Comments on: Assumptions

By: MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy

MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy — Wed, 14 Sep 2005 22:06:51 +0000

One step closer to the abolition of America

There are plenty of moral, everyday atheists in this country who aren’t offended by the Pledge of Allegiance, but they’re not the devoutly “religious” atheists, either. I sure hope they’re watching, because it’s in their name that Nikita Khruschchev’s …

By: A Rational Being

A Rational Being — Tue, 06 Sep 2005 13:35:06 +0000

Assumptions are substitutes for knowledge. They are inventions of “facts.” If we didn’t assume, we likely could not survive. We must make assumptions in order to make decisions.

I assume I’ll find fresh food at the grocery store, so I go shopping there. If I don’t make that assumption, I’ll starve.

ARB

By: T Bruce McNeely

T Bruce McNeely — Mon, 05 Sep 2005 14:30:35 +0000

Leanne:
I think that you ve misunderstood what I meant to say, or maybe I communicated it poorly. I agree that Lisa acted politely and with class. What I don t understand is the mild tone of the comments in this thread. What if Lisa were being attacked like this if she were Jewish…It s my contention that religious fascists get a free pass in society simply because they re religious - that s what is disgusting.
By the way, I take no offense at someone wishing me a Bless You or I ll pray for you. I simply say thank you or That s kind of you - because I believe it is.

By: Tony Lawrence

Tony Lawrence — Mon, 05 Sep 2005 14:09:09 +0000

I don’t find the minor “God bless” or “God send” offensive; I think a lot of that is just automatic, unthinking and devoid of meaning. If it’s never ending, I might say something, but I’m more apt to ignore it.

When someone does get a little more aggressive as happened to Lisa (”don’t you feel you are blessed”), I don’t want to side step it, but I don’t want to be confrontational either. Most usually I say “I’m not religious” and hope that’s enough. Actually it often is, and sometimes I get a “Oh, I’m not either, I just meant such and such”.

But now and then I get somebody who can’t understand that (”How can you not be religious?”) or worse, understands but doesn’t like it. The latter are jerks and nothing pleasant usually comes out of it. However - MOST people are accepting, understanding, and don’t push it.

By: Leanne

Leanne — Mon, 05 Sep 2005 13:17:13 +0000

T. Bruce, what’s disgusting to me is that you call behaving with kindness “a free pass”. Obviously you return harsh words with harsh words? Lisa may not believe in God/Satan, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t treat others the way she would like to be treated. What would have proven the woman’s point would have been to lash out like you just did. In my opinion, Lisa set a better example than her client did, and I say good for her.

It’s one thing to express your frustration over the topic generally, it’s quite another to be so hateful and intolerant toward someone’s oblivion to different beliefs.

Funny story, just after Lisa wrote this entry my neighbor came over to offer his help when he saw me back our truck in with a heavy load. I immediately spouted off that he was a Godsend. Shame on me? How offensive exactly is that statement?

It is a part of our life as much as it’s NOT a part of yours, we are simply creatures of habit.

By: T. Bruce McNeely

T. Bruce McNeely — Sun, 04 Sep 2005 19:44:12 +0000

About a week or so later - that same person had read on my blog that Iâ€™m an atheist. I then received an email berating me for leading them to believe that I am a person of faithâ€¦ leading them to believe that I was a â€˜good person with a pure heartâ€™ - - they felt betrayed and hurt that they were offering prayers to a â€œheathenâ€œ.

I d like to be blunt here - the person in question is a bigot and a rude slob. It seems to be only in religious matters that someone can act so maliciously and get a free pass from others. It s disgusting.

By: I Am

I Am — Sun, 04 Sep 2005 15:09:00 +0000

When someone tells me he’ll pray for me, my answer is always the same. “Thanks. Good luck with that.”

By: Agnosticism/Atheism

Agnosticism/Atheism — Sun, 04 Sep 2005 11:39:41 +0000

Carnival of the Godless

Welcome to the 22nd Carnival of the Godless, where some of the more interesting writings from a godless perspective are listed, discussed, and promoted. We have a very interesting collection of posts here this week that deal with a wide…

By: Tony Lawrence

Tony Lawrence — Fri, 02 Sep 2005 18:04:21 +0000

I’ve been without religion my entire life - I was exposed to it by my parents, but thought it was just make-believe stuff like Winnie the Poo - when I realized it was not, that people really believed it, I became an atheist, though I probably didn’t know the word until later (and some of the folks posting here don’t know it now: aTHEist, not aTHIest).

I had a job once where the owner did not want me to do the work because I wasn’t “saved”. As I was probably the only person within one hundred miles who could fix his problem, he relented, but insisted upon taking me to lunch where he pushed Jesus the entire time.

I tried explaining the obvious: you can’t force belief, I’m not “against” him, I just think it’s ridiculous, I don’t need religion to be moral, etc. He couldn’t get it.

By the way, to the person who asked if we laugh at you: yes, sometimes we do laugh at some of the more ridiculous things religious people say, but frankly we’re more apt to be frightened than amused. And if we do laugh, we do so privately, between ourselves. You have a right to your beliefs, no matter how insanely wacky they seem to us.

By: Joni

Joni — Fri, 02 Sep 2005 06:38:58 +0000

Have you ever lost business because of your beliefs? I am, for all practical purposes, a Satanist. (This does NOT translate to Devil Worshipper, contrary to some popular belief, and I urge you to spend just a few minutes at http://www.churchofsatan.com and read their tenets to see that it’s basically a matter of living one’s life and bothering no one else, harnessing one’s own power to exceed, and not to suffer idiocy gladly.) I have to wonder if these religious zealots scrutinize everyone they come into contact with in this same way? We can’t all share the same belief systems, but if you are selling something I want to buy, as long as you don’t bore me to tears about your religious beliefs, then please take my money, hand me my item and let’s both be on our merry way, shall we.

Great post! Have a wonderful time off!

By: Vinny

Vinny — Thu, 01 Sep 2005 20:36:58 +0000

Since it was intended in a nice way, I think the best way to go would be a polite thank you and that’s it. If the person persists, change the subject. If they continue to persist, explain your position.

Usually after the polite thank you, that conversation will be over.

Have fun on vacation!

By: Judd

Judd — Thu, 01 Sep 2005 18:15:55 +0000

Thanks RedFred.

As a *believer* I get tired of the constant grind, too. I like to think I’m as devoted as the next guy, but religion is not for show (it’s more about the walk than the talk). I think it’s nice if atheists can let a reasonable amount of this stuff pass by them — it is only with great patience that you can. As a Catholic, if someone who prays to a God by a different name says I am in their prayers I think it’s a very nice gesture. If an atheist says I am in their thoughts I, too, think it is a nice gesture. All of us have a line of decency for which to limit ourselves, though, and in that sense I understand.

From my point of view, as a believer, I think it’s important for an atheist to know that I see my prayer as the best thing I can devote to anyone. It’s too bad that it would be taken as offensive when I, 100%, think there is no amount of money or good deeds I can do that would equal the prayer. However, I do not assume that I get free reign, because of my beliefs, to cram it down your throat.

Lisa, in her example, definitely had the line violated, and my points are definitely not in defense of the fellow Christians mentioned. These people should look at the seven heavenly virtues and see that imposition is not one of them (http://deadlysins.com/virtues.html).

Thanks for reading,

Judd