Atheists Are...( A REAL Poll)

The Big T wrote:

We have the right to freedom from religion. I'm tired of God this and God that - let's separate church from state like our forefathers wanted.

No, they wanted freedom OF religion and the govt shouldn't interfere.

Sammy wrote:

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Plus the boundaries of distinction and definition are kinda "fuzzy" at times.

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...my tongue gets kinda "fuzzy" at times...

Luke wrote:

Atheists put too much faith in science. Science is a wonderful thing, but it measures only the natural world. It cannot measure the power of God, as God is supernatural. Science and religion need to live in harmony, not war. I am an evolutionist and a devout Christian.

I don't see how one could put too much faith in science or the natural world, but I do agree that you can't measure the power of God. Religion itself is not bad, it's the people who use and abuse the power it brings them to promote their own agenda. God has a powerful effect on true Christians whose only goal is to help others and make a better world. Of my best friends, one is a Baptist minister and two are Jehovah's Witnesses. I respect their religious choices because they are true Christians and they respect my views and don't try to change them. I am interested know your viewpoint of how you could be an evolutionist and a devout Christian. One of my favorite scientists, Carl Sagan, was both also.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Sagan

Darwin the Baptist wrote:

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...my tongue gets kinda "fuzzy" at times...

My tang gets all toungled up on occasion.

chooselife wrote:

<quoted text>No, they wanted freedom OF religion and the govt shouldn't interfere.

Franklin and Jefferson were no doubt thinking "freedom of" includes "freedom from"

Hedonist wrote:

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No, but that is a common misconception.
Atheism is the denial of belief systems.
That is, IF I said I believe there is no god, I would be stating a belief. But as an atheists, my position is that belief itself is an unreasoned starting position.
Bertrand Russell had a good analogy. Suppose I said I believed that there is a little China teapot floating in orbit around the Sun in between the orbits of the Earth and Mars and that this teapot is too small to be detected by any available instrument.(This is the infamous "celestial teapot")
Now, is it reasonable to consider this teapot to exists? Most people would readily admit that this is an unreasonable belief.(And I have this teapot very well defined, unlike the concept of god which varies from person to person.)
That's how an atheists sees all supernatural explanations. They're all just too unreasonable to even consider.

I don't believe it is so much a misconception as it is apreference for a specific definition.

If your definition is:
person who does not believe that deities exist

Then agnostics would also be atheists.

If your definition is:
person who believes that no deities exist

Then agnostics and atheists would be distinctly different.

Ed Burke wrote:

Closing one's eyes is not the same as blindness. You should try seeing the facts, but of course that would only undermine your religion.
Incidentally, the many documented miracles that occur right up to this day at Fatima, I assume you have an equally lame explanation for those as well ? Then there is Lourdes, in France. You work so diligently to condemn your soul, if only you could see the truth. That's a shame. I think I'll go watch the ballgame, I'm done here.

Belief is not the same as FACT.

If you want to BELIEVE God exists and want to BELIEVE those kids at Fatima weren't eating bad mushrooms or making things up. Fine!!

BUT that don't make it FACT.

Ed Burke wrote:

Atheists are sadly just blind. God exists, He is quite real, and the atheist has managed to avoid seeing that reality. It is quite sad, and the rest of us should pray they are cured of their blindness so they can be saved. The Marian Apparition at Fatima, Portugal in the early part of the last century was provided public miracles witnessed and reported upon by over 70,000 people. Those very real, and very public displays of God's power convinced many atheists to seek God and open their minds to His reality, and their hearts to His goodness. This perverse generation may need something even more dramatic, but they are so unworthy they may not be granted that chance. It is truly sad for them, especially when they even brag about their blindness.

Yup! Blind in the "Third Eye"! If you believe in that kindocrap!

Sammy wrote:

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Franklin and Jefferson were no doubt thinking "freedom of" includes "freedom from"

No.

chooselife wrote:

<quoted text>No.

Yes

"I have found Christian dogma unintelligible. Early in life, I absenteed myself from Christian assemblies."

"Lighthouses are more helpful then churches."

-Benjamin Franklin, American Founding Father, author, and inventor

"History I believe furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government. This marks the lowest grade of ignorance, of which their political as well as religious leaders will always avail themselves for their own purpose. " – Thomas Jefferson to Baron von Humboldt, 1813

"The Christian god can easily be pictured as virtually the same god as the many ancient gods of past civilizations. The Christian god is a three headed monster; cruel, vengeful and capricious. If one wishes to know more of this raging, three headed beast-like god, one only needs to look at the caliber of people who say they serve him. They are always of two classes: fools and hypocrites."

"Millions of innocent men, women and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined and imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch towards uniformity." –Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, 1782.

"And the day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerve in the brain of Jupiter. But may we hope that the dawn of reason and freedom of thought in these United States will do away with this artificial scaffolding, and restore to us the primitive and genuine doctrines of this most venerated reformer of human errors." –Thomas Jefferson, Letter to John Adams, April 11, 1823

"Religions are all alike – founded upon fables and mythologies."

"I do not find in orthodox Christianity one redeeming feature."

"Christianity is the most perverted system that ever shone on man."

"It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are 20 gods, or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg."

- Thomas Jefferson, U.S. President, author, scientist, architect, educator, and diplomat

chooselife wrote:

<quoted text>No.

How could it mean otherwise? If they believed you are free choose your religion, how could that not include no religion? What's the difference? The freedom is in power to choose whatever you choose, not the power of choice between one or the other. If you believe that, then you are leaving out all religious choices since 1776. Think how many new choices there are now as opposed to the established religions of their time. Do you think they were that short sided?

Wow! Sammy I knew of some of the Jefferson quotes, but the Franklin quotes.
Thanks!

3 Dog night wrote:

I am interested know your viewpoint of how you could be an evolutionist and a devout Christian. One of my favorite scientists, Carl Sagan, was both also.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Sagan

Yes, he is one of a few prominent scientists who count themselves among the faithful. Of course, he doesn't believe in anything close to literal biblical interpretation.
A recent polling of the members of the National Academy of Science indicated that less than 1% of biologists believed in any god. Those that did, did not believe in a personification of god. The numbers of believers in other areas of science were somewhat higher, including cosmology, but still very low.
The last US census showed an inverse relationship between faith and education.

Out and Proud wrote:

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Yes, he is one of a few prominent scientists who count themselves among the faithful. Of course, he doesn't believe in anything close to literal biblical interpretation.
A recent polling of the members of the National Academy of Science indicated that less than 1% of biologists believed in any god. Those that did, did not believe in a personification of god. The numbers of believers in other areas of science were somewhat higher, including cosmology, but still very low.
The last US census showed an inverse relationship between faith and education.

I'm surprised Pope Benedict XVI's comments from last year about "evolution vs creation" don't get more notice;

“They are presented as alternatives that exclude each other,” the pope said.“This clash is an absurdity because on one hand there is much scientific proof in favor of evolution, which appears as a reality that we must see and which enriches our understanding of life and being as such.”

Sammy wrote:

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I'm surprised Pope Benedict XVI's comments from last year about "evolution vs creation" don't get more notice;
“They are presented as alternatives that exclude each other,” the pope said.“This clash is an absurdity because on one hand there is much scientific proof in favor of evolution, which appears as a reality that we must see and which enriches our understanding of life and being as such.”

Yes, I saw that too. But the Catholics seem to adapt to the science better than most christian religions. But basically they are just pushing back divine intervention to being responsible for the guidance of evolution. It is good politics. Impossible to refute! If we ever understand the "big bang", the C church will say god designed that too! Who knows? Maybe they are right. But.....I'm not lighting any candles......

Darwin the Baptist wrote:

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But not all Darwinians are Atheists... personally, I consider myself a Neo-Gnostic, Mystic Christian.
Peace!

I see that you had logic and set theory in school.
Thx.

Out and Proud wrote:

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Yes, I saw that too. But the Catholics seem to adapt to the science better than most christian religions. But basically they are just pushing back divine intervention to being responsible for the guidance of evolution. It is good politics. Impossible to refute! If we ever understand the "big bang", the C church will say god designed that too! Who knows? Maybe they are right. But.....I'm not lighting any candles......

Agreed!

I'm just pleased they aren't among the "maroons" who insist that Evolution is a religion contrary to theirs.

more deaf than dumb wrote:

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I never claimed to be christian

No need, you've been around long enough to get a pretty good idea.

MyNameIsMO wrote:

As an athiest do you believe in evolution of species then?
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Non-sequitur.

Atheism has nothing to do with a person's understanding (or lack of understanding) concerning any scientific discipline.

Case in point: Baylor University, the largest Baptist University in the world and arguably one of the finest Christian Schools in America has stated:

"Evolution, a foundational principle of modern biology, is supported by overwhelming scientific evidence and is accepted by the vast majority of scientists. Because it is fundamental to the understanding of modern biology, the faculty in the Biology Department at Baylor University, Waco, TX, teach evolution throughout the biology curriculum. We are in accordance with the American Association for Advancement of Science's statement on evolution. We are a science department, so we do not teach alternative hypotheses or philosophically deduced theories that cannot be tested rigorously."

Sammy wrote:

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Well they do come to a conclusion not supported by verifiable evidence.
Beyond that, I can't seem to determine any similarity.

Actually just the opposite. Atheists deny your ability to come to a conclusion without any verifiable evidence.