>> Look:) cant we all share a box of bananas and be done with it:) <<

Oh I wish.

Apparently those who believe in religion are more entitled to bananas than others - to the point where their bananas are tax free, in fact if you don't get your bananas from them you will be damn to hell for eternity.

OUG, Phil, Runner will not be damned to hell for not attending the Atheist Convention, nor would they be damned if they did attend - it is about choice, the freedom to live and let live.

Poirot

I agree with your point about separation of church and state being a form of ideology - however it is a very loose form, so loose a lot of religion has leaked in to many aspects of politics, education, even equality of opportunity (such as abortion, female ordination, sex education), the right to facts about the world and so on.

Squeers

You could have presented your point of view in a civil, succinct and direct manner. You didn't. And you still refer to Dawkins, Hitchens et al as "Ditchkins" - and you call me childish (along various other terms of judgement).

David

Your last post which you addressed to me. If at any stage I indicated any ignorance regarding atheism, I apologise. I did believe I had been very clear about my views - perhaps you could try preaching to the unconverted (in a non-ideological manner).

With luck I have managed to offend everyone.

From Monty Pythens Life of Brian. When they can't hear what Jesus is saying:

Spectator I: I think it was "Blessed are the cheese makers".
Mrs. Gregory: Aha, what's so special about the cheese makers?
Mr Gregory: Well, obviously it's not meant to be taken literally; it refers to any manufacturers of dairy products.

Augustine may have have helped script the movie. His interpretation of scripture was much the same.

Ammonite,

You haven’t offended me. I was merely putting down thoughts knowing you had also considered them. I was really addressing others in whom such thoughts might produce a slight mental squirming. They did.

David

flap flap flap

"...that base form/function/utility
*CANNOT BE DESTROYED..

nor created*..

I note OUG, you put the emphasis on destroyed, yet there are two parts to the SCIENTIFIC basis of thermodynamics.

You claim one, whilst hopping around the other.

Energy cannot be created.

You claim it can, it was, and further that it was your intelligent supercalifragalistical magical man.

Until you can show some evidence for that, I'm quite happy to not throw in my lot on any claims of truth you put forward. That is not to say I don't find them interesting. Science is very interesting :)

That is what makes me atheist, and you so upset over people like myself gathering to celebrate reason :) It cuts you to the bone obviously.

Unfortunately you don't even have a methodology for working out what is fact nor fiction. On one hand you deride the scientific method, yet will use parts of it if you think it suits your claim. You claim an entity and use arguments like the above, that invalidate it!

flap flap flap.

Ammonite: you say "OUG, Phil, Runner will not be damned to hell for not attending the Atheist Convention, nor would they be damned if they did attend - it is about choice, the freedom to live and let live."
When I was in 3rd class Sister Mary said I was going to Purgatory for 20,000 years and that was just for talking in class. Later on in high school Brother Francis (found out he was a pedophile) said I would burn in hell for eternity for reading Bertrand Russell's "Why I Am Not A Christian". Going to the Atheist Convention don't know what Sister Mary and Brother Francis would have in store for such attendees, could be a rather hot time in Hell!

David,

I detect a whiff of patronisation in your demeanour.

I'm wondering what those sleeping in cardboard boxes and in the backs of cars or on friends couches think about our egalitarian society?
Yes, we've advanced in our version of secular social democracy, but it's far from an even playing field....such is life n'all that.

Does the AFA have any views on the unsustainability of our present system? Let's face it, "the age of reason" has also been the catalyst for a massive increase in excessive consumption (in the "reasonable" West)...or do you reckon that's all just a coincidence?