Atheist soldier says Army punished him

[jillian]

Or maybe Weinstein is right about the way non-Christian military people are treated.

 

[pegwinn]

Or maybe Weinstein is right about the way non-Christian military people are treated.

Let me think about it.......

No, he is a clueless idiot.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

A religion requires, by definition, a belief in the supernatural.... the direct antithesis of atheism.

No a religion does NOT require belief in the supernatural.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Definition.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/netdict?Religion

Check out the third and fourth listed response under Religion.

3archaic : scrupulous conformity : conscientiousness4: a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith

A strongly held belief that includes faith it is true is a type of religion.

Scientology is supposedly a religion, does IT require a belief in the "supernatural"?

 

[Dr Grump]

Scientology is supposedly a religion, does IT require a belief in the "supernatural"?

Yep. Look up the word Thetans...

 

[jillian]

Yep. Look up the word Thetans...

Since he seems to have trouble assigning words their common meaning, let's help him some...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thetan

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Since he seems to have trouble assigning words their common meaning, let's help him some...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thetan

And yet the clear definition of religion does NOT require the belief in the Supernatural. Perhaps you can refute THAT?

 

[Alucard]

The Constitution only works if it goes both ways. Saying there's freedom of "religion" for believers, but non-believers can get shoved around doesn't in any way, shape or form comport with the First Amendment.

And I'm not going to argue the point with you. It's been discussed far too many times on the board. There's only so many ways that people can prove atheism isn't a religion because religion REQUIRES a belief in the supernatural.

Belief in the supernatural?

Where do you dig up this crap?

Belief in the UNKNOWN/FAITH....yes... which would make atheism a religion...

 

[LuvRPgrl]

No...atheism isn't a religion (although I've seen you argue a number of times it is... ). But the right to freedom of religion also means freedom *from* religion.

so>?,,, Freedoms are not as broad in the military, just for starters. Also, certain requirements are much narrower than our constitutional rights give us, such as , did you know the President must be a natural born citizen?

You are just another of those clueless fucking idiots. You make me and my whole family laugh, my kids just shake their heads in dis belief, I tell them I cant make this stuff up.

 

[LuvRPgrl]

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.


I think you dogma junkies are a little quick to act like a roman lion when it's a non-christian being chased in the pit. Ironic, really. If the roles were reversed we'd be sky-high in boohoo cries of shadrack-mishak&abendigo-wannabe martyrdom by now. This is generally what happens when christians retain political dominance. Need more evidence? See the Inquisition.

Atheism is not a religion. It's a common belief but it's not "ghost in the sky will come save us next tuesday so can I have some prayer today" dogma. If mere belief was the same thing as dogma then we'd all apparently be worshiping plate tectonics and gravity.

If the US military, a federal institution, is going to make christianity a prerequisite for service then it will be violating the first bolded line from the first Amendment above. If it insists upon limiting the freedom to assemble to only those who pray to jewish ghosts then it will be in violation of the second bold in the above first amendment.

Being a christian, or dogma junky in general, is NOT a requirement to military service. Should religion be available to those who serve? Absolutely. Should the military be deciding which faiths take bullets better than others? Hell no. You retarded little bible monkeys taking the opportunity to beat your little toy drum are only proving that laughable hypocracy of christianity and are the exact reason that people are shedding your tired ass tradition like a snake in the tree of knowledge shedding it's skin...

I look forward to the day when people look back at your beliefs much in the same way we look back at greek mythology and wonder how sentient human beings could have believed that a god with a chariot pulled the sun accross the sky.

put that in your fucking myrrh smoke pot and breath deep.

Christians had much more political dominence at the beginning of our country than now.

Inquisition, wow, you are really desperate now, arent you. You realize alot more people have been murdered in the name of atheism than those in the name of religion ever will be. Ever hear of Stalin? or Mao, or pol pot

 

[Diuretic]

That "murdered in the name of atheism" claim is hollow. That atheistic, totalitarian regimes have killed a lot of people is a fact. But I doubt that the notion of atheism drove the regimes to kill.

It's always a bad idea to bring this in because it's a doddle to point out the Crusades, where religion was allegedly the driving force to kill lots of people. There are many other examples.

 

[Taomon]

A religion requires, by definition, a belief in the supernatural.

No it doesn't.

 

[Taomon]

Let me think about it.......

No, he is a clueless idiot.

And I am sure your assessment is not biased in any way

 

[Taomon]

Christians had much more political dominence at the beginning of our country than now.

Yes, but that does not make us a Christian nation. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independance and co-authored the Constitution. He was a Unitarian by definition, but hardly a Christian man.

There is room in America for non-Christian beliefs, if the Evangelicals will calm down they will see that religious dominance is not necessary in America.

 

[jillian]

No it doesn't.

All righty then!! That settles it!

Definitions of religion on the Web:

a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny; "he lost his faith but not his morality"
an institution to express belief in a divine power; "he was raised in the Baptist religion"; "a member of his own faith contradicted him"
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

A religion is a set of beliefs and practices generally held by a human community, involving adherence to codified beliefs and rituals and study of ancestral or cultural traditions, writings, history, and mythology, as well as personal faith and mystic experience. ...en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion

Religion is episode 4 of the Serial Experiments Lain TV series originally aired 27 July 1998.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion (episode)

Religion is the seventh studio album by Spear of Destiny, released by Eastworld Recordings in 1997 (see 1997 in music).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion (Spear of Destiny album)

a set of attitudes, beliefs, and practices pertaining to supernatural power.oregonstate.edu/instruct/anth370/gloss.html

a system of beliefs relating to supernatural or superhuman beings or forces that transcend the everyday material world.www.anthro.wayne.edu/ant2100/GlossaryCultAnt.htm

belief in a divine or superhuman power or powers to be obeyed and worshipped as the creator(s) and ruler(s) of the universe
www.millicentrogers.org/glossary.htm

Has many definitions - most of them involve the idea of supernatural agency.
www.csa.com/discoveryguides/religion/gloss.php

an organized system of faith and worshipwww.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/priestley/vocab.asp

Oxford dictionary definition (theistic): "1 the belief in a superhuman controlling power, esp. in a personal God or gods entitled to obedience and worship. 2 the expression of this in worship. 3 a particular system of faith and worship. ...www.ecotao.com/holism/glosoz.htm

[from Latin religare to bind back, implying obligation; or from relegere to select, distinguish among various elements for the choosing of the best; ponder] In theosophy individual religion of conduct means faith in his own essential divinity as a source of wisdom and an unerring and infallible ...
www.theosociety.org/pasadena/etgloss/red-roos.htm

A cloak used by some persons in this world who will be warm enough without one in the next.
www.worldwideschool.org/library/books/lit/humor/TheFoolishDictionary/chap19.html

Country of Birth (optional) First Language / interpretation Other relevant cultural information (eg. diet, dress etc) (optional) It is recommended that this data is recorded in order to ensure that appropriate, person-focused, needs-related care services are delivered sensitively to individuals.
www.datadictionaryadmin.scot.nhs.uk/isddd/files/intro - Ethnic Record Keeping for Social Care.doc

Generally a belief in a deity and practice of worship, action, and/or thought related to that deity. Loosely, any specific system of code of ethics, values, and belief.
www.carm.org/atheism/terms.htm

Religion All EU residents are free to practise their own religion. This freedom is enshrined in the EU Treaties, the European Convention on human rights and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
web20.s112.typo3server.com/6423.0.html

(Latin: religio, ligo, "to bind together") A way of seeing, thinking, and acting inspired by questions about what things mean: ie Where did we come from?, What is our destiny?, What is true?, What is false?, What is my duty or obligation?, What is the meaning of suffering? ...
www.nmhschool.org/tthornton/world_religions_working_definiti.php

An organized set of beliefs and faith regarding the spiritual or metaphysical world. This includes beliefs regarding an afterlife, the soul, theology and the existance and nature of gods, types of spirits inhabiting the world, and similar items. ...www.jashan.net/sites/satanism/dict-common.php

This term refers not only to "traditional" religious beliefs but also to any set of personal beliefs that are "sincere" and "consistently held." Situations involving religion may often relate to work schedule or dress.
www.umassd.edu/eeo/forms/adadefinitions.cfm

A man's expression of his acknowledgement of god.
www.godonthe.net/dictionary/r.html

the service and worship of God or the supernatural
www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/dictionary/MiddleEast.htm

A system of thinking that recognizes a supersoul and performs some sort of adoration of that supersoul.www.angelfire.com/pa/ebrownle2/gloss.html

For the purpose of this Plan, religion is defined as all aspects of religious observance and practice as well as belief.www.madison.k12.wi.us/eda/plan-appc.htm

is many following the inspiration of one enlightened person; is following other's spiritual experience as adopted by us Spirituality is each one seeking his own illumination. Spiritual life is one's own inner experience.
www.gurusoftware.com/GuruNet/AurobindoMother/AurobindIdeas/Terminology.htm

An association or system organized around devotion to a principle or group of principles.
www.meanspc.com/~jeff_wilson63/myths/SocDefs.html

a passage from the bible Looking for anything in particular?
www.blogjones.com/WordPress/2006/01/29/strange-search-terms/

beliefs and practices regarding supernatural beings, power, and forces.
mywebpages.comcast.net/tbrown117735MI/culturevocabulary.html

a system of religious or spiritual beliefs, especially an informal and transient belief system regarded by others as misguided, unorthodox, extremist, or false, and directed by a charismatic, authoritarian leader
encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861601866/cult.html

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...religion&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title

 

[Taomon]

All righty then!! That settles it!



http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...religion&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title

Reason is contemplation, and can be considered a religion unto itself. Belief in science can be considered religious, depending on the extent that one puts faith into that school of thought.

Atheism is also a contemplation of God and is defined as a religion, by some of the very sources that you so graciously provided.

 

[jillian]

Reason is contemplation, and can be considered a religion unto itself. Belief in science can be considered religious, depending on the extent that one puts faith into that school of thought.

Atheism is also a contemplation of God and is defined as a religion, by some of the very sources that you so graciously provided.

Thanks so much... I think I'll go by the definitions.

 

[Taomon]

Thanks so much... I think I'll go by the definitions.

Why think for yourself when there are so many links to do the thinking for you.

 

[jillian]

Why think for yourself when there are so many links to do the thinking for you.

Because you make up stuff, that's thinking for yourself?

We've been this way before... WORDS having meanings. Those meanings do not change because *you* decide they do.

That's just bizarre.

 

[Taomon]

Because you make up stuff, that's thinking for yourself?

We've been this way before... WORDS having meanings. Those meanings do not change because *you* decide they do.

That's just bizarre.

How am I making stuff up? I take it that you are a Christian, am I right? I take it you are a non-denominational evangelist, am I right?

You drew a line in the sand. It was a condescending line. It was a line filled with malice towards non-believers. And that is the problem I have with orgainized religions in general and Christianity in particular (specifically, Evangelicalism).

A true Christian, a true Muslim, a true Buddhist, a true Jew, etc a true follower of any religion respects the beliefs of other people.

Do you think Jesus would have stated that Atheism is not a religion and created a division between believers and non-believers? No, he would have discussed how atheism is also a path to God as it requires contemplation of God. And we as a species were given free will to decide for ourselves.

Organized religions have hijacked that free will. Americanized religions have categorized everything into neat compartments to help take apart any dissenting thought. But there are many contradictions and hypocritical positions offered by religions...hence why atheism has arisen.