I watched various religious groups after hurricane Sandy clearing debris, distributing clothes, food, rebuilding etc. for victims.

I didn´t see any atheist groups doing that.

An atheist is a person who looks at the night sky full of stars and declares himself to be the biggest thing there, and that all of that was an accident.

Why does the claim of offense by one [atheist, Muslim, homosexual, whatever] automatically justify and require the full force of the state to impose a "remedy" on the entire remainder of the population? Has no one else noticed that perhaps millions on the other side of Matter X might be as, or even more, legitimately offended? Yet they have no standing, get no hearing, are never supported?

They´re jealous because they don´t have a holiday, and they don´t want us to have one...

Ever taken your child down to the Atheist Children´s Hospital ?

I beg to differ #4, they do have a holiday: April 1st = April fools day.

Psalm 14:1 Only fools say in their hearts, There is no God.

It´s telling in the number of atheists that latched onto the comments section of Doug Giles essay. Militant atheism is a religion unto itself and expects their view to be the official one of government. They claim to be freethinkers, yet are myopic about the existence, or not, of a Supreme Being.

Amen! What number 6 said!

Recently, at a gathering, a person professing to be an Atheist blew his cover.
He was yaking it up on all the stuff he read and was taught by yuppy mom and pop.
I asked if he had ever heard of Pascals Wager. He said no! Any true atheist would know about that "Famous Wager". My point? Most who clain they are atheist are phonies.

Just as there are lots of different kinds of liberals, there are lots of different kinds of atheists. The ones that attract attention are the militant, litigious, attention seeking kind, whose personal dynamics obviously include factors other than abstract love of reason etc. Many appear to be angry, maladjusted exhibitionists. There are and always have been scads of silent, private atheists who do not feel a compulsion to advertise their personal beliefs nor to impose them upon others. The small vociferous radical and militant minority of atheists causing all the hubbub consists of people with personal problems they are trying to solve by hiding them behind alleged social issues, a dynamic that is by no means confined to militant atheists but is found with remarkable regularity among militants for all causes. Such personal pathology does not, of course, by itself mean that they are necessarily wrong about whatever they happen to be crusading for or against - but it is well to keep in mind that such types are always driven by forces of disorder and destruction, some of which have nothing at all to do with the rationalizations offered for their righteous indignation and aggressive anti-social behavior. The courts and the national media lend them a force multiplier far in excess of their actual numbers and potency. The inability or unwillingness of society to contain, resist, and neutralize these internal pathogens is also an indicative of a weakened cultural immune system.

Since atheists believe that this is the only life they have, why would they want to live it fighting religious belief? Why would they want to waste their time? There is no logic to their actions. You would think these people would have a live and let live approach to the subject, not wanting to waste any of their one and only life bothering with believers.

Taking this article seriously is just as ridiculous as taking seriously a writeup by an athiest about why religious people are ´foolish´ enough to believe.

I lived on both sides of that fence. And when I was an atheist-scientist, I resented religions for brainwashing their people into a semi-stupor that sapped their intellect, siphoned their resources, and imprisoned them in guilt-ridden neuroses and self-hatred.

Some people may have become atheists out of resentment against the truth of God. Many, though, likely resent what they see as the big lie of religion, and the injustice of convincing others to believe lies. Others choose atheism in response to what they see as a hypocritical, fraudulent church.

Most of us resent the MSM for brainwashing the masses on the virtues of socialism, the evils of capitalism, and the menace of global warming. A similar dynamic drives many atheists´ resentment toward religion and religious holidays.

I think they like the publicity that their complaints generate.

And I want to take this opportunity to thank my observant Jewish friends who have worked for me on my shift on Christmas and Christmas Eve, so I can be with my family. I will be honored if I can work for you next Passover.

"Love your neighbor as yourself." Leviticus 19:18b

Athiests need to get over it. Do we Christians sue you every time you ´don´t praise a deity...yourself?

Well done, #10.

This is easy math, folks: A person who has no remorse and thus no desire to repent from their sins is probably not going to be a big advocate for the celebration of the person who reminds them they’re wrong and calls them to repent and believe.

When I was an Atheist, I thought the rest of you were stupid to believe this fairy tale of a Jewish carpenter born of a virgin, dying for our sins and being resurrected so that we may be, also. My main motivating factor was as Doug Giles describes it -- not wanting to give up my personal sins. That wasn´t "phony", #9, because I had never heard of Pascal´s Wager, either. I was a genuine Atheist. All that has changed, of course.

Changing from Atheism to Christianity takes not only reason, but God´s will in the matter. If you are not chosen by God to be a Believer, you won´t be. That has nothing to do with one´s merit but only with God´s grace. That´s why it´s called grace.

/sermon

I used to be an agnostic but now I just don´t know.

I feel sorry for atheists who seem a pretty joyless bunch on any level. There is nothing more grounding or rewarding than to live in God´s grace and know that there is life to look forward to beyond this earthly time.

I´m an atheist who is not offended at all by Christmas or Hannukah. I don´t mind manger scenes on government property nor the Ten Commandments in courthouses. Voluntary prayer in public schools is just fine with me. I am not at all like the rabid, militant atheists. I look forward to Christmas every year: my wife alwys gets me some great loot!! ;-)

However, I´ve had many proclaimed devout Christians wishing death on me on these threads for pointing out the truth of biological evolution.

So much for their beliefs in tolerance. Or brotherhood. Or the sanctity of human life. They remind me of people they supposedly hate, the rabid Islamist terrorists.

I admit I have zero tolerance for Islam - a fascist political system masquerading as a gutter religion.

I have long given up on trying to "enlighten" anyone who is stuck on stupid.
Now I just act Christ-like and hope they ask why I´m so joyful.

You can always tell if it is an atheist´s funeral, All dressed up, and no where to go!
Uncle Cliffie

Bet they don´t reject Christmas bonuses and the paid day off.

#1 - and you won´t. The closest thing we saw after Katrina were the Buddhists.

There weren´t many, but some came.

I love Christmas lights.
They remind me of the numb-nuts who voted for Obama.
They all hang together;
half of them don’t work,
and the ones that do, aren’t all that bright.
For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible.

Although athiests don´t understand the authentic Joy of Christmas time, the true Reason for the Season, they do like to experience the feelings & emotions of the season, ie. the good cheer, happiness and general goodwill associated with it! ...They just don´t want ANYONE to associate, ´´Christmas,´´ with either Christ nor Mass/church.

There apparently aren´t many authentic athiests but it is their right to make that choice in the free land. However, the exhibitionist activists among them sure like to grab the willing dem media´s microphone and agitate people of faith, eh? ...Happens every legal holiday, in the public square, in schools & graduations, in the military and, etc.. The busybodies come out as regularly at the swallows at Capistrano! sigh

This is the USA!!! ´´Land of the free and home of the brave!´´ ...Whatever happened to our admirable, even noble, concept of, ´´live & let live?´´ We used to hear that often but now, not so much. More´s the pity.

Wonderful testimony #16. I am blessed reading your words. Unmerited grace is exactly what Doug Giles is talking about. Our salvation came to us through Christ´s birth and death, and his birth really is a promise of a new life. No wonder the Christmas story is a time of rejoicing and even some non-believers sense the hope that message brings.
Easter, however, is a different matter. Few understand that message; only those whom God has called to himself.

The Lord lives and answers sinners´ prayers. he is here for us. This witness was an atheist once. I wasn´t clever enough to remain one.

Speaking of Atheists and funerals #21 my sister went to her SNL`s fathers funeral just last month, she said that it was the strangest one she ever attended...and wished she hadn`t.
There was no mention of where he was going, no mention of God (of course) there was no music or songs, and not one tear was shed, not even from his wife of 50 yrs, nor from his eight children and many grandchildren, friends or foe.
She said there was a huge crowd there as he was very well know in the area, but that all seem to be having a good time laughing and joking.
She come away stunned and told her older daughter -in detail -what kind of funeral she wanted!! She wants the saddest funeral songs sang and God to be mentioned every other word, she also, expressed that she wants ever eye to be wet with tears.
She sure has changed from someone who (used) to want a quite, private funeral with no viewing except family, and closed casket.
Oh! forgot to mention the fellow who passed
away was cremated, not that THAT is a bad thing LOL

Yes, and amen, #2.

As I may have mentioned once or twice in these threads, I am a Wiccan. I have been for almost 20 years and am quite happy and enlightened with my beliefs. Those beliefs are neither Athiest nor Satanic. We do believe in God, we just perceive Her a little differently than Christians do.
Like many people, I do get a bit annoyed at people witnessing to me. I am glad they found their spiritual path and I would never tell them they will boil in eternal agony if they don´t accept mine. I appreciate the same courtesy.
Neither would I tell anyone they cant display Christmas decorations anywhere they want. I realize I am a minority. What I want matters in my own house. No place else.
I guess my point is, there is room in the conservative tent for all sorts of people. We just have to quit letting a few block the door.

I went through an self-destructive, agnostic period of my own after I lost my sister to cancer. She was young & beautiful and it should never have happened - I was angry at God because he took away my best friend. Soon after, I was listening to an interview on talk radio where the late Fr. Malachi Martin was taking questions from athiests. His gentle understanding of their anger at God really touched me -he explained to them that they were all hurt & bewildered by tragedy and if there was no God, just who were they angry with? & further, why such bitterness if it really ends for all of us at the grave? He also pointed out that the fact that they were challenging a catholic priest meant that they really didn´t have the question settled in their minds, yet. I started to believe again when I figured out that whoever designed us made us each, unique but the one enduring constant we all share is the quest for love - we ALL seek it our whole lives & it is the reason that we grieve. That is what convinced me we are divinely made and eternal.

There are hundreds of religions along with many other belief systems that either deny any formal religion or believe in something that doesn´t even remotely fit with "religion" as most people think of it.

Within each of these thousands of groups are millions of individuals who may be treating their group belief system as a smorgasbord...picking and chosing what to believe...and maybe bringing some of their own home brew to the table.

I rather suspect that none in any group of people inside any belief system is in total lockstep with even one other member of their group.

Instead of squabbling about belief systems, wouldn´t it be better to "Hope for the Best, Fear for the Worst"?

It seems like with any small group today the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Life as Americans have know it is changing, so why be bitter and bicker constantly ?

Examples of those who pursue Lowest Common Vulgar factors, i.e that minorities regardless of their size have the right to trump the rights of the majority in the name of freedom..

I´m with #10. Some atheists are just atheists, others are anti-religious activists acting out for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that those on the hard left see a problem in people being guided by God when they want the state (and themselves) to be doing all the guiding.

I find great fun in reminding my athiest of the Holyday season. Spelling it that way on purpose. I don´t believe he is really an athiest, though, more progressive agnostic though... Still fun to "tweak" him.