An Atheist Manifesto

[Total Warrior X]

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Sa...Manifesto.html

I actually agree that fundies use more of their "brains" than moderates do. Fundies at least try to back their religion up, moderates just say what goes, goes.

[Darth Wong]

The thing about atheism is that a Manifesto implies that atheists share a political view, and they really don't. Atheists don't even share a way of thinking or an ideology; an atheist humanist and an atheist communist have almost diametrically opposed ideologies.

[Atheist Peace]

What DW said. Atheism is not a political philosophy, and it does not carry one with it. Atheism is merely a lack of theism, not a political ideal, or moral philosophy, etc. Atheists might have certain similar propensities, because their lack of theism allows them to think differently, but that is by no means certain or binding.

[Total Warrior X]

What DW said. Atheism is not a political philosophy, and it does not carry one with it. Atheism is merely a lack of theism, not a political ideal, or moral philosophy, etc. Atheists might have certain similar propensities, because their lack of theism allows them to think differently, but that is by no means certain or binding.

the article said that atheism isn't a philosophy...he calls it refusal to deny the obvious. I don't really see a lot politics in this article even though it is on a left-wing site.

[Atheist Peace]

the article said that atheism isn't a philosophy...he calls it refusal to deny the obvious. I don't really see a lot politics in this article even though it is on a left-wing site.

Btu an "Atheist Manifesto" still can't exist.

[mongoose]

What bothers me about that article was that it claimed that the only Arguement for Atheism was "why does God allow pain?". That's just flat out untrue.

Edit: Fixed an error. I'm not stooopid, I iz careless.

[Darth Wong]

To be honest, that article sounds like it was written by a lapsed Christian, rather than someone who arrived at atheism through a proper philosophical method. It's the lapsed Christians who use that "why does God allow or do bad things" argument rather than a proper epistemological argument.

Right conclusion for the wrong reasons; this is the kind of person who goes back to Christianity later in life after something extremely good or bad happens to him.

[ChiTuMa]

It must be pretty simple, the atheist manifesto:

1. Always play the victim, because your parents forced you to go to church, and church is a concentration camp.

2. Go in places you feel safe, like into a social science classroom, or the internet, and make sure you let everyone know about how you feel. That will show them.

3. Remind everyone that you have historical justification to blame things on Christians.

4. They (those believer types) are stupid, elsewise they would be like atheists: obnoxious, living on hatred, and unable to shut the hell up about the same subject. Manic hatred = enlightenment.

[Darth Wong]

It must be pretty simple, the atheist manifesto:

1. Always play the victim, because your parents forced you to go to church, and church is a concentration camp.

Interesting how you assume that every atheist is a bitter former Christian.

2. Go in places you feel safe, like into a social science classroom, or the internet, and make sure you let everyone know about how you feel. That will show them.

Why would atheists worry about their safety unless Christian behaviour is really bad?

3. Remind everyone that you have historical justification to blame things on Christians.

Such as the Crusades, laws against public nudity and porn, etc? Damned straight.

4. They (those believer types) are stupid, elsewise they would be like atheists: obnoxious, living on hatred, and unable to shut the hell up about the same subject. Manic hatred = enlightenment.

Criticism = hatred? I've got a thread about this already. Do you consider your belief system so weak that it cannot withstand criticism? Is criticism so destructive to your faith that you consider it to be a form of hate?

[mongoose]

1: Nope. never happend to me.

2: ???Maybe I'm not a very good warlock after all.

3: I haven't done that yet. I must only be a Jr.Warlock.

4: What's wrong with an objective discussion? I have nothing against the church personally, infact, I think that they do alot of good charity work.

[bigfootedfred]

1. Always play the victim, because your parents forced you to go to church, and church is a concentration camp.

I went to two christian schools, and while strict, they were not "concentration camps".
I never considered myself a victim, i've just never been a believer, not even when i was at said schools.

[Atheist Peace]

It must be pretty simple, the atheist manifesto:

1. Always play the victim, because your parents forced you to go to church, and church is a concentration camp.

2. Go in places you feel safe, like into a social science classroom, or the internet, and make sure you let everyone know about how you feel. That will show them.

3. Remind everyone that you have historical justification to blame things on Christians.

4. They (those believer types) are stupid, elsewise they would be like atheists: obnoxious, living on hatred, and unable to shut the hell up about the same subject. Manic hatred = enlightenment.

These things can't be associated with atheism. An atheist (probably a stupid one) could think all of these things, but they are not atheist philosophies. Atheism is lack of theism, nothing more, nothing less. It does not bind you to hold any other ideas, like religions do. You just don't understand the whole thing at all if you truly believe what you said.

[Fenris]

The thing about atheism is that a Manifesto implies that atheists share a political view, and they really don't. Atheists don't even share a way of thinking or an ideology; an atheist humanist and an atheist communist have almost diametrically opposed ideologies.

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

A manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature.

Beside that, the title is: AN atheist manifesto. Therefore it implies the view of ONE atheist.

I still agree that, while very well written, this article only scratches the surface, I think that a manifesto SHOULD do that. A manifesto is not a thesis, it's, like the very short definition from wikipedia said, a PUBLIC declaration.


EDIT:

1. Always play the victim, because your parents forced you to go to church, and church is a concentration camp.

Oh the irony.

4. They (those believer types) are stupid, elsewise they would be like atheists: obnoxious, living on hatred, and unable to shut the hell up about the same subject. Manic hatred = enlightenment.

Oh the irony part 2.

[Atheist Peace]

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

A manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature.

Beside that, the title is: AN atheist manifesto. Therefore it implies the view of ONE atheist.

No, you're wrong. If it said "An Atheist's Manifesto," then you'd be right. "An Atheist Manifesto" means a manifesto for all atheists or for atheism.

[Kanaric]

Umm i'm sort-of atheist and I dont do anything that ChiTuMa said. In fact I literally dont care about religion at all and obviously am not militant about that. Only thing that pisses me off is when one group acts as if they are better than others, which all religions do at some point.

1. Seriously, i dont play a "victim" as i, frankly, dont care.

2. I dont care.... also most people I know who either go to church or dont, simply do not care. Nobody is a militant ******* around here, lucally. Also if someone wants to "enlighten" me I said, not interested. I dont go online to voice i'm "against" religion, as I said I DONT CARE.

3. Never done this, I just dont like going to church. I used to be in Catholic school, that was enough for me.

4. The only people who are stupid are extremists, if they believe in Communism or Christianity. Their is literally no difference.

The fact is I dont think of god or religion AT ALL besides when I see people on boards. Nobody mentions it to me, nobody cares, nobody tries to "convert me" and seeing prayer club in our secular school didn't bother me as well. Afterall if their is a computer and game club why not a prayer club? Hobbies are hobbies.... Seriously if you are all bent out of shape either way you are, frankly, an ignorant idiot who doesn't want to let people believe as they wish. That is my opinion on this and probably the opinions of MOST people.

The only problem is that idiotic extremists like to run their mouths and badmouth everyone regardless of who they are and as a result they ruin the entire society for normal people. Its a simple fact and its quite annoying that people think that everyone of a particular group is ONLY an extremist.

[Fenris]

No, you're wrong. If it said "An Atheist's Manifesto," then you'd be right. "An Atheist Manifesto" means a manifesto for all atheists or for atheism.

True, sorry. However, my point still stands, an atheist manifesto still implies that it's ONE atheist manifesto, as he clearly states, atheism is "nothing", so AN atheist manifesto is one view, but does not speak for all atheists.

If it was (random example) a catholic manifesto, then my point wouldn't stand, since catholics are a GROUP. Atheists, however, are not "something", they are the lack of a "something", in this case the belief of a god.

Anyways, I think the beginning of his manifesto explain this very well, you have to work with how he "defines" atheism for it to work.

Err I feel like I'm not clear at all...