Atheism

Pissed, aren't you? I get you are not even a Science major(even at a baccalaureate level LOL). But-- you picked your online name, because you so desire to be in the ranks with those you don't understand, yet resent.

Pissed?????
If you have a deep need inside you to want to think that, be my guest.
I really don't care.

You simply have no clue what you are talking about. Like so many here.


Go figure.

"Go figure" is spot on! But it applies to you; you just can't seem to comprehend why so many posters on a2k challenge your posts rather than agree with you. Yea, go figure.

An atheist airman at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada was denied re-enlistment last month for refusing to take an oath containing "so help me God," the American Humanist Association said Thursday.

And in a Sept. 2 letter to the inspectors general for the Air Force and Creech, Monica Miller, an attorney with the AHA's Apignani Humanist Legal Center, said the airman should be allowed to re-enlist without having to swear to a deity, and instead given a secular oath. Miller said the AHA is prepared to sue if the airman is not allowed to re-enlist.

According to the AHA, the unnamed airman was told Aug. 25 that the Air Force would not accept his contract because he had crossed out the phrase "so help me God." The airman was told his only options were to sign the religious oath section of the contract without adjustment and recite an oath concluding with "so help me God," or leave the Air Force, the AHA said.

That is unconstitutional and unacceptable, the AHA said.

"The government cannot compel a nonbeliever to take an oath that affirms the existence of a supreme being," Miller said. "Numerous cases affirm that atheists have the right to omit theistic language from enlistment or re-enlistment contracts."

Creech officials referred inquiries to Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. Officials at Nellis referred questions to Air Force public affairs officers at the Pentagon, who had not confirmed the incident by Thursday night.

The AHA's letter also called attention to a quiet update last year of Air Force rules governing re-enlistments, which now require all airmen to swear an oath to God.


USATODAY
Cross at Indiana state park prompts atheist protest
Air Force Instruction 36-2606 spells out the active-duty oath of enlistment, which all airmen must take when they enlist or re-enlist and ends with "so help me God." The old version of that AFI included an exception: "Note: Airmen may omit the words 'so help me God,' if desired for personal reasons."

That language was dropped in an Oct. 30, 2013, update to the AFI. The relevant section of that AFI now only lists the active-duty oath of enlistment, without giving airmen any option to choose not to swear an oath to a deity.

"Reciting 'So help me God' in the re-enlistment and commissioning oaths is a statutory requirement under Title 10 USC 502," Air Force spokeswoman Rose Richeson said Thursday. AFI 36-2606 "is consistent with the language mandated in 10 USC 502. Paragraph 5.6 (and) was changed in October 2013 to reflect the aforementioned statutory requirement and airmen are no longer authorized to omit the words 'So help me God.' "

The Air Force said it cannot change its AFI to make "so help me God" optional unless Congress changes the statute mandating it.


USATODAY
Ariz. lawmaker comes out as atheist during meeting
Miller pointed out that Article VI of the Constitution prohibits requiring religious tests to hold an office or public trust.

"Forcing (the airman) to swear to a supreme being as a condition of his re-enlistment is tantamount to a 'religious test' and is therefore violative of this constitutional provision as well," Miller said.

Miller also said that swearing an oath the airman does not believe in would be dishonest.

"This airman shows integrity, commitment to the nation, and respect for religion in standing firm for a secular oath that reflects his true values and intentions," said Jason Torpy, president of the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers and a board member of the AHA.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/09/05/group-airman-denied-reenlistment-so-help-me-god/15117675/

A question.

As atheists you guys probably get all sorts of ignorant definitions of Atheism thrown at you by pesky theists trying to pigeon hole you into something they believe they can challenge. I intend to avoid that where possible in the following question.

I have always believed an atheist is one who does not believe that a god or gods exist. What I find though, is that many that call themselves atheists exercise an active belief that there are no god or gods, therefore entering a different paradigm. Are there different terms for those with a lack of belief, and those with a belief in non-existence?

Double take.

Those who assert that are no gods or goddesses are called explicit or strong atheists. Those who simply say that they don't believe there are any gods or goddesses are called implicit or weak atheists.

My life's experience is that the implicit atheists are by far the majority. It is, however, the explicit atheists who, like the squeaky wheel getting the grease, get the most attention. Implicit atheists have no reason to bring the subject up. I don't care if you believe there are gods, or that anyone else believes does not believe. In the course of your daily life, if we came into contact, the subject would just not come up. All too many of the explicit atheists, however, partake of the proselytizing nature of the religious fanatic, and they want you to know that there are no gods, and want to argue with you about it. So, for many people, their only exposure to atheists is to the explicit type.

The difference has already been explained by others...but I would like to go on record as saying that my personal experience is that the ONLY implicit or weak atheists I've ever met or talked to...are people who debate the topic on the Internet or in the public sphere.

As far as I am concerned, strong atheists VASTLY outnumber the weak atheists...and it is my opinion that most so-called weak atheists actually have a "belief" or guess...that no gods exist.

Weak atheism seems, by the way, to be a product of an incorrect understanding of how the word "atheist" came into the English language.

Further, the implications of weak atheism is that anyone who does not have an active "belief" in the existence of gods...is an atheist...which of course, would include infants and toddlers.

I consider that to be absurd on its face.

You ought really to consider why you refer to definitions that differ from yours to be "ignorant."

When put on the spot, or when it is brought up on a forum such as this, I assert there are no gods. No possibility. That does not make me a pusher of dogma. If nobody attacks me or my rights, I don't care what they think about it. I don't care if they are believers in a god or agnostics or what. My biggest resentment, on the personal level, is when others try to put my kind of atheist in a box, with the kind of parameters they imagine it ought to have. I don't have anything to put in a box.

Just more evidence of the very wide diversity of atheist opinions.

Which is what we have been saying, from the first. Atheists are not a movement or a group, except in the minds of some activists. I have no idea how many activist atheists there are, but we are a minority to begin with, so, their numbers could not be high.

I've known very few militant atheists, probably not even a half dozen. I did once know of a activist atheists in Columbus, Ohio. I passed on a chance to attend what i would call, for want of a better term, a cocktail party, in order to meet him. Since then, i've seen evidence online of activist atheists, but i am unimpressed. Sam Harris seems to be the best of a sad bunch.

The extremely crazy, narcissist, and extremely stupid one is a guy called

Richard Dawkins.

I've never seen anyone try to "put you in a box", Edgar.

I have mentioned that there is at least one person in A2K who calls himself an atheist who asserts without reservation that there are no gods.

If I were to mention that YOU are that person...would you consider that putting you in a box.

I cannot imagine what "parameters" anyone has set for you...but I would expect you to laugh at anyone and their parameters who tried that.

I am saying that I have several atheist friends out in the non-cyber world...and every one of them who is not also a participant in an Internet forum...states his (and her) position exactly as you did right here.

Internet forum atheists have a vested interest in identifying as weak atheists.

I have no idea of how people come to the conclusion that MOST atheists are weak atheists rather than strong atheists...but I can say that the notion does not match up with my personal experience.

I have looked in on atheist forums on occasion. Never saw any that impressed me.

I've seen some videos at youtube of these guys who ridicule the religious who call in to them. Well, the smart religious types aren't going to be calling in to play that stupid game. I saw them as basically picking on the weak and vulnerable. I haven't looked for atheists online, otherwise. I've seen some Sam Harris videos because people recommended them to me. I agree with his stance that these issues should be broached and discussed publicly, but i only agree with him intellectually. Pragmatically, you're just pssing into the wind when you get into that.

On my job, every guy that wore his religion on his sleeve pushed until I had to get them to back off some. They all were selfish by nature, but I overlooked that as much as I could. Now, we have another one that listens to religious radio at every opportunity and he was amazed that I do not share his belief. Turns out he is an exception to what I started out writing here. He still does his own thing, but he no longer pushes it at me. He is a very good guy, so near as I can tell. Helps affirm that not all religious folk are the same.

Ah. Code for 'I feel extremely threatened by Richard Dawkins even though I've never read his book.'

It's the same thing. You have to believe your **** or it will stink. If they didnt believe in atheism they wouldn't practice it.

How does one 'practice' atheism?