Abraham Lincoln, atheist

@Foofie,

Foofie wrote:

I don't agree, since many people believe one should live by one's beliefs, rather than cultural mores. Whether one can be condemned in the make-believe court of hypocrisy, does not equate to how one perceives one's actions.

There is often more than one adult involved in a Baptism, and certainly more than one in a Marriage. I expect that in a lot of cases, it's the partner who drives any actions which are otherwise meaningless to most atheists. But I can't speak for all atheists, I only know what I would do.

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I think I may start a thread about Abraham Lincoln, the American Sherlock Holmes. It would detail how he solved many a crime in his spare time. How he wore a false beard so that he could have a secret identity. I have it on good authority that he personally saw to the apprehension of at least thirty criminals.

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@Setanta,

Setanta wrote:

I don't know why some atheists are always to eager to say that this or that person was an atheist. Saying that you hold the same opinions as someone bright doesn't make you bright.

Kinda funny coming from a person who would site past political dictators as being atheists or that certain scientists were christian. Do you name a lot of black kettles or just this one?

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@Krumple,

You're so full of **** that your eyes are brown. Got a citation for that, Bubba?

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@Rickoshay75,

Rickoshay75 wrote:

In Lincoln's very words...

"The Bible is not my book nor Christianity my profession. I could never give assent to the long, complicated statements of Christian dogma." - Abraham Lincoln

http://voices.yahoo.com/twenty-atheist-quotes-some-surprising-historical-750917.html

I think when it comes down to it, it doesn't really matter if he was or wasn't an atheist.

I think humanity is evolving into a higher being by shedding religion and superstitious. We are slowly making progress and those who drag their feet kicking and screaming that they want their religion or dogmas are just less evolved people. Just like racists are less evolved individuals.

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Anyone know when and where he said or wrote this?

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@George,

The OP provides a link, but it you follow it, it does not cite sources.

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@George,

“The Bible is not my book nor Christianity my profession.”
― Abraham Lincoln, Speeches and Writings, 1832-1858

(anyone got a copy?)

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@ehBeth,

Here; http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/21740-abraham-lincoln-speeches-and-writings-1832-1858-library-of-america

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@Setanta,

Setanta wrote:

I don't know why some atheists are always to eager to say that this or that person was an atheist. Saying that you hold the same opinions as someone bright doesn't make you bright.

These were Lincoln's own words, not my impression or spin...

"The Bible is not my book nor Christianity my profession. I could never give assent to the long, complicated statements of Christian dogma." - Abraham Lincoln

http://voices.yahoo.com/twenty-atheist-quotes-some-surprising-historical-750917.html

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@cicerone imposter,

That's lovely, but it's not a copy of the book.

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@Rickoshay75,

Straw man--i didn't say that there was any impression or "spin." Your response here is a non sequitur to what i wrote. Leaving aside that the quotation does not prove that Lincoln was an atheist (the contention of the thread title), even if he were, sharing such a lack of belief with Lincoln says nothing about whoever quotes him.

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@Setanta,

Setanta wrote:

Straw man--i didn't say that there was any impression or "spin." Your response here is a non sequitur to what i wrote. Leaving aside that the quotation does not prove that Lincoln was an atheist (the contention of the thread title), even if he were, sharing such a lack of belief with Lincoln says nothing about whoever quotes him.

It doesn't matter what kind of proof there is, you've already made up your mind not to believe it.

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@Rickoshay75,

Nonsense . . . once again you indulge a straw man. I have not once stated or even implied that the quotation is not authentic. What you seem unable to understand is that my remark is that whether or not someone famous is/was an atheist says nothing about any other atheist.

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@ehBeth,

ehBeth wrote:

“The Bible is not my book nor Christianity my profession.”
― Abraham Lincoln, Speeches and Writings, 1832-1858

(anyone got a copy?)

Went to Amazon, ran a "search inside this book", but did not find the
quotation. So far, this is not passing the smell test.

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@George,

I actually googled the quote and briefly scanned the results for Abe's name prior to my first post in this thread. Saw a few on page 1, but I admit I was being lazy -- I just wanted to mention the quote was not a declaration of atheism. It does seem like a political death sentance kind of thing to say though...

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@thack45,

thack45 wrote:

I actually googled the quote and briefly scanned the results for Abe's name prior to my first post in this thread. Saw a few on page 1, but I admit I was being lazy -- I just wanted to mention the quote was not a declaration of atheism. It does seem like a political death sentance kind of thing to say though...

What makes it a death sentence?

You know the christian revival movement was a recent thing. Near the turn of the century there were many politicians who actively spoke about their atheist views. It was no big thing. It is only recently that christians are trying to claim that the US is a christian nation. It has only been recently within the last 100 years that christians have become more extreme in the country.

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@Krumple,

Christian Revivals have come and gone about every thirty years--in the 1830 with the Anti-masonic movement (the rise of Adam Smith), in the period just after the Civil War (paying for the sins of the war), a slight surge around the turn of the century (a surge of biblically justified racism--mostly toward native americans), in the twenties (Billy Sunbday and more biblically justified rasism--rise of the Klan), the fifties (communist athiests) and the eighties (PTL club)--the present rise of fundamentalism although strong will fade into its own pit of decadence.

Rap

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Abraham Lincoln, atheist

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