Federal Appeals Court Upholds 'Under God' in Pledge...

[FriendlyFire]

Anyway, I applaud the decision. Looks like a win for the good guys and the constitution!!

Can we now put this issue to rest and stop these frivilous lawsuits?

Meanwhile lol
The GOP dont need no censes they just indoctrinate the young. ... wait a second.

Texas Board of Education cuts Thomas Jefferson out of its textbooks.

The Texas Board of Education has been meeting this week to revise its social studies curriculum. During the past three days, “the board’s far-right faction wielded their power to shape lessons on the civil rights movement, the U.S. free enterprise system and hundreds of other topics”:

– To avoid exposing students to “transvestites, transsexuals and who knows what else,” the Board struck the curriculum’s reference to “sex and gender as social constructs.”

– The Board removed Thomas Jefferson from the Texas curriculum, “replacing him with religious right icon John Calvin.”

– The Board refused to require that “students learn that the Constitution prevents the U.S. government from promoting one religion over all others.”

– The Board struck the word “democratic” from the description of the U.S. government, instead terming it a “constitutional republic.”

As the nation’s second-largest textbook market, Texas has enormous leverage over publishers, who often “craft their standard textbooks based on the specs of the biggest buyers.” Indeed, as The Washington Monthly has reported, “when it comes to textbooks, what happens in Texas rarely stays in Texas.”

http://thinkprogress.org/2010/03/12...omas-jefferson-out-of-its-textbooks/#comments

 

[cardgame]

damn you texas, damn you

 

[Karalysia]

Thomas Jefferson the advocate of small government, individual freedoms and liberties, and one of the founding fathers and framers doesn't meet the Republican purity test. It just goes to show you how deranged they've become.

 

[Leonel]

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel rejected two legal challenges by Sacramento atheist Michael Newdow, who claimed the references to God disrespect his religious beliefs.

Apparently atheism is a religion.

 

[Tani Coyote]

Apparently atheism is a religion.

Considering they automatically reject God without evidence, just as their opponents accept God without evidence, yes, yes it is a religion. It's dogma is just simpler than most religions.

It's why I laugh whenever atheists say they believe in science... If that was the case, they'd say they have no opinion on God, as there's not a good enough case for or against him. But no. They automatically reject him. Therefore, they are dogmatic, and, arguably, religious.

 

[Karalysia]

We reject god for the same reason rational people reject Scientology, the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus.

 

[The Imp]

Considering they automatically reject God without evidence, just as their opponents accept God without evidence, yes, yes it is a religion. It's dogma is just simpler than most religions.

It's why I laugh whenever atheists say they believe in science... If that was the case, they'd say they have no opinion on God, as there's not a good enough case for or against him. But no. They automatically reject him. Therefore, they are dogmatic, and, arguably, religious.

.

 

[cardgame]

Considering they automatically reject God without evidence, just as their opponents accept God without evidence, yes, yes it is a religion. It's dogma is just simpler than most religions.

It's why I laugh whenever atheists say they believe in science... If that was the case, they'd say they have no opinion on God, as there's not a good enough case for or against him. But no. They automatically reject him. Therefore, they are dogmatic, and, arguably, religious.

You automatically reject the FSM, you dogmatic religionist!

 

[Karalysia]

Meanwhile lol
The GOP dont need no censes they just indoctrinate the young. ... wait a second.

This needs its own thread. This is some serious stuff and me and all my Democrat friends are busting blood vessels because of this.

 

[Cutlass]

You automatically reject the FSM, you dogmatic religionist!

 

[Lord Gay]

Thomas Jefferson the advocate of small government, individual freedoms and liberties, and one of the founding fathers and framers doesn't meet the Republican purity test. It just goes to show you how deranged they've become.

Well of course they dropped him. I mean, didn't you hear? *looks around, leans in, whispers* I hear he was into... interracial. You know... black people. *shocked look on face*

Apparently atheism is a religion.

While nobody most people don't think atheism is a religion, for legal purposes, the court considers atheism a religion in the sense that it is covered under the Freedom of Religion portion of the 1A.

Considering they automatically reject God without evidence, just as their opponents accept God without evidence, yes, yes it is a religion. It's dogma is just simpler than most religions.

I don't know if you're being sarcastic, but atheists don't assert that gods don't exist. That's a common misconception. Atheists lack belief in gods due to lack of evidence.

EDIT

– The Board refused to require that “students learn that the Constitution prevents the U.S. government from promoting one religion over all others.”

I worked with a Christian once who asserted this. He said that this was a Christian nation, and as such, Christianity graciously allowed other religions to exist in the US. However, religions only existed by Christianity's sufferance, and if they didn't like one, Christianity could simply bar it. IOW, all religions were subservient to Christianity's whims.

 

[Karalysia]

Well of course they dropped him. I mean, didn't you hear? *looks around, leans in, whispers* I hear he was into... interracial. You know... black people. *shocked look on face*

You know....I hear he even impregnated one of the negros and had mulatto children, wait for it.....out of wedlock. Imagine, bastard mulatto childlren. Horrible. Just horrible. I grow faint even thinking about it. Be a dear and fetch the smelling salts before I swoon.

These thoughts weigh heavily upon my brow. I shall retire to my sitting room to contemplate.

 

[Tani Coyote]

We reject god for the same reason rational people reject Scientology, the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus.

Ah, but you can disprove the Tooth Fairy and Santa. The presents under your tree were bought by your parents, and you could trace this most likely. The Tooth Fairy can be proven to just be your parents as well. I doubt God can be proven to just be your parents...

Scientology, umm... I consider them batcrap insane, but hey, whatever makes them feel warm and fuzzy inside...

.

Wonder what profanity that could be.

You automatically reject the FSM, you dogmatic religionist!

Ah, yes, I am dogmatic, for I am a spiritual individual. Buuuut, you see, I never proclaimed to follow a 100% life of science like some atheists do, and they were the ones I was railing against.

I don't know if you're being sarcastic, but atheists don't assert that gods don't exist.

I was being 100% serious.

All atheists I've seen or heard have asserted that, and that's my understanding of the term.

Atheists lack belief in gods due to lack of evidence.

I would label those people as "agnostics."

My use of the term is as follows:

Atheism - Outright rejection of God. The opposite of outright acceptance of God.
Agnosticism - The "scientific" religion, if you will. Like science, agnosticism is ever willing to change as new theories are made and old ones are debunked.

 

[Karalysia]

"I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours."
- Stephen Roberts

 

[Traitorfish]

Considering they automatically reject God without evidence, just as their opponents accept God without evidence, yes, yes it is a religion. It's dogma is just simpler than most religions.

That's not what "religion" actually means, though. You're using the term incorrectly just to make a ham-fisted point.

My use of the term is as follows:

Atheism - Outright rejection of God. The opposite of outright acceptance of God.
Agnosticism - The "scientific" religion, if you will. Like science, agnosticism is ever willing to change as new theories are made and old ones are debunked.

Again, that is not what those terms actually mean. They are not merely points on a gradient, but two differing, potentially compatible positions.
An "atheist" is a person who does not believe in god. They may be an implicit atheist, which is to say that they have never encountered the concept- a new born baby, for example- or explicit, which is to say that they have encountered the concept, and rejected it. Explicit atheists may be further categorised into the very broad categories of "strong" and "weak", the former asserting the non-existence of any deity or deities, the latter merely refusing to acknowledge the existence of said deities.
An "agnostic" is a person who refrains from claiming certain knowledge of god. They may be a theist or an atheist, the former asserting belief in the existence of a deity or deities, but refraining from asserting certain knowledge, the latter refraining from asserting either belief or knowledge of their existence.
Common usage holds "atheism" to refer only to strong atheism, and "agnosticism" to weak atheism, while the true meaning of "agnosticism" is ignored altogether. While this may be a practical convention in day-to-day terms, it is indefensible when attempting to enter into any halfway serious discussion on the topic.

 

[Traitorfish]

-Double post, please delete-

 

[Lord Gay]

All atheists I've seen or heard have asserted that, and that's my understanding of the term.

In the US, everybody and their gramma believes in Jesus. In differentiating ourselves from all those who believe, we claim that we don't believe. However, when we say we don't believe in Jesus, we're indicating that we aren't in the believing club, not that we assert, for a fact, that Jesus isn't divine.

Atheists aren't declaring anything as fact. We simply question the claim of theists, asking for proof.

a- is a prefix meaning lack of something.

a-pathy is lacking pathos.

a-moral is lacking morals, as opposed to im-moral, meaning bad morals.

a-theism is lacking a belief in gods.

Agnosticism refers to whether man can ever know of gods' existence, AKA are gods knowable.

There are plenty of websites explaining them in detail.

 

[holy king]

in england, man.

 

[Traitorfish]

Agnosticism refers to whether man can ever know of gods' existence, AKA are gods knowable.

Unknowable, surely? A-gnosticism, "without knowledge"?

 

[Perfection]

Apparently atheism is a religion.

Nope, however it is a belief in regards to religion (hence "religious belief")
.