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Just a quick comment to say BRAVO to all those involved in the Orange County bus shelter campaign. Not enough activity of that sort is being organised on this side of the pond (UK). Hats off to you.
Hello fellow free thinkers. I just heard about your group through your recent bus advertizements and I think it is wonderful you are providing people, such as myself, a voice to be heard. I was curious on what steps I can take to be counted among your members and even participate in weekend events. Keep up the good work.
Sincerely,
Alfonso Larrinaga
What a waste of money and time, if you truly believe there is no God and Jesus is a fable, What do you waste your time trying to prove it? You are so funny if you would not believe He exist you will not fight. But you know my prayer is that one day you will meet him and He will comfort you and give peace. He is the only ONE that can prove to you that HE exist.
Maria, you’re a waste of our time and a general detriment to our wellness here on Earth. We don’t go to your church and deluge you with logic and reason, so why do you waste your time trolling this board with illogic, if you are already convinced that God exists? Rather than patronizing, chastising, and belittling people, why dont you go make yourself useful as a human being? Certainly, making people’s lives better here on earth won’t diminish your chances of getting into your Heaven, right? Even by your cooky standards? Or do you get God Bonus Points for being an annoyance instead of helping to solve real-world problems?
Maria, I believe in GOD. I just don’t believe the Christian bible and the negative impact it has on the USA. How would you feel if the christian God ordered your children murdered?
page 416 of the King James Bible
Isaiah 13:16 Their children shall also be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives RAPED.
To E:
I note your comment: “Rather than patronizing, chastising, and belittling people, why dont you go make yourself useful as a human being?”
Wow, and you take the time to attack Christianity? The entire “Backwards” Skeptic group is patronizing, chastising, and belittling to Christians and Christianity? That is how you define making YOURSELF useful as a human being?
What a hypocrite…
Ha! Free thinkers. That’s a good one. People who deny the mystical qualities of life and reality are not free thinkers. I used to be an atheist. I’ve read Richard Dawkins book “The God Delusion.” It’s a good read. I’m not a Christian and I’m not a theist. But I do believe in some deeper level of reality and some source of all that exists.
Think about what you’re saying. You are basically saying the universe either is infinite or the universe just popped into existence from nothing.
Both those beliefs are as illogical as theistic beliefs that say an infinite god created this finite universe.
Sometimes life seems to have a purpose and sometimes it is sheer and utter violent, random, and meaningless chaos.
But both those polarities don’t negate each other. Reality is both meaningful and meaningless, significant and insignificant.
You atheists have chosen to only embrace one polarity and deny the other polarity. But polarities exist in duality. You can go ahead and deny the other but the other still exists whether you accept it or not.
Yes, fundamentalist Christians are annoying but reacting in a childish and immature way by becoming fundamentalists yourselves is counterproductive.
If you are REALLY free thinkers then you wouldn’t deny the mystical quality of life and the fact that there might be a god. Free thinkers only invalidate a concept when it is all but certain that it is false. It is far from certain that there is no god or source to this universe. Tread cautiously or you’ll look like the fools you hate so much.
If you stand for nothing,
you will fall for anything.
That’s just if you stand on one foot.
This is simply sad, to see such organized effort to stay away from God. After all, everytime this happens is only because of people trying to justify the way they live. Of course, is easy to live by yourn own rules and be judged by your own standards, then who can say you have done wrong. But guess what, at the end you wont be judging yourself, your creator will. You call yourselves “open mind people” but that is far from truth.
Not justify – examine. And yes we judge ourselves (and other judge us as well) for our own behavior. We have no mythical savior to save us. We save ourselves.
You can`t save yourself. Jesus is not a myth. He had many witnesses. 500 at one time I recall.
If your believe the Bible because you think whatever is written in it is absolute truth then you have a circular logic fallacy. If 500 people see a UFO does that make it real? Why is there no record outside the Bible of His existence? Why is all of the attributes of Him written in earlier legends of other gods?
According to your believe you do not need justification. You are fine and well. Do not critized the ones that need one, you are good enjoy and live. Allow us the one who are not perfect, sinners and the need of a Creator to redeem us to enjoy sharing the good news for those who want to hear it.
You can not save yourself, no man can. When the United States and its leaders followed God our country prospered, now that our nation has tried to push God out of society look at the mess, God has lifted his protective blessing because our nation has turn their back on him. God is real. Life, the earths existence, the galaxacy, the design of the human body, that did not happen by the chance of big bang and evolution, if that where true where did this magical meteor and earth come from to start.
It’s sadder that some people forgot the fact that their parent’s sperms & eggs have created them.
Yes, I’d certainly rather judge myself than to leave it to your fickle god. Your bible teaches to kill unruly teenagers, kill people who work on the sabbath day, and kill anyone who doesn’t believe in your imaginary god. I think I have a much better handle on right & wrong than that.
I’m sorry you feel that way… This sounds a bit closer to the Kuran and the Muslim faith. I’m a relatively new christian, but I’ve never met anyone who even remotely believes in killing unruly teenagers, or those who might work on the sabbath, or for not believing in God. May I ask where you heard of these atrocities? You don’t believe , do you? – That is your right. My rights allow me to believe as I see fit. If I can persuade a non- believer, then so much the better. If not, your loss.
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob did not teach to kill anyone, thaty happened, but not by men of God.
God teaches he is the only Judge, man is not worthy to judge, thats why he destroyed the sodimites at Sodam and Gomorah, thats we his destroyed those who went against hims or the chosen people of Israel, man did not.
Study the scriptures all the way through yourself.
Brian, If you believe the bible, God murders the whole world in a flood in the 1st chapter of the bible.
Brain, you are soooooooooooooooright. On page 241 of the King James Bible…. 2 Kings 2: 23-24 God has 2 bears to come out the woods and tear apart and murder 42 children for making fun of a bald-headed man.
Dear Maria,
It’s not that anyone here is trying to stay away from God, is we are choosing to stay away from Religion.
That includes Islam, because we don’t want to kill infidels, Hinduism because we don’t believe in Ghanesh, Shiva and Krishna – do you?, and we don’t want Christianity which tells us to kill gays, kill those working on the Sabbath, and that tells us in no uncertain terms that we will be tortured in hell for not believing. The EXACT same ideology of Saddam Hussein, Hitler and Gadaffhi, they all said clearly, follow me…or suffer. Typical, barbaric dictator ideology. A barbaric god that sets the tone of his cruelty by drowning the whole world including children and pregnant women in this first chapter. The same god that you believe causes natural spontaneous abortions every few seconds on this earth.
So, if this God of yours exists, he can appear to me or anyone at anytime. In front of Obama at his next speech would be a good time. But, he is determined, like all bad fathers, to remain hidden. To not revel himself, to not help the children dying every 17 seconds in this world, but to instead torture for eternity good, helpful, kind and generous people that don’t believe in him.
Now, to believe a god like that truly exists is truly beyond me. How you can do is quite amazing.
By the way, can you prove Buddha doesn’t exist and that Buddhism isn’t the one true religion?
FANTASTIC on your signs!! Would love to get a group going here in the southern U.S. !! Great leadership!!
Well, before you clap to his leadership.. i will say make sure he is a good one. the poor dude did not even do a research well. If Thomas Jefferson will be alive he probably will be suing him for using his quote. But you are right this are your leaders good confused people
YES, YES, AND YES ADMINISTER!!!!!!!!!
It’s terribly sad to see your ignorance of science…. Just from the statements you made here, it’s clear that you need to further your education… Good Luck with that!
J Hicks, well said!!! you can prove Science but you cannot prove the Bible.
Great to see that there are so many other intelligent, free-thinking, and sane people out there! Thanks so much for putting up the billboard! It was long overdue!
I’m an atheist living in Southern California, so I was excited to see the Orange County campaign. The atheist Ten Commandments you list here, however, stopped me cold. Number Six reads, “Thou SHALT live in peace with thy fellow man.” I am truly dismayed at this absurd and retrograde use of gendered language. Read this; you might learn something:
http://morewomeninskepticism.wordpress.com/
Can we join the group without joining Meetup?
yes – you can email me and I will add you to our Freethought Alliance list which is the parent organization of Backyard skeptics. YOu can still view the events on the Meetup site, but will not be able RSVP for the events. Bruce
Sign me up Bruce. Thanks you for this paige!
YAY YAY YAY Thank you so much for the billboard! Orange County is mired in superstition. I’m wearing a t-shirt that says “smile, there is no hell” and I was nearly attacked at the Orange post office today!
Thank you again. God is not real and the word is OUT!
Do not say hell does not exist until you see it. Just because you don’t believe it, stops existing.
Maria, do not say Hell exists until you can prove it.
Just because you believe it doesn’t mean that it exists.
Try wearing one that shows a picture of Muhammad on it and see what happens…go ahead, I triple dog dare ya…
Seems like your time, money and efforts would be better spent by warning the people about something important.. The poisons in the Air, Food and Water. The Power Elite trying to form a one world government. The tricks of the bankster criminals, etc etc.
You could have picked one thing… say, GMO food or Fluoride in the Water..and really really helped people by warning them and trying to gather support to have them banned.
I think you should reconsider what is really important.
I love the billboard. I love the growing movement toward rational thinking. But will you please, please reconsider the rip-the-pages-out-of-the-bible demonstration? Step back and look at the reaction you know you’re going to get. Saying “we mean no disrespect” is empty and absurd. You know how this is going to land. You know how the media will present Backyard Skeptics. You’re about to make life harder, rather than easier, for all of us who don’t believe. Consider this: nothing could do more to make this organization and this movement appear to have real smarts and real gravitas than issuing a statement saying “We have reconsidered this action, and we’re going to go a different direction to call attention to the immorality in the Bible.” Then call non-believing celebrities and have them each read one of the offending bits in a simple YouTube series. Like they say in Texas: you don’t poke crazy with a stick.
I concur totally with this. You’re doing great, don’t lose all the ground you’ve gained by doing this!
Tyler, you should google the Jefferson Bible!
Atheiest cannot get their false message across, how do you expect anyone to trust you when you disrespect people that do not beleive as you do and against their faith they hold close to their hearts.
That is how communism starts.
WTH? As a fellow Atheist, I’ve got to say you’re way out of line with this thing you’re planning on doing Saturday. It’s not much better than a book burning. Why don’t you instead “preach” it on the street corner and then show that the vile texts you quote are there in the buybull with your copy as you educate believers who don’t really read the vile thing? This is going to do nothing but make us all look bad and is stooping to their tactics. Thanks one hell of a lot for helping make me more hated. So don’t appreciate that! Not to mention, it’s pretty freaking immoral of you. Did you think this through? Is it hurting anyone? Yes, you, me and believers alike. Is it doing any good? No. Shame on you for making us look hateful.
Atheist — not anti-theist.
We will be tearing photocopies of the Bible instead
Better but still not good. I commend you for compromising and toning it down somewhat and am glad you’re not destroying actual books. However, it still seems to be in somewhat the same spirit of hate.
Mock, scorn, criticize — sure but don’t promote hate. Is the point to educate or to promote hate and judgmentality of others? Because, if it’s the latter, you’re freaking hypocrites and have no valid point to their demonstration at all.
Still Atheist but not anti-theist
If you take it as hate that is your prerogative, but we are using it as a thinking tool for those who think the entire Bible is expressing love – which it absolutely does not do. You too do not live by the christian tenets of the Bible. We admit there are many god, moral passages in this bronzed-age text but they are good because they are good – not because inspired people say the are good. They fit will in any other holy book
Why not burn them, just like Hitler did?
I wrote a comment and did not go through, so i am writing it again:
If you really do what you say above about tearing photocopies of the Bible you will be no less wrong than pastor Jones who tried to burn the Kuran. Burning books, or copies does not solve any problem. Bulding bridges by explaining, sharing it is another thing. I wrote a comment below. This site and the billbords should present a more intelligent approach to people insead of creating antagonism. We should live in peace with one another, not create gaps among ourselves.
we only tore verses which no one could live by today. I admit there are some moral passages in the bible but many more immoral verses. Let me ask – could you live by the literal bible and not be thrown in jail? of course not.
Adminstrator, Please rip page 181 out of the King James Bible were God murders 50,000 men because a few looked into the Ark of Jehovah……… Yes, I said God Murdered 50,000 men
I AGREE WITH YOU DONA.
WE ATHEISTS SHOULD NOT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE SOME MEMBERS AND LEADERS OF OTHER RELIGIONS DO. WE SHOULD NOT FIGHT RELIGION PER SE. WE SHOULD “PREACH” E SENSE OF COMMUNITY IN THE WORLD. POPLE NEED TO BE EDUCATED TO RESPECT OTHER PEOPLE’S BELIEFS AND DIFFERENCIES. THIS IS HOW WE SHOULD APPROACH THE COMMUNITY. TRYING TO TELL 90% OF THE PEOPLE THAT THE WAY WE THINK IS THE BETTER WAY IS NOT THE RIGHT WAY TO DO THINGS, BECAUSE THAN WE FALL TO OTHER’S MISTAKES, WHO REJECT OTHER PEOPLES BELIEFS AND CONVINCTIONS. “RESPECT THY NEIGBOUGHR!”, SHOULD BE THE MOTO OF THE WHOLE WORLD. “HELP THY NEIGBOUGHR!”, “LOVE HUMANITY”, SHOULD BE ANOTHER. “LOVE THE HUMAN BEING!” “ DO NOT USE RELIGION AS AN EXCUSE FOR STARTING AN WAR!”, whatever that war is “ DO NOT USE RELIGION TO SEGREGATE PEOPLE DIFFERENT FROM YOURSELF!” I THINK ATHEIST IN GENERAL HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE EXISTENCE OF DIFFERENT RELIGIONS, AND WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO CREATE THE BRIDGE FOR BRINGING PEOPLE TO THE MIDDLE GROUND OF ACCEPTING EACH OTHER AND LIVE IN PEACE WITH ONE ANOTHER.
THESE ARE SOME IDEAS THAT SHOULD BE USED IN THE BILLBOARDS AROUND THE COUNTRY. We should fight to diminish the differences not make the gap wider and deeper by imposing our way of thinking. Everyone has the right to choose their way in this planet, as long as they do not offend, harm, or disrespect others.
Just read about your planned Huntington Beach event and as a non-believer I have to say I’m not impressed. Tearing up anything that’s important to someone else makes a statement but it’s not the one you’re intending. If your plan is to spread logical thought and rational behavior, and to try to get people to open their minds… you are failing on all three counts. Please reconsider and direct your efforts in a more positive way. That’s the kind of example you should set. Otherwise, you’re just helping all of us get marked as extremists.
I just read that you all are tearing out pages of the Bible on the HB Pier. why aren’t you tearing out the pages of the quran as well? i mean they believe in GOD as well. and they cause more conflicts that Christians do. so i challenge you to hold up your beliefs and tear up the quran as well. cause if you only tear up the Bible then all you are proving is that you hate Christians and that basically you all are a bunch of frauds. so if you all truly believe what you claim, put out a statement in the OC Register that you will also be tearing up the quran.
Brian, they need to tear out page 131 of the King James Bible. It talks about killing your daughter because she isn’t a virgin on her wedding night!!!!!!!!!
Deuteronomy 22:21 Then they shall bring the damsel to the door of her father’s house, and the men of the city shall stone her to death.
Hey Nowlin, have you read the Qur’an lately…or at ALL?
If not, you should since Islam is becoming all the rage here in America.
If you do read it and find no problem with it, then your hypocrisy will show through clearly.
Brain, also tear out page 84 of the King James Bible. GOD sent wild beast to kill your children!
Bumper stickers would be much more effective and might bring you some $$- Heading: The Bible Says – followed by… sell your children by age (whatever it says) for (price suggested in bible) followed by chapter and verse…
could have thousands of different bumper stickers, hey! Traveling billboards…
although, cars sporting said bumper stickers might be damaged …
just a thought
Z
Over the weekend, Backyard Skeptics, an atheist group out in Orange County, California, decided to rip apart photocopied pages of the Christian Bible in an effort to rail against the book’s “immoral” teachings.
I dare you to rip the Koran apart, or are you frightened of radical Islam…lol
AJ – please leave your comment on the ‘believer’s comments’ sectoin. I will be removing this one soon
For what is worth…..you have the rigth to speech
Butt have the balls to do that to a koran..infront of a black congragation….of muslums. You pick on small targets
Again show yor belifs cowards
please leave your comment on the ‘believer’s comments’ sectoin. I will be removing this one soon
I have always found it amusing that PETA doesn’t throw paint on the leather jackets worn by the Hell’s Angels and that people like yourselves are too gutless to rip pages out of the Koran; a book that encourages its followers (and they do every day) to kill all non Muslims. Your cowardice is matched by the producers of South Park, who regularly trash ALL religious figures, but when they were threatened about doing a show about Mohammed they also proved to be cut from the same cloth as you all.
The teachings of Jesus Christ do not preach violence against anyone, those who do so are not following His teachings. However we all must leave this life and I am reminded of this pearl of wisdom: “For the preaching of he Cross is to them that perish, foolishness.” Jesus wants no one to go to hell, He shed His blood to pay for our sins so we can enjoy the glories of Heaven forever. You may look like a fool in this life, but we all know that this one doesn’t last forever. Search your hearts to see if I speak the truth. Thank you for providing a forum for disagreement.
Way to go John. These people who do not believe in God need to know that he is a loving God and that he loves all and wants no one to go to hell.
John, the teachings of Jesus does preach violence!!!!!
Page 722 of the King James Bible in red words.
Revelation 2:23 and I will kill her children with death;
John Price and Fred, you just don’t seem to understand that we’re not talking about the Koran here. The Christin Bible is full of RAPE and MURDER. Maybe you should read it!
I’m an atheist.
But I don’t understand why you’re picking on people who do have faith. Religion is so personal and I don’t feel any need to shout from the rooftops that I’m an atheist. That’s just my belief and I don’t feel compelled to bring anyone around to my point of view. The only people who shout and announce their beliefs, I’m convinced, are those who don’t really believe it and are seeking affirmation from others.
I know that faith in a higher power gives people comfort. It makes them feel better. Who cares if there’s no God? So the hell what? What they believe doesn’t affect me in any way. Just like who I love or whether I choose to have my child doesn’t affect you.
What you’re doing is no better than the Religious Right going after supposedly “godless” people. You’re taking out billboards attacking people for their faith. It’s a little weird, frankly. Why don’t you put something positive into the world and use that money to make a difference instead of telling people they’re stupid for what they believe?
Leave religious people alone (and religious people, leave us alone). Groups like this are giving atheists like me a bad name. I don’t care what you believe and you shouldn’t care what I believe.
Thank you Heather for your words. I am a Christian and I believe the same way you do about other people’s right to believe as they want to. I don’t try to convert anyone. I frankly don’t care whether you believe in God or not. But I do and I feel like I have the right to do so without groups like this belittling me or calling me narrow minded, misguided, delusional, etc. I know and am friends with several humanists. They know I am a Christian and believe in the Bible and I know they don’t. Fine. As I said, I don’t care. But I resent your group tearing up pages (even if only copies) of the Bible. Censorship??? I did not realize you were a right wing group.
Mary, read the bible where God kills all the fish in the sea! What good would it do to kill all the fish? Some pages need to be ripped out of the Christian bible to bring attention to it!
Revelation 16:3 And the 2nd angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea………page 728 of the King James Holy Bible
Dear backyardskeptics folks
I am delighted to see that you enjoyed so much the billboard I created for the Brazilian Atheists and Agnostics Associations that you created an almost exact copy. Nevertheless, I’d like to see some credit. Please check them side by side below.
http://www.paulopes.com.br/2011/09/ateus-americanos-usam-em-outdoor-frase.html
Ken O Mc Intosh says:
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
October 4, 2011 at 12:01 am
I spent over fifty years trying to figure out this whole, God VS ‘reality’ business, and ended up having my third book about my ‘ curiosity VS spirituality ‘, finally published, and released a couple weeks ago in September. All I can say is that there is somethng out there, that once you experience it you really want answers. Not dogma. Once you’ve had a clairvoyant or psychic experience the chase is on. I had to research on my own because there is so much emotion attached to anyones’ idea of spirituality and politics, that there really is no chance of discussion without wrecking years of so called friendship.
Anyway my book is called ” Deadly! Deadly Serious Nonsense and Comical Calamity ”
Check out the Video attached to the press release. If it doesn’t peak your interest then the book, wasn’t worth the writing.
A friend in transformation
Ken O. Mc Intosh
From the first fireside chat of cavemen B.C. tilll now , Hurricane season 2011, there are no new ‘God vs no-God’ arguments, only variations of the same age old concepts.I have faith in Gravity, Physics, nuclear fission , the effects of fire, E equals MC squared and so on. We can land a “Rover” on Mars, exactly where we want it , exactly when we want it to land, using innumerable laws from the immutable laws of the cosmos.
Some of the best short essays on Atheism I’ve ever read are in the form of ‘comments’ from Atheists and non- atheists from around the world. Commentary is a beautiful world of human emotion and ‘reason vs emotion’ expose(accent missing over the e). Counter arguments usually inflame the ego of most people instead of encouraging logic, or just plain listening to the common sense of others.
One of the most memorable posts I’ve seen stated that, Religion fosters fear of natural inquiry. Atheism does just the opposite. Thank God (Smile). Somebody has to take a stand on behalf of one of the amimal worlds most common and rewarding attributes: Curiosity. We need to move on to inquiry into personal intuition and individual psychic ability and cosmic psychic phenomena.This simple law says it all :
Attention sparks curiosity which sparks interest, which in turn sparks motivation and thence discovery of individual intuition. FYI. Gravity is the weakest of all natural forces, yet Gravity runs the universe. Atheist should begin a push in the direction of what else is out there; very weak stimulus, that we haven’t argured about yet. This could redirect Spiritual thought to mankind’s advantage.
Ken O. Mc Intosh
ATHEISM IS A NECESSARY GOOD!
Ken, I agree with you 100%….I live in the Texas bible Belt, matter of fact, I live in Lubbock, the Buckle. If not for Texas Tech college, there wouldn’t be any FREE-THINKERS in Lubbock.
You left kosher off the list.
I am a skeptic, atheist, and have been a leader and volunteer for secular humanist groups for over ten years. Just read Friendly Atheist’s debunking the legitimacy of the Jefferson quote on your billboard campaign. I was surprised when I went to your website to see that you haven’t admitted and apologized for the mistake. I was further surprised by the false statement made on your website about the quote: “This quote by a President who authored the Constitution clearly states that our ‘heritage’ was not based in religion but the enlightenment.” Regardless of what role Christianity or the Enlightenment play in the founding of the United States, that quote were it accurate (which it apparently is not) makes no such statement. The quote is a statement of personal opinion. And Jefferson was only one of many authors of the Constitution, so to assume that the document embodies only sentiments that he was 100% in agreement with is foolish.
As someone who proudly calls herself a skeptic, I must agree with Hemant Mehta – you should be better skeptics.
Would you please have the Jefferson billboard taken down? Invoking false claims and sources makes us look bad. I’d like to think that one of our best qualities as skeptics is that when we’re wrong, we act to correct our mistakes.
I have order CBS Outdoor to replace it with another secular billboard and will update my site accordingly.
Bruce
Michael, put a copy of Jefferson’s bible on a billboard and the christians will burn it down!!!
You’re confusing us with Muslims, who stab film directors to death in the street and threaten to destroy, maim or kill people over comics featuring Muhammad. They also hang homosexuals from the nearest crane, which is why Admadinejad can honestly say that Iran has no homosexuals in it. As soon as they find one, they kill him.
I’m aware of the fact that Jefferson (as well as most of the Founding Fathers) was a Deist and NO, while I believe this nation was founded on Christian PRINCIPLES (that much should be obvious to anyone who knows even a smattering of history), this nation was NEVER a Christian nation at all. Many of our laws just happen to be based on biblical laws and tenets.
My book, “The Good News: How Revealing Delusions In Christianity Will Bring Peace To All,” was published last month. I wrote the book to share a different side of the Bible in which most people have not heard before. I discuss that homosexuality is not a “sin” nor a “free” choice from the Bible, the Bible supports pro-choice for abortion, and “eternal” punishment in Hell is a false, man-made doctrine. Here is small excerpt:
Homosexuality is not a “free” choice or “wrong” for everyone.
From my experience as a heterosexual male, I know that I did not wake up one day and “freely” choose to desire women as I’ve always desired women. I also know that I could not “freely” choose right now to make myself desire another male in a sexual way. So what would give me the right to tell a homosexual male that he is “wrong” for desiring another male when I have never walked a day in his shoes nor do I believe that he woke up one day and “freely” chose to be homosexual?
In the Bible, the apostle Paul states that no act is “unclean” in and of itself, but a particular act is only “unclean” to a person who thinks a particular act is “unclean” in Romans 14: 14.
So, a homosexual act would be “wrong” or “unclean” for me as I do not desire males in that way. On the contrary, doing a heterosexual act would be “wrong” or “unclean” for a homosexual male that does not desire women.
Jesus states in Luke 12: 57, “Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?”
Jesus clearly states that you should judge for yourself what is right or wrong. However, this does not mean to judge others on what is right or wrong for them. It simply means that you should judge what is right or wrong for yourself. So, being homosexual may be right for one person and wrong for another person as it all depends on how each individual person feels about being homosexual, and not how other people feel about being homosexual.
Well said Shay. I live in the Texas bible belt where Gays are tarred and feathered in the name of Jesus. Again, well said. 67 years old heterosexual
After reading some of the items posted on your website I just had to comment on the writer who posted within the section titled “The Atheist’s Ten Commandments”. Within the article is the writers analysis on why Moses’ 10 commandments are ridiculous. The writer attempts to show why they are ridiculous by providing his/her reasoning for each one.
Unless the person who wrote this article is also the one who controls the content on this site, you’d do well to have him/her stop writing or to at least review it before it is listed to see if the content is valid. The writer tries to convey that the statement of not taking the Lords name in vain is the same as cursing. The writer doesn’t understand the meaning of the word “murder” and how it is used in the commandments and how he/she uses it. Two different meanings and the reference is not valid. The response to the first commandment of having no other gods before me does not show how ridiculous it is at all. Shows the writer can’t comprehend.
Do better will you?
Rational thinkers, huh? And no one thought to review the billboard that went up? HAHAHAHA! What a bunch of douche bags!
If you are going to quote soemthing and waste thousands on a Billboard do your proper research so you are not ridiculed like you have been today on the Internet for attributing a quote to Thomas Jefferson
Mike, you need to read the Jefferson bible!
Thank you.
If you’re Jefferson quote on the billboard in Costa Mesa was deliberate you’re brilliant! I would never have heard of your organization absent the Huffington Post story about the same.
I’m so sick of the religious right claiming that the USA is a “Christian Nation.” These flat earth intellectuals are dangerously close to gaining complete control of our political system and it’s so refreshing to see an organization committed to debunk their misguided, and dangerous, hyperbole.
John Creed
John H Creed, you are 100% correct. The christian religion and their billionaire television preachers are taking too many Americans down a dead end road!!!
Good work on the billboard. And I wouldn’t apologize for its questionable authenticity. If others have attributed it to TJ, then it’s at least as truthful as some of the conservative quotes that they seem to pull out of their. . . . well, you know.
Anyway, the next time a “christian” says, Look at the coins – they say “In God We Trust” point out to them that they don’t say, “In Christ We Trust”. And since God is an Old Testament personna, the money reflects that we were founded as a Jewish nation.
To believe that our planet continues to revolve around the sun, that all the laws of physical science remain true, that all the species have evolved differently from a common source takes a MUCH greater faith in nothing than the faith it takes to believe in GOD.
How about this train of thought: If we (all beings on this planet) are a random accident, with no stewardship responsibilty to GOD for how we treat this planet, why do we worry about conservation? Shouldn’t we just use all the resources we can find and just have a great time? Who are we saving it for? Since evolution is the process by which we find ourselves currently, why do we worry about the species that have failed to evolve to survive? The beings (human or otherwise) that are never born will never know what they missed out on.
I find that atheist, with all of your superior intellect and free thinking, don’t have answer to these questions.
Good luck trying be to be the god of your own world!
lol why are the people who created this group so scared of god??? I know they know he is real.. I mean.. why else would they make a group against him lol!!! If they thought he was fake they wouldnt even bother.. just like they wouldnt bother to make a anti-tooth fairy site/group. You guys crack me up. SMH!!!!
I discovered your web site this morning on AOL and thought someone in your organization should take a look at my just published book: “The Future of Consciousness.” The book had to have a new classification for book store shelf placement and is now rated as a MSFARF. (metaphysical science fiction anti relegion fantasy) Please have someone take a look at it and see if there is anyway the book can contribute to your site. Thanks, Clem Stein
http://www.amazon.com/Future-Consciousness-Clem-Stein/dp/1456714341/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316818228&sr=1-4
I’ve been dead, and I stood before Jesus. You will too when you die, and although you don’t believe in God NOW…hahahaha…oh boy, will you sure be in for a surprise when YOU die!!!
I need say nothing more. There is 100% chance you will meet God, just like there is 100% chance that you will die…and you WILL see you will meet with Jesus and God just like I did.
You need to start working for Television Preacher Jesse Duplantis. You could make a fortune with that story!
Why in the hell would any sane person, regardless of their religious beliefs or lack thereof, even consider aligning themselves with an organization so short of vision and (obviously) so desperate for ranks, that it spends tens of thousands of dollars on a marketing plan hinging totally on laying a statement damning Christianity at the feet of one of America’s founding fathers, without verifying the authenticity, accuracy, or truth of the statement first?
Jesus Christ, what a house of idiots. Congratulations.
While I agree with your organization’s basic tenants, I do hope that in future you will be more cautious in attribuiting quotes. And please, Jefferson was not the author of the Constitution. He was not in Philadelphia when that document was hammered out. Also, he was not even the author of the Declaration of Independence. Much of it was lifted verbatum from George Mason, fellow Virginian, who withdrew from the various conventions due to the deal made with Southern colonies (ie. plantation and slave owners such as Jefferson) to allow slavery. Jefferson was a master politician and self promoter. He was always careful never to offend by openly declaring his beliefs.
I gave you abut 20 seconds of my time to post this. Your website gave me a good laugh. It was worth the 20 seconds. Keep it up.
What a major blunder for rational and skeptical thinking: to quote
Jefferson based on an apparent false assumption!!!! Makes you look great. The
athiest organization continues to defeat their own cause with nonsense like this and
some of the civil suits that have been pressed across the country. I would be “skeptical” of your publications if
the billboard is typical.
You have no credability and no one will ever take you seriously. You might have a handfull of lost, confused, or liberal people maybe comment on your blog, beyond that, you will go nowhere.
Just a comment for the next time you guys feel like quoting someone in a billboard, make sure they actually said it. I understand where you guys are coming from and what your mission is, but exhibiting your lack of research (what some may call ignorance) is not going to gain you any supporters. You are doing exactly what the people who you oppose do all the time, misquoting people so they can get their “argument” across. Stuff like this reminds me of what a friend once told me, atheists are like evangelical Christians without a Christ.
Best,
Gabriela
Too seldom are atheists, agnostics, or rational free-thinkers accepted as heroes in modern fiction.
To fill the void, I took it a step further: An educated, agnostic Arab heroine is caught in a deadly earthquake in Damascus. Cantara is rescued by a Sephardic rabbi and a young American. Surrounded by the political and religious struggles of the region, she must reach crucial decisions about life, humanity and the concepts of different beliefs versus harsh reality.
The 370-page novel”NO RAPTURE” by Stephan Zimmermann (ISBN 978-0-557-12632-3) is available on Amazon and elsewhere for your enjoyment. Good reading, thinking and relevant discussion!
Stephan, I hope there is a rapture. I would move into a televison preacher’s multi million dollar home!
You have a right to free speach so long as is it truthful. Your billboard was in error – For what ever reason what you had presented was not the truth – by your own words, you did not do a thorough enough investigation of the facts. That begs the question – Have you done a thorough enough investigation of the far more complex issue of the existance of God? Or doesn’t it really matter to you, which would be odd, since you are so active in being an Atheist. It is not for me or any person to convince you to believe in God. The belief or faith in God must come from yourself. I have a PhD in Biochemistry, a Mastes in Business with Majors in Law and Finance. I am a 58 year old business man and have been involved with international businesses I started for more than 30 years. I have investigated and studied the existence of God since I was 20. I arranged debates at university about this – namely was Natural Selection or other known forces strong enough to enable the Genetic Load Theory/Neutral Theory to answer the opposing issues of relatively quick, extreme changes needed to evolve in the time it happened and extinction not removing optimal genotypes? There was more actual evidence suggesting that Natural Selection and evolution by chance were not by themselves able to explain the diversity on our planet let alone the Human being. Other unknown forces had to be present. No one has found those other forces. Darwinian evolution does not work on a macro basis. Death is enevitable for all of us and thus when all is said and done, it seems senseless to worry about something that will happen and that we cannot avoid. If it is the end , it is the end. However, I beleive in God through investigation, study and through experiences, but fundamentally it requires faith. Based on my studies, my life expereinces and strong scientific evidence of events, it is harder to conclude that there is no God and more probable that there is God and a God that is involved in our universe. On other issues you touch on, the USA is a Christian country (irrespective what the pundits and politians say)based on figures alone; in 2008 the USA was 76.1% Christians – 3/4 of all Americans. Then 1.7% Jewish, 1.7% Mormon, 0.7% Buddist, 0.7% Jahovah’s Witness, 0.6% Muslim, 0.4% Hindu, 2.0% other religions therefore 83.9% of Americans believe in God. Non theistic represents 16.1%. It is clear that majorities are not always right, but what the Bible writers stated long before they had the scientific understanding we have today, is more and more being supported by recent discoveries including the deep space discoveries from Hubble.
I am a drug counselor in Malibu CA. Please visit my web site TangibleRecovery.com and read the article on spiritual awareness. As individuals we all digest life. We have life in common. The directive is to help people convert from confusion to clarity. The world is evolving its own true cognitive awareness and it is us. We are the eyes and collective consciousness of the world. We live on a perfect living ecosystem (absolute truth), it will be as it is (my truth). All belief in false belief systems will hopefully some day be no more but confusion give significance to clarity, so its more important to focus on spreading awareness.
Thank you for not being decieved by ignorance!
Joe Polinger
damn – misprint there – not as bad as the billboard though! Talkorigins.org is the site.
Administrator, next time just quote from the Bible. It is full of rape and murder of children.
So when do we get to see your anti-Muslim billboard? They also believe in God. I don’t think we’ll ever see one because you people are nothing but a pack of COWARDS.
John I feel your pain. The absolute greatest accomplishment that an individual can accomplish is to remember their true self. Defragment from the complicity of false belief systems, you are whole, perfect and complete!
Would like to know who does your history research…., Guess, in addition to having misguided belief, you were misguided in the HISTORY LESSONS.
Jefferson is not on record for saying, but facts were never part of the liberal agenda anyways…..
You better hope you are right, hell will be alittle late too change your mind-
Thomas Jefferson,
ROFLMAO
When are you cowards going to post anti-Islam billboards? Maybe after you post an apology to Christians for the Jefferson debacle?
You guys are a bunch of losers…read this, again!
“Only a fool in his heart says there’s no God!”
And I dare you to look up what Jefferson had to say about God and religion in a positve way. All you look for is evidence to support your losing philosophies.
Check and see how many atheists are doing good in this earth as compared to True blue Christians…you may spend all your life doing it.
You are stumbling blocks to generations of children and youth old people seeking the truth.
Read this one also, losers!!
“And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free!”
Jesus said, “I am the truth and life, no man comes to the Father but by me!”
Think about it and repent and get saved!!! Losers!!!
Guillermo, didn’t Jesus say “do not judge”?
I’m not a Christian and I practice a form of Buddhism but I just wanted to say that you people are morons. Christianity has many redeeming features even though Jesus was just another human and all the miracles never happened. The miracles were added by later writers to spice up the story. It was normal at that time to do this.
Don’t atheists believe that forgiveness has great utility?
Harboring resentments and anger leads to physical breakdown, disease, and a shorter life. Learning to forgive others is a very selfish action. You forgive to let it go and allow yourself to be more healthy.
While pride has its utility so does humility. Being humble can also lead to a better and longer life if balanced properly with pride. Go ahead and fight everything and everyone and see how long you live compared to a person who forgives, forgets, and moves on.
Many atheists suffer from the inability to express humility. Atheists are just as fundamentalist as Christians. Just as annoying and irrational. You think you’re the ones who are rational but you’re just the other side of irrationality.
Atheists need to realize that there is a limit to empiricism. Learn about quantum physics, string theory, and the holographic theory of reality and maybe your fundamentalist denials of the mystical qualities of reality will lessen.
I feel sorry for atheists, honestly. I don’t know if there is a god or not but I know the universe is mysterious beyond mysterious and unbelievably and infinitely complex, beautiful, and amazing.
Finally, why are you always picking on Christians? Why don’t you pick on Muslims who are the ones committing terrorism, oppressing women, and living in the Dark Ages. Or Jews who think they are God’s chosen people. You know they have pretty stupid beliefs also.
But maybe it’s because you’re cowards. You pick the easy target: Christians.
Who doesn’t target Christians? Hollywood and the mainstream media target them all the time as being homophobic, racist, anti-women, and on and on.
Your act is boring and your identity is bland and plain.
I hope that you atheists learn to get in touch with the deeper aspects of reality.
Maybe you should try LSD.
Don’t forget Galileo was a Christian, Tyco Brahe was a Christina, Nicholas Copernicus was a Christian, Thomas Aquinas was a Christian, Immanuel Kant was a Christian, Gregor Mendel was a Christian, Thomas Merton was a Christian, and Georges Lemaitre (Big Bang Theory inventor) was a Christian.
Even the Greeks who invented philosophy believed in a deity or some transcendental realm.
Without theists we would still be living in the Dark Ages.
Fundamentalists of all types are annoying but we all have aspects of our personalities that are fundamentalist.
The people that we hate the most represent those qualities within ourselves that we have suppressed and disowned.
Ethan, you are right about christians being an easy target. That is the reason why television preachers make so much money!
Christians are constantly attacked because this is what Satan wants. Ever wondered why Christians have been attacked and persecuted throughout the ages? And it’s gotten worse and worse here in the 20th and 21st century. Why do you think that is? Sure, it’s the easy path to believe what science can explain, but science can only explain so much. Yeah, science has plenty of theories, but that’s all they are: theories. There’s no actual truth to them. Theories are merely a belief/faith in science, which cannot be proven without a greater understanding. That understanding can only come from the highest and greatest intelligence: God.
I pray for you all. Atheists and theists alike. I pray that you come to know God as I have, and feel his comforting hand upon your shoulder, whispering to your soul “I’m with you.” He sent his only begotten son to die for YOU. He died for all of us. If someone gives their life to save you, what would you do? Think about that. May God bless all of you.
Thomas Jefferson
Appropriated money from the Government to build church’s for the Indians.
Its a good thing he understood the true meaning of separation of church and state.
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances..”
That would be anywhere any place in the United states.
You should pick a more polite one of Jefferson’s quotes for your billboards. He said plenty of things about faith that did not explicitly declare Religion evil, while still stating that a lack of religion is fine and good. My favorite quote is from a letter to Peter Car written in 1787: “Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call to her tribunal every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a god; because, if there be one, he must more approve the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear.”
You should use it, or one of his other classics
Apologies, I mean Peter Carr. Spell correction software is annoying.
Your billboard must be an example of your secular ethics. It serves no one and was a waist of money and time.
Dear Bruce,
I have no problem with you attacking Christianity, they are used to it. I would love to see you challenge islam and so-called moderate muslims. Why are you afraid to challenge islam? Especially on a billboard? I think maybe you kind of have a secret love for islam as most liberals do and you actually are attracted to many of it’s tenants. I think most atheists are just one step away from islam and that’s the reason for the silence. Good luck
the quote you refers to a writing of Thomas Paine in his book “The Age of Reason” written by said in 1776.
Amazing, a group of enlightened “rational thinkers” who will spend countless thousands to attack another’s faith. As a Christian I respect your right to your beliefs (or lack thereof) but you won’t give me that same respect in return. Just curious, I caught the news when your enlightened group tore pages from the bible. When will we see that form of disrespect against the Muslim faith? I bet not, because you count on Christians to turn the other cheek and walk away. Show us your dedication to ridding the world of religious dogma and tear-up a Quran or put up some billboards mocking Allah. Man-up and put on your big boy pants Mr. Gleason!
Hey Bruce Gleason, I heard about your billboard slipup. Are you sure you are not related to Jackie? Funny Boy! If you are going to quote a Founding Father, maybe you should check your quote with a historian. David Barton comes to mind.
Can’t wait until this group and others like it start attacking Islam…
Oh wait, you know all too well that there are too many Islamic crazies who will not only threaten you with violence, but carry through with it, even if you quote Muhammad correctly.
Groups like Backyard skeptics seem not to be so much anti-God, but anti-Christian. You’re not skeptics at all. You’ve already made your decision and the fact that you have to quote other individuals to prop up your “beliefs” (even if you wind up misquoting them) is questionable at best.
What Thomas Jefferson and other founding fathers believe about Christianity (or any other religion) is off point. Being a skeptic means that you do not know one way or another and while you might LEAN to one particular pov, you are OPEN to being proven wrong IF there are solid reasons that discredit your skepticism.
Putting up a billboard of a founding father allegedly bashing Christianity is asinine and serves no purpose whatsoever. But please, carry on. Let’s be fair though and start commenting on Islam while your at it. After all, Allah hates anyone who is not Islamic, so your on his “hate” list.
I was taught to be a Christen as a child and became an antitheist through years a research and (IMHO) reason. I was brought here because of the publicity created from the Thomas Jefferson quotation used for the billboard.
I have read through some of this website along with opinions and views of Christens, non believers, as well as the publishers and I just have to inquire as to the age of the people who are running this organization.
When I logged into the site one of the first things that caught my eye was the posting of the picture of a religious figurine obviously being compared to a dildo. This is how you intend to educate or induce people to consider your ideas as rational? Not to mention the huge blunder of bill board quote.
May I kindly request that you stop representing Anti Theist. It is embarrassing.
When you have enough education to resume the responsibility of representing the people of this planet that have dedicated their lives to overcoming the indoctrination of religion and the perils of these beliefs without the use of blind theatrics, we would all have a much better platform to host intelligent discussion.
Even though I don’t believe in any religious faiths, I do have a duty as a fellow occupant of this planet to respect the beliefs of all people and to treat each with their deserved dignity and respect.
With the provision these attributes you might find that a practical dialog can be achieved. It doesn’t guarantee the acceptance of your belief but it does provide a more digestible atmosphere to exchange information.
Fred, yes I have read the Quran and I have opinions about it too but we’re not talking about the Quran here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I find it funny that you guys say you’re right, and that we believers are wrong, when you guys just got caught in a lie trying to attack Christianity on that billboard you released about Thomas Jefferson. I really wonder who it was in your group who came up with that idea. Unless someone in your group really thought that quote was from Thomas Jefferson.
I myself know He exists because I have felt His presence, and felt the peace He bestows upon those who believe. I really wish you all could feel what I felt 5 years ago when I broke down and my soul cried out to God. It was a remarkable experience, one what words cannot describe. Ever since then I’ve felt Him with me, and been a better person. I have faltered plenty of times since then, but He always has been there to help me back up. To know the love of God, is to feel the greatest undying love, a love that created the universe and everything in it.
The billboard kerfuffle offers an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the difference between skepticism and dogma. You should run a follow-up billboard apologizing for the mistake, correcting the error, and making a point about the principle of changing one’s position in light of new evidence. That’s probably too many words to squish effectively onto a billboard, but give it some thought.
Sir,
As your website is getting a lot of attention these days, you should know that you have confused meanings of positive atheism and negative atheism, in particular on the main “Atheism” page on which you describe your own stance.
Positive (strong) atheists may be identified by making a positive claim: “There is no god.”
Negative (weak) atheists are characterized by a lack of belief rather than a positive certainty in the non-existence of god(s).
thank you for the clarification – I’ll make the corrections.
Guess what … the dude on your billboard was a Christian! Evidence for the “rational thinkers” ….
April 21, 1803.
Dear Sir,—In some of the delightful conversations with you, in the evenings of 1798-99, and which served as an anodyne to the afflictions of the crisis through which our country was then laboring, the Christian religion was sometimes our topic; and I then promised you, that one day or other, I would give you my views of it. They are the result of a life of inquiry and reflection, and very different from that anti-Christian system imputed to me by those who know nothing of my opinions. To the corruptions of Christianity I am, indeed, opposed; but not to the genuine precepts of Jesus himself. I am a Christian, in the only sense in which he wished any one to be; sincerely attached to his doctrines, in preference to all others; ascribing to himself every human excellence; and believing he never claimed any other.” Thomas Jefferson, To Benjamin Rush, 21 April, 1803, Albert Ellery Bergh, ed. The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, The Thomas Jefferson Memorial Assoc., 1905, V. 9, pp. 379-381.
ho could he call himself a Christian if he did not believe in the virgin birth nor any of the miracles performed by Jesus? How could he call himsle a Christian if he deleted 95% of the Bible to make the Jefferson Bible only 88 pages instead of 1200?
Backyard Skeptics, another misguided atheist group, bent on re-writing history, as all liberals/communists/Marxist are in need to do, has unveiled a billboard in Orange County, California with a picture of Thomas Jefferson next to a quotation that they attribute to him. The quotation reads, “I do not find in Christianity one redeeming feature, it is founded on fables and mythology.”
There is no record that Jefferson wrote or said this. It is urban legend and you’re taking at Gospel truth because you have an agenda. Your secular-humanist pursuit is misguided and destructive. Fortunately, it is self-destructive and you will eventually be extinguished as a voice – false that it is.
Read more: Atheist Group Misquotes Jefferson on Billboard | Godfather Politics http://godfatherpolitics.com/1814/atheist-group-misquotes-jefferson-on-billboard/#ixzz1cajSO5RV
11/3/2011
Dear Friends,
I noted with displeasure your misquote – as posted on a billboard in Orange County – with words allegedly from Thomas Jefferson. A true thinker is going to garner the facts and assess the truth. This you have not done.
Thomas Jefferson did say this:
“The Christian religion, when divested of the rags in which they have enveloped it, and brought to the original purity and simplicity of its benevolent institutor, is a religion of all others most friendly to liberty, science, and the freest expansion of the human mind.” Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Moses Robinson, The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, The Thomas Jefferson Memorial Association, Washington D.C., 1907, V. 10, pp. 236-237.
If you desire any credibility at all then you need to admit your mistake publicly, just as you erred publicly…
Thank you for reading this.
Sincerely in Jesus the Messiah,
Paul Griffin
If you had seen any of the news reports from my home page you would have seen/heard my apology statement. The quote you mention says “divested of rags in which they have enveloped it” is a pretty strong statement that Jefferson deplored most of the Bible – the ‘Jefferson Bible’ has only 4% of the original Bible which Jefferson thought was mostly fables and mythology – hmmmm – sound like the billboard was right!
Adminstrator, I have a copy of the Jefferson Bible. Jefferson took all the Super-Natural things out of the King James Bible. Your Billboard sign wasn’t wrong. It was just a little things that Christians took advantage of!
Any plans to put up any signs in San Diego? The brain washing runs rampant here. I sure would LOVE to see one. Thanks for kicking ass!
Mark, the Jefferson misquote on the Billboard was a brilliant advertising scheme. Look how many people are aware of the Jefferson Bible now.
I would just like thank you for creating this website. I visit it every day.