In Defense of Atheism Again

This is not a Christian nation.

People of the Christian faith, who believe otherwise, need to take a good hard look at our nation and realize that his nation is not, and never was meant to be a Christian nation.

The Founding Fathers, hundreds of years after the intolerable and intolerant Puritans landed on this continent wanted a nation where people would be free to express their religious beliefs from any point of view. Men like Jefferson were deists, believing in science and in an uninvolved God. They ensured that the Constitution stated that there would be no abridgment to the freedom of religion in this nation whatsoever, no establishment and no prohibition. The government would, and should, remain secular.

The United States is, and always should be, a multi-religious nation. To show any favoritism to one religion (especially Christianity, which is the majority religion) would disenfranchise nonbelievers, making such an act unconstitutional. This violates separation of Church and State and violates the First Amendment. In an indirect way, showing favoritism to a religion prohibits and restricts other religions by giving more privileges to one. This is the reason why the government must be secular at all times.

This means no prayer, no funding for faiths, nothing whatsoever, in a mandatory fashion from the government. We are too diverse to practise any religion as a government, for it is an all or nothing situation.

This includes the followers of atheism and agnosticism, the nonbelievers. Atheism, of course, is a lack of belief in God and agnosticism is the idea that we cannot know that God exists. Atheists deserve the same respect and tolerance that anyone of any religion gets. Religion doesn't automatically make someone better or worse than a non-believer, all it means is that they approach life in a different matter. Religious folks look for a supernatural system of belief, atheists and agnostics approach life in a different manner, usually in regards to science and secular philosophies.

I hate to say it, but most of the ignorant crap that goes on in this nation comes from the religious. Mind you, I was raised by Catholics and went through twelve years of Catholic schools (good schools). The vast majority of Christians are good people who actually listen to what Jesus has to say. But the loud, screaming minority ruins it for everyone. And it is from these vocal idiots that the ignorant crap tends to come from. Religion is but a philosophy, but it can be abused by little people enticed by power.

Crap like Fred Phelps who, I am sure, is declaring that all Mainers, Iowans, Connecticutans, Massechusettesers, and Vermonters are on their way to Hell. The entire religious right is thumping their bibles declaring gay marriage a 'sin' (and I'm sure they eat shellfish). Meanwhile, religious nuts on the Texas and Kansas school boards fight to bring creationism into a science class and weaken/remove evolutionary theories from textbooks. And then you have discrimination (ABC) against atheism simply because one dares to not believe in a god. Not only is it a problem in the US but across the globe where terrorists actively seek out to destroy the world so they can implement Islamic sharia law.

Not only do atheists need to speak up, but the silent majority of all religious folk need to also speak up and over throw the loudmouthed bigots who ruin the good things religion can bring to us. Religion offers hope, morals, decency, compassion and good works, and while it isn't the only source of these things, it is a source and a motivator. But so long as men like Pat Robertson and Ann Coulter spread hatred in the name of religious dogma, religion will be stained. People need to expose these people for who they really are or we need to ditch religion completely. As I am sure most Americans don't want the latter, then we need to gain some common sense and speak up against the abuse of religion for bigoted agendas.

Lets end the anti-science platform, lets end intolerance in the name of religion, lets end the hate, the lies, the superstition and lets leave religion to be a matter of personal faith between an individual and his beliefs, if he has any. Religion can be a great thing. Lets turn it into that.

J Kuhl Signing Off