Posted on 05/22/2005 6:53:03 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - To the uninformed, this weekend gathering here may have seemed like a church revival, full of zeal and fervor. But worshipping God was most decidedly not part of the agenda.
The attendees of the "All Atheists Weekend" gathered to discuss what they call the rise of fundamentalism in the U.S. and the blurring of lines between church and state.
Attendees also took time to view documentaries that question the historical accuracy of the Bible - and to hear lectures about the dangers of religious icons on public property and problems with President Bush's so-called "faith-based initiative," which seeks to give religious groups equal footing in seeking federal grants to provide social services.
Organizers said they expected more than 250 people to take part in the event, which featured a lecture by Ellen Johnson, the president of American Atheists. The gathering began Friday and continued through Sunday at various spots throughout the city.
The religious right's increasing involvement in U.S. politics has triggered an angry backlash among the godless, say Bay area atheist groups, five of which organized the weekend event.
"It's time for us to push back," said psychologist Jaime Arcila, 52, of San Francisco, who was accompanied by his two children, Javier, 15, and Amanda, 12, in a tiny theater Saturday night just south of downtown.
Arcila, who is not an official member of any atheist group, said he was prompted to attend Saturday's showing of "The God Who Wasn't There," along with about 100 other people, because of what he sees as a growing intolerance in the U.S. for people with alternative views and lifestyles.
Arcila, who was raised by Catholic parents, said the nation needs more dialogue about "peace, tolerance, justice, and love," not exclusion based on a difference of ideas.
Ali, a 36-year-old native Iranian, agreed. He declined to give his last name because he said he wants to return to his Muslim-dominated homeland someday and fears that he could be persecuted should he be identified as an atheist.
Ali said he knows all too well the effects of religious fundamentalism on a society from his own experiences in his native country.
Nations that accept only one set of values or beliefs are "restrictive and stifling," Ali said.
"I was a Muslim but stopped believing after a lot of pain and after a lot of thought," he said. "Being here at this event is encouraging me not to be afraid. It strengthens me and helps me stand up for what I believe."
But just how tolerant of Christianity and other religions are the atheists?
"We don't hate Christians," said David Fitzgerald, 40, an insurance broker and member of San Francisco Atheists. "People in this country are free to believe in whatever they want."
Nonetheless, during the Saturday night movie, the crowd booed and hissed when a photo of Pat Robertson was displayed on the screen.
Robertson, the founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network and a former U.S. presidential candidate, is a leader in the efforts by some religious groups to return America and its government to Christian values.
Fitzgerald offered no apologies.
"Robertson and other Theocrats scare the hell out of us," Fitzgerald said. "They want to turn a democracy into a theocracy. Even Christians are afraid of that."
"Atheists say it's time to 'push back'fundamentalism."
The devil they say!
And yet they protest. Hypocritical statement of the year award.
It's time?! This "campaign" has been in progressive bloom for over forty years. What a bunch of maroons!
Point being, all folks have something that they believe in. Christians and Jews believe in God. Muslims believe in Allah. The atheist believes in mankind. It's just a matter of where your faith is.
Religion is the root of all evil. This was confirmed once again when I awoke to "The News about Religion" on the BBC World Service this morning. Every single story involved violence and one religion against another. Religion sucks.
What a waste of time and effort..
Christian fundamentalists are going toward apostasy quickly..
All they have to do is wait and watch..
What a bunch of losers...
Please define what a christian fundamentalist believes about his/her faith. I hear the term fundamentalist tossed out so often...I just want to know what one is...
Thanks
Plus see
Leviticus
27:3 And thy estimation shall be of the male from twenty years old even unto sixty years old, even thy estimation shall be fifty shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary.
27:4 And if it be a female, then thy estimation shall be thirty shekels.
27:5 And if it be from five years old even unto twenty years old, then thy estimation shall be of the male twenty shekels, and for the female ten shekels.
27:6 And if it be from a month old even unto five years old, then thy estimation shall be of the male five shekels of silver, and for the female thy estimation shall be three shekels of silver.
27:7 And if it be from sixty years old and above; if it be a male, then thy estimation shall be fifteen shekels, and for the female ten shekels.
Same is repeated in Numbers
3:14 And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,
3:15 Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their families: every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them.
So I guess according to the Bible children less than 1 month old are worthless and don't count
Wrong.
You do not explain the context of why such actions were sanctioned. What was the purpose of the action? There was a reason beyond punishment or retribution. What was it?
Thats why the fundies are into apostasy, they don't know either..
My definition would bore you.. so trust me..
ROFLMAO.
Poor word choice like that is just heaven-sent.
Re: Religion is the root of all evil. This was confirmed once again when I awoke to "The News about Religion" on the BBC World Service this morning. Every single story involved violence and one religion against another. Religion sucks.
OK, then we have Communism, the perfect form of government for those who don't believe in any God. I believe the final body count for the 20th century was 130,000,000 thanks due to those who believe in no God, but the Communist party. And most of those murdered, starved, etc were citizens of their respective Communist countries during peace time.
By the way, I am convinced that Communist governments fear true Christians more than any other religious group. Why would that be true? If not Christians, then who would they fear more?
And don't forget Hitler's perfect world which was very much a government founded on concepts of Darwinian evolution, ie, survival of the fittest, inferiority of certain races, selective breeding, etc.
From my reading of "The Black Book of Communism, it seems that the only thing that atheists succeed in creating when they eliminate God from their nations is Hell on earth.
By the way, Christianity may be more accurately differentiated from other religions by the concept that Christianity is a saving relationship with God through faith His son, Jesus, the Christ.
Other religions, are generally characterized by what "works" people must do to earn "paradise," "enlightenment, etc, etc.
I wonder when they'll do that with the koran.
Here you go
http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/quran/index.html
(And the Book of Mormon thrown in as well)
What would they do to fill the time in their lives then?
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