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Atheists improve society
The Orange County Register ^ | 11 June 2002 | Richard Cheek

Posted on 06/11/2002 10:12:35 AM PDT by thinktwice

Edited on 04/14/2004 10:05:12 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]

In your June 7 editorial on the moving of the Ayn Rand Institute to Irvine ["Ayn Rand in O.C.''], you stated that you took issue with some of Ayn Rand's positions, including her ardent atheism. In today's world of terrorism and conflicts fueled by ardent religious beliefs, it would seem appropriate that you would take issue with ardent religious people, not with any atheists.


(Excerpt) Read more at ocregister.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: atheism; aynrand; catholiclist; religion
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To: ThomasJefferson
You could but you would be answering a question that no one asked.
21 posted on 06/11/2002 10:27:24 AM PDT by AppyPappy
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To: thinktwice
"The assertion is that religion has caused most of the killing and bloodshed in the world. There are people who make accusations and assertions that are empirically false. This is one of them." -- From The Real Murderers: Atheism or Christianity?
22 posted on 06/11/2002 10:29:11 AM PDT by FormerLib
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To: thinktwice
There are so many silly statements in this gentleman's letter, I wouldn't know where to start. LOL
23 posted on 06/11/2002 10:29:41 AM PDT by MEGoody
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To: AppyPappy
Stalin was a communist who wanted power. Dictators usually denounce God because they don't want to have to compete with the church for power over the people. This has been a dilemma faced by rulers for centuries. King Henry solved this problem by forming his own church. Stalin solved it by destroying the church. Hitler solved his problem by having the Lutheran Church declare that he was a servant of God. Every dictator has their own way of disempowering the religious sector.
24 posted on 06/11/2002 10:30:15 AM PDT by Violette
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To: thinktwice
The author is dividing the world into the religious and the non-religious, lumping both together as if that grouping were meaningful, and drawing broad conclusions unsupported by any detailed acquaintance with either. Since 9/11 we've been treated to a steady diet of "religion is the cause of all the world's problems." It isn't. Ignorance is.

Me, I'm thinking of becoming a Thuggee. Strangling morons and free hashish...

25 posted on 06/11/2002 10:30:44 AM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: Violette
Actually, atheists probably have it about as wrong as organized religions because there probably is a God.

That God however, having created an "infinite" universe, must be -- more than infinite.

Mathematicians would classify a concept like this as an "Indeterminate form."

26 posted on 06/11/2002 10:30:45 AM PDT by thinktwice
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To: AppyPappy
Atheists use reason to solve human problems, to make their way in life, to seek happiness and to live with the human community.

Sounds like an opinion to me.

How did Stalin accomplish these things in his atheist state?

I'm not sure of your point. Are you saying that you had no worth as a human being while you were an atheist? Are you saying all atheists are evil? Do you think they have a choice? Do you think all believers are snow white?

27 posted on 06/11/2002 10:30:46 AM PDT by Protagoras
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To: isneva?
Not much different than Christianity?

Thats a totally ignorant statement, lacking even the slightest shred of logic. Please tell me where Jesus said "In order to make an omelette you have to break some eggs"? Or "Religion is the opiate of the masses"? Or when Stalin said "Render unto Caeser what is his"? Or did I misunderstand Lenin when he said the use of "terror" was legitimate to be "love thy neighbor"?

No where in human history have so many people died in such a short period of time than of athiest communism. In the 20th century the left has brought us nihilism (with Nitesche and Marx) and instead of ending wars and ending the killing, we have exponentially accelerated both. However, there is no equating an athiest libertarian and a an athiest socialist/communist.

28 posted on 06/11/2002 10:31:00 AM PDT by KC_Conspirator
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To: thinktwice
This guy is building up a straw man so that he can knock it down. I am a Christian and I do not harbor contempt for earthly life nor do I consistently resist progress. I use reason to solve problems and to make my way in life. Unlike this author, however, I am not foolish enough to believe that "there is no God".
29 posted on 06/11/2002 10:31:16 AM PDT by Daniel_in_Babylon
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To: isneva?
Mr. Creek may be 'right on the money' for those who chose to be blind to the reality of things. The fact is, while we all know that people have done some terrible things in the name of religion, there have been a great number of wonderful things done in the name of religion as well. To fail to acknowledge that is to show ones bias.
30 posted on 06/11/2002 10:31:36 AM PDT by MEGoody
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To: KC_Conspirator
Actually, Einstein believed in God, just not any particular existing view of Him.
31 posted on 06/11/2002 10:32:38 AM PDT by MEGoody
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To: thinktwice
Religions have consistently resisted progress. Examples include the abolition of slavery

The main, if not only, impetus to end slavery in the U.S. came from the northern churches. Southern churches weren't anti-slavery. So Christians were divided. I imagine the atheists of that time were divided also. What's a historical example of all the atheists being anti-slavery and the non-atheists being pro-slavery? He's a typically ignorant atheist.

32 posted on 06/11/2002 10:32:51 AM PDT by lasereye
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To: ThomasJefferson
I'm saying that atheists don't necessarily use "reason" for anything. Stalin didn't use "reason" to kill millions of people. Neither did Mao. There is no direct correlation between atheists and "reason".
33 posted on 06/11/2002 10:33:17 AM PDT by AppyPappy
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To: AppyPappy
You could but you would be answering a question that no one asked.

No one asked the question you answered with the implication that all atheists are somehow like Stalin either.

34 posted on 06/11/2002 10:33:19 AM PDT by Protagoras
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To: thinktwice
"Religions have consistently resisted progress. Examples include the scientific understanding of the heliocentric solar system and evolution, abolition of slavery, medical developments such as the use of anesthesia and women's right to vote and choose contraception and abortion."

The author is not very astute. It is common knowledge, that many of history's greatest minds were those of people of faith. Even Charles Darwin had faith in God. The abolition movement had at its roots in religion belief (Christianity). The author's left wing ed-u-ma-ca-tion has produced a highly inaccurate view of history. But what do I know, I'm just another God groupy.
35 posted on 06/11/2002 10:33:56 AM PDT by Texas_Jarhead
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To: Violette
Hitler solved his problem by having the Lutheran Church declare that he was a servant of God

The American Lutheran church never said such a thing. Hitler used the church for his own purposes. It doesn't reflect on Christianity at all.

36 posted on 06/11/2002 10:34:31 AM PDT by AppyPappy
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To: ThomasJefferson
See the letter.
37 posted on 06/11/2002 10:34:48 AM PDT by AppyPappy
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To: KC_Conspirator
"I received your letter of June 10th. I have never talked to a Jesuit priest in my life and I am astonished by the audacity to tell such lies about me. From the viewpoint of a Jesuit priest I am, of course, and have always been an atheist."

[Albert Einstein to Guy H. Raner Jr, July 2, 1945, responding to a rumor that a Jesuit priest had caused Einstein to convert from atheism. Article by Michael R. Gilmore in Skeptic magazine, Vol. 5, No. 2, 1997]
38 posted on 06/11/2002 10:34:56 AM PDT by Dimensio
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To: ThomasJefferson
You are very correct. Based upon the letter to the editor from our 'atheist' friend above, however, he doesn't seem to understand that. (Or perhaps, he doesn't want to.)
39 posted on 06/11/2002 10:35:00 AM PDT by MEGoody
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To: Violette
Non-belief however, is a belief system also.
40 posted on 06/11/2002 10:35:26 AM PDT by onedoug
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