of WHAT discrimination has been shown against you. What FORM of discrimination?

[Blarch]

15. It depends.

The President of the USA came to Chicago (where I live) and told me that ....

Sherman: Surely you recognize the equal citizenship and patriotism of Americans who are atheists?

Bush: No, I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God.

Sherman (somewhat taken aback): Do you support as a sound constitutional principle the separation of state and church?

Bush: Yes, I support the separation of church and state. I'm just not very high on atheists. http://www.positiveatheism.org/writ/ghwbush.htm

So ...Can you show me where the FUCKING PRESIDENT has claimed your group shouldn't be considered US citizens ?

[polmaven]

22. The opinions of bigots

and morAns will not change. If, in fact, because he said those morAnic things, atheists were actually NOT considered as citizens, etc...that would be a different story. You have every right to be offended by it, but offensive is the word....not discrimination.

Are you really taking something BUSH said to heart? I mean...FUCKING president is the correct description.....except....Ewwww! Thanks but no thanks.

[Blarch]

23. Thats it, last staw.

WTF are we doing.

You ask if ..."Are you really taking something BUSH said to heart? I mean...FUCKING president is the correct description"

But you embrace Warren's views as if he has credibility ?

This is fucking stupid.

Bush is crazy but warren isn't ? Fuck that.

[polmaven]

32. HUH??????

From WHERE did THAT come????

What EVER gave you the idea that I embrace Warren's views as if he has credibility? Warren is NOT the president! Your post was about what the PRESIDENT said. YOU cited Bush as the discriminator in chief!

As a woman of faith, and a Democrat, I find Warren a despicable POS.

You asked about the PRESIDENT discrimination against "my group".....not about WARREN doing so.

[Matt_in_STL]

25. Do you think he is the only one who thinks this?

In actuality, I can imagine that many in our "Christian" nation hold this same belief. How many of them do you think would tell you that gays should not be considered citizens? I certainly haven't heard that come from anyone. Just because this item came from one person we despise does not mean that it isn't also the belief of many people who we would generally hold in a higher regard for their many accomplishments.

[jaded_old_cynic]

18. Here

http://www.godlessgeeks.com/LINKS/StateConstitutions.htm

[Matt_in_STL]

20. That makes for bad news

if I am the only witness to a murder in Arkansas.

[polmaven]

36. Now THAT

is absolute PROOF of discrimination.....How can those be legal under the US Constitution? I thought the US Constitution overrode the states!

I am flabbergasted! Thank you for that. This is absolutely WRONG and disgusting, and all of those should be challenged!

[mondo joe]

39. I don't believe those ARE legal under the US Constitution. Just because a state

includes it in their Constitution doesn't make it legal.

A number of states still have laws on the books that have already been negated.

[jaded_old_cynic]

47. Then by that logic

Just because proposition 8 is now part of the California constitution doesn't make it legal right? Look, I wholeheartedly support gay marriage. I am merely attempting to point out that there are anti-atheism laws that actually exist. The question was posed, I merely provided the answer. Peace.

[mondo joe]

48. I think you've misunderstood me. There are laws on the books in several states

that have ALREADY been found Unconstitutional - they remain on the books anyway but can't be enforced.

So I'm asking: Have these laws ever been challenged? Are they even in effect?

[jaded_old_cynic]

50. To my knowledge

The Arkansas law has never been challenged. To make sure of that, I found this upon doing some research.

Section one of Article 19 of the Arkansas Constitution effectively establishes a religious test that most constitutional lawyers believe to be unconstitutional under the United States Constitution. This section states: The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. ...


Sec. 1. Atheists disqualified from holding office or testifying as witness.


No person who denies the being of a God shall hold any office in the civil departments of this State, nor be competent to testify as a witness in any court.


It is commonly believed that Article Six of the United States Constitution bans such qualifications when it states, "no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States." It has not been challenged, though.

http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Arkansas-Constitution

[Sebastian Doyle]

56. Which is pretty much Jerry Brown's argument

And let us all hope (I won't say "pray" in this thread :evilgrin: ) that he is proven correct.

[awoke_in_2003]

86. I would understand if you said pray...

there are some words that are very much habit, like when mad, saying "jesus christ", "god damn", or "go to hell". They just roll off the tongue easy.

[Matt_in_STL]

40. I love this one from widely accepting Massachusetts

Chapter 272: Section 36. Blasphemy

Section 36. Whoever wilfully blasphemes the holy name of God by denying, cursing or contumeliously reproaching God, his creation, government or final judging of the world, or by cursing or contumeliously reproaching Jesus Christ or the Holy Ghost, or by cursing or contumeliously reproaching or exposing to contempt and ridicule, the holy word of God contained in the holy scriptures shall be punished by imprisonment in jail for not more than one year or by a fine of not more than three hundred dollars, and may also be bound to good behavior.

http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/272-36.htm

[jaded_old_cynic]

43. You're welcome.

I am a longtime lurker here. Have been a member since 2001. I just don't post very much. But being an atheist, I felt I had to respond since a lot of people really have no idea just how far the discrimination goes.

[mondo joe]

14. As a fellow atheist, I am unaware of any rights I am denied. Can you point any out?

Thanks.

[Matt_in_STL]

16. This makes no sense

Rights have to be denied for you to be discriminated against? I re-read the initial post to make sure I hadn't missed something but I hadn't. Nowehere does the OP suggest that atheists are being denied a legal right. However, he does make a good point that atheists are discriminated against, whether through legal channels or not.

If I recall, and I am not a scholar by any means, many rights fought for in the civil rights movement of the 60's were not because laws were made to deny rights to blacks, but that laws were not in place to protect them. How many laws do you know of that provide protection for the rights of atheists? And, as i know this will come up next, this is in no way meant to draw a tight correlation between the treatment of blacks and atheists, but to provide a legal standpoint based on your question.

[Blarch]

21. see post 15.

[mondo joe]

24. Let's be speciic, please: discriminated against in what ways?

I agree that there is social discrimination against atheists.

If there are laws you're thinking of that might provide a remedy, what are they?

[Matt_in_STL]

26. Let's start with post #18, since it is handy

I can't testify as a witness in court in Arkansas, under law. So, if I am the only witness to a crime in Arkansas, well, it looks like that criminal gets away. Or, if I am beaten up by a group of thugs, I can't identify them in court. That's just the first law on that list. I am looking for the laws that keep gays from holding office or testifying in court. No luck so far but I will keep looking.

And to be clear, I live near St. Louis and travel through parts of Arkansas to get to Memphis and other southern locations, so this isn't that far-fetched.

[Blarch]

27. Checkmate.

Do we now reserve the right to act like we are in daycare ?

[mondo joe]

29. You can act as you wish.

No one was stopping you.

[Blarch]

30. well, I certainly am not gonna...

start shitting on Obama for it.

[mondo joe]

33. Like I said, you can act as you wish.

I don't see the issue.

[mondo joe]

28. I believe that's already unconstitutinal.

Has it ever been challenged?

[slackmaster]

17. It would be mathematically impossible to construct a cabinet with one of everything

The Prematurely Partially Bald Sociology Professors' Association is outraged.

[Quixote1818]

44. True, but there are a few groups that are treated like second class citizens still

Gays and Atheists are two groups that fall into that category.

[slackmaster]

51. Neither is a protected class under current federal law

Maybe we have a chance to change that in this administration.

[Starry Messenger]

31. Stop giving us a bad name.

Oh and...




Plus: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x7922526 for the hit parade of irony

[Quixote1818]

35. Probably half the cabinet is but can't say it. nt

[Quixote1818]

42. I made the post about gays on the cabinet and I think there should be Atheists too

however, my guess is that half the cabinet is Atheist or at least Agnostic.

[IndianaGreen]

49. Religion is the drug of choice of the masses

and we shouldn't be encouraging people in their delusions.

[bluedawg12]

52. Are you pitting gays against atheists, or simply denying the validity

of the fight for gay civil rights and justice?

I am gay, and I find it abhorrent when people say that freedom of religion does not guarantee freedom from religion. Actually it does.

Can you support gay civil rights in the same way as I support an atheist's rights?

You do realize that the very next week the same sign might say: God didn't create Adam and Steve?

[beam me up scottie]

53. "This board is out of fucking control, the gay community is and HAS hurt it's cause." ???

Too bad you weren't around to stop the blacks from hurting their cause during the civil rights movement.

I don't know if you're a homophobe, but you're certainly hurting both causes by making such a spectacle of yourself.

Petty jealousy becomes you.

[greyl]

68. Nice one. nt

[Blarch]

76. did the blacks attack...

the people trying to help them ?

Nope. they joined the people trying to help them.

Nice try.

[beam me up scottie]

77. They're "attacking" YOU because you're a homophobic jackass.

Did you think they would throw flowers at you?

[alwysdrunk]

96. Some blacks did hurt their cause then

Of course it's arguable, but there are valid arguments against some of the more militant groups such as the Black Panthers. Their platform of self-defense had them training with weapons and marching in the streets. Many historians and even black leaders at the time say that these tactics did hurt their cause of civil rights when the images of that were broadcast nationally. Of course there are no gay activist with rifles out there now, but still that "militant" mindset is an interesting parallel.

[Runcible Spoon]

54. look, I also care about religion being injected into every fucking thing...

and I do think atheists are shit on in myriad of ways. However, trying to create some sick calculus of which group has it worse is just divisive and counter-productive. I'm sure the vast majority of gays have your back when it comes to being marginalized by the intolerance of religious fundamentalists.

[treestar]

92. But it is wrong to claim we don't have their back when it comes

to this Warren thing.

some things are not as important as others. If Obama signed a law saying gays couldn't do a thing, say teaching, that would be one thing. But appointing Warren to give the invocation is not something we can be expected to abandon all hope over.

It's the disproporationate nature of the concern, given the act complained of.

[Bill McBlueState]

67. let me add my voice

to the other atheists in this thread who think your post sucks.

Putting the heat on gay people for society's attitudes about atheism earns you a big shiny fail.

[boppers]

69. This is not a reason for division.

This is a reason for unity.

It's a common cause: No second class citizens. Period.

[prostock69]

70. Most people don't know this but former Pres. Bush said:

"No, I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered as patriots. This is one nation under God."

- George Bush, to a AA reporter Robert I. Sherman in August 27,1987, while serving as vice-president and running for President, Full text of exchange follows:

Sherman: What will you do to win the votes of the Americans who are Atheists?
Bush: I guess I'm pretty weak in the Atheist community. Faith in god is important to me.
Sherman: Surely you recognize the equal citizenship and patriotism of Americans who are Atheists?
Bush: No, I don't know that Atheists should be considered as citizens,
nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God.
Sherman (somewhat taken aback): Do you support as a sound constitutional principle
the separation of state and church?
Bush: Yes, I support the separation of church and state. I'm just not very high on Atheists.

What the dumb ass obviously didn't know that the Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 and "Under God" was added around 1958. This nation was not founded under god, as much as the Christians in this country would like to believe so and I'm fed up with their overreach and complete and utter disregard of The First Amendment.

I think if atheists, agnostics, unbelievers, brights, humanists, secularists or whatever you want to call yourselves would come out of the closet and start pushing the issue of the RIGHT to not believe in god and not be demonized for it, we could erase a lot of the vile labels that has been attached to us. Maybe some of us could run openly for office and win. Boy, wouldn't that be a hoot. I give the G/L community a lot of credit for being vocal and organizing when demanding the rights they should have under the constitution this country was founded on. I think it's time for the unbelievers to do the same. I've donated to The Freedom From Religion Foundation to help fight to maintain separation of church and state. I've just recently joined my area's atheist group. It's a social group that gets together a couple of times a month. We need to push back against the those who want to oppress us. What I am saying is if they succeed in taking the rights away from the G/L community, who will be next?

[prostock69]

71. Here are some more gems:

"We receive our rights from God."
"The decision points up the fact that we need common-sense judges who understand that our rights were derived from God. Those are the kind of judges I intend to put on the bench."
- George W. Bush, in statements to reporters with Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Note: Putin is an atheist.) Bush was criticizing the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision that references to God make reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in schools unconstitutional. June 26, 2002

**********************

"What you should do for me is what you should do for everybody: Believe in God. Get off our backs."
- Ed Derwinski, the Secretary of the Department of Veteran's Affairs, responding to the question of what American Atheists could do to have the Bush administration take an interest in the problem of discrimination against American Atheist veterans. January 3, 1991

**********************

"Today we are engaged in a final, all-out battle between communistic atheism and Christianity."
- Sen. Joseph McCarthy, in his famous address to the Ohio County Women's Republican Club on February 9, 1950

**********************

"The "wall of separation between church and state" is a metaphor based on bad history, a metaphor which has proved useless as a guide to judging. It should be frankly and explicitly abandoned."
- William Rehnquist, Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, Dissenting Opinion in Wallace v. Jaffree (1985)

**********************

The earth is flat, and anyone who disputes this claim is an atheist who deserves to be punished."
- Sheik Abdel-Aziz Ibn Baaz, Supreme religious authority, Saudi Arabia, 1993 He needs to travel more

*********************

"God, the source of all knowledge, should never have been expelled from our children's classrooms."
- Ronald Reagan, address, National Religious Broadcasters, Washington, D.C., January, 1984, quoted from Menendez and Doerr, The Great Quotations on Religious Freedom

********************

[grantcart]

72. Liked your post but is the assertion that there are no athiests in the cabinet an actual fact?

If you have a link or can confirm it I would be interested (although it doesn't undermine the larger point your making).


Now I would like to start a thread about discrimination against Buddhists but in fact no one is threatened by Buddhists and I know of no discrimination against them. Actually it disarms people to hell and they seem to want to come and hug you.


Also if you want to really get under a person who has strong religious convictions and is completely intolerant it is a lot more effective to tell them "Oh yes I think all religions are equally good)" than to tell them their is no god. The latter seems to really set off a fuse. lol.

[progressoid]

73. Ummm...three?

:shrug:

[Levgreee]

74. Im an Atheist too but I suggest you remove your sense of entitlement

politicians/government officials are by and large elected from the people.

The majority of the people in this country are religious in some form. When you have a group of people and 90 out of 100 are religious, the officials that are produced tend to belong to the more "normal" aspects, the majority aspect.

It's just how it works. It is a combination of the people who run for elections being the product of the environment and the people more acquainted with the social environment/network, and also of course people voting for those they feel are similar to them.

So be production and work with all the officials who have a religious background. Atheists should strive to be the most accepting social group, I believe.

Having elected officials belong to your minority group is a luxury, not a necessity. What is a necessity is having your voice by heard, regardless of whether your elected officials belong to your demographic.

[beam me up scottie]

79. And I know just where he can put it.

:evilgrin:

[Starry Messenger]

80. As an atheist I welcome my new gay overlords.

As an atheist I will strew flowers in the streets and run mad with joy when the gays have their day.

I will join hands with gay brothers and sisters of all colors and creeds and hold hands and stomp away in merry dance that this country has finally triumphed.

Because as atheist, and a human being--it will mean that reason has won at last and the small-minded and prejudiced who have oppressed people in the name of religion WILL HAVE FAILED!

It will be a huge celebration and everyone will share in its portion of joy.

I will be proud to be an American Atheist on that day.

[Forkboy]

82. Do you practice this kind of stupidity, or does it come naturally?

I find it hard to believe you haven't practiced, because if you're naturally this stupid you have a place side by side with Pauly Shore.

[Blarch]

85. Why not just point out ... ?

what you disagree with in my OP ? ....because name calling and hurling insults doesn't pass for a rational argument here, despite what many might tell you.

[awoke_in_2003]

88. It is a god given talent...

just kidding :)

[Blarch]

89. Nice hit and run.

[Forkboy]

97. Thanks! I liked it, too!

:thumbsup:

[dkf]

87. I'm surprised that most gays aren't atheists.

Who would want to be a part of a religion that has all kinds of stuff about how one of their main desires in life is a sin?

Beats me why GLBTs want to convince evangelicals that same sex marriage is perfectly fine instead of saying they follow some weird book that has all kinds of odd ideas.

[matcom]

90. some are even pissed they can't join the Warren church

:shrug:

[Thothmes]

98. Can you cite any Obama references that said he would

appoint openly Atheist persons to the cabinet?

[and-justice-for-all]

99. That sign is stupid...

Claiming to know what a nonexistent being thinks, based on silly desert dogma, is absurd.

I do not think I have to go around with 'Atheist' written on my forehead, but I would disclose it if asked and I am never shy about it either.

I would think it is safe to assume that Obama is balanced, knowing that his mother was an Atheist and his step-father/father who was a Muslim, later became an Atheist.