I am not anti God or anti Religion. I do avoid others who believe their brand of religion is the ONE TRUE religion. I believe everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and RELIGION. This includes freedom to choose a religion or belief system without coercion or impairment of his or her freedom to free thought. A person or a group of people are free to choose any belief system that does not interfere with public safety, order, health, or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others.
I joined an Atheism community on Google Plus a few weeks ago hoping to find some people of a like mind. Instead I see mostly hate and extremism of the like I had not seen before. Yes, I understand the contempt we as nonbelievers feel for the followers of the magic ones. They belittle us and tell us we are going to burn. You literally take your livelihood into your own hands if you profess your non-belief to an employer or coworker who is a follower of one of the big three. They just do not get it that you can be a good person without the fear of retribution from a bearded wizard. However for the members of the Atheism - Community - Google+, atheism has become their religion. As for me? I just don't believe in the supernatural, nothing more nothing less.
The most pitiful fact about the big three, the Abrahamic religions, is they all come from the first prophet Abraham, yet they are determined to destroy the others instead of treating one another like brothers and sisters.
But I digress, We as Atheists can have our own belief system without the vitriol. We can be the better people. We all know zealots of any type are a detriment to their own cause. After all a militant atheist driven by a hatred and hostility toward any kind of religion is no better than the likes of the batshit crazy Jack Van Impe and his wife Rexella. If you do not who JVI is look him up.
From 2009: So much for Biblical Prophecies.
In the twentieth century, the most accomplished advocates for freedom and equality used nonviolent techniques. As an example, Euskadi Ta Askatasuna a.k.a. ETA has been blowing shit up in Spain since 1959 with the goal of gaining independence for the Greater Basque Country and guess what? That's right, they're still part of Spain over 800 dead and thousands injured. Mahatma Gandhi used nonviolent methods to free India from British control, it took 32 years, but it happened. 56 years later and what has ETA accomplished?
As Atheists our "struggle" I use that word loosely, pales in comparison to that of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King. Time is on our side. According to Gallup polling every 20 years the number of nonbelievers doubles. In 1968 only three percent of America had no preference in a religion, 1988 seven percent, 2013 that number was fifteen percent. It could well be possible in my lifetime we non believers will be the majority.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/1690/religion.aspx
In reality enlightenment will bring about the decline of religion. Just embrace the believers for who they are. It is their dismissal of our rights that is driving a lot of the venom in the Atheism Community of G+. We are not necessarily better than them, none the less we must strive to be the better people. Every time a Christian or a Jew or whatever, reads about or sees one of our own acting radically, their stereotyping is justified. Kind of like every time we see some grisly event take place in the Middle East. We all,...well not all of us, but the vast majority wonder, "What the fuck is wrong with them Muslims?!"
Your Word of the Day is: Tolerance
Your Quote of the Day is: "Only your Humanity and your Love for Humanity will set you free from the chains that bind your mind. That goes for both believers and nonbelievers."---Me
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