Who Is forcing what down who's throats?

Question

You Athiest's claim that Christians are pushing the Bible down your throats, Well..Think about this.
You take prayer out of School and we are supposed to accept it.
You take the Ten Commandments from public Buildings and we are supposed to accept it.
You want to take "Under God" from the pledge of allegiance and we are supposed to accept it
You want to take "In God we trust" off all currency and we are supposed to accept it.
You want to ban the Bible with H.R. 4200 (hate crimes legislation) and classify it hate literature and we are supposed to accept it.
You arrest Christians on the Streets of Philadeplhia of practicing our right of free speech (Oct 10th 2004) and we are supposed to accept it (for a video of that see. www.repentamerica.org)
You force our Children to attend secular public schools when we cannot afford to home school or send them to private schools and we are supposed to accept it.
So.. who's pushing what down whose throats? I can go on, I have more.

Answer 1

Amen, brother... amen.

To you atheists say "If you don't like it, tough, you can still pray and go to church"... I have two boys who are homeschooled. Go you have *any* clue how much I have to spend to educate them, just so I can fulfill the law? I spend about $500 per child per year (and that is on the conservative side... God forbid the years that I've gone over and had more than two or three school projects, or a big one like the Medieval one last year...). Mind you, these are expenses I cannot afford, yet we have to make do, so they are educated, and I don't have to worry about them going through the crap I went through in school, or worse, worry about school violence killing them while in class. You do not help me educate my kids... but I help educate yours, because it is my duty as an American to pay a school tax so yours can go to school free... even if the State interferes each year with their Christian-based education.

Hey, I know the secular state abhors the idea of God-fearing lawfulness, morality, sexual abstinance, intelligent design, and mutual respect... but why should any Christian feel compelled to have their child go to a school where their kids' friends could get killed by the act of another student (such as one of my friends was... and this was LONG before Columbine), where they have to face the pressures of drugs, alcohol, and sex each day, where 'safe' sex is promoted instead of abstinance, where evolution is taught as if it were Scientific Law instead of mere hypothesis under the label of Theory, and the schoolyard bullies and gangs get *rewarded* for their actions by being expelled (but the bullied get no recompense for their miseries)... all for the simple fact that they cannot afford a private school or homeschooling...?

To the atheists who say we have free speech... Christian street preachers are harrassed daily by the police, and we are *required* to have permits to speak in certain areas. We are harrassed by police because many times they feel it is disturbing the peace when we preach, even if it is merely chatting, and not en-masse preaching.

If we have free speech in the media, why is it that Christian based stories are never heard in the news, unless it is of a pastor molesting a kid in New York... and never the slaughter of missionaries in the Philippines or South America? Why is it that we only hear of abortion bombings by radical Christian groups, and rarely of church firebombings by radical atheist criminals? Why is it that shows that depict Christianity in a negative light, as showing us to be idiotic, unrepentant, naive, lukewarm, or worldly, are acceptable on any channel, but the wholesome and truthful ones are relegated to channels like Pax and TBN, because no other channel will accept them?

Why is it acceptable to say "Naturalism is truth", but it is a stigma and an offense to say "God is truth"?

Why is okay to hand out condoms in school, but taboo to hand out candy canes with the history of the candy cane written on a little card attached to it?

Why is it acceptable for gays and gay-supporters to march down the streets in a Gay Pride Parade, but may it never be so that Christians might do the same in a Pride in Christ parade?

Why is it acceptable in society to proclaim yourself a gay or lesbian... but the moment you say you are an ex-gay or ex-lesbian Christian, you *instantly* receive the label of homophobe?

Why is it acceptable for scientists to preach "Addiction is a disease you will fight your entire life", but not acceptable for a Christian to preach "Addiction is a sin, and is surmountable by prayer, repentance, and fasting"?

Why is it that we are blamed for the evils of society, when it is the unrepentant who embrace those very evils?

It is because "[Jesus] gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." - Titus 2:14.

And it is because we are indeed peculiar, that your doctrines are forced down our throats, and as being Christians, we are to accept it if it is lawful in the eyes of God...

...truly, we must be peculiar, since between the secular and the Christians, will we take your insults, blasphemies, and sins against us, then we will smile at you and say, "God bless you, and have a nice day" the moment you kill us.

***

Edit - to Elphaba :
* "When's the last time an Atheist president said Christians shouldn't be considered patriots or even citizens?" - I dunno about an Atheist, but a so-called Christian president has said such about fellow Christians (read some of the documents associated with the Patriot act... and fundamentalist Christians like myself are listed among potential terrorists).
* "When's the last time an Atheist told you who you can and can't marry?" - When Statutory Rape laws were made.
"When's the last time an Atheist made it illegal for Christians to run for office or testify in court in several states?" - None yet, but trust me, there will come a time when this happens.
"When's the last time an Atheist banned Christians from a public funded group like the Boy Scouts?" - The Boy Scouts are a Christian-based group! A more appropriate question would be 'When was the last time an Atheist banned Christians from a public funded group like Planned Parenthood"... quite often.
"When's the last time an Atheist made you unable to shop at certain stores or go to the bank on certain days because of their beliefs?" - Lesee... Veteran's Day, New Year's Day, 4th of July... none of them are Christian holidays... hence they are secular holidays... meaning days Atheists have no qualms celebrating.
"When's the last time an Atheist killed for his/her beliefs?" - 1,000,000 Americans are killed each year by Atheists because of their beliefs. It's called "Abortion" and "Euthanasia".
"When's the last time an Atheist added lines to the origional pledge of allegiance to reflect their own beliefs?" The original Pledge of Allegiance was initially created by the Boy Scouts... a Christian organization.
"When's the last time an Atheist tried to pull a fast one you by making laws based on something that the constitution clearly says laws shouldn't be based on?" - The Patriot Act affects both Atheists and Christians... invented by a wolf-in-sheep's-clothing.

Answer 2

We force your children to attend secular public schools when you can't afford home school or private school?

It's not like we can make the public schools religious, because that would favor one religion. Some efforts people make-- and not all are atheists-- to keep chuch and state separate are a little unreasonable, but there is a reason behind them. They are afraid that if they let you put religious things in public government buildings or have mandatory prayer time in schools, things will start sliding away and the separation of church and state will dissolve.

Tell me why you NEED those things. And remember, this is not a Christian Nation. We are not going to cater to you just because you are Christian. And we're not catering to Atheists, either. The removal of phrases like God from national oaths and religious things from government buildings and mandatory prayer is because it keeps everything fair-- no one gets special treatment.

So stop expecting special treatment just because you're Christian. It's silly. And besides, I'm sure you would object if we placed the Wiccan Rede in a court building or if coinage had the phrase, "An ye harm none, do what you will" or "Blessed Be the Goddess".

EDIT: Also, it seems that repentamerica.org has been taken down. Thank you, come again.

Answer 3

Prayer had no place in school, it's not educational.
Putting the ten commandments on public buildings was a way in which you forced christianity down our throats. Stopping you doesn't mean we're doing the same thing.
Under God has no place in the pledge of a country with freedom of religion, and any reasonable person can see that
In God we trust wasn't even on your money originally, and has no place there, since the US is not a theorcacy.
No child is mature enough to make an informed, objective choice about religion. To teach them that a certain religion is fact in school would remove their freedom of religion in later life. It's child abuse, no matter what you call it.
I've no comment on the other two points you raised. I'm from Australia and haven't heard anything about H.R. 4200 or christians being arrested in Philadelphia.
With those two possible exceptions, none of the things you mentioned involve the spread of atheism. They are all simply the control of the spread of Christianity. No one is putting up signs in public buildings saying there is no God. No one is teaching atheism in school. No one is suggesting "One nation without God" should be in your pledge. So perhaps you should go on, you've not yet made your point.

Answer 4

The reason specific religious statements or acts are being removed from government entities is so that the government is not promoting any one religion. It is not an attempt to promote atheism, but to show that the government is truly open to religious freedom for everyone. Muslims also do not want to have to pray to a Christian God in public schools. Wiccans do not want to see the ten commandments in gov. buildings. You mistake neutralizing government toward religion as promoting a lack of belief in religion.

H.R. 4200 merely adds sexual orientation, gender and disability to the list of categories under hate crimes. The Bible is not mentioned in the bill.

The right of free speech does not extend to obstructing traffic or endangering lives.

The public school system must cater to all children. It simply cannot cater to each and every individual student. It cannot always make accommodations for the minority. Religion is simply to be left out of schools and that portion of a child's learning can be picked up by the parents. As you live in a secular country, you must expect the schools to be secular.

None of this has anything to do with atheism, rather the government not promoting any one religion over another.

Answer 5

So who is stopping you from praying?

You mention removing school-sponsored prayer (which is not the same as removing all prayer from school). So, the school can't make you pray. The school isn't also making you not pray. It doesn't have the power.

If the Ten Commandments are not displayed on a public building, what prevents you from living your life with them in mind? Do you *need* ten commandments constantly in front of your face to live a good life?

Same thing with "under God" and "in God we trust." These were elements introduced by Christians in order to push the Christian agenda. Removing them does not shove a belief down anyone's throats. It's pulling another belief out of everyone's throats.

Public school is supposed to teach children. It should remain secular. It is not up to the school to do the parents' job for them. If you want to teach your children to be Christian, Muslim, or Hindu, then you can do it at home. You don't abuse the public school system to do it for you.

Do some atheists shove their beliefs down others' throats? Sure, there will always be militant people on all sides. Is it "shoving a belief down your throat" when one reverses someone else "shoving a belief down your throat"? I think not.

Your examples wouldn't even hold any water if they weren't already lodged deeply into our throats already.

Edit: The user, seraphim_pwns_u, claims:
Christian street preachers are harrassed daily by the police, and we are *required* to have permits to speak in certain areas. We are harrassed by police because many times they feel it is disturbing the peace when we preach, even if it is merely chatting, and not en-masse preaching.

That's quite a statement. Something that big should be fairly easy to document. So, where was this at? Which police performed this task? I'm sure it's a simple task of calling the police station and verifying that this was documented. Furthermore, I'm sure you can show that this was indeed religious harassment by citing another public speaking incident where the same police did not harass a non-Christian speaker.

It's interesting that the most powerful religion in America has people who claim to be victims. It's an insult to Christians everywhere... or at least those Christians who are not prone to temper tantrums when something doesn't go their way. And despite the impression given by some Internet posters, there are quite a few of those.

Answer 6

Are you really that ignorant, or are you making fun of Christians by pretending to be one? "Force our children to attend secular public schools. . ." I have an idea! Let's make them all Mormon, or Jehovah's Witness, or SDA. Will that work better for you?

It's not just "Athiest's (sic)." It's all the rest of us, too. When is the last time you saw an Agnostic out on the corner yelling to everyone to turn away from Jesus? When have you ever known an Athiest, Agnostic (or Wiccan, etc.) to demand that their beliefs and/or books of worship be integrated into public education? "Under God" is a contradiction to "religious freedom," but the rest of us aren't even spending much time on the issue.

"The Ten Commandments from public buildings . . ." Well, if you would be honest about who the author was, maybe we'd reconsider. The Ten Commandments are forgery, at best.

Where's your "more"? What else have you got? What you've got is lame, so far.

~~"seraphim": Chemically-imbalanced much? You have got some WEIRD ideas. I try to listen, I really do. But you guys keep digging yourselves into a deeper hole.

Answer 7

I am not Atheist but would like to respond.
It has been pointed out to me that prayer in schools has not stopped. Children have every right to pray, what they do not have a right to do is force all children to pray.
I think if the Ten commandments are posted other religious creeds need to be posted as well.
The phrase "under God" was not in the pledge originally it was added in 1954.
"In God we trust" was not put on currency until 1864.
Are you starting to get the picture?
This nation is a delicious melting pot of many different people. No one is infringing on your right to worship.

Blessings )O(

Answer 8

Prayer is still allowed in school, during non-instructional time, at lunch, before and after school, etc. They have Bible Clubs, too. It's not part of class because the public school is for everyone's kids and paid for by everyone.

You can post the Ten Commandments on your own property, wear them on your T-shirt, have them on your book cover, etc. But the courthouse is for everybody, and paid for by everybody.

"Under God" was not part of the original pledge. It was added in the '50s, during the height of the "Red Scare."

Currency is for everyone, too! "E Pluribus Unum"--Out of many, one--is still valid. President Theodore Roosevelt actually thought it was sacriligious to put God's name on money!

Nobody is trying to ban the Bible or any part of it as hate speech!

Repent America's founder says that gays should be put to death! He interrupted a legal, planned rally to spread that message.

All children are to attend public schools if they don't have alternatives. It's part of creating an educated populace that can keep up with the rest of the world.

Answer 9

Here we go...
When's the last time an Atheist president said Christians shouldn't be considered patriots or even citizens?
When's the last time an Atheist told you who you can and can't marry?
When's the last time an Atheist made it illegal for Christians to run for office or testify in court in several states?
When's the last time an Atheist banned Christians from a public funded group like the Boy Scouts?
When's the last time an Atheist made you unable to shop at certain stores or go to the bank on certain days because of their beliefs?
When's the last time an Atheist killed for his/her beliefs?
When's the last time an Atheist added lines to the origional pledge of allegiance to reflect their own beliefs?
When's the last time an Atheist tried to pull a fast one you by making laws based on something that the constitution clearly says laws shouldn't be based on?

US Constition:
"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."

The Treaty of Tripoli:
"As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion..."

Answer 10

We could provide an even longer list of attempts to impose Christian beliefs on non-Christians through legislation, but there should be no need. The proof is clearly out there and available to anyone who wants to look it up.

We don't want to end Christianity or any other religion, all we want is for you to stop imposing your choices and viewpoints on everyone else. We want America to continue to be a secular nation where law-abiding peoples of all faiths and philosophies are welcome and free to believe and practice as they choose.

Your children can pray in school if they like. No one is stopping them. What we are opposed to is having a state employee impose his or her personal favorite religion on children who may not belong to that religion or any religion. Can't you see that this is unfair?

The Ten Commandments don't belong in public buildings. It's a religious document, and not everyone is Jewish, Christian, or Muslim. It has no significance to Buddhists, Wiccans, Humanists, or anyone else. Can't you see that?

"Under God" doesn't belong in the pledge. Not every American believes in a supernatural being. What if it read "Under Allah" or "Under Shiva"? Wouldn't you have a problem with that? Can't you see? Same principle for "In God we trust." "E Pluribus Unum" is a far more appropriate motto for a nation dedicated to freedom of religion.

Answer 11

Some of those are valid, but to me, I just don't think twice about saying the name God. It doesn't mean anything to me. And because of the generalizations that take place here, I think 90% of everyone pushes sh*t down each other's throats.

I can still see all sides of the arguments, I don't believe in God, but I don't shun those who do and I don't care to stop them from believing. It's people like you and most others on this site that really piss me off. People can pray in schools, but its usually in after school type things. And there is separation of church and state, so blame the constitution, not atheists.

JUST LEAVE EVERYONE ALONE TO BELIEVE WHAT THEY WANT. You CAN NOT change someone who doesn't want to accept that change or care about what you say.