| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"maff" |
| Date: |
31 Dec 2006 06:14:24 AM |
| Object: |
Not Yet The Majority But No Longer Silent |
Not Yet The Majority But No Longer Silent
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/daniel_c_dennett/2006/12/not_yet_the_majority_but_no_lo.html
There are many more atheists and agnostics in the country than is
generally recognized. For instance, we atheists and agnostics are as
numerous as Southern Baptists, and we are also the fastest growing
category--faster even than the Mormons and the evangelicals.
Why, then, are we atheists in general so unnoticed, and why is this
changing? Since atheists, in general, think there are much more
important and interesting topics to discuss than whether or not God --
which God? -- exists, we seldom raise the issue.
.
|
|
| User: "satyr" |
|
| Title: Re: Not Yet The Majority But No Longer Silent |
31 Dec 2006 12:10:21 PM |
|
|
On 31 Dec 2006 04:14:24 -0800, "maff" <maff91@yahoo.com> wrote:
Not Yet The Majority But No Longer Silent
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/daniel_c_dennett/2006/12/not_yet_the_majority_but_no_lo.html
There are many more atheists and agnostics in the country than is
generally recognized. For instance, we atheists and agnostics are as
numerous as Southern Baptists, and we are also the fastest growing
category--faster even than the Mormons and the evangelicals.
Why, then, are we atheists in general so unnoticed, and why is this
changing? Since atheists, in general, think there are much more
important and interesting topics to discuss than whether or not God --
which God? -- exists, we seldom raise the issue.
Shhhh. We are waiting until they are all asleep.
--
satyr #1953
Chairman, EAC Church Taxation Subcommittee
Director, Gideon Bible Alternative Fuel Project
Supervisor, EAC Fossil Casting Lab
.
|
|
|
|
| User: "Don Martin" |
|
| Title: Re: Not Yet The Majority But No Longer Silent |
31 Dec 2006 09:11:01 AM |
|
|
On 31 Dec 2006 04:14:24 -0800, "maff" <maff91@yahoo.com> wrote:
Not Yet The Majority But No Longer Silent
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/daniel_c_dennett/2006/12/not_yet_the_majority_but_no_lo.html
There are many more atheists and agnostics in the country than is
generally recognized. For instance, we atheists and agnostics are as
numerous as Southern Baptists, and we are also the fastest growing
category--faster even than the Mormons and the evangelicals.
Why, then, are we atheists in general so unnoticed, and why is this
changing? Since atheists, in general, think there are much more
important and interesting topics to discuss than whether or not God --
which God? -- exists, we seldom raise the issue.
The essence of atheism is individualism: each of us has, in all
probability, come alone to the conclusion that supernatural beings are
***** constructs created by their "followers" for the better
manipulation of others. As individuals without a cause, we see no
reason to hold regular services. I have seen a number of atheists
expressing the idea that forums such as these were the first time they
had encountered numbers of other persons sharing their views: we don't
gather, we don't build meeting houses (achurches?), we don't claim tax
exemptions--in a number of ways, we don't get counted in the usual
ways.
Add to that the fact that there exist situations in which admitting to
atheism may be not only unpopular but downright dangerous (beware
godly christians with shotguns) and the fact that few of us are very
militant: for many atheists, the idea of god is such a yawning non
issue as to constitute a waste of breath. We rarely attempt to make
converts, and if we do, all we have at our disposal is reason.
Intimidation works far better, but it only works if you have some
boogeyman to intimidate _with_.
Probably the best measure of the number of atheists is the remainder
once you tot up the numbers of those claiming some faith and who
actually attend services other than weddings, baptisms (or equivalent
rituals), and funerals more than twice per year. That is probably
between 30 and 40 percent of the population. Those who do not give
enough of a ***** about supernatural superfriends to show up may be
counted as practicing atheists, whatever lip service they may pay.
Through a jaundiced eye darkly--rheum with a view.
The Squeeky Wheel
http://home.comcast.net/~drdonmartin/
.
|
|
|
|
| User: "ernobe" |
|
| Title: Re: Not Yet The Majority But No Longer Silent |
31 Dec 2006 10:04:18 AM |
|
|
On Dec 31, 6:14 am, "maff" <maf...@yahoo.com> wrote:
Not Yet The Majority But No Longer Silenthttp://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/daniel_c_dennett/2006/12/n...
There are many more atheists and agnostics in the country than is
generally recognized. For instance, we atheists and agnostics are as
numerous as Southern Baptists, and we are also the fastest growing
category--faster even than the Mormons and the evangelicals.
Why, then, are we atheists in general so unnoticed, and why is this
changing? Since atheists, in general, think there are much more
important and interesting topics to discuss than whether or not God --
which God? -- exists, we seldom raise the issue.
Maybe they're just afraid of the Northern Baptists.
.
|
|
|
| User: "Neil Kelsey" |
|
| Title: Re: Not Yet The Majority But No Longer Silent |
31 Dec 2006 10:37:46 AM |
|
|
ernobe wrote:
On Dec 31, 6:14 am, "maff" <maf...@yahoo.com> wrote:
Not Yet The Majority But No Longer Silenthttp://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/daniel_c_dennett/2006/12/n...
There are many more atheists and agnostics in the country than is
generally recognized. For instance, we atheists and agnostics are as
numerous as Southern Baptists, and we are also the fastest growing
category--faster even than the Mormons and the evangelicals.
Why, then, are we atheists in general so unnoticed, and why is this
changing? Since atheists, in general, think there are much more
important and interesting topics to discuss than whether or not God --
which God? -- exists, we seldom raise the issue.
Maybe they're just afraid of the Northern Baptists.
Even your jokes don't make any sense.
.
|
|
|
|
|
| User: "Chas" |
|
| Title: Re: Not Yet The Majority But No Longer Silent |
31 Dec 2006 11:31:00 AM |
|
|
Our numbers grow approxamtly with the rate of population increase, but
the trend is for liberal Christians in the mainline churches to be
switching to conservatism and even to the Baptist, Evangelical and
Penticostal churches. Their attendance has grown fast in the last
decades. In the South and Midwest, they have to build huge churches
fast to keep up and so they build them out of modular and corrigated
iron siding---cheaply.
We atheists are individually influencial but our secular ideals of
tolerance as well as a desire not "to make waves" helps keep us from
much public view. However, the main reason we are so ineffectual that
the media has shifted over to "glorify the Bible" documentaries, for
example, is that we atheists have little or nothing in common except
one single thing: we agree on a single non-belief! That is not much in
common!!
We include a lot of hedonists which many of us who are more serious and
dedicated would love to disassociate ourselves from. In some of the
groups, the atheists can be counted on to have the foulest mouths and
the worst rants. We are embarrased over them. Some are patriotic and
others see a dedication (as I do) to the whole human race and consider
themselves (as I do) as citizens of the WORLD. And these are just a
few of the differences that keep us disunited and hence so ineffectual.
This problem can be cured, however. Those interested should take a
look at http://humanpurpose.simplenet.com
charles
maff wrote:
Not Yet The Majority But No Longer Silent
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/daniel_c_dennett/2006/12/not_yet_the_majority_but_no_lo.html
There are many more atheists and agnostics in the country than is
generally recognized. For instance, we atheists and agnostics are as
numerous as Southern Baptists, and we are also the fastest growing
category--faster even than the Mormons and the evangelicals.
Why, then, are we atheists in general so unnoticed, and why is this
changing? Since atheists, in general, think there are much more
important and interesting topics to discuss than whether or not God --
which God? -- exists, we seldom raise the issue.
.
|
|
|
|
| User: "Chas" |
|
| Title: Re: Not Yet The Majority But No Longer Silent |
31 Dec 2006 11:31:11 AM |
|
|
Our numbers grow approxamtly with the rate of population increase, but
the trend is for liberal Christians in the mainline churches to be
switching to conservatism and even to the Baptist, Evangelical and
Penticostal churches. Their attendance has grown fast in the last
decades. In the South and Midwest, they have to build huge churches
fast to keep up and so they build them out of modular and corrigated
iron siding---cheaply.
We atheists are individually influencial but our secular ideals of
tolerance as well as a desire not "to make waves" helps keep us from
much public view. However, the main reason we are so ineffectual that
the media has shifted over to "glorify the Bible" documentaries, for
example, is that we atheists have little or nothing in common except
one single thing: we agree on a single non-belief! That is not much in
common!!
We include a lot of hedonists which many of us who are more serious and
dedicated would love to disassociate ourselves from. In some of the
groups, the atheists can be counted on to have the foulest mouths and
the worst rants. We are embarrased over them. Some are patriotic and
others see a dedication (as I do) to the whole human race and consider
themselves (as I do) as citizens of the WORLD. And these are just a
few of the differences that keep us disunited and hence so ineffectual.
This problem can be cured, however. Those interested should take a
look at http://humanpurpose.simplenet.com
charles
maff wrote:
Not Yet The Majority But No Longer Silent
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/daniel_c_dennett/2006/12/not_yet_the_majority_but_no_lo.html
There are many more atheists and agnostics in the country than is
generally recognized. For instance, we atheists and agnostics are as
numerous as Southern Baptists, and we are also the fastest growing
category--faster even than the Mormons and the evangelicals.
Why, then, are we atheists in general so unnoticed, and why is this
changing? Since atheists, in general, think there are much more
important and interesting topics to discuss than whether or not God --
which God? -- exists, we seldom raise the issue.
.
|
|
|
|
|
Related Articles |
Not God, but man saves lives & prevents suffering yet again.
OT: Jackson Verdict Reached, but not yet announced...
Yet more poetry, but not entirely OT
"And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven." -- LORD Jesus Christ
China Is Not Just Rising, but Also Changing
OT: Signs of coming out of the Dark Ages, but its in Europe not the US
Zoos and monkeys, but not a peep
Fred Stone: It Was Okay for GOP to Pressure CBS... (But not Okay for Dems to Pressure ABC)
| God Wants to Bless You, But Not in the Way you Think!
Accepting others natures as well as out own helps with our goal of promoting our inner peace, but this must be balanced with not filling your life up with relationships that zap all your acceptance energy.
Re: EVERYONE IS CRAZY BUT YOU AND ME AND SOMETIMES I'M NOT SURE OF THEE
Re: I want to ask you the most important question of your life. The question is: Are you saved? It is not a question of how good you are, nor if you are a church member, but are you saved? Are you sure you will go to Heaven when you die? The reason s
Re: I want to ask you the most important question of your life. The question is: Are you saved? It is not a question of how good you are, nor if you are a church member, but are you saved? Are you sure you will go to Heaven when you die? The reason s
Almost, but not quite, entirely OT: Daleks
OT: Iraq is not Bush's Vietnam. But it is becoming Blair's
|
|
|
