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Atheist messages displace CA park nativity scenes

Ya know, maybe, if you keep saying that, it might become true!

/sarcasm

Well, it is the only argument you have made so far. You complain about the competition, then deny that is what you are complaining about, then complain about the competition.
 
Well, it is the only argument you have made so far. You complain about the competition, then deny that is what you are complaining about, then complain about the competition.

If that is all that you got out of my posts then I would suggest going back and reading them again. This time without personal bias.
 
I grew up in the 60's, and these were never issues. Why now?

I was around in the 60's, and old enough to know exactly why "these" were never issues. As I pointed out in one of my earlier posts, confessing to being an atheist in the 1950's was enough to get you blacklisted for life, fired, ostracized, socially banned, and if you were important enough it got you a trip to D.C. to testify to your "atheist perversions" in front of a congressional committee.

This ostracization of atheists continued in the 60's, 70's and 80's. Even in the 90's I wasn't comfortable admitting that I didn't believe there was a supreme being in the sky, listening to the individual prayers of up to 6 billion earthlings. As this thread shows, the ostracization continues to this day... and it sure doesn't help when a few militant atheists determined to carve a nitch of acceptance in a society that for the most part loathes them advertise their own lack of belief by mocking the beliefs of others.

Most people I know who are openly atheist are among the staunchest supporters of freedom of religion. I know I am. I was one of the few who openly supported the Ground Zero Mosque because, yes, everyone is allowed the free practice of their religion in this country, even those who practice a religion that is frowned upon by practitioners of the country's majority religion.

So that's why now. Some people are tired of being labeled as satan spawn because they are non-religious, so they're coming out of the closet demanding to be heard. It's not what I would do since I'm pretty much a live-and-let-live type of person. Others, not so much. :shrug:
 
Every time I come back to this thread I wonder: if atheists don't believe in god, what's the problem with a nativity scene? Shouldn't atheists see it as perfectly harmless?
 
Every time I come back to this thread I wonder: if atheists don't believe in god, what's the problem with a nativity scene? Shouldn't atheists see it as perfectly harmless?

I personally don't give a **** about nativity scenes, not even on public property. Or displays of the 10 commandments outside courthouses for that matter. So long as they rule by law of man and not law of god, then it's fine. But what I find funny is that people come in here and start running their mouths about atheists like it's the whole damned lot of us. Guess what, every group has jerks and all this is comes down to is a couple of jerks in that region who either cheated or were very lucky. This is not abnormal behavior for humans.
 
I personally don't give a **** about nativity scenes, not even on public property. Or displays of the 10 commandments outside courthouses for that matter. So long as they rule by law of man and not law of god, then it's fine....Guess what, every group has jerks...

Yeah, that's about what I figured.
 
Did you know there are people so irrational as not to believe in miracles? Strange world we live in.

In case you haven't noticed, humanity isn't all that evolved and apparently not all that bright. Just because we can't curently understand an event doesn't make it supernatural intervention AKA miracle.
 
In case you haven't noticed, humanity isn't all that evolved and apparently not all that bright. Just because we can't curently understand an event doesn't make it supernatural intervention AKA miracle.
I know, often they are just some sort of 'paranormal' phenomena. But there are even dupes who don't believe in these. Can you believe it?

I've never seen this universe of the scientists, but I'm willing to keep an open mind. Stranger things have happened, not many though.
 
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The greater issue here, to me at least, is that these displays need to be protected within glorified chicken coop contraptions. My goodness peope will steal anything that isn't nailed down these days. I just light a candle for non-believers at Mass, they're going to get Christ's good graces whether they like it or not!
 
I just find it sad that those who consider themselves "evolved" and beyond "childish superstition" would resort to Aesop's dog-in-the-manger tactics. Not very evolved after all.
 
Because their goal was to displace a nativity scene. Their goal was to overshadow someone else's traditional display and interject their own. This was hardly some innocent educational ploy.

Unfortunately, the system they had in place said that the nativity scene was not entitled to those displays. I'm sure it will be addressed.

This was hardly some evil ploy either. It appears they operated within the guidelines of the system. All I see in the story is this faith-based accusation:

Our belief is that these new applicants have been working together to displace and push out the nativity scenes from the park, rather than erecting a full display of their own," said Hunter Jameson, a spokesman for a coalition of the city's churches.

"Rather than erecting a full display of their own"...

Hmmm, sage advice. It rings of "We're Christians, we are entitled!"
 
"Rather than erecting a full display of their own"...

Hmmm, sage advice. It rings of "We're Christians, we are entitled!"

Even you have to admit that applying for 18 slots, getting all of them, but only using 3 of the 18 slots is indicitive of not doing a full display wouldn't you say? I mean, if you're only going to use up 3 slots then why apply for 18?
 
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I know, often they are just some sort of 'paranormal' phenomena. But there are even dupes who don't believe in these. Can you believe it?

I've never seen this universe of the scientists, but I'm willing to keep an open mind. Stranger things have happened, not many though.

Wess, I personally choose to believe that there is a logical, rational explanation for everything in the universe - and science will, over time, indeed Unfold most mysteries of the universe thats been mis-attributed to a supernatural cause.

There's no doubt in my mind that technology, someday in the not so distant future, will uncover the mechanism of death and create the means for immortality.

Religious beliefs are taught - not innate. Religions are culturely created. If you were born in the Amazon jungle to a tribe that believes that a rock on a hill, carved out by nature, with the appearance of a human like being, is the creator of their known world. You would adopt, without question, that belief.


Want to have an open mind - ponder my comments.
 
Every time I come back to this thread I wonder: if atheists don't believe in god, what's the problem with a nativity scene? Shouldn't atheists see it as perfectly harmless?

I find little kids beliefs in Santa harmless. When my daughter turns 12, we're breaking it to her. Time and a place, time and a place. Gotta grow up and stop believing in imaginary people sometime.
 
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Wess, I personally choose to believe that there is a logical, rational explanation for everything in the universe - and science will, over time, indeed Unfold most mysteries of the universe thats been mis-attributed to a supernatural cause.
I share your respect for logic and reason, that is why I love Fairy Tales.

The feast was grand; they danced and sang; all were merry; and I only wish that you and I had been of the party.


Religious beliefs are taught - not innate. Religions are culturely created. If you were born in the Amazon jungle to a tribe that believes that a rock on a hill, carved out by nature, with the appearance of a human like being, is the creator of their known world. You would adopt, without question, that belief.
I agree that religions are culturally created, and that cultures and religiously created.
 
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I find little kids beliefs in Santa harmless. When my daughter turns 12, we're breaking it to her. Time and a place, time and a place. Gotta grow up and stop believing in imaginary people sometime.

You might consider doing it sooner. In today's world information gets to children much quicker, and often times callously. Better if you break it to her than some careless person. Just something to think about.
 
But you will apparently try to defend it.

Their right to do it, yes.

Plus I have little sympathy for Christians putting up "official" displays on public property. Now they know how it feels.
 
Even you have to admit that applying for 18 slots, getting all of them, but only using 3 of the 18 slots is indicitive of not doing a full display wouldn't you say? I mean, if you're only going to use up 3 slots then why apply for 18?

That is not what happened. A number of people applied. They could if they won claim up to 9 slots. Two winners did claim 9 slots. If a christian group had won and applied, you would not be crying. So the problem is that christians had competition.
 
For not claiming to have any faith these dicks sure do want to spread their beliefs around and oppress the beliefs of others.

It's no different than what would have happened if 3 slots were given to churches and the atheist groups got 2 slots instead.

Don't really see where the oppression is here.

EDIT: Oops. Misread that.

Atheists got all but a few.

Well, even so, it's not their fault if they went by the system. Even so, no oppression here.
 
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That is not what happened. A number of people applied. They could if they won claim up to 9 slots. Two winners did claim 9 slots. If a christian group had won and applied, you would not be crying. So the problem is that christians had competition.

Yes, competition from adherents of another religion - atheism. Personally, I don't care at all about atheist signs or whatever, but I'm curious about why somebody would promote something that's so often claimed to be a mere lack of belief.
 
Yes, competition from adherents of another religion - atheism. Personally, I don't care at all about atheist signs or whatever, but I'm curious about why somebody would promote something that's so often claimed to be a mere lack of belief.

Because that's not what atheism is.

Just because atheists don't believe in a divinity doesn't mean they don't believe in anything.
 
Yes, competition from adherents of another religion - atheism. Personally, I don't care at all about atheist signs or whatever, but I'm curious about why somebody would promote something that's so often claimed to be a mere lack of belief.

I suspect they see it as countering the negative impact of religion. Again, it's not what I would do, but I don't cry about people placing nativity scenes or whatever other message they want.
 
That is not what happened. A number of people applied. They could if they won claim up to 9 slots. Two winners did claim 9 slots. If a christian group had won and applied, you would not be crying. So the problem is that christians had competition.

And they did win 9 slots each didn't they? That equals 18 does it not? And are you denying the fact that combined they only used up 3 of the 18 slots?

BTW, I may believe in God, but I am against organized religion (I've said this before on this forum, a few times I believe). So I could care less if Christians got it or the Athiests or the Muslims. What I do care about and have talked about quite a bit in this thread is the deliberate attempt by one group to push out another group. If the situation here was exactly reversed I would be hollering about it.
 
Because that's not what atheism is.

Just because atheists don't believe in a divinity doesn't mean they don't believe in anything.

Sam, we may actually agree on something here.
 
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