Out of Pod Experience

Starting a few months ago, Bill Nye (The Science Guy!) released a YouTube video for BigThink explaining why Religion is bad for our children, and our future. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHbYJfwFgOU

This sparked quite an outrage, and surprisingly, tons of support as well. Atheism is now becoming more prominent, and Atheists are starting to speak out where they were once shamed by society.

Then came christmas. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/judge-blocks-holiday-displays-in-santa-monica-after-atheist-christian-spat/2012/11/20/e545b1c4-334c-11e2-92f0-496af208bf23_story.html

Ho Ho Ho! apparently Santa came early for the Atheists this year. And this is just a stocking stuffer too. NASA has a big announcement coming early next month that is rumored to be about the existence of life on mars.

It seems momentum is picking up, Athiests are speaking out everywhere. From the 10-commandments pillar placed at the Oklahoma Capitol building http://www.okcfox.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/kokh_vid_8183.shtml along with its ironic misspellings, to the 17 year old girl who took her school to court and won http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/teen-activist-emerges-as-an-atheist-hero-at-skepticon/2012/11/13/23d35842-2dd5-11e2-b631-2aad9d9c73ac_story.html

“I learned not to care if people hated me for it,” she said.
“You inspired me to stand up,” said another.

The Atheists have finally found their voice, and are beginning to stand up against the ignorance that is forced in everyone else's faces all year round.

Consider all of the politicians who wont admit to being Atheists. Every politician claims to believe in a god because they're afraid they wont be elected based on that fact alone. Sure on the internet atheists have been rather vocal for many years, but "IRL" they've always been fairly silent and criticized.

Politicians? I think most don't really believe anything quite honestly. I'm not an atheist, but still the majority of politicians don't reflect my beliefs, that's just a natural fact of life we all live with. Just as long as they leave you and I alone

But if you go to colleges, universities, there have always been atheist teachers and rather outspoken. In fact in California, atheists managed to close down this city-traditional manger scene, politicians did as they always do and show they believe in nothing, including citizens rights to freedoms. Doesn't seem right... doesn't benefit anyone.

Just seems whimsical to say that. It's not what I've seen at least where I live and for a number of decades. Ah well, I don't need to draw hate from forum mods (going any further), but quite rationally, I just don't see it that way. More like just a lot of people believing in nothing these days, to much trouble to learn about people and beliefs, not when yet another meme post is waiting for them on facebook *shrugs*


'Atheists'... you can pretty much replace that with any group. People don't seem to connect that 'discrimination' is rather indiscriminate, everyone is on the receiving end at some point. Anyway, I don't care what people "say" to me, that's silly, it's when I loose a job over it, or am not allowed to go someplace due to it. That's when it actually becomes wrong. And I don't mean forcing myself into someplace to cause havoc and play the discrimination card, people have a right to assemble as they wish, to do what they want.

Interestingly enough, atheism is in itself a belief system/s. Sure there are atheists that believe in nothing, yet others that understand what they believe thus believe in something. Such atheists believe in nothing because they really know nothing about what they claim to align with; to fit into a particular group (as humans tend to do). This is true in all belief systems, people that just go along with something but never really gain any understanding into what their group believes. Essentially they believe in nothing, because they know nothing. I just see this as a growing commonality, people not really knowing much of anything in depth, just a lot of little things and/or trivial things. Not all people, but increasingly more.

Now for your second question, that is something that only you can answer for yourself. You play EVE, so I take it you most likely challenge your depth of understanding, about your surroundings and others, about yourself and your abilities. So I think you can probably answer that for yourself.

And yes, where we live can really make a difference in our perspectives, I mean to the things going on around us and to their circumstances. So I speak as from experience in the US. Although my knowledge isn't limited to my particular surroundings, I've spent much time studying world affairs and beliefs, speaking to people in person from around the world, and traveling and such. So like if this thread were started by someone in N.Korea, their circumstances would be even more different and both of us would have difficulty directly relating.

Discussions about religion is not allowed on our forums. I have locked the thread in accordance with that rule.