"Lucretius retrieved the views of Epicurus from the efforts of the early monotheist religions to bury those beliefs and, in doing so, laid the foundations for the Enlightenment and the benefits of the age of science".

Trying to stay under the word limit I confused the story when I wrote the above. Lucretius wrote in the first century BC praising the beliefs of Epicurus.

The church buried their writings and beliefs for 1500 years. It was the retrieval and distribution of those writings by others in the fourteen hundreds which laid the foundations for The Enlightenment and the great benefits of the Age of Science. The whole story is in The Swerve.

The world seems suddenly to be listening..

for all the right reasons, and the popular attraction..has high-profile atheists concerned.

“He’s obviously a nice man,..therefore a dangerous man,”..leading evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins..told fellow atheist Bill Maher in late October...

“We don’t want nice men in the Vatican.”

does dorkins speak for thee?
http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=6152#178808

@Jay: "How much of the state welfare budget is administered by Christian organisations?"

Why does that matter? The funds are provided by a secular government for secular purposes. The fact that it sometimes chooses to use openly religious organisations reflects the fact that these were the organisations that happened to be around at the time, but it doesn't indicate any special virtue on their part. They're simply being paid to do a job. Which they often don't do very well, incidentally:

http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2011/03/25/3174200.htm

http://www.religiouscriticism.com/christianity/why-the-salvation-army-doesnt-deserve-your-money/

Power always corrupts those who have or yield it. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, not just in the case of hitler, but also in the case of the agents of all state religions. Remembering that for many centuries the "catholic" church WAS effectively the state.

The roots of christian fascism and 1700 years of applied christian violence.
http://www.jesusneverexisted.com
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~spanmod/mural/panel13.html
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~spanmod/mural/panel21.html
http://www.nobeliefs.com/nazis.htm
Remember that many right wing "catholics" were fully supportive of Hitler because he was prepared to do something about the centuries long "problem" of the Jews. And to rid the German body-politic of communists, socialists, free-thinkers, bohemians and other assorted "deviants".

yep the early Christian missionaries that served the indigeneous for next to nothing. Now its one big gravy train mainly for the secularist. Oh but they said 'sorry'!

Just wish that those who talk about charity and helping would translate the talk into action. Instead of having all of the bright ideas, then saying that others can do it and presumably out of 'others' taxes too.

There are a few things that have always struck me about community work, be that helping in the school tuck shop, mucking in to help victims of disasters, or being there for the old with a cup of tea and an hour to listen. These are:

-firstly, you always meet the same people and likely you will grow old helping with many of the same people and their children, now adult, helping alongside you;

-secondly, they are almost always members of the flock of local churches; and

- their motivation is simple and forthright, to provide service to the community.

While I have been a critic of the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church for example, it is true as I look around me that the same church does a lot of good helping the old, where so often the seniors' own relatives have found something more pressing to do.

Regarding the Evangelicals, I was very impressed by a young pastor who along with tradies and laborers from his congregation, gave building supplies and their labour during and for long after the Brisbane floods. No mention of faith, and they were constantly on the front foot offering and doing without the flood victims having to ask.