Don't you feel violated when they say "One nation under God" in the Pledge Of Allegiance? If that's the way they want to be, I don't think I'll say it anymore. In Dec. I saw some Christian Christmas displays, Mary, Joseph, stars..you know what I mean. Why do we have to put up with this stuff and look at these things? I felt so violated that I had to call off sick and not go to work the next day. Our rights are degraded when they put "In God We Trust" on our money. I'm so mad that I'm not going to use money anymore. I'm going to write checks for everything. Now they want prayer back in school. They say their freedom of speech has been compramised. I don't think it has. They can still talk can't they? What about our rights not to listen to them or not pray with them?. They want to put creation by God in schools too. Why give kids two possibilites of creation and see why some don't accept evolution? Why do they think they have these rights? Are there violations here?
2007-01-29 13:22:34 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
nobody has the "right" not to be offended. if something offends you, it's your duty to suck it up and ignore it. i'm an atheist and these things don't bother me at all. in their minds, they are trying to help us, and that's fine with me.
2007-01-29 13:33:37 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Are you upset with Christmas displays of the mythical character, Santa Clause? Or Rudolf, or Frosty? The why get so upset at the mythical (as many see it) depiction of the birth of Jesus?
It IS a myth, after all, that Jesus was born anytime in the winter. If one is to believe Biblical accounts, he's have been born in the spring.
I think you would be a lot happier if you just viewed this as examples of silly little myths people like to think really happened. Yes, I know that would be condecending, but that is a lot better than being so upset you have to call in sick! I especially feel this would be the healthier was to approach the Nativity Scene.
2007-01-29 15:33:07 · answer #2 · answered by Smart Kat 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
"One nation under God" doesn't bother me but I think it's totally out of place. In fact, it's as out of place as "one nation Republican" or "one nation liberal" would be. This is one nation regardless of whether you worship one god, one goddess, many gods, or no god at all. Am I losing sleep over this issue? No, of course not. But I still think it's out of place. Are you telling me that Christians wouldn't care if it said "one nation under Allah" instead?
Christmas displays don't bug me.
Again, "In God We Trust" is out of place. I don't care enough to start a whole massive petition or something like that, but it confuses me why that needs to be on there in the first place.
Prayer in school is fine as long as it's private. If it's an organized thing where the teacher stands up in front of the room and tells everyone to pray... THAT I have a problem with, for the obvious reason that not every single person in the room is a Christian. If you want to do it privately, go ahead.
The creation/evolution controversy is the one I care about the most. I think that's the most important one because I don't want a generation of kids growing up thinking that Biblical creationism is a legitimate scientific theory. It's not, I'm sorry. And besides, that's not how science works. You don't teach your kids "all sides" and then let them make up their mind. Would you teach your kids that some people think the world is flat and some people think the world is round, and then let them make up their own mind? No, of course not. Evolution is OVERWHELMINGLY supported by the scientific community and the only people who have a serious problem with it are the people who are pushing a religious agenda, like the guys leading the Intelligent Design movement. Yes, I think this is important, because ID is wrong, plain and simple. It's not science and it needs to stay out of our schools.
2007-01-29 13:43:22 · answer #3 · answered by . 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
well as an agnostic i take offense to certain issues that you mentioned but not all of them for instance i could care less about looking at the statues but putting prayers into school is a bad thing as religion doesn't belong in the school system in college that's a different thing the part that bothers me the most is that there are people who look at atheists and even agnostics such as myself as unamerican and are not considered to be valid because we don't share their beliefs and one nation indivisible would hold more value then one nation under god in our pledge of allegiance and whatnot
2007-01-30 03:09:58 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, but not for the reasons you gave. In several states of the US, atheists and other non-believers are not allowed to hold public office.
The Bill of Rights of the Texas Constitution (Article I, Section 4) last amended on September 13, 2003 states that an official may be "excluded from holding office" if she/he does not "acknowledge the existence of a Supreme Being."
South Carolina's Constitution, Article 6 Section 2: "Person denying existence of Supreme Being not to hold office. No person who denies the existence of the Supreme Being shall hold any office under this Constitution."
Tennessee's Bill of Rights: Article 9, Section 2: "No person who denies the being of God, or a future state of rewards and punishments, shall hold any office in the civil department of this state."
2007-01-29 13:28:25 · answer #5 · answered by acgsk 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes, they are, but they're not getting away with it anymore.
They're used to getting their own way and running things. I can't wait until they get their ridiculous, fictitious god BACK out of the Pledge and off our money. They're not getting that creation crap into schools, right now the atheist population is growing very quickly and movement is toward getting their crap out of where it is, not in where it isn't.
Check this out, one of the perks of the Information Age. Atheists United.
http://www.au.org/site/PageServer
and you can join this group if you haven't already
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Non-Believers/
2007-01-29 13:32:05 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
No offense, but I feel suspicious of these questions and the real or fake stance of the asker...
P.S. It's not hard to just use a debit card/Visa...more money stays in the bank that way anyhow, rather then as loose change you never use. I rarely use paper/coins anymore.
P.P.S. "Strong faith" in your profile... I knew my suspicions was right. Doesn't your god dislike deception?
2007-01-29 13:31:48 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
No, I don't feel violated. I don't feel offended. I don't pay it much attention at all. Getting all worked up over it is an enormous waste of energy and time.
I've got things to read.
2007-01-29 14:20:52 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't say the Pledge of Allegiance.
And I don't worry too much about Christmas displays.
There are bigger fish to fry.
Protecting women's reproductive rights.
Establishing stem cell research in the US.
Ensuring that fairy tales are not taught as science in schools.
2007-01-29 13:30:47 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
You get sick when people express their right to freedom of religion? No wonder atheists produced the USSR - what a beacon of freedom that was.
2007-01-29 13:30:31 · answer #10 · answered by NONAME 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
well to be honost i rarely say the pledge of allegiance...but when i do i skip that part...but what i dont understand is that we have god in the pledge of allegiance but if some one says god on tv they bleep it out...
2007-01-29 13:41:38 · answer #11 · answered by weston m 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋