[Pox]

A true MALE atheist would be more like the lead character in Natural Born Killers.

That is one of the most absurd and ignorant statements I've read in a while. Morality does not arise from religion, but from within, IMO. It can be reinforced through religion, and also education and example. A punk is still a punk regardless of their religious beliefs or lack thereof.

Atheists can respect others beliefs without mocking them and stereotyping them, however, there will be some who cannot resist such, and most of those are usually of the liberal/socialist persuasion. Some of the more murderous figures in history were deeply religious, remember?

[Gondring]

RobRoy>A true MALE atheist would be more like the lead character in Natural Born Killers.

Pox>Morality does not arise from religion, but from within, IMO.

Well, if I recall my Sunday School and Bible correctly, it seems this is what Jesus held, too...there were obviously moral non-believers in his time, just as now. The fact that they're all to be cast into hell doesn't mean they are amoral or psychopathic...in fact, God seems quite willing to cast very decent people into hell, if they are unbelievers. Hell is separation from God, no?

[mockingbyrd]

"Morality does not arise from religion, but from within, IMO"

I agree with you. I call it Natural Law.

[Irene Adler]

"Morality does not arise from religion, but from within, IMO. It can be reinforced through religion, and also education and example. A punk is still a punk regardless of their religious beliefs or lack thereof."

Wrong! at the risk of wasting my breath (or finger motions, at least) morality CANNOT come from "within" a person. If it did, the world would be a much, much better place than it is or ever has been.

Second a truly (note I said truly) religious person, at least of the Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Bahai, or Jain persuasions (and I may be leaving a few belief systems, with which I am unfamiliar, out), will NEVER be a "punk".

[Tired of Taxes]

I agree with mockingbyrd. It's all about Natural Law.

Look how different Christian churches are wavering right now and accepting things that would've been considered "sinful" years ago.

I called myself an "atheist" for years, but I couldn't relate to most other atheists who were left-leaning and subscribed to "amoralism". Eventually, my family became involved in a Christian group.

Well, whadaya know, as it turned out, those "Christians" were more atheistic than I ever was. Their beliefs had no substance at all. After two years, I finally left when they accused me of "gay bashing" because I said I didn't want my children taught to accept same-sex "marriage". (Then they made it into a personal attack as I was leaving).

So, maybe the more important question today isn't "Are you a Christian?" but "Do you believe in Natural Law?"