Happy Sky Dad Day

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1. Von Cracker says:

   April 10, 2009 at 9:43 am

   Did you know that after 150 of testing, observations, and findings Evolution has never, meaning not once, been refuted?

   Anyways, I was always told that we are a nation of ideals.

2. anonone says:

   April 10, 2009 at 9:56 am

   We were founded on engineering.

3. anon says:

   April 10, 2009 at 10:04 am

   just watched the whole video… what a bloodbath. Total mental mismatch.

   oops I posted this on the other thread:

   I think the churches are stronger, not weaker, when they get out of politics and return to their pastoral missions focused on the conscience of the individual.

4. Donsquishydishimaharishi says:

   April 10, 2009 at 10:06 am

   I think the past 8 years (20 really) have shown what Religion can do when they get into government and politics. Our FF’s knew what they were doing when they left out the word “god”

5. Truth Teller says:

   April 10, 2009 at 10:12 am

   Here is an account of how Religion effects governments.

   According to legend Rome was founded in 750BC. In 350 AD Emperor Constantine adopted Christianity as the official Religion of the roman Empire.( although he continued to worship Mercury as his God) and approximately 60 years later around 450 AD the Roman Empire had faded in all it’s glory.

6. Unstable Isotope says:

   April 10, 2009 at 10:20 am

   So right anon. Mixing religion and politics just hurts both of them. We see how odd it gets when we have religious conservatives arguing about capital gains taxes. What did Jesus ever say about them? My biggest issue is that religion holds an elevated place in our public discourse, that you can’t ever say anything about someone’s religious beliefs because they’re so strongly held. Hey, I respect that, but if they want to have their beliefs protected and not questioned they shouldn’t be putting them out in the political arena. Just because someone believes something very strongly, that doesn’t mean everyone does. If someone is using their religious beliefs to make public policy, I have some pretty strong opinions about that.

   Politics is meant to be a debate and compromise. You can’t ask others to have faith in your strongest faith in the realm of politics.

   I certainly think there is a strong role for religion in public life. Religious people of all kinds should speak out, try to influence policy and all the other things that people in a democracy do. Just remember that our country was founded by the religiously persecuted, so they built in a lot of protections for minority views.

7. Von Cracker says:

   April 10, 2009 at 10:32 am

   anonone // Apr 10, 2009 at 9:56 am

   We were founded on engineering.

   Ah yes, Masonic roots. So math is our god…and I’m ok with that! It is, unlike religion and political & economic systems, a Universal language.

8. cassandra_m says:

   April 10, 2009 at 10:39 am

   Founding Faith is a really good book not just debunking the so-called “Christian Nation” meme, but it also pushes to get us all to be more like the Founders open to each other’s ideas and rethinking your own premises.

   And when Hitchens is on, he is as good as it gets. Blackwell was completely outgunned here. This video demonstrates how useless it is to lazily live with received talking points.

9. anon says:

   April 10, 2009 at 10:44 am

   My biggest issue is that religion holds an elevated place in our public discourse, that you can’t ever say anything about someone’s religious beliefs because they’re so strongly held.

   That is why Republicans cite religion so much.

   It is essentially feudalism, where serfs answer to their barons, and each baron derives his authority from the next greater baron, until you get to the king, who derives his authority from God. The Founding Fathers broke from all that and stated that political authority rests ultimately with the people. Try telling that to Republicans.

10. a. price says:

    April 10, 2009 at 10:45 am

    I dunno, a true believer will see a deuce bag brit with bad hair badgering God to a “moral american” Those people want Blackwell to be correct, so his “points” will hit home with them.

    Hitchens uses facts, Kenny uses faith….. unfortunately, faith always wins

11. pandora says:

    April 10, 2009 at 10:51 am

    True, anon, and it’s also why UI’s point about compromise is dead on. Faith is not fact, nor do I expect it to be.

    The writing has been on the wall for quite some time. Eventually, Republicans were going to have to stop playing lip service to social conservatives and deliver – because there is no compromise on abortion, God, and Gays when it comes to religion.

12. Unstable Isotope says:

    April 10, 2009 at 11:20 am

    I say good for the religious conservatives if they’re finally catching onto the point that they’ve been used. In fact, when Republicans have delivered for the religious conservatives (Terri Schiavo bill) it has been deeply unpopular.

13. cassandra_m says:

    April 10, 2009 at 11:59 am

    Slightly off-topic, but Daniel Florien finds Rick Warren lying about his activism to stop equal marriage protection.

    This is an awfully good blog, BTW, of a guy who used to be a committed evangelical who is now quite the skeptic.

14. jason330 says:

    April 10, 2009 at 12:06 pm

    TT,

    According to legend Rome was founded in 750BC. In 350 AD Emperor Constantine adopted Christianity as the official Religion of the roman Empire.( although he continued to worship Mercury as his God) and approximately 60 years later around 450 AD the Roman Empire had faded in all it’s glory.

    Interesting connection. Christianity in almost every flavor is hierarchical and anti-intellectual.

    Hmmm….

    Anon3,

    I think the churches are stronger, not weaker, when they get out of politics and return to their pastoral missions focused on the conscience of the individual.

    So true. The sermons are much better as well.