Keep that Bible out of my room

The Times of Israel ^ | 5/21/2013 | KATE BRUMBACK and RUSS BYNUM

[Former Fetus]

An atheist, Buckner believes that no religious literature should be provided in government-owned lodging, and he presented that concern to management at the Amicalola Falls State Park.

Officials told Buckner they would remove the Bibles from all state park resorts while the state attorney general looked into the matter. Not long afterward, however, the AG issued a ruling saying the state was on firm legal ground because it hadn’t paid for the books. On Wednesday, Gov. Nathan Deal ordered the Bibles returned.

Deal argued that if the state didn’t pay for them, it can’t be seen as endorsing them. He also noted that any religious group can donate literature. But his action sparked a string of comments on social media and captured the attention of local news television stations. It also prompted some to question why this hasn’t been more of an issue in the US before.

Buckner is pondering his next move. One idea he is considering is to test the state’s offer to accept literature from other religions in state-owned lodging. He also said he would be willing to participate if an organization with similar beliefs decides to launch a lawsuit over the issue.

‘When you go into a state park cabin and the only piece of religious literature there is a Protestant Bible, that suggests the government’s endorsed that particular perspective’

[fr_freak]

So by your logic what is the logical reason for engaging in “evangelical Christianty”?

That should be an obvious answer. Seriously. Christians believe that we have eternal souls, which, after we die, will either be in Heaven with God, or in Hell. In order to reach Heaven one must go through Jesus Christ. So, an evangelical Christian is literally trying to save people's eternal lives.

There is no parallel for atheists. If someone believes in God, and is wrong, how does it hurt them? They jeopardize nothing - they just live life according to a different set of rules. No big deal. Plenty of Christians lead long, happy lives, arguably happier on average than atheists. Therefore, an atheist is not saving anyone from anything by converting them to atheism. There is no logical motivation to do it.

[rollo tomasi]

LOL

Did Jefferson/Madison (The two Presidents that most embodied the Enlightenment) send the military into Massachusetts (In "defying" the First Amendment) or Judicial underling successfully sue Massachusetts (Again for "defying" the First Amendment) for maintaining an official State Church? No, because they understood the intent/ramifications of the First Amendment when it came to the Federal Government.

Heck, Jefferson and Madison were the first Presidents to attend Church when services were held in the House of Representatives. Different Protestant denominations presided, but in 1826, Roman Catholics Mass started in the Federal Capitol, the horror of it all.

Apparently you think Justice Hugo Black and his groupies were Founding Fathers of the United States some 160+ years after the fact, ROTFLMAO, "what a joke".

I would not consider myself a "conservative", but if you do, better homework is required.

[Georgia Girl 2]

“I was simply saying what the argument is. I couldn’t care less what books are in my hotel room in whatever drawer I never open. Be it the bible or the Gita or Dianetics.”

Good thats all you ever had to say. Now you can finish your PB and J and wait for “Jackass II” to come on. The GA Park Service and Gideon’s Bibles await your next North GA travel adventure. :-)

[crusty old prospector]

All the hotel rooms I have been to in Utah have them. Some have mysteriously disappeared.

[crusty old prospector]

I donate a couple hundred bucks to the Gideon’s every year. They raise their money from presentations at churches.

[DJ MacWoW]

The title page of Robert Aitken’s Bible, which was printed in Philadelphia in 1782.

Aitken's Bible Endorsed by Congress

The war with Britain cut off the supply of Bibles to the United States with the result that on Sept. 11, 1777, Congress instructed its Committee of Commerce to import 20,000 Bibles from "Scotland, Holland or elsewhere." On January 21, 1781, Philadelphia printer Robert Aitken (1734-1802) petitioned Congress to officially sanction a publication of the Old and New Testament which he was preparing at his own expense. Congress "highly approve the pious and laudable undertaking of Mr. Aitken, as subservient to the interest of religion . . . in this country, and . . . they recommend this edition of the bible to the inhabitants of the United States." This resolution was a result of Aitken's successful accomplishment of his project.

Donate

[Okieshooter]

For the record, I am neither a Christian or an atheist and have no desire to convert anyone to my beliefs. My point is only that you cannot infer what an atheist’s motives are unless you have walked in his shoes, which I highly doubt.

[PieterCasparzen]

I love Georgia.

[PieterCasparzen]

I’ve had people keep trying to slip those smelly shoes on me for all my life.

I know their smell well, and it’s not a well smell.

[fr_freak]

Only one quibble - I have no hostility at all towards Christianity. I probably harbor some towards many Christians who use their religion in ways with which I disagree though.

Referring to Christianity as just another Bronze Age myth on a pro-Christian site is open hostility. Even if you don't think you harbor such feelings, it's quite clear you do.

Christians doing bad things that are not proscribed by the Bible (i.e. a Christian boning someone else's wife, or stealing money, etc.) is not, in the least, a reflection upon Christianity. If the Christian belief system says "Always do A" and the Christian does "B", it is the failing of that individual to live up to the belief system, not a flaw in the belief system, itself. At most, you could argue that the person's church is doing a poor job of getting the message to sink in, but it is still not the fault of Christianity. The Commandments of God and the teachings of Christ are ideals that Christians live up to, but even Christianity (and Judaism) understand that all men fall short. However, without the ideal to strive for, how would ever improve ourselves?

Because it's 2013. People keep dying over religious texts. Idiots see god's punishment in Moore, OK. Preachers continue to steal from rubes and get away with it. Education and scientific gains are stifled by religious belief. Thousands of children are raped by the catholic church and all is well.

Now you're jumbling a bunch of stuff together. Many people may be dying over religious texts, but it sure as hell isn't because of the Christians. There is nothing in the Bible that commands people to go out and kill non-believers, or any other innocent person. The Koran does, however, so if you're angry at Islam, that is understandable. However, watching Islam go around slaughtering the adherents of all the other religions and then blaming all religion for violence is highly illogical, bordering on the asinine. You gave a good reason to hate Islam, but not religion in general.

As for religion getting in the way of education and science, once again, that may be true if you are referring to Islam. But if you are including Christianity and Judaism, then you don't know history at all. Not only was Christianity the only thing that protected scientific knowledge during the Dark Ages, but they were among the greatest supporters of scientific research in Europe during the Middle Ages and beyond. And I don't think I need to mention the contributions Jews made (go look up Jewish Noble prize winners vs. Muslim Nobel prize winners). Until recently, most noted Western scientists were faithful Christians.

With regards to the child molestation in the Catholic Church - that, once again, has nothing to do with Christianity, or even the Catholic Church, in general, other than, perhaps, their bad judgment in allowing homosexuals into the priesthood. It wasn't the religion that made these men commit crimes against children, and it wasn't official Church position to let these things happen. There were plenty of weak and irresponsible Church functionaries who failed to handle the situation properly.

Regardless, not only is it irrational to blame the Christian religion for the aberrant behavior of some of its adherents, but is it ignorant to think that child molestation is caused by, or limited to, religious people. In other words, if that child had been left with some atheists at a day care center, or a public school, or a neighbors house, they run roughly the same risk of getting molested, perhaps even a higher risk because so many sexual deviants shun Christianity.

[fr_freak]

My point is only that you cannot infer what an atheist’s motives are unless you have walked in his shoes, which I highly doubt.

Maybe I cannot KNOW what an atheist's motives are, but I can certainly infer what they are. In fact, that is exactly what inference is for. I see behaviors in a pattern, I analyze spoken words and displayed attitudes, and I infer what the atheist's motives are. It is actually the most common things we do on a daily basis.

[Georgia Girl 2]

“I love Georgia”

So do I. North GA is Gods country and we plan to keep it that way.

[Former Fetus]

The Gideons is an interdenominational association that focuses on giving away Bibles. Their money comes from church collections and other donations, and 100% of it is spent in Bibles as all their members are volunteers. Besides motel rooms, they place Bibles in hospitals, prisons, schools (sadly only when allowed)... Their work is based on Isa. 55:11 "So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it".

[BenLurkin]

Bump!

[Former Fetus]

You misuse the term theory in the context of science. Gravity is a theory.

No, you are the one misusing the term theory. In science (and I should know, I have a master's in chemistry and a Ph.D. in molecular biology) gravity is a LAW.

[PieterCasparzen]

You misuse the term theory in the context of science. Gravity is a theory.

No, you are the one misusing the term theory. In science (and I should know, I have a master's in chemistry and a Ph.D. in molecular biology) gravity is a LAW.

whattajoke: Your handle is comically befitting.

[Doomonyou]

I suppose they could just keep the Bibles (and any other religious material) at the front desk and hand them out there, but something tells me that Buckner and his kind wouldn’t be too happy with that solution.

They could have a stack of "I'm Going To Hell! :)" bumper stickers he could pick up instead.

[Sherman Logan]

Perhaps he’d prefer North Korea. No religious texts in their hotels.

I bet there are. NK has a God-King as ruler, and I bet they have sacred texts, and that those are found in lodgings.

[Doomonyou]

Buckner clearly needs a beat down.

Poor bastard will get the ultimate beat down come judgement day.