This explains why more theists than atheists will burn in hell.

"Atheists More Motivated by Compassion than the Faithful"

"Atheists and agnostics are more driven by compassion to help others than are highly religious people, a new study finds.

"That doesn't mean highly religious people don't give, according to the research to be published in the July 2012 issue of the journal 'Social Psychological and Personality Science.' But compassion seems to drive religious people's charitable feelings less than it other groups.

"'Overall, we find that for less religious people, the strength of their emotional connection to another person is critical to whether they will help that person or not,' study co-author and University of California, Berkeley social psychologist Robb Willer said in a statement. 'The more religious, on the other hand, may ground their generosity less in emotion, and more in other factors such as doctrine, a communal identity, or reputational concerns.'

"Willer's co-author Laura Saslow, now a post-doctoral scholar at the University of California, San Francisco, became interested in the question of what motivates charity after a non-religious friend lamented that he donated money to earthquake recovery in Haiti only after seeing a heart-touching video of a woman being pulled from rubble, not because of a logical understanding that help was needed.

"'I was interested to find that this experience--an atheist being strongly influenced by his emotions to show generosity to strangers--was replicated in three large, systematic studies," Saslow said in a statement.

"In the first study, Saslow and her colleagues analyzed data from a national survey of more than 1,300 American adults taken in 2004. They found that compassionate attitudes were linked with how many generous behaviors a person was likely to report. But this link was strongest in people who were atheists or only slightly religious, compared with people who were more strongly religious. . . .

"In a second experiment, 101 adults were shown either a neutral video or an emotional video about children in poverty. They were then given 10 fake dollars and told they could give as much as they liked to a stranger. Those who were less religious gave more when they saw the emotional video first.

"'The compassion-inducing video had a big effect on their generosity," Willer said. "But it did not significantly change the generosity of more religious participants.'

"Finally, a sample of more than 200 college students reported their current level of compassion and then played economic games in which they were given money to share or withhold from a stranger. Those who were the least religious but most momentarily compassionate shared the most.

"More research will be needed to understand what factors motivate religious people's giving, but the study makes clear that empathy and compassion are not the only factors at play.

"'Overall, this research suggests that although less religious people tend to be less trusted in the U.S., when feeling compassionate, they may actually be more inclined to help their fellow citizens than more religious people,' Willer said."

(Source: "Atheists More Motivated by Compassion than the Faithfulm" by "Live Science" Staff, "Live Science" stuff, 1 May 2012, https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.livescience.com/20005-atheists-motivated-compassion.html)



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 08/14/2017 02:28AM by steve benson.

I just wish they'd been so compassionate when they were murdering and imprisoning millions of people in living memory in state atheist regimes.

Look up the League of Militant Godless too.

Desperately attempt to divert as you cue your oh-so compassionate Xtian cricket choir.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CQFEY9RIRJA#



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 08/14/2017 06:40AM by steve benson.

None of which was done in the name of atheism. In the name of Communism, or fascism, in the name of the state, but not in the name of atheism.

The Crusades: Religious people killing people for being of a different religion, in the name of God.

The Inquisitions: Religious people killing non-religious people, in the name of God.

The Reformation: Christians killing Christians because they were the wrong kind of Christian, in the name of God.

Just think of how much worse those would have been if they had the weapons and technology of the communists and fascists!

I was just thinking of the hundreds of thousands, maybe more, who left the security of their families, communities, even homelands to serve the sick and the poor and the disenfranchised, to educate the outcasts, to free the enslaved, to provide homes and wells, and who established practically all the charitable institutions that currently operate.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/14/2017 06:45AM by steve benson.

Or a way of saying the study has some limitations...

"The Humanitarian Atheist"
By Warren Tidwell, Ghana Volunteer
Foundation Beyond Belief
18 October 2016
https://foundationbeyondbelief.org/humanitarian-atheist/

"I am an atheist. There I said it.

"More accurately, I am a secular humanist. This description doesn’t mean a lot to many people, but it is how I approach my work in the world. It does mean that I don’t adhere to any belief in any particular god. I adhere to the tenets of secular humanism. By default, I am an atheist. Humanism is defined by the American Humanist Association as a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism and other supernatural beliefs, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity.

"When people learn I am an atheist they are often shocked and completely overlook the overall humanist part of my makeup. My wife, who is an openly secular nonbeliever, was once told, 'But you seem like such a nice person' when she informed the individual of her worldview. I’ve been told that many times as well. People who say that don’t realize how insulting that is. Atheists as a group have been wrongfully stigmatized as miserable, evil people who are determined to fight religion and curb religious rights in the world. One of my many goals in coming to work in Ghana for the Humanist Service Corps (HSC) is to help disprove that misconception by showing that there are good and decent people who are making a difference in the world without the adherence to any particular religion or a belief in a higher power.

"Atheists are everywhere.

"For the theist--you are surrounded by them and may never realize it. A good number of nonbelievers keep their beliefs quiet because of backlash and fear of repercussions, both real and imagined. There are countless numbers of stories of atheists who have been disowned by family members. From your favorite cashier to people living in some of your homes, there are many who live their lives in the closet, as it were. Some of the people you most admire keep their lack of a belief in God to themselves and with good reason.

"I live in the Bible Belt of the United States. I grew up in the buckle. As a child in the mid-1980s, I was told that atheists were godless communists living in Russia. It’s the mindset that remains for many throughout the United States but no more so than in my home region of the southeast. One of the legacies of the Cold War is the fact that the term atheist is a description to be avoided. Godless equals evil in many people’s eyes. Even now there are laws on the books in many states in the United States that bar an atheist from holding office. Atheism is punishable by death in 13 countries including Nigeria, a country I’m only a few hours away from here in Ghana, and the United Arab Emirates, a country I recently visited. I find it terrifying that, in the 21st Century, I could have been put to death for simply stating I am an atheist in a supposed modern country.

"Most, if not all, news coverage people see of atheists in the United States are those fighting to keep religion out of public schools. I realize this immediately angers some Christians- but they don’t see that these laws protect the Christian faithful too. As long as no religious group is given favor over another religious group then all are equal. I imagine the outrage would be different if Qurans were given out. I’ve been told that prayer has been removed from school. Not true. Anyone can pray but it cannot be led by a school administrator or teacher. Again this prevents a teacher from proselytizing to your child about any religion. It’s not an attack on Christianity.

"I am writing this because of the many things going on right now that really concern me about how atheists are perceived and treated in the world. As I’ve already mentioned, the emotional and physical violence that can meet the revelation of atheism and the media coverage of mostly separation of church and state conflicts. I also see falsehoods being perpetrated when it comes to nonbelievers. Movies are being made about evil professors determined to convert the students to non-belief. This tired trope has been played out time and time again yet- even with video capabilities everywhere- no one can prove there is a real life professor like the one in the movie God’s Not Dead, who requires his philosophy students sign a declaration that “God is dead” to pass. These pop culture creations are popular with a certain part of the religious demographic but dehumanize people like my wife and me. We are working together to fight that stigma and all of the negative stereotypes that go along with being a nonbeliever. That professor in God’s Not Dead isn’t real. He is a strawman. My wife and I are and we are doing real, tangible, good work in the world.

"You may be thinking to yourself what makes me so certain there is no God and, if so, what motivates me to even get out of bed in the morning?

"My wife and I have dedicated our lives to humanitarian work to better the lives of those around us. We believe that our time is precious and finite so our motivation is that and we get one chance to make the absolute most of our short lives. My personal search for meaning in the world has led me to one conclusion- there are far more good people than bad and we are all in this together. We have to help each other. Along with tha,t I choose to live an evidence-based life. To my religious friends- I respect your right to have faith and believe in the unseen but I simply cannot. If tangible evidence of a God was presented to me tomorrow I would acknowledge it. Here’s the thing, though- I actually don’t put that much thought into it. I generally don’t worry too much about the question of God. My atheism is no more important to me than the fact I am a supporter of Liverpool Football Club or that I enjoy blueberry pancakes. It’s just another facet of who I am. This post is the most I’ve ever written about it.

"Are there bad atheists? Absolutely. There are also bad Christians and bad Muslims. I know wonderful atheists. I also know wonderful Christians and Muslims. There are good and bad in every group. The group I belong to, however, is rarely painted in a positive light.

"I am a volunteer for the Humanist Service Corps. We exist under the umbrella of Foundation Beyond Belief (FBB). FBB is a humanist charitable giving and service organization that supports secular charities and people volunteering in humanist and atheists groups. Beyond supporting secular charities and service, FBB makes a point of regularly supporting non-proselytizing religious organizations in order to Challenge the Gap.

"This isn’t an effort to say look at what good I am doing. It’s, beyond the women’s rights work itself, an effort to show people their preconceived biases and personal opinions that think of nonbelievers in sweeping generalizations are wrong. You can say we are one small anecdotal example but I have seven team members here in Ghana working for the same reasons for the Humanist Service Corps and humanists around the world supporting our work."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/14/2017 07:15AM by steve benson.

Destroying cultures and civilizations as they went.

Remember that those whom these charitable services helped were neglected or even abused by those perhaps less-than-compassionate "cultures and civilizations."

Usually in the name of God.

Yes, in the name of Something which is higher than self-interest and which sees all people as brothers & "children" of that Higher Power. What else can lead someone to self-transcendence?

Yes, all the killing in the name of God was for a higher cause, to get to heaven or to get 50 virgins in heaven.

Who is more charitable,

The Atheist that does the charity because it is the right thing to do,

The Religious that does the charity to get into heaven or to get 50 virgins when they get to heaven?

As a Mormon, I thought that I'd done my part by going to church and paying tithing. I wasn't really helping anyone but LDS, Inc., and certainly not myself.

I don't pretend to be a philanthropist, but I have more money and time to devote to other causes than "building the Kingdom", i.e., enriching a religious themed corporation.

"Atheist Charity"
By Adam Lee
23 May 2007
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/daylightatheism/2007/05/atheist-charity/

“'Let’s see, we have scores of Baptist Hospitals, Method[ist] Hospitals, Jewish Hospitals, Catholic Hospitals, etc., etc.. Each of these have ‘outreach’ programs both here and in the most dismal places on earth, staffed with dedicated medical doctors and nurses. Where oh where are the Atheist’s hospitals, or soup kitchens?' —quoted by Jonah Goldberg for "National Review Online@

“'One hundred years after Christ had died, suppose someone had asked a Christian, What hospitals have you built? What asylums have you founded? They would have said, ‘None.’ Suppose three hundred years after the death of Christ the same questions had been asked the Christian, he would have said, ‘None, not one.’ Two hundred years more and the answer would have been the same. And at that time the Christian could have told the questioner that the Mohammedans had built asylums before the Christians. He could also have told him that there had been orphan asylums in China for hundreds and hundreds of years, hospitals in India, and hospitals for the sick at Athens.' —Robert Green Ingersoll, 'What Infidels Have Done'
-----

"The accusation is often made that atheism, if widely adopted, would have detrimental effects on the well-being of humanity. One common example of these supposed negative effects is the cessation of charitable and humanitarian work done by religious believers, which atheists, being the bitter, reclusive misanthropes we allegedly are, would not choose to continue.

"While these criticisms are usually made without any shred of substantiation, I wouldn’t be terribly surprised if a study were to be done that found that religious believers, on average, do perform more charity work than atheists. If such a thing were found, I would expect that it isn’t because religion makes people morally better than atheism. Rather, it would be because churches often organize charitable activities and exhort their members to participate, while atheists, as of yet, have no comparable social structure. Such a finding could be explained not by superior moral sentiment among churchgoers, but simply by increased opportunity.

"However, this is in no way to imply that atheists do not participate in charity work or that we lack generosity or concern for their fellow people. On the contrary, I know from personal experience that many atheists do participate in charity. It’s just that we don’t do it because we are atheists. Nor, in most cases, do we feel the need to trumpet our atheism as the motivation for that work, the way some theists do. We do it simply because it needs doing, because we are concerned with the well-being of our fellow humans.

"Many of history’s great humanitarians have been nonbelievers. Robert Ingersoll speaks of some renowned infidel philanthropists in his essay linked above. Even in our own time, we can witness atheist acts of beneficience such as those of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, who have each individually made the two largest charitable donations in American history and can rightly claim credit for spurring many other ultra-rich to do the same.

"Now we can add another name to the list of atheist philanthropists – that of Robert W. Wilson, a retired hedge-fund manager and confirmed atheist who is giving over $22 million to charity. The beneficiary of his largesse, however, might strike some atheists as a bit unusual:

"' . . . Wilson said he is giving $22.5 million to the Archdiocese of New York to fund a scholarship program for needy inner-city students attending Roman Catholic schools.'

"Although I always prefer to support secular organizations over religious ones, I understand Wilson’s decision and can find little fault with it. The desire to help needy students from poor families get a quality education is a great and praiseworthy act of compassion, and in Catholic schools, at least, the degree of religious indoctrination is likely to be minimal. At least these schools do not discriminate against prospective students who hold a different faith, and teach good science unpolluted by superstitious notions like creationism. In any case, I hope these students remember that though they are attending a Catholic school, it is an atheist who put them there.

"This donation is in addition to the almost $150 million that Wilson donated to charity in 2006, according to a survey by the Chronicle of Philanthropy, making him the 12th most generous philanthropist in the U.S. (He has a personal fortune of over $500 million and has said he intends to give away most of it before he dies.) Clearly, atheism in no way impeded these people’s desire to do good, and the outstanding amounts of money they have given away will make a great deal of difference in the lives of a vast number of people. The next time an ignorant proselytizer looking to score rhetorical points accuses atheists of lacking concern or compassion, we will now have another excellent counterexample to that claim.

“'Philanthropist' is a perfect word to describe these people. From the Greek, it literally means 'lover of humanity,' and that is precisely what an atheist who gives away his personal fortune to help others is. A theist who does good works only because he wants to earn merit points with God, or as a form of advertising for his faith, arguably is acting from selfish motives and therefore does not really deserve to be praised at all. An atheist, on the other hand, does charity not to win the approval of a distant deity, but as a tangible contribution toward improving the lives of other human beings who are in need of assistance right now. We do good because it is the right thing to do, and not for any other reason."



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/14/2017 07:17AM by steve benson.

Yeah, that's right: people can either love God OR other people, but never both. What kind of crippled thinking is that? I know, your experience is with Mormonism, but look outside that box. People serve 'the God (the Christ, the Buddha) in each person' and show love of God BY loving their fellow beings.

So, in your mind, love automatically equals charity and compassion? The people that did the killing during the Crusades, Reformation, Inquisitions, and 9/11 all loved God and other people, but I would hardly call them compassionate.

you're right on point.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/14/2017 07:22AM by steve benson.

BTW, The Buddha is not God or a God and many followers of Buddhism are basically non-theistic, or atheists.

Your including Buddha and Buddhism shows that atheists can serve something higher without having to get bought off by the promise of getting into heaven or 50 virgins.

"...refers to the notion that the luminous mind of the Buddhas is inherently present in every sentient being, and will shine forth when it is cleansed of the defilements, c.q. when the nature of mind is recognized for what it is." (Wikipedia)

"When the Buddha became enlightened he realized that all beings without exception have the same nature and potential for enlightenment, and this is known as buddha nature."

Was I talkin' to you? Was I talkin' to YOU?!

You posted to a public board, in a way you were talking to everyone that reads it.

...but I pressed the "reply" button to Bang's comment (on mine), not yours. Did't you notice that?

Does not change my point.

You are posting to a public board, anyone reading is free to respond.

You're being defeated one individual, separate poster at a time.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/14/2017 09:45AM by steve benson.

Thanks for showing that Buddhism is not about "God".

Yes, the human mind is in every human, does not mean they are connected or that it is God.

and then presume to speak for him. But I bet then you'll think bickering is unnecessary. I do, and I apologize if I appeared to do it.

"Nature" not "God"

But as your statement "Seek your own 'Buddha nature'" indicates god is not necessary for Buddhist.

(actually, the Delphi Oracle's admonition). PS, "you" are not what you think, no matter what your thinking is... (In the previous reply, "him" referred to the Buddha.)

Which applies to you as well.

Are you just throwing nonsense out in the hope you can make a valid point, or are you just trying to distract from the topic of this thread.

Do you see the point? Buddha nature, one's Self, the God-in-everyone--these different terms point to the ineffable centrality in everyone, and I believe that those theists who serve their fellow beings are in the process of actualizing That--to a large measure by recognizing It as the core identity of every person. Nothing to do with pie in the sky or 50 virgins.

Now days calling one's self "God" is considered delusional.

It is you, not Buddha or Socrates that is referring to God. You are defeating the point you are trying to make.

":Or Socrates' 'Know Thyself'" Does not say "Know God" nor does it imply God in any way.

Pythagoras gave a continuation of the Delphic admonition: "Know thyself; then thou shalt know the Universe and God." This implies a holographic universe where the whole is reflected in each of the parts. Thus it is the same as the advice about finding one's own Buddha Nature. Best to do it wholeheartedly and not pick fights with fellow travelers based on our ignorance of that nature.

Now it's Pythagoras????? If it was the *same* advice as given by Buddha, you should be able to show where Buddha gave it.

None the less, I have posted where Buddhist says they do not believe in god, if you want to insist that Buddhists do, then take it up with the Buddhist!

"Atheist Charities Are More Generous Than Religious Charities"

http://thaumaturgical.com/a-big-list-of-atheist-charities/

"A Big List of Atheist Charities"

"I found a website recently called 'conservapedia,' which calls itself 'The Trustworthy Encyclopedia,' and then proposes some of the most ridiculous nonsense I have ever heard about atheists and their lack of charity, plus numerous other pieces of garbage. They had some nasty things to say about just about anyone who is not a Christian religious zealot, and according to their front page, Justin Bieber is against abortion for rape victims and both he and some footballer called Tim Tebow are both only here on earth after their mothers refused abortions.

"I honestly thought I had come across all the religious hate sites, but this one takes the biscuit. Their front page is something to behold. I refuse to link to their page, but they seem to be young earth creationists with a vengeance. Some wonderful 'Bon Mots,' such as 'The stench of evolutionism,' and “
'Richard Dawkins a Skunk' sit alongside headlines like these:

'SECULAR FRANCE SUFFERS ANOTHER HUMILIATION. MOODY’S INVESTOR SERVICE STRIPS FRANCE OF TRIPLE-A CREDIT RATING.'

'AMERICA HEADS OVER THE FISCAL CLIFF. AGAIN.'

"The fact that these two are sitting right above each other tell me these people will never listen to reason. Anyway, I found this site while I was looking for some information about the Dalai Lama (they seem upset at how hard Buddhists are to convert) and was shocked at the vitriol. One of the more entertaining things I found was the fact that 'Twinkies are the latest casualty of the Democrat mindset.'

"But – one thing stood out, which was an article they had on there about – well, for want of a better way of putting it – how much more generous religious people are than atheists when it comes to charitable giving. It is s pretty poor quality article, with very little actual facts, and the main purpose seems to be to denigrate atheists. This is a typical quote:

"'The typical no-faith American donated just $200 in 2006, which is more than seven times less than the amount contributed by the prototypical active-faith adult ($1500). Even when church-based giving is subtracted from the equation, active-faith adults donated twice as many dollars last year as did atheists and agnostics. In fact, while just 7% of active-faith adults failed to contribute any personal funds in 2006, that compares with 22% among the no-faith adults.'

"Leaving aside the fact that – as far as I can tell – most Christian charity work is a sort of by-product of Evangelical 'spreading the word,' and many American Christians refuse to give to charities such as Planned Parenthood, this seems a little skewed. In any case, I though it would be a good idea to try and set the record straight by looking at some positive aspects of humanism/atheism/godlessness, by creating a list of atheist and secular charities who do work with no ulterior motives. So – without further ado, and these are in no particular order. Nor do you need to sign up as a practicing atheist to reap the benefits.

"ATHEIST, SECULAR OR FREETHINKING CHARITIES LIST

-"KIVA

"'We are a non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Leveraging the internet and a worldwide network of microfinance institutions, Kiva lets individuals lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world.'


-"Planned Parenthood USA

-"Planned Parenthood International

"'We are a trusted health care provider, an informed educator, a passionate advocate, and a global partner helping similar organizations around the world. Planned Parenthood delivers vital reproductive health care, sex education, and information to millions of women, men, and young people worldwide.'


-"Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières

"'MSF’s work is based on the humanitarian principles of medical ethics and impartiality. The organization is committed to bringing quality medical care to people in crisis regardless of their race, religion, or political affiliation. MSF operates independently of any political, military, or religious agendas.'


-"Donors Choose

"DonorsChoose.org engages the public in public schools by giving people a simple, accountable and personal way to address educational inequity. We envision a nation where children in every community have the tools and experiences needed for an excellent education.


-"Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science

"(n.b – perhaps a little vested interest if you consider spreading reason a vested interest)

"'The mission of the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science is to support scientific education, critical thinking and evidence-based understanding of the natural world in the quest to overcome religious fundamentalism, superstition, intolerance and suffering.'


-"Foundation Beyond Belief

"(n.b. another vested interest if you consider demonstrating humanist generosity a vested interest)

"'Foundation Beyond Belief is a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation created to focus, encourage and demonstrate humanist generosity and compassion. We select and feature five charitable organizations per quarter, one in each of the following cause areas:

"'Education
"'Poverty and Health
"'Human Rights'


-"The Natural World


-"Challenge the Gap (charities based in other


-"Kansas City Atheist Coalition

"'The Kansas City Atheist Coalition is a 501(c)3 nonprofit charitable organization. Our mission is to advance atheism through activism, philanthropy, education and the cultivation of a positive secular community.'


-"The American Red Cross

"'The humanitarian mission of the American Red Cross connects us to people and communities across the nation and around the world. The common bonds of humanity and compassion unite us together, not just in the face of emergencies and disasters, but in helping our neighbors every day.'


-"Direct Relief International

"'Direct Relief was established in 1948 and is nonsectarian, nongovernmental, and apolitical. All the programs are provided in a non-discriminatory manner, without regard to political affiliation, religious belief, or ethnic identity.'


-"The American Humanist Association

"'Humanist Charities, an adjunct of the American Humanist Association, specializes in benevolent aid and action to further the health and welfare of humankind. Its purpose includes applying uniquely humanist approaches to those in need and directing the generosity of American humanists to worthy disaster relief and development projects around the world.'


-"Partners in Health

"'When a person in Peru, or Siberia, or rural Haiti falls ill, PIH uses all of the means at our disposal to make them well—from pressuring drug manufacturers, to lobbying policy makers, to providing medical care and social services. Whatever it takes. Just as we would do if a member of our own family—or we ourselves—were ill.


-"UNICEF

"'UNICEF is the driving force that helps build a world where the rights of every child are realized. We have the global authority to influence decision-makers, and the variety of partners at grassroots level to turn the most innovative ideas into reality. That makes us unique among world organizations, and unique among those working with the young.'


-"American Civil Liberties Union

"'The ACLU is our nation’s guardian of liberty, working daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country.'


-"British Humanist Association

"'The British Humanist Association (BHA) is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people who seek to live ethical and fulfilling lives on the basis of reason and humanity.'


-"Oxfam

"'Oxfam is an international confederation of 17 organizations networked together in more than 90 countries, as part of a global movement for change, to build a future free from the injustice of poverty.'
-----


"Now, I am certain there are more atheist charities around and if I missed any, please add a comment with a link. But – I think this reasonably dispels the notion that there are little or no atheists giving time and money to charitable works. One could even say that (I am not going to) atheists are more generous because they are not obliged to do so. I have deliberately left out any charities with potential to be classed as 'anti-religion,' – with the exception of Planned Parenthood.I guess some of these could more be called secular rather than openly atheist, but they are all non-religious.

"It is a little disturbing to see attacks on atheists for lack of giving . . . . "



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 08/14/2017 08:04AM by steve benson.

Helping itself is holy. But if you have unpleasant baggage associated with these words, then forget them--and just help others.

Having blown apart your clueless case that atheist charities aren't substantial or effective, now you're trying to claim that they're working for God. You're such a comedian. I think your Mormon intake of Jell-O has had lasting deleterious effects on your brain.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/14/2017 09:19AM by steve benson.

...it just seems like you don't pay attention. Dozens of times I've explained that I have never been a Mormon, but I like to present broadening perspectives that don't seem to be covered (just in case someone's interested). Well, now you've been informed directly. From now, I'll see how your memory is.

If you want to save your Jell-O pan from distruction, may I recommend you back out of the buzz saw. Do it now.

I really didn't know about the atheist charities, so thanks for informing me. Not knowing about them, I could not "attack" them. But I was thinking of all the religiously originated social reform movements that began in the late 18th and 19th centuries. They built the foundations for modern charity movements.

May I suggest that you regroup and start over.

You're completely out of touch about what atheist charities are doing and how extensively they're doing it.

And I've been paying attention to you arguments.

You walk, talk and think like a Mormon, whether you are one or not--and you choose to do so on a recovery from Mormonism site. So don't blame me for the confusion you are responsible for creating. Even if you're not a Mormon, this site might help you since you mimick one so well.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/14/2017 10:00AM by steve benson.

not to "defend." Thanks for sharing the charity info. And (I hope) you learned I have no Mormon identity, past or present.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/14/2017 10:03AM by steve benson.

Planned Parenthood hasn't stopped overpopulation. It's also mostly owned by the government.

Research indicates that those who are compassionate are more compassionate than those who are not compassionate. In other news guy who used to be a dick is no longer a dick, those close to the situation are saying, off the record, that he just stopped being a dick.

On a more sobering note, the guy who said by your fruits shall you know them was quoted yesterday as saying "Not peace, but a sword". Witnesses stated that he was a bit confused but he kept on bringing up something about burning all of the unbelievers. Followers defended his comments saying they were metaphorical but last year the same guy was arrested for throwing a fit on the temple grounds, harassing legitimate business owners.

Authorities, speaking anonymously because they were not authorized to comment, stated that they weren't sure how to deal with the issue. One stating that they wished he would just go back to Galilee.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/14/2017 09:33AM by steve benson.

Finally! Someone is talking sense. I think I love you.

It's curious then why for a movement or a belief system (or lack of one,) why some of the most prominent atheists have been hateful, mean, despicabably cruel people?

Like Madalyn Murray O'Hare, who was considered the "Most Hateful Woman In America." Her son who would later convert to Christianity had this to say about his mother:

" In 1980, Murray told his mother he had embraced Jesus; a few years later, after battling over his conversion in public, O’Hair disowned her son. “Goddamn zombie 12-steppers got ahold of him,” says O’Hair in the film.

“Every child has to make his rebellion,” says Leo. “That’s what growing up is. And depending on what the foundation is, the rebellion can be the opening to an adult relationship between the grown-up child and the parent, or it can be the shutdown of the relationship entirely.”In his book, My Life Without God, and in subsequent interviews, Murray has portrayed O’Hair as a sort of demonic stage mother. “My mother loves confrontation and she never hesitated to use me as an accomplice in her schemes,” he said in a 2002 episode of Forensic Files. “She wanted to push the school prayer issue as far as she could. She wanted me to keep a record of prayer and Bible readings in school.… My mother made me a spy in the cause of atheism.”And in Murray’s telling, it was her godless ways that killed her. “My mother, brother and daughter were murdered by fellow atheists,” he said. David Waters, the ex-con who kidnapped, murdered and dismembered O’Hair, her granddaughter and Murray’s half-brother Jon Garth, had worked for American Atheists and learned of her secret accounts. Waters had stolen over $50,000 while working for O’Hair (she liked to hire ex-cons, according to Murray) and was able to avoid jail time by paying the money back. But that didn’t prevent O’Hair from writing a scathing denunciation of Waters in the American Atheists newsletter in which she discussed his past crimes (he’d been jailed as a teenager for knocking his prostitute mom down a flight of stairs before pissing on her) and made insinuations about his sexuality.

“You’ve sucked more *!^& than your mother!” Leo’s O’Hair tells Waters in the film. And this while he’s holding a gun. (“A stream of profanity came out of my mother’s mouth,” Murray once said. “She was asked to leave restaurants; she was once asked to leave a truck stop because she was offending the truck drivers.”)

http://www.newsweek.com/madalyn-murray-ohair-most-hated-woman-america-netflix-atheism-biopic-574697

I could put up a bunch of Pat Robertson quotes, but won't bother.

Suffice it to say that there are plenty of "hateful, mean, despicably cruel people" in the world. Some of them are atheists, though atheism doesn't foster or engender or promote any of those things. Some of them are theists, though most theist belief systems don't foster or engender or promote any of those things.

So blaming atheism for Ms. O'Hair being an ass is like blaming christianity for Pat Robertson being an ass.

Neither "blame" is valid, and essentially both of them would be asses with or without religion. They're just asses.

I agree with this, but ive also learned that the people that dont claim to have a title like athiest or christian are by far the most real and compassionate even moreso, they dont acknowledge one thing or the other and dont go to church, pray, do weird rituals or even claim athiesm like a badge of honor they are just themselves being natural authentic people straight up and nothing more uninhibited by crazy beliefs and ideals to force them to help somebody. This is based solely off being around different types of people through my 34 years on the earth you can read all the studies you want but no study lived my life.

who am I to argue with that . . . . :)