• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

New York Atheists Angry Over 'Heaven' Street Sign Honoring Sept. 11 victims

The flying spaghetti monster is not a label for your god, it is an example to show that the inability to disprove a notion is in no way a reason to believe said claim.

I dunno about this unicorn thing, you'll have to quote someone using it in context as a pejorative for your god.

You can do a search by post for unicorn.
 
The flying spaghetti monster is not a label for your god, it is an example to show that the inability to disprove a notion is in no way a reason to believe said claim.

I dunno about this unicorn thing, you'll have to quote someone using it in context as a pejorative for your god.

Unicorns, leprechauns, spaghetti monsters are used exactly as you say. It seems many religious people often like to play the victim card or are too stupid to recognize the point being made--believing that leprechauns/unicorns/FSM are simply a tool to mock rather than to present a valid point.

I've been tempted to make a thread addressing this problem but I figured that would simply fall on deaf ears.
 
Last edited:
Theist will forever lose these arguments because they preach ignorance on the subject. When I say they preach ignorance I mean they encourage people not to learn about evolution and/or other beliefs systems. Many believe that honestly delving into such subjects is an example of tempting the devil or testing God and demonstrates a lack of faith.

The average atheist knows way more about religion than the average theist knows about subjects such as evolution and oftentimes atheists know more about religion than theists.
 
Last edited:
Unicorns, leprechauns, spaghetti monsters are used exactly as you say. It seems many religious people often like to play the victim card or are too stupid to recognize the point being made--believing that leprechauns/unicorns/FSM are simply a tool to mock rather than to present a valid point.

I've been tempted to make a thread addressing this problem but I figured that would simply fall on deaf ears.

Here are a couple of people you would consider morons for believeing in a higher power.

 
Theist will forever lose these arguments because they preach ignorance on the subject. When I say they preach ignorance I mean they encourage people not to learn about evolution and/or other beliefs systems. Many believe that honestly delving into such subjects is an example of tempting the devil or testing God and demonstrates a lack of faith.

The average atheist knows way more about religion than the average theist knows about subjects such as evolution and oftentimes atheists know more about religion than theists.

Evolution is science.
Theism/atheism is philosophy.
Two totally different things. One does not have to prove evolution in order to be an atheist, nor does one have to reject it in order to be a theist.
 
Evolution is science.
Theism/atheism is philosophy.
Two totally different things. One does not have to prove evolution in order to be an atheist, nor does one have to reject it in order to be a theist.

Ah, the ol Non-overlapping magisteria argument, But what about the area's where the two overlap?

Like when a theist makes a reality based claim, like about the age of the earth, which conflicts with geological/archaeological evidence?
 
Last edited:
Ah, the ol Non-overlapping magisteria argument, But what about the area's where the two overlap?

Like when a theist makes a reality based claim, like about the age of the earth, which conflicts with geological/archaeological evidence?

This is usually done by someone that knows as little about their own religion as they do about science. Taking such a comment as evidence of religious thought is as asinine as the comment itself.
 
This is usually done by someone that knows as little about their own religion as they do about science. Taking such a comment as evidence of religious thought is as asinine as the comment itself.

According to polls over 40% of our country holds false overlapping magisteria, if you don't think these people exist by the millions you're deluding yourself.
 
Ah, yes, here's your American atheist in full form.
Don't extend the nitpicking of one group to all atheists. I'm an atheist, but I don't think the mere use of the word 'heaven' on a street sign is an endorsement of Christianity.
Question: If you truly believe there is no such thing as God, and therefore our lives and deaths don't really mean anything, why do you care? Why is this such a big deal? Is this not like scolding people for watching vampire movies, or children for watching Barney?
Just because someone doesn't believe there is a higher meaning doesn't mean that human life is worthless, and so it doesn't mean atheists don't have a position on anything.
Or is it......you crave worth and attention and must be acknowledged no matter what.
No, and you have not shown this to be the case in any way.
Atheists are funny. They've created an existence out of nothing. I don't believe in unicorns, but I didn't fashion a title for myself, nor do I practice within a group, to acknowledge that I don't believe in unicorns.
Maybe that's because there isn't a large group of people who worship unicorns and make decisions accordingly. The question of the existence of god and the ramifications of god's existence or non-existence has always been a key question in human thought, that's why the term atheist is used. And that's why your unicorn example is meaningless.
 
According to polls over 40% of our country holds false overlapping magisteria, if you don't think these people exist by the millions you're deluding yourself.

People exist by the millions that have all sorts of crazy ideas.....so? But, if you think simply because someone believes in God, they fit your bill, you are wrong.
 
People exist by the millions that have all sorts of crazy ideas.....so

So? You claimed that such a comment was not evidence of religious thought when in fact it represents the MAJORITY of religious thought in America.

You cannot pretend that these are fringe claims. Certainly there are more sophisticated theologians but they are the MINORITY.

But, if you think simply because someone believes in God, they fit your bill, you are wrong.

I never said that at all.
 
Last edited:
Sounds like another attempt to make laws prohibiting the practice of religion to me. Another direct violation of the 1st Amendment.
 
Sounds like another attempt to make laws prohibiting the practice of religion to me. Another direct violation of the 1st Amendment.
What other laws exist in the US that prohibit the practice of religion?
 
New York Atheists Angry Over 'Heaven' Street Sign Honoring Sept. 11 Victims - FoxNews.com



Ah, yes, here's your American atheist in full form.

Question: If you truly believe there is no such thing as God, and therefore our lives and deaths don't really mean anything, why do you care? Why is this such a big deal? Is this not like scolding people for watching vampire movies, or children for watching Barney?

Or is it......you crave worth and attention and must be acknowledged no matter what.

Atheists are funny. They've created an existence out of nothing. I don't believe in unicorns, but I didn't fashion a title for myself, nor do I practice within a group, to acknowledge that I don't believe in unicorns.

Atheism is an anti-Christ belief system apparently. They are anti anything Christian. That's why they care. Their religion is based on the Bible. It's just that they are anti-Bible. So it isn't surprising that they would care. Christianity and the Bible are the basis of their anti-faith.
 
Atheism is an anti-Christ belief system apparently. They are anti anything Christian. That's why they care. Their religion is based on the Bible. It's just that they are anti-Bible. So it isn't surprising that they would care. Christianity and the Bible are the basis of their anti-faith.

Atheism is not a belief system. Some atheists are opposed to the notion of faith, belief without evidence, because they they have standards for accepting truths (logic and reason.)

What does it mean to be anti-bible, aside from regarding it as just another book, and a poorly written one at that? Does not accepting Jesus as the son of the creator of the universe make one "Anti-Christ(tian)"? What does that even mean and how is it a bad thing? Knowing that reason is superior to faith as a means to knowledge is not "anti" anything but credulousness, gullibility, and bull****.
 
New York Atheists Angry Over 'Heaven' Street Sign Honoring Sept. 11 Victims - FoxNews.com



Ah, yes, here's your American atheist in full form.

Question: If you truly believe there is no such thing as God, and therefore our lives and deaths don't really mean anything, why do you care? Why is this such a big deal? Is this not like scolding people for watching vampire movies, or children for watching Barney?

Or is it......you crave worth and attention and must be acknowledged no matter what.

Atheists are funny. They've created an existence out of nothing. I don't believe in unicorns, but I didn't fashion a title for myself, nor do I practice within a group, to acknowledge that I don't believe in unicorns.

I agree with you, perhaps surprisingly. I am, of course, atheistic, just in the general nature of things, being Russian and British and a former soldier etc., I've never found a good argument for God that resonated with me. But I don't go around ranting about my beliefs, nor do I label myself an Atheist, capital A important. I think it's bloody stupid for them to be getting their nose out of joints about a bloody street name.

Though I'd say it'd be equally as stupid for a Christian or Muslim to have a tiff over 'Darwin Boulevard'.
 
Is there a difference between an atheist and an agnostic?

If so, what?
 
Is there a difference between an atheist and an agnostic?

If so, what?
It depends on how you define the terms.

Most atheists tend to define atheism as a lack of belief in gods. This would include all people who are absolutely sure gods do not exist to people who don't know if gods exist or not. Key word is "belief" as opposed to "knowledge.

Agnosticism deals with knowledge, not belief. People can be agnostic or gnostic in reference to gods or any other thing but its usually in reference to gods.

So people can be any combination of agnostic/gnostic atheist/theist. That pretty much covers all the ground for god beliefs.
 
Is there a difference between an atheist and an agnostic?

If so, what?

Agnosticism addresses the epistemological question of what you know. IMO everyone is an agnostic because no one truly "knows." Whether or not you believe in a particular deity makes you a theist or an atheist regarding it.

I for example am an agnostic atheist, for I do not know of any gods nor do I believe in them. Most are agnostic theists, they know nothing that I do not but believe anyways. Few are gnostic theists, who believe because they know; these are the type who claim to have witnessed miracles, or have spoken to divine agents personally.

Logically speaking, no one can have knowledge of a particular deity's nonexistence; but the inability to logically disprove any deity is no reason to believe in it. Else one is equally compelled to believe in ALL myths. Those who claim to know about the nonexistence of any god that they do not have firsthand knowledge of it's myths creation is committing the same fallacy as those who claim to know of a deity's existence.

IMO atheism is a non-belief system, its just what we call people who remain unconvinced by illogical, and anti-scientific ideas. We only use the term because most of our species is theistic, otherwise we do not have labels for people based on things they do not believe in. We do not call people nonastrologers, or a-unicornists. But in truth, you're an atheist in respect to every single god people have believed in that you do not.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom