Posted on 04/14/2014 8:51:02 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Look out unbelief—atheism is on a roll, or so proclaims American Atheists, whose annual convention kicks off Thursday in Salt Lake City. "This has been an excellent year for atheism," says Dave Muscato, public-relations director for the deity-dissing group. "Between 2005 and 2012 there was a fivefold increase in the number of people who use the word atheist when asked to identify their religion."
That's still not a lot. While 20% of Americans profess no particular religious faith, according to the Pew Research Center, only 6% identify themselves as atheist or agnostic. Still, one hates to toss cold water on the affable Mr. Muscato, a musician, who says he went atheist five years ago after a stint playing Christian worship music (the kind of songs that, let's face it, can make you pray they'll stop).
But why Salt Lake City? "We haven't had a convention there since 1981," says Mr. Muscato. "A lot of Mormons who have become atheists call themselves ex-Mormon and part of our campaign is to get them to move away from ex-Mormon" and simply call themselves atheists, thus taking pride "in their non-belief."
The keynote speaker for the four-day gathering will be Chris Kluwe, a former punter for the Minnesota Vikings, who says he was fired for advocating same-sex marriage. Mr. Kluwe, author of "Beautifully Unique Sparkleponies: On Myths, Morons, Free Speech, Football, and Assorted Absurdities," will be joined by speakers including Denise Stapley, winner of "Survivor: Philippines" and Iowa's "only certified sex therapist" (according to convention publicity); Mark White, bassist from the Spin Doctors; and gay-rights activist Marsha Botzer.
Workshop topics will include starting your own atheist group, how to lobby politicians, and how to debate Christians and "other religious apologists."
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
None of these people are atheists.
Atheists don’t care what anyone else believes.
These are anti-theists.
Wonder if Mineral Man will be there?
People who love their misguided fellow Mormons, should with much love and tenderness, help them understand the genuine Jesus of the bible, as compared to the Joseph Smith Jesus.
Those attempting to show their Mormon friends and family, need to recognize their own reasons for attempting to share the true Gospel.
If it is to prove a Mormon wrong, this is an unloving thing thing for a genuine believer to do. Also, Mormons are continuously warned about non-Mormon "persecution of them for their 'true faith,'" and ready to defend their beliefs.
I am surprised they are only up to 6% based on how the entertainment and media industry promotes their idealogy as if 90% of the population is atheist and everyone else is nuts or an intellectual moron. The problem is that every militant vocal group in America is more fascinating to the media types than the boring majority group that just goes about their business.
…atheism isn't exempt from analysis or critique of its real world consequences. Atheism is a metaphysical stance -- there are no gods and no God, there is no intrinsic purpose to existence, there is no natural moral law, there is no accountability in an afterlife. Those are quite explicit and consequential assertions, just as the negation of those assertions -- that there is a God, that there is a purpose to existence... -- is an explicit and consequential assertion. Atheism lacks liturgy. It does not lack beliefs and consequences. It lacks belief in God; it does not lack belief in the intrinsic consequences of God's non-existence. As Nietzsche emphatically noted, if God is dead, everything changes....atheism is to sin as alcoholism is to angst. Stupor-- metaphysical or medicinal-- is a denial of reality and a denial of consequences, which feels good for an evening or a weekend.
- Michael Egnor
Atheism is irrational. It’s an affirmative declaration that there is no God. The only way they could prove this statement is if they were God Himself, able to check everywhere simultaneously, both inside and outside the universe. So theirs is simply an alternative faith, with dual “gods” called “time” and “chance,” for which they have no evidence.
Agnostics are at least bright enough to admit they don’t know whether there’s a God.
It’s sad that most ex-Mormons become atheists. One can hope & pray that what they have become atheistic about is the false `Elohim’ of Mormonism who lives on a planet near star Kolob.
Reading their personal accounts, I find most are glad to have escaped the straitjacket of Mormon micromanagement of members’ lives. Ex-Mormon women are especially grateful for the new world of personal freedom that opens up when they depart the fold.
Too bad they don’t realize that the loving and true God is out there & that He loves them.
***It’s sad that most ex-Mormons become atheists.***
Years ago I heard Madalyne Murray O’Hair (just before she took her dirt nap) say to Larry King that the “best atheists were former Mormons and Catholics.”
The “Look at me. I’m so much smarter than all those stupid religious people.” cult is on the move. The most arrogant and self absorbed people I have ever met are atheists.
Amen.
how can you have an organization based on something that doesn’t exist???
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