UNAFRAID TO BURN IN HELL :)

[kamalatapes]

 

Thought this was neat, and interesting that no major network would broadcast this, no Republican, no Democratic etc. However I guess one could make the case that it is help on Fox owned YouTube (unless that has changed?)

[̮ ɤ ̮]

Youtube was never owned by Fox. Other than that I support this.

[kamalatapes]

Youtube was never owned by Fox. Other than that I support this.

must've confused it for MySpace :X  ::http://techcrunch.com/2006/10/09/is-fox-a-factor-in-the-googleyoutube-deal/

THIS WAS 2006! daaamn

[harryq]

I think I saw this commercial on CNN the other day... they do have an "atheist" special coming up on tuesday night (not sure why, but oh well), so maybe airing this is ~part of that?

[Bladew1ll1s1sdead]

I love this.

[¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

[topher]

I read that the plan was to air this during the final episode of the new Cosmos series, but Fox shot that down pretty quickly.

 

I kinda wondered if atheism was a taboo subject to come up on VC. Glad to see it isn't.

[steventangent]

I prefer the term "irreligious;" atheists are insufferable.

[harryq]

I prefer the term "irreligious;" atheists are insufferable.

 

"atheist" is much easier to say/spell than "irreligious".  other than that, irreligious just seems like a more general term

[topher]

Yeah, and I don't wanna sound like "that guy" who splits hairs over definitions, but:

 

The question is "Does a god exist?"

If your answer is "yes", you're a theist.

If your answer is anything else (including "I don't know"), you're an atheist.

 

It's just that some people who identify as non-religious/irreligious/agnostic, etc. throw flak at atheists without understanding that they are one. A little clarity can help a lot of people get along a lot better.

Aaaaaand resume discussion.

[rooks]

I prefer agnostic because I just don't give a fuck and don't think anyone else should either. :/

[Aych]

I'm not picking a fight or calling anyone out (I swear!), but I personally use "agnostic theist" because I believe in God, but acknowledge the fact that they may not exist. It's just the way I feel most comfortable identifying myself. I've never been a huge fan of the "either you ARE or you AREN'T" argument, nor am I a fan of people telling other people who or what they are or aren't, or how they should identify.

 

Back to the topic at hand: as funny as that last bit is, and as much as I agree with and support the separation of church and state, I think most major news networks are well aware that the majority of Americans belong to a religion of some sort (83% religious, 74% Christian), so they're more than likely not going to air that commercial at the risk of religious people (see: Christians) getting offended at the network, throwing around phrases like "this is a CHRISTIAN nation" and "they're trying to violate my religious freedom," losing ratings/financial support from private donors, etc.

[GradedOnACurve]

I hate that there is still somewhat of a stigma in being either an Atheist or an Agnostic. I've occasionally had squabbles with my family in being an Agnostic, and just feel that admitting it to some people creates awkward tension. Their loss but it's still annoying. As a teenager I felt I had to debate anybody and everybody in order to speak my mind, but have come around to appreciate the role of religion in some peoples lives. I do wish there was more of an understanding the other way around as I can't think of a elected official in Washington that publicly identifies as Atheist or Agnostic. I hate fake faith, admit who you are.

[topher]

We're all fwendz here.    I don't think anybody feels like they're being "called-out", or challenged or whatever. Here's my deal:

 

I don't try to tell people how they should identify, that depends entirely on what they believe. It's just that words have definitions. And some people misunderstand those definitions, and try to put themselves in a category that they don't technically belong. And I'll voice my opinion if I think someone's being dishonest to themselves.

 

Alright, horrible comparison, but it's kinda like if someone said "I'm not a racist, but...", followed by some ignorant racist remark. Sometimes it's really easy to describe a person's beliefs, even if you've never met them. You don't need to be in their head to understand what the definition of a word is.

 

 

As far as church/state-separation goes, you'd be shocked at how many religious people fully support it. It's pretty much mutually-beneficial for everyone involved, and it's one of the few political issues where believers might find themselves on the same aisle as atheists.

[maneatingcow]

I'm an atheist.  

 

In my younger days I was much, much more aggressive in my beliefs.  In high school we had a Philosophy / Religion class.  It was my favorite class ever but I was a fucking asshole in it.  There was me who was your in you face atheist and then we had the girl whos nickname was "god girl".  Her father was a pastor.  We always got along pretty well but in that class we out for each others throats.  

 

She would tell us about the Church that she went to in Europe that is known for regenerating peoples limbs, as long as everyone prays hard enough.  When homosexuality would come up she was not shy about how much of an abomonation it was and that it was the cause of most of the worlds problems.  Basically god is punishing the world for not "ending" homosexuality.  

 

She always claimed she believed that the bible should be take literally.  In one of our class discussions on homosexuality she overtly stated that she feels that homosexuals should be killed.  I blew my lid there.  That was where I challenged her to kill me.  I told her that "I'll make it easy for you, God is despicable.  I've just blasphemed and according to the bible blasphemers should be put to death and stoned by the congregation.  So if you loved God you have a duty to kill me.  God's a hate filled narcicisst and you obviously don't love him enough to do what he's asking you to do.  If you really loved god, and believe the bible should be taken literally you'd try to smite the blasphemer.  Basically if you loved god you'd try and kill me."  That was the only time in that class that the teacher tried to intervene, but the discussion continued in a slightly more civil tone the next class.

 

These days I'm more in the live and let live camp.  I'm still aggressively atheistic, I just don't feel how it is beneficial to try and question everyone at every opportunity.  I have been talking with a guy at work lately and it makes me wish I never would have started.  His question to me was since I don't believe in god why don't I just kill people whenever they do anything I don't like?  I talked about how my not believing in God causes me to live a much more "moral" life.  Basically I believe that the greatest goal in life is to leave the world in a slightly better condition when we die.  Since there is no heaven the only thing that we have is the Earth we need to do everything we can to make Earth as much like the theoretical heaven.  His response was that if there is no god then he'd live life with no morals and would go around killing and stealing and doing anything that feels good.  My mind was blown.  If someone needs a belief in God to prevent them from murdering I just don't know how to respond.

[jerseydave77]

This commercial strikes me as being less about advocating for a separation of Church and State as opposed to pushing an Atheist Agenda. It's an odd statement he opens with. Personally I am a Christian, I've been very open about it, but I am 100% for a secular state that keeps religion and governance separate. The tone of this piece is no better than those bullshit Church of Latter Day Saints commercials that used to litter TV when I was a kid. Keep your religious belief system, or lack thereof of one, off of my tv. 

 

To a different point - no one litters my social media feeds more with in your face statements on religion than my atheist friends. I love em but there is a tone-deafness to the idea that ranting about a non-belief is just as bad and annoying as ranting about a belief. If you are on here and generally in my life then you are unlikely to be a radical evangelical - all that is happening is you alienate or piss off people you love. 

 

I've lived a good and rich life, I have a lot of friends with radically different views of this world, it makes it all interesting. 

[aflycon]

I like the term "apatheism." I don't know if it's a legitimate portmanteau of "apathy" and "theism" or if it's just the greatest linguistic coincidence of all time, but that's what I'd call myself.

 

I used to be pretty militantly atheistic. Like, those "lmao god's not real, prove it" guys. Or Fat Mike in this video at Warped Tour. But now that I've gotten older and experienced more I've thought, y'know, the idea of a god isn't so outlandish. It's the hate and bigotry of religious groups that I take issue with, anyway. 

[̮ ɤ ̮]

I would call myself an atheist with nihilistic views. I negotiate the whole concept of something being out there watching us. Also I don't think people really need a "spiritual companion" to live their live. If you want to believe in something, believe in yourself. Like others I used to be more militant, when I was younger. Now I try to respect everyone no matter of their beliefs. Although I can be very vocal, if people try to convert me, which luckily doesn't happen that often.

[hippielauryn]

I'm an atheist. I believe religion produces more hate than it does love. I don't need a religion to tell me what is right and wrong. Sucks when someone tries to push their own agenda on you. Everyone believes in something different. I myself have some pretty strange viewpoints that would probably be laughed at, so I've never argued with anyone about it. People can believe whatever they want to. 

 

[batman]

I was raised Christian and fell away from it late highschool/early college. Honestly, the social aspects of going to church were great--I met a lot of nice adult leaders/positive role models, made a lot of close friends in my Wednesday night small group, broke out of my shell w/ girls a lot, etc. I just reached the point where I "outgrew" it. I don't need a fairy tale continuation of life or strict set of rules to be a good person. This is all we have, and we have to make the most out of it. I feel like religion just exists so that people can overcome their fear of death. Or it's used as a crutch in tough times. It's also a product of where you are born. Typically someone born in the US is going to be Christian, while someone in the Middle East is going to be Muslim. Who's right? Who's wrong? Who's going to eternal hell for the lottery of where they were born into this world? Nothing against religious people, I think religion can help a lot of people, it's just not for me. Very much a live and let live mentality, but I will admit that especially in Texas, it's hard to bite your tongue sometimes. Unfortunately like other people mentioned, there's a stigma associated with being an atheist. My mom's response was quote "I raised you better than that" as if not believing in a god means that you can't be a moral person.

[rooks]

I was raised Christian and fell away from it late highschool/early college. Honestly, the social aspects of going to church were great--I met a lot of nice adult leaders/positive role models, made a lot of close friends in my Wednesday night small group, broke out of my shell w/ girls a lot, etc. I just reached the point where I "outgrew" it. I don't need a fairy tale continuation of life or strict set of rules to be a good person. This is all we have, and we have to make the most out of it. I feel like religion just exists so that people can overcome their fear of death. Or it's used as a crutch in tough times. It's also a product of where you are born. Typically someone born in the US is going to be Christian, while someone in the Middle East is going to be Muslim. Who's right? Who's wrong? Who's going to eternal hell for the lottery of where they were born into this world? Nothing against religious people, I think religion can help a lot of people, it's just not for me. Very much a live and let live mentality, but I will admit that especially in Texas, it's hard to bite your tongue sometimes. Unfortunately like other people mentioned, there's a stigma associated with being an atheist. My mom's response was quote "I raised you better than that" as if not believing in a god means that you can't be a moral person.

 

Oh yeah, for sure. My story is very similar. My mom basically accepts that I'm a lost cause but gets all legit teary eyed and downhearted when she thinks about how I'm "shutting God out of my life".  She semi-recently told me that she doesn't care what I choose anymore, but she's "Heartbroken for my future children that I will be damning to hell" for not raising them Catholic hahaha.

 

Religion is funny, man, in the least funny of ways.

[batman]

Oh yeah, for sure. My story is very similar. My mom basically accepts that I'm a lost cause but gets all legit teary eyed and downhearted when she thinks about how I'm "shutting God out of my life".  She semi-recently told me that she doesn't care what I choose anymore, but she's "Heartbroken for my future children that I will be damning to hell" for not raising them Catholic hahaha.

 

Religion is funny, man, in the least funny of ways.

oh man, I don't even know what to do with kids haha. I feel like there's so much positivity that comes out of going to church, but there's so much bullshit. to a certain degree, it's very manipulative--a teenager (or younger!!!) shouldn't be feeling like garbage because they and the world they live in are broken, and their only salvation is JESUS. i'm talking kids crying in the back of chapel with guilt. I wouldn't change the way I was raised, but I really don't want to go through that again. I mean, if they want to go to church, it's not like I won't let them or would give them shit for it, but man... do secular alternatives exist?

[maneatingcow]

oh man, I don't even know what to do with kids haha. I feel like there's so much positivity that comes out of going to church, but there's so much bullshit. to a certain degree, it's very manipulative--a teenager (or younger!!!) shouldn't be feeling like garbage because they and the world they live in are broken, and their only salvation is JESUS. i'm talking kids crying in the back of chapel with guilt. I wouldn't change the way I was raised, but I really don't want to go through that again. I mean, if they want to go to church, it's not like I won't let them or would give them shit for it, but man... do secular alternatives exist?

 

Unitarian Universalist Church might be what your looking for.  

 

Pasted from their site -

 

What Do We Believe about God?

Unitarian Universalists have many ways of naming what is sacred. Some believe in a God; some don’t believe in a God. Some believe in a sacred force at work in the world, and call it “love,” “mystery,” “source of all” or “spirit of life.” Unitarian Universalists are agnostic, theist, atheist and everything in between. We are thousands of individuals of all ages, each influenced by our cultures and life experiences to understand “the ground of our being” in our own way.

We come together not because we have a shared concept of the divine. Rather we gather knowing that life is richer in community than when we go it alone. We gather to know and be known, to comfort and be comforted, to celebrate the mystery that binds us, each to all.

We welcome you in the fullness of your beliefs. Join us in exploring life’s deepest questions in a spiritually diverse, supportive, and challenging community. We are excited to meet you where you are, and see how we can all learn and grow together.

 

I'm most likely not ever going to have kids, but if I did I always figured around age 10-12 I'd start taking my kid/s to a few different churches.  I'd like them to explore some different faiths and see if any of them seem like it's right for them.

[harryq]

oh man, I don't even know what to do with kids haha. I feel like there's so much positivity that comes out of going to church, but there's so much bullshit. to a certain degree, it's very manipulative--a teenager (or younger!!!) shouldn't be feeling like garbage because they and the world they live in are broken, and their only salvation is JESUS. i'm talking kids crying in the back of chapel with guilt. I wouldn't change the way I was raised, but I really don't want to go through that again. I mean, if they want to go to church, it's not like I won't let them or would give them shit for it, but man... do secular alternatives exist?

 

the only positive I can see about taking your kids to church (if you're an atheist, that is) is that your kids won't have to answer questions like "why don't you go to church?" at a young age (if only so that I don't have other parents calling me up asking why little billy told their child that there is no god and, more importantly, no santa). aside from that, just read them books (or watch shows, tell stories, etc.) that help teach morals.

 

maybe I'm weird, but I don't get the point of ~atheist churches.  it's perfectly fine to want a sense of community, but aside from not believing in a god, I'm not sure what I'd necessarily have in common with other atheists (aside from "support groups" for help coming out to your family).  why should I care what a "minister" has to say?  it's not like the flying spaghetti monster wrote a "how-to" book on being the perfect atheist and this person has studied it religiously.

 

oh, and I love when religious people ask how you have/learn morals if you're an atheist.  it's called "common sense"

[rooks]

Let's not bring Santa into this because Santa is definitely real.

Raising my kids as Santaists