Secular humanism vs. religion debate grows in TN

[SecularMotion]

A growing number of Americans couldn’t care less about God.

About 19 percent of Americans are part of the “Nones,” or people with no religious affiliation, according to the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. That’s up from 16 percent in 2008 and from 6 percent in the 1990s.

The growth of the Nones is one reason the Secular Coalition for America is organizing local chapters to lobby in Tennessee and other states.

The coalition, which had 15 people join an organizing conference call last week, wants to raise the public profile of nonbelievers and to push to keep religion out of public policy. But their critics say that atheists and other nonbelievers are part of a new secular religion that’s pushing for special privileges.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120724/NEWS06/307240018/Secular-humanism-vs-religion-debate-grows-TN

[MooseTrax]

1. I'm Usually Proud Of My Tennessee Heritage...............

....................but not when it comes to bible thumping. My maternal grandmother who was telling me "Ol Scratch Will Get You" by the time I was four years old and the grammar schools at Milan, TN where they started the day with the lord's prayer and assigned bible verses which we were to memori e and recite back to the class on Thursday or Friday...almost managed to lock me in. I lived the church life till I was over sixty years old . The only thing that keeps Christianity and other ancient god worship afloat is the continuous brainwashing of each new generation.

If the all loving creator of the universe dropped by one time 2000 years ago and left the only keys to the kingdom with a bunch of ignorant primitives who believed in witches and thought the earth was flat he has one helluva sense of humor.

I repeat.....this is my hero:

"I cannot imagine a God who rewards and punishes the objects of his creation, whose purposes are modeled after our own--a God, in short, who is but a reflection of human fraility. Neither can I believe that the individual survives the death of his body, although feeble souls harbor such thoughts through fear or ridiculous egotism. It is enough for me to contemplate the mystery of conscious life perpetuating itself through all eternity, to reflect upon the marvelous structure of the universe which we can dimly perceive, and to try humbly to comprehend even an infinitesimal part of the intelligence manifested in nature" ~Dr. Albert Einstein~

[panzerfaust]

2. To save the world requires faith and courage

To save the world requires faith and courage: faith in reason, and courage to proclaim what reason shows to be true.
~ Bertrand Russell

[rug]

4. "The Nones are also a diverse group.

Only about 5 percent identify as agnostic or atheist, while 13 percent identify as 'nothing in particular,' according to the Pew data, which was collected in 2011."

What is 5% of 19%?

The issue remains the religion and the state, not religious beliefs per se.

[Warren Stupidity]

5. It is 5% of 100%.

There are almost as many self identified atheists as Jews or Mormons. At 5%, atheists and agnostics are a larger group than all the "other religions" combined. If one adds in the "secular unaffiliated" from pew's data, that number grows to 11% of the population.

As usual I do not expect an acknowledgment of yet another factual distortion on your part.

Source: http://religions.pewforum.org/reports

[rug]

6. Except the ""secular unaffiliated" are neither agnostic nor atheist.

In fact, in this survey, they would have had to reject that choice.

As usual, I do not expect to read a post of yours without a personal remark. There must be something about discussion that requires an injection of personality.

[Warren Stupidity]

7. and you avoid your misrepresentation.

rug you personally insult me with almost every response to my posts. Get off your high horse.

You once again misrepresented the facts. It isn't 5% of 19% it is 5% of the total. Confess your errors, it is good for your immortal soul.

The secular unaffiliated are distinguished from the religious unaffiliated. I agree it is quite unclear if they are or are not atheists or agnostics, but it is clear they are not religious, as those would be the "religious unaffiliated". The point being that we - the non religious - are a far larger group than you have made us to be, and you had to lie about the statistics in order to make your case that we aren't.

[rug]

8. When you can post wthout personal remarks, get back to me.

In any event, 5% is 5% and 95% chose not to identify as atheist or agnostic.

[Warren Stupidity]

9. so when you said "5% of 19%" you were misstating the facts?

you came very close there to admitting that you made 'a mistake'. Very close. Just one little step further and you would be there. Confession is good for your soul. Do it.

[rug]

10. I see. You're incapable.

[trotsky]

15. It is sad, how when your blatant errors are pointed out...

rather than fess up and admit it, you lash out with insults.

Turn the tide, rug. Change the tone. Will you? Can you?

[MooseTrax]

12. Basicly..............

Worshipping an ancient god is a load of horse shit no matter who does it!!!!!!!!!!!!


Basically!!!!!!!!!!!!

Keyboard acting up

[rug]

14. So is posting non sequiturs.

[cbayer]

11. Pretty good article. I like that this group is going to concentrate one separation issues.

[dimbear]

13. "Couldn't care less about God" is an unfortunate turn of phrase, IMHO.

I give Him a great deal of attention and study, although IMHO opinion He only exists in the minds of His believers.