Fellow Atheists/Agnostic Atheists - Let's Chat: Do you feel it is risky being "out" these days?

Well, the thing about Christianity is that Christ is the figurehead on the ship, but the captain is "Paul."

Curse you Jeebus!

Wow, just wow.
As far as the title question of this thread goes, I think the answer is a pretty clear "yes".

Side note...I was assuming what sort of person her congressman (who apparently helped get this escalated at USCIS for review) would be. He's a Tea Party Republican from Texas, which is not quite what I was assuming.

The first monument to atheism ever to be erected on government property in the U.S. will be dedicated today in Bradford County, FL. American Atheists sponsored the display after losing a lawsuit to get a Ten Commandments monument removed.

Read here: http://wlrn.org/post/atheists-dedica...

Edwin wrote:

The first monument to atheism ever to be erected on government property in the U.S. will be dedicated today in Bradford County, FL. American Atheists sponsored the display after losing a lawsuit to get a Ten Commandments monument removed.

Read here: http://wlrn.org/post/atheists-dedica...

Awesome.

Snarky Pastor wrote:

Kevin Baker, pastor of Victory Chapel Christian Fellowship Ministries in Starke says at least it will be useful.

“Last week when they were putting the concrete down," he says, "I pulled over and told them I really appreciated them putting a bench there so I could study my Ten Commandments and sit down while I do it.”

Ugh.

Yellek wrote:
Snarky Pastor wrote:

Kevin Baker, pastor of Victory Chapel Christian Fellowship Ministries in Starke says at least it will be useful.

“Last week when they were putting the concrete down," he says, "I pulled over and told them I really appreciated them putting a bench there so I could study my Ten Commandments and sit down while I do it.”

Ugh.

He's a pastor, and he's still studying the Ten Commandments? Hell, even I know most of them, and I go out of my way to avoid reading the Bible. You'd think they'd have been on the Pastor final exam or something.

Guess he got held back a grade or two in Sunday school.

gore wrote:
Yellek wrote:
Snarky Pastor wrote:

Kevin Baker, pastor of Victory Chapel Christian Fellowship Ministries in Starke says at least it will be useful.

“Last week when they were putting the concrete down," he says, "I pulled over and told them I really appreciated them putting a bench there so I could study my Ten Commandments and sit down while I do it.”

Ugh.

He's a pastor, and he's still studying the Ten Commandments? Hell, even I know most of them, and I go out of my way to avoid reading the Bible. You'd think they'd have been on the Pastor final exam or something.

Guess he got held back a grade or two in Sunday school.

I might direct him to the section involving pride.

Doesn't matter *what* he does on the seat, as long as he doesn't deface it or block access to the monument. However, the attitude needs to go. T'ain't hardly Christian.

Robear wrote:

Doesn't matter *what* he does on the seat, as long as he doesn't deface it or block access to the monument. However, the attitude needs to go. T'ain't hardly Christian.

IMAGE(http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/ZPVWY4HjF1_jR5XXJv_j9w--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTYzOTtweW9mZj0wO3E9ODU7dz05NjA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/6dff0bcabe142b15360f6a706700a130.jpg)

Eric Hovind, the president of Creation Today, showing his respect for the monument by standing on it to "defend" the literal interpretation of Genesis from the big, bad theory of evolution.

OG_slinger wrote:

Eric Hovind, the president of Creation Today, showing his respect for the monument by standing on it to "defend" the literal interpretation of Genesis from the big, bad theory of evolution.

Standing on a monument to atheism in order to spread the word of Christ and get 3 feet closer to heaven?

Mmm, delicious irony!

Jonman wrote:
OG_slinger wrote:

Eric Hovind, the president of Creation Today, showing his respect for the monument by standing on it to "defend" the literal interpretation of Genesis from the big, bad theory of evolution.

Standing on a monument to atheism in order to spread the word of Christ and get 3 feet closer to heaven?

Mmm, delicious irony!

Is it wrong that I wanted him to slip and accidentally rip his own nuts off with the pointy part of the statue?

Paleocon wrote:
Jonman wrote:
OG_slinger wrote:

Eric Hovind, the president of Creation Today, showing his respect for the monument by standing on it to "defend" the literal interpretation of Genesis from the big, bad theory of evolution.

Standing on a monument to atheism in order to spread the word of Christ and get 3 feet closer to heaven?

Mmm, delicious irony!

Is it wrong that I wanted him to slip and accidentally rip his own nuts off with the pointy part of the statue?

You're totally going to hell for that.

clover wrote:
Paleocon wrote:
Jonman wrote:
OG_slinger wrote:

Eric Hovind, the president of Creation Today, showing his respect for the monument by standing on it to "defend" the literal interpretation of Genesis from the big, bad theory of evolution.

Standing on a monument to atheism in order to spread the word of Christ and get 3 feet closer to heaven?

Mmm, delicious irony!

Is it wrong that I wanted him to slip and accidentally rip his own nuts off with the pointy part of the statue?

You're totally going to hell for that.

Eh, he'll have good company on the trip.

Rallick wrote:
clover wrote:
Paleocon wrote:
Jonman wrote:
OG_slinger wrote:

Eric Hovind, the president of Creation Today, showing his respect for the monument by standing on it to "defend" the literal interpretation of Genesis from the big, bad theory of evolution.

Standing on a monument to atheism in order to spread the word of Christ and get 3 feet closer to heaven?

Mmm, delicious irony!

Is it wrong that I wanted him to slip and accidentally rip his own nuts off with the pointy part of the statue?

You're totally going to hell for that.

Eh, he'll have good company on the trip.

YOU GUYS - wishing harm on people because you disagree with them is sh*tty. However, I will also acknowledge that they're doing an unsafe thing in an attempt to prove a philosophical point to be deliciously, ironically darwinian.

I wonder what would have happened if an Atheist would have stood on the 10 commandments while it was being dedicated and hurled insults at Christians? How many days/weeks/months would that play on Fox news?

Amoebic wrote:

YOU GUYS - wishing harm on people because you disagree with them is sh*tty. However, I will also acknowledge that they're doing an unsafe thing in an attempt to prove a philosophical point to be deliciously, ironically darwinian.

To be fair, it's more than a simple disagreement; the guy's a block-headed buffoon who's crashing an event where, had the roles been reversed, he'd be crying persecution. Hovind, and the other a**-clown who was there, Sye Ten Bruggencate, are little more than hypocritical know-nothings. Granted, none of that warrants physical violence, but I wouldn't lose any sleep if it happened.

Wait. That was [em]during the dedication[/em]? Wow. That's a new level of obnoxious.

KrazyTacoFO wrote:

I wonder what would have happened if an Atheist would have stood on the 10 commandments while it was being dedicated and hurled insults at Christians? How many days/weeks/months would that play on Fox news?

Okay, I didn't realize it was happening during the dedication. I'm overcome with douchechills.

How long? Until the Rapture.

This is a population of people that, even though they're a majority of the population and virtually every elected official is one of them, think they are a persecuted minority that is on the brink of extinction. And, at the very same time, they wholeheartedly believe the fiction that this country was founded as an exclusively Christian nation and needs to remain so.

Paleocon wrote:
Jonman wrote:
OG_slinger wrote:

Eric Hovind, the president of Creation Today, showing his respect for the monument by standing on it to "defend" the literal interpretation of Genesis from the big, bad theory of evolution.

Standing on a monument to atheism in order to spread the word of Christ and get 3 feet closer to heaven?

Mmm, delicious irony!

Is it wrong that I wanted him to slip and accidentally rip his own nuts off with the pointy part of the statue?

I want to see his reaction when someone stands on the commandments statue to shill for atheism.

This evening, I was sitting with my wife, watching TV. She was using her smartphone, locked it, and put it down between us. After a second or so, the screen lit up, and it did a google search for 'Mary'.

I have no idea why or how it did this. My wife, being the religious person she is, immediately drew the conclusion that something 'higher' must have been behind it. When I did not immediately agree with this, she got pissed off at me, giving me the usual speech about being a closed-minded skeptic / atheist, and that I would not accept any evidence of God's existence. Apparently I have preconceived notions and willfully refuse to believe despite all evidence to the contrary.

Oddly, that's more or less how I feel about her seeing Jesus in everything that happens, whether or not there is a logical explanation for it. I get so tired of this sh*t. I love her dearly, and we get on great, and we agree on most things. Every time something like this happens, though, I get put in the doghouse for merely not believing. Luckily, these 'miracles' don't happen a lot, but it's aggravating when they do, to say the least. I'll get the silent treatment for the rest of the evening, and it will be fine again tomorrow, but it pisses me off that I can get in trouble without even having done anything.

Meh, perhaps this belongs in the loathe thread.

It is funny that religious Icon worshippers will see the divine in an accidental web search but deny the image of Jesus in a dog's ass.

Paleocon wrote:

It is funny that religious Icon worshippers will see the divine in an accidental web search but deny the image of Jesus in a dog's ass.

If you lean in close enough, he'll whisper something in your ear!

Rallick wrote:

This evening, I was sitting with my wife, watching TV. She was using her smartphone, locked it, and put it down between us. After a second or so, the screen lit up, and it did a google search for 'Mary'.

I have no idea why or how it did this. My wife, being the religious person she is, immediately drew the conclusion that something 'higher' must have been behind it. When I did not immediately agree with this, she got pissed off at me, giving me the usual speech about being a closed-minded skeptic / atheist, and that I would not accept any evidence of God's existence. Apparently I have preconceived notions and willfully refuse to believe despite all evidence to the contrary.

Oddly, that's more or less how I feel about her seeing Jesus in everything that happens, whether or not there is a logical explanation for it. I get so tired of this sh*t. I love her dearly, and we get on great, and we agree on most things. Every time something like this happens, though, I get put in the doghouse for merely not believing. Luckily, these 'miracles' don't happen a lot, but it's aggravating when they do, to say the least. I'll get the silent treatment for the rest of the evening, and it will be fine again tomorrow, but it pisses me off that I can get in trouble without even having done anything.

Meh, perhaps this belongs in the loathe thread.

I sometimes accidentally hit the button for Android's equivalent of Siri, and when I unlock my phone, there's about a paragraph of Strangeblades-like typing in Google.

Pretty sure I've been touched by Jesus. For $5, you can see if it'll rub off on you.

Bonus_Eruptus wrote:
Rallick wrote:

This evening, I was sitting with my wife, watching TV. She was using her smartphone, locked it, and put it down between us. After a second or so, the screen lit up, and it did a google search for 'Mary'.

I have no idea why or how it did this. My wife, being the religious person she is, immediately drew the conclusion that something 'higher' must have been behind it. When I did not immediately agree with this, she got pissed off at me, giving me the usual speech about being a closed-minded skeptic / atheist, and that I would not accept any evidence of God's existence. Apparently I have preconceived notions and willfully refuse to believe despite all evidence to the contrary.

Oddly, that's more or less how I feel about her seeing Jesus in everything that happens, whether or not there is a logical explanation for it. I get so tired of this sh*t. I love her dearly, and we get on great, and we agree on most things. Every time something like this happens, though, I get put in the doghouse for merely not believing. Luckily, these 'miracles' don't happen a lot, but it's aggravating when they do, to say the least. I'll get the silent treatment for the rest of the evening, and it will be fine again tomorrow, but it pisses me off that I can get in trouble without even having done anything.

Meh, perhaps this belongs in the loathe thread.

I sometimes accidentally hit the button for Android's equivalent of Siri, and when I unlock my phone, there's about a paragraph of Strangeblades-like typing in Google.

Pretty sure I've been touched by Jesus. For $5, you can see if it'll rub off on you.

You'll rub on me for only $5!? Sold!

KrazyTacoFO wrote:
Bonus_Eruptus wrote:
Rallick wrote:

This evening, I was sitting with my wife, watching TV. She was using her smartphone, locked it, and put it down between us. After a second or so, the screen lit up, and it did a google search for 'Mary'.

I have no idea why or how it did this. My wife, being the religious person she is, immediately drew the conclusion that something 'higher' must have been behind it. When I did not immediately agree with this, she got pissed off at me, giving me the usual speech about being a closed-minded skeptic / atheist, and that I would not accept any evidence of God's existence. Apparently I have preconceived notions and willfully refuse to believe despite all evidence to the contrary.

Oddly, that's more or less how I feel about her seeing Jesus in everything that happens, whether or not there is a logical explanation for it. I get so tired of this sh*t. I love her dearly, and we get on great, and we agree on most things. Every time something like this happens, though, I get put in the doghouse for merely not believing. Luckily, these 'miracles' don't happen a lot, but it's aggravating when they do, to say the least. I'll get the silent treatment for the rest of the evening, and it will be fine again tomorrow, but it pisses me off that I can get in trouble without even having done anything.

Meh, perhaps this belongs in the loathe thread.

I sometimes accidentally hit the button for Android's equivalent of Siri, and when I unlock my phone, there's about a paragraph of Strangeblades-like typing in Google.

Pretty sure I've been touched by Jesus. For $5, you can see if it'll rub off on you.

You'll rub on me for only $5!? Sold!

Rub off on you. It's another $4 if I have to touch you. That's below the usual $5 threshold on Steam, so it's a bargain, people.

OG_slinger wrote:

This is a population of people that, even though they're a majority of the population and virtually every elected official is one of them, think they are a persecuted minority that is on the brink of extinction. And, at the very same time, they wholeheartedly believe the fiction that this country was founded as an exclusively Christian nation and needs to remain so.

I'm a Christian and don't believe either of those.

MacBrave wrote:

I'm a Christian and don't believe either of those.

You're exactly one of the 197 million or so adult Christians in this country. Are you personally vouching for the rest of them, especially the 50-odd million evangelicals and the politicians they've put in power?

OG_slinger wrote:
MacBrave wrote:

I'm a Christian and don't believe either of those.

You're exactly one of the 197 million or so adult Christians in this country. Are you personally vouching for the rest of them, especially the 50-odd million evangelicals and the politicians they've put in power?

I think his point is a good one though. It is, likely, a very noisy minority of wingnuts who watch Fox Nuisance and listen to Squakradio that actually believe in that tripe. The majority of Christians tend to be a lot less stuck in the Middle Ages than that.

Paleocon wrote:

I think his point is a good one though. It is, likely, a very noisy minority of wingnuts who watch Fox Nuisance and listen to Squakradio that actually believe in that tripe. The majority of Christians tend to be a lot less stuck in the Middle Ages than that.

Unfortunately they vote for people who are stuck in the Middle Ages. And we have several ongoing threads about what those people then do with the political power all those supposedly good, moderate Christian voters gave them.