From: mccullou@cae.wisc.edu (Mark McCullough)
Subject: Re: Religion = Anything that's fun is bad.
Organization: U of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering
Date: 12 Dec 92 16:44:53 CST

In article <1992Dec12.192802.19309@timesink.chi.il.us> harry@timesink.chi.il.us (Harold Platypus) writes:
>In article <b6vd02022e9P01@JUTS.ccc.amdahl.com> czl30@DUTS.ccc.amdahl.com (Chris Lee) writes:
>>In article <1992Dec12.075622.16643@timesink.chi.il.us> harry@timesink.chi.il.us (Harold Platypus) writes:
>>>
>>>Being an atheist OPENS your mind? What a crock of shit!
>>
>>I agree. Because being an atheist is not the cause of an open mind.
>>
>This is the most intelligient thing I've seen in the group yet.

So far, not too bad, what you are doesn't _dictate_ how open your mind is.
(As in, what kind of religious beliefs, not the degree, the type (atheist,
agnostic, christian, jew, wiccan,...))
>
>>>
>>>So organized religion has perpetrated some of the most heinous crimes
>>>and practices ever... I don't have to be an atheist to get offended
>>>by the Inquisition. Just remember, not everyone who believes in a
>>>guiding intelligience subscribes to an organized religion. I think
>>>kids should be exposed to all kinds of beliefs so they can make
>>>their own choice. IMHO, telling kids there is NO GOD is just another
>>>form of indoctrinating them into a almost fanatical belief system -
>>>an evangelical anti-religion if you please.
>>
>>Are you just plain stupid, or what. READ THE FAQQING FAQ. Atheism is the
>>absence of belief that a god or gods exist. It is not a belief system.
>>
>Now I'm really mad... (-:  When atheism takes on all the characteristics
>evangelism it IS a belief system. Oh, but if it's in a FAQ then I better
>believe it... I quivering now... NOT!

I have yet to see atheism take on the characteristics of evangelism.
Believe it or not, many atheists just don't believe and let it at that.
I won't try to guess at your belief and throw firebombs at it, lets
just be nice here.  (I know, not much chance of that. ;) )
>
>>
>>NOBODY TELLS KIDS THERE IS NO GOD. I am an atheist. My parents never
>>exposed me to religion. By the time I firts heard of "God" at school, I
>>had learnt to think for myself. I thought it was just the same as Iggy,
>>my kid sister's pretend friend, ie just a silly game. It took me another
>>few years to discover that people actually believed it.
>>
>>Favourite extremist tactic: set up straw-man definitions for people
>>you disagree with, and attack those labels as a way of attacking what
>>you don't understand.
>>
>There are Big Dickheads who would put their little boy on the stand in
>a courtroom against the Boy Scouts of America just to prove a point.
>Pitting the child against his peers and the organization he wants to
>join is really constructive and makes for an emotionally healthy child.
>NOT!
What is the point of this paragraph?  BS of America (Yea, the profanity
is deliberate), has its rules.  It is not a state organization, so it
is allowed to discriminate.  It is bad press for it to do so, but it
is legal as long as it doesn't receive funds from any government in the
US.  I have yet to hear of a child being forced to testify on something
remotely similar.  Normally, it is the child who wants the law suit
in the first case.  Don't worry, I have plenty of examples of how
Horse Manuer of America has been fairly stupid and closed minded, but
the child who wants to be in it has done all the fighting, not the parent.

:)M^2
>
Newsgroups: alt.atheism