American Atheists President: Conservatives 'Pretend Christianity Still Holds Water' in USA

Big Government ^ | 3/1/2014 | Dr. Susan Berry

[markomalley]

In an interview with Salon, the president of American Atheists reviewed the decision of the American Conservative Union (ACU) to rescind his organization’s invitation to CPAC. David Silverman charges that the ACU is both “pretending” that “atheists aren’t relevant” and that “Christianity still holds water in American society.”

When asked about his reported “pledge” to “attack the very idea that Christianity is an important element of conservatism,” Silverman responded that while “I did say that I was going to attack the idea that Christianity and conservatism were inseparable,” he was not waging “an attack on people of faith.”

“I wanted to raise the awareness that there were atheists in the ranks, and I wanted to raise the awareness that those atheists – at least some of them – think that Christianity can easily and should easily be divorced from conservatism,” Silverman told Josh Eidelson of Slate.

Practically in the same breath that Silverman said Christianity no longer “holds water in America,” he also stated, “There is nothing in my tone that sounded aggressive toward a person, or trashed Christianity in any way.”

Eidelson reminded Silverman that American Atheists’ public relations director recently wrote:

Setting aside the fact that religions are dangerous and false, separation of religion and government is absolutely necessary because if any religion co-opts legislature, it means that no other religion is free to practice as that legislature pertains to their beliefs. The range of applications is nearly unlimited: Marriage equality, right-to-die, abortion, birth control, sex ed, science education, science funding, religious school funding, liquor sales, business hours, employment discrimination, the list goes on and on and on.

[reg45]

Since Atheists do not believe in any God, I would think that they would be opposed to making a “God” out of the state. Therefore, I can see a place for them in the conservative movement.

[Zionist Conspirator]

Unfortunately, the Left isn't alone in thinking that G-d rises or falls with chrstianity (as if G-d hadn't been worshiped for three thousand years before chrstianity ever existed). Unfortunately, we Noachides aren't even a blip on the radar screen right now (and maybe not until Mashiach comes).

Meanwhile, these "atheists" are only opposed to a certain kind of chrstian. They're big fans of Black "fundamentalists" and Hispanic "Catholics." Because that's "different," you see.

[Zionist Conspirator]

But he’s right. Christianity and conservatism are NOT inseparable. Many, many liberals are Christian. They think of Jesus as the man who said that we should feed the poor, not stone the prostitute, share the loaves and fishes, and let’s not forget that eye-of-the-needle remark and the story of the Good Samaritan. The Jesus of the Bible is ambiguous enough that he could be a spokesman for either side, depending on which quotes you use. And let’s face it: all black churches are liberal.

Exactly. This is one of the best posts I've ever read here.

J*sus the demigod is a conservative. J*sus the moral philosopher is a liberal.

I predict that one day Martin Luther King Jr. will be turned into a conservative demigod by people who refuse to see how radical and secular he was.

[Arthur McGowan]

If you were right, the Bolsheviks would have been small-government people.

They don’t not believe in “any God.” They don’t believe in God.

They have their gods.

[GBA]

Regarding atheists, the book My Descent into Death, a Second Chance at Life, by Howard Storm, should be read by each atheist and fellow traveler lest their spiritual death become everlasting.

His testimony is the alarm clock that has no "Sleep" button and should become a part of their rational.

[hoagy62]

It is as though they are jealous of the Grace we carry within our souls, the Grace they choose to deny the existence of...

I believe that it is not they who are jealous of the Grace we carry....it is Satan himself that hates Grace. Atheists don't believe in any gods, but are controlled by a supernatural being as sure as I'm sitting here. They just do not know it.

[A_perfect_lady]

Since Atheists do not believe in any God, I would think that they would be opposed to making a “God” out of the state. Therefore, I can see a place for them in the conservative movement.

Very astute observation. Plenty of conservatives have opined that liberalism is a pseudo-religion. And it is. But that means it is embraced by people who want or need a religion. Those of us who have no space in our heads for religion of any kind are no more likely to choose liberalism than conservatism. For us, it boils down to who makes the best argument, or to what we have observed. I think Ayn Rand makes a better argument than Karl Marx, and my observations are that the more largess the government distributes, the lazier and more self-indulgent the recipients become. I have seen it with my own eyes. Thus I am conservative.

[reasonisfaith]

Atheism allows for no ultimate objective source of individual sovereignty.

The only kind of individual sovereignty consistent with atheism is the subjective kind, which makes it no different, ultimately, from any form of liberalism.

[reasonisfaith]

The Jesus of the Bible is only ambiguous to those who don’t read the Bible.

There are key attributes of Christ which are absolute and definitive, such as his blood atonement and what he says in John 14:6.

Liberal Christianity rejects these things. Thus liberal Christianity is what Jesus called the spirit of antichrist.

[GeronL]

What a fool

[GeronL]

I bet 90% of GOP Proud are volunteers for Democrat candidates

[reg45]

The other pseudo-religion is environmentalism. Heretics are figuratively burned at the stake for denying or even being skeptical about AGW.

[RoadGumby]

Jesus DID say those things, to individuals.

He did not say to do it by stealing from others, under law, to help your conscience, to make it easier than you having to do it yourself.

A liberal might say they are a Christian, but that ‘spirit’ does not bear witness with mine.

Jesus in the Bible (and in my life) is NOT ambiguous at all.

[RansomOttawa]

J*sus the demigod is a conservative. J*sus the moral philosopher is a liberal.

And what is the Jesus of history, who is neither a demigod nor a moral philosopher?

[Diamond]

Eidelson reminded Silverman that American Atheists’ public relations director recently wrote:

Setting aside the fact that religions are dangerous and false, separation of religion and government is absolutely necessary because if any religion co-opts legislature, it means that no other religion is free to practice as that legislature pertains to their beliefs. The range of applications is nearly unlimited: Marriage equality, right-to-die, abortion, birth control, sex ed, science education, science funding, religious school funding, liquor sales, business hours, employment discrimination, the list goes on and on and on.

So what? WHY should anyone live according to the atoms banging around in this finite atheist's head? There isn't any foundation there for the objective morality and the universal, invariant, and abstract entities such as propositions, principles, reason, general laws, the laws of logic, etc. he assumes a priori in his sermonizing.

[A_perfect_lady]

Theism doesn't make much an objective source of individual sovereignty either, particularly Christianity. Jesus said "render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's." You can be sovereign of your soul (whatever that means) and still be under the thumb of tyranny, that was never the concern of Christianity; the usual interpretation of Jesus is that he will take his followers to a New Kingdom of Heaven, and American politics won't have much to do with it.

There is really no point in trying to make the God of Israel into a lynch-pin for American politics; that mindset doesn't fit onto the American continuum anywhere on the spectrum. It was a tribal creation from a time when religion and politics were one, as in modern day Saudi Arabia.

And you can insist that any interpretation of Jesus' teachings is wrong if it doesn't coincide with yours, but I don't know if you really have the last word on such matters. The fact is, millions of Christians worldwide are not American conservatives. If you are one of those who thinks everyone is wrong except you and those who think like you, I won't bother arguing further, but it's not a very well-supported stance.

[A_perfect_lady]

Never once have I seen anything in the Jesus of the Bible to indicate that he would have disapproved of the government using taxes to help the poor. Please, show me where you get that idea.

[RoadGumby]

Well. Let’s see. Jesus came and spoke to people..... individuals. He told them YOU help the poor. YOU love them.

I do not recall Him going to the govt, to Caesar, and giving commandments for govt to do so (by TAKING). Why?

For YOU are to give ( keyword here is GIVE). That involves a sacrifice on your part. Willingly.

For YOU to replace your GIVING with the TAKING from others is to use a ‘theft’ to justify your reduction in giving, because FedGov has that covered.

You show me where Jesus told Caesar to use Govt monies (TAKEN by force and arguably CAUSING more ‘poverty’) so that poor people can be helped.

Yours is an insidious Liberal argument.

[A_perfect_lady]

He held up a coin and asked whose picture was on it. Then he said "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar." That would be: your money. Your money belongs to the government.

I'll ask again. Give me ONE QUOTE where he says that the government should not use your money to help the poor.

[reasonisfaith]

If you know anyone who practices injecting one’s own invented meaning into a text, let them know it’s called postmodernism and it doesn’t make sense. The postmodern method is self-refuting. (With respect, I should say this is what you did with the “render unto Caesar” reference.)

The concept of individual sovereignty goes back way more than American politics. It started with Christianity. Christianity is the only historical/philosophical source for it. Conservatism is defined by the principle of individual sovereignty.

Love is one of those things essential to human experience, and it is intimately connected with truth. I sense in your remarks a desire to conform to truth.