Poirot

Thank you so much. Beginning to feel very misunderstood. While I don't expect everyone to agree or even like me, being preached at by other atheists... well words fail.

Which brings me to your quote from Darwin, fantastic and, for me, probably explains why I prefer the haiku these days - so I am not beyond redemption. In my childhood and teens I used to write a lot of poetry, but have not done so for many years, except for one about a bird and I can't even remember how it goes.

Am still a fan of the "Desiderata" though. And why I prefer to "avoid loud and aggressive persons" when I can and "value the peace to be found in silence."

Still working on "the dull and ignorant".

Regards

Just to share a tiny personal example of religious intolerance for others. During the last state election campaign in NSW I was out posting 'corflutes' on telegraph poles for The Greens in my electorate. as is common practice for all political parties, you go around and post placards of your candidate outside polling booths. I was doing this outside a church hall (1 of about 22 polling locations) when I was approached by a woman (she was the minister of this particular church, I knew that she didn't volunteer the info). The woman requested that we not post our candidates poster facing 'her church' (not that we post them facing inwards but rather outwards or up and down the street). I asked her was it because we were Greens or because our candidate was not a Christian (Muslim), and would she make the same request if we were Liberal or Christian Demo's, she couldn't or wouldn't answer that question. To keep the peace I said "Since you asked so nicely we won't put them facing the church." It would seem she had no problem taking money for renting the church hall and have people vote Green. I said to my partner in crime "Its people like that, that make you want to nail the posters to the church doors." Incidentally, twice we returned to that location to replace missing corflutes, can't say that was due to the work of churchies, more likely an act of god.

wow talk about nailing hero/sees..
hereisies..herisies..upon church doors

lol

what next i wonder

and thus ended the unwholly scripture of st paul
that ended in the first athiestic scism

the parralel to biblical parrable

please note that
judicial athiestric re editing
will refine this parrable in time

the researchers will draw the simulie's..
that saw david slewth-ed by the tongue of eve...
and note the inversion of the role of eve and the serphant

note the scism division of cain and able

it was fun kiddies
not even young in the faith

and allready a house divided upon itself

the attendance of the religeous..[sorry irreligeous]
but spiritual...lol...servant eve

who's tongue brought the david/ian low
launched from the 'double slingshot'..

its just too
fanny 4 wurds?

my lord
im not finding the right words
to fully captivate this parralel parrable

but clearly im not alone

has the antigodthesis stuck them mute?
the anti-thesis to the bible parralol..stand out

anyhow the athiest forum will clarify
and judicially re edit it
for inclusion into the
unholy athiestic texts
[i guess?]

anyhow thus the unholy..
make the abriviated wholly

but remember..you read
the unexpurgigated complete predepleted version
*here first

olo
on line
with the pre vieuws of the same old re news
as it really happend..

before the final edit
made villiny heroic

and put the smooth tongue
firmly back in place

with no loss of face
it was like watching a slow motion train wreck

but from the ashes
the new not belief grew

nothing new
just the same ol give them fiction as fact

and thus the anti belief of athiest dissbelief
with relief was born..[again]

commeth to the baptism of fire
where it will all be pre scripted
and the cracks of derision[devision]..plasterd over
with siome expensive whine on the athiest creddit card

and the unholy texts
for all them out of work printers..
noting the drop in the other holy scriptures..and new age texts

When I was in my early 20's I read much of Bertrand Russell and still have several of his books in my library. Most of his anti-christain views were developed from his chilhood reactions to loosing his father whom he believed was disposed of by the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church has much to answer to God for ungodlike behaviour.

Most people become non believers by reactions to religious persons poor behaviour or injustice rather than from good relationships and clearly reasoned positions while maintaining good relations with believers. Most atheists posit their views of there is "No God" on the reaction of poor behaviour of others calling themselves of a religion, rather than pure scientific research. Their constant allusion to poor human behaviour of the religious person as evidence is no criterion of ultimate spiritual reality

Atheism that is based in sending up human failures is not the aspiration that inspires a better society. A negative view is not the basis of purity, goodness and generosity to an opponent. Follow the positive behaviour of Christ Jesus!

Philo,

That is quite a fanciful tale about Bertrand Russell. I’ll like to see some evidence for that. But even so, people do not become atheists because of the outlandish actions of religious extremists. Atheism generally is a result of the lack of evidence and in some instances because of the lack of indoctrination.

There is nothing “negative” about going where the evidence leads. It’s the very same thing you do concerning the notions of fairies, Zeus, Odin and Ra. I’m sure that kind of ‘negativity’ doesn’t affect your life one iota. The same can be said for atheists.

Most consider their atheism as extremely good fortune. It creates a zest for life coupled with a very healthy yearning to learn about our place in the cosmos. It also takes away artificial barriers leading to inequality.

It is easy to see how one might falsely view atheism with some suspicion. But the reasons for this are not based in facts but in emotions.

David