Religion is important money-making tool in US. That is why atheists are mistreated.

Feel free to flame me.

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The way I see it they're going to have absolutely no effect at the moment, maybe in 30 years time, but at the moment they're naive to try and get this going. The religious right still has such a strong foothold in the US as to make any endorsement from a group like this a bad move politically. The religious right has a much larger propaganda machine, and any group like this will just end up attracting the old 'atheists are out to murder our families, the communists are invading!' type diatribes.

It was interesting to note that the group may actually end up threatening to endorse a particular party, rather than threatening not to endorse them. They've also got next to no money to give out at the moment, which is what really matters.

The group itself is essentially a brainchild of American Atheists (www.atheists.org), one of the major US atheist's rights groups. They may have some minimal effect, but they simply don't have the pulling power that the religious right does. To be honest, I think you'd be better to donate to the ACLU, as I really don't think the US (considering the fact that it's the most religious Western nation in existence) is ready for a group like this yet.

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Last edited by arctic on Mar-13-2004 at 05:06

Even some Democrats have already asked them to not endorse candidates using their name. Just a group of freaks with a PAC...

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The fact is most Americans are religious, but also to be fair, most are not extremists like Pat Robertson and gang.

Actually my aunt is a bit of an extremist Catholic like Mel Gibson, but we're used to it lol.

We also have a significant problem with our educational system in the US.

The main problems I can see with this are that politicians who pepper their speeches with biblical references may easily manipulate these same masses.


All I ask is that our government respect religious freedom and the separation of church and state as it has for about 200 years (until this recent administration), and I couldn't care less about some stupid plague at the Grand Canyon.

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Last edited by DaveSZ on Mar-13-2004 at 05:40

quote:

Originally posted by imokruok Just a group of freaks with a PAC...

In what way are they freaks?

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Good for them. Religion is what all the problems of the world come down to these days.

quote:

Originally posted by Galapidate Good for them. Religion is what all the problems of the world come down to these days.

These days?

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If this Godless Americans is in any way related to the American Atheists (with Madline O'Hare or whatever) then I wouldn't have bothered. Far too militant for my liking - much better to convert the Christians by becoming more Christ-like than by becoming more antichrist-like. Atheism isn't about shitting on what 90% of the people do, it's about ensuring that the 90% can't shit on what the rest of us do. If people want to believe fairies live in the sky then I'm not one to disuade them from that perspective...

HOWEVER

If they want to start prostelytising in the classroom then they'll need to start getting past me first. Religious education is highly desirable (so long as each religion is given equal footing - "here is a myth, this is why people believe in it") but religious prostelytism isn't. It is the job of atheistic humanists to lead from the front, to develop a moral theory based not on god but on humanity, and to live with a compassion and tolerance exceding that of the conservative Christian. Nonetheless, the atheist should also recognise - and this is where the American Atheists fail - that religion is often at the forefront of moral liberalism (the Anglican Church here in Australia is always the first to criticise the conservative government) and that the key is therefore not to abolish religion, merely bullshit religious bigotry and fundamentalism.

Then again I'm drunk, so I cannot be held responsible for any future impromptu post edits that may alter the meaning of this post.

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quote:

Originally posted by Renegade If this Godless Americans is in any way related to the American Atheists (with Madline O'Hare or whatever) then I wouldn't have bothered. Far too militant for my liking - much better to convert the Christians by becoming more Christ-like than by becoming more antichrist-like. Atheism isn't about shitting on what 90% of the people do, it's about ensuring that the 90% can't shit on what the rest of us do. If people want to believe fairies live in the sky then I'm not one to disuade them from that perspective...

Unfortunately it is. The chair is the current president of AA, and it looks like they (AA) have probably played a key role in setting this up. If it was the brainchild of one of the major Secular Humanist councils or organizations, then I would be slightly more optimistic about it's viability.

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quote:

Originally posted by CortexBomb These days?

Ok fine, always

quote:

Originally posted by Renegade If this Godless Americans is in any way related to the American Atheists (with Madline O'Hare or whatever) then I wouldn't have bothered. Far too militant for my liking

Whats wrong with militant athiests?