Why Atheism?

[Asmodean]

Tanks are cool though. Big engines, driving around big threads with big turrest and long guns.

The Asmo approves, and thinks that places like Ukraine really ought to have more.

[MarcusA]

No one is the heart of darkness.

[No one]

Flattery, will get you nowhere!!!!!!

[MarcusA]

Flattery will get you nowhere!!!!!!

I'm vain. Flatter me all you like.

[MarcusA]

Why atheism? Why the hell not?

[Cognostic]

So, assume that the demise of "big gods" means that multi-cultural societies no longer have any cohesive belief system that binds them together. What answer to atheists have, if any? Most modern nations are multi-cultural now. In the US, the guiding principles of "all men are created equal" and "are endowed by their creator with inalienable rights" is not working so well right now. What else is out there to keep us from descending into the violent hell of tribalism/racism?  We just saw 74,000,000 people vote for Trump - who is not exactly the epitome of egalitarianism. We've been battling with this problem for 400 years. Yet the people who live here cannot seem to get past the basic idea that we are bound together by ideals, not ethnicity.  It's depressing.  Is US-type democracy a failed experiment?

Your post makes little sense. There is a Christian Church on every block and left to their own devices they would be killing one another for following false prophets. The Evangelic against the literalists. The Catholics against the Christians. Everyone against JW. Mormons waiting for it all to end so they can take over the world. Everyone is against Islam.  Where did you get the idea that religion was some sort of unifying force?  Capitalism has been more of a force for unification than any religion. That does not mean it does not have its faults. Obviously, it does, but it pulled Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, Switzerland, Ireland, Taiwan, UK, Estonia, Canada, Denmark, and the USA together, among others. There are thousands of bonding forces out there that can top religion.

[MarcusA]

So, assume that the demise of "big gods" means that multi-cultural societies no longer have any cohesive belief system that binds them together. What answer to atheists have, if any? Most modern nations are multi-cultural now. In the US, the guiding principles of "all men are created equal" and "are endowed by their creator with inalienable rights" is not working so well right now. What else is out there to keep us from descending into the violent hell of tribalism/racism?  We just saw 74,000,000 people vote for Trump - who is not exactly the epitome of egalitarianism. We've been battling with this problem for 400 years. Yet the people who live here cannot seem to get past the basic idea that we are bound together by ideals, not ethnicity.  It's depressing.  Is US-type democracy a failed experiment?

Your post makes little sense. There is a Christian Church on every block and left to their own devices they would be killing one another for following false prophets. The Evangelic against the literalists. The Catholics against the Christians. Everyone against JW. Mormons waiting for it all to end so they can take over the world. Everyone is against Islam.  Where did you get the idea that religion was some sort of unifying force?  Capitalism has been more of a force for unification than any religion. That does not mean it does not have its faults. Obviously, it does, but it pulled Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, Switzerland, Ireland, Taiwan, UK, Estonia, Canada, Denmark, and the USA together, among others. There are thousands of bonding forces out there that can top religion.

Secularism has served the West well, but now, it's failing.

[MarcusA]

The atheist is a forgotten voice in politics.

[MarcusA]

The religious shit on atheists from great heights.

[Tank]

The atheist is a forgotten voice in politics.

And so it should be. Good politics is secular with no need for theist or atheist leanings.

[Icarus]

The atheist is a forgotten voice in politics.

And so it should be. Good politics is secular with no need for theist or atheist leanings.

America is doomed to endure the crackpot rulings of the religious right. Our political system has become cursed with religious dogma. Even our Supreme Court has become twisted toward the religious right.

Christian Nationalists have enormous influence over our elected representatives. They insist that they can tell us what books to read, what meds you can take, what words you can say, what history you can learn, what you can do with your uterus, what gender you are and who you can love.........

[Recusant]

Yes, they've managed impressive steps toward imposing a minority rule thanks to the archaic electoral/government structure imposed by the US Constitution, written in the 18th century. They've had it pretty good and want more. At the same time they recognize that their ideals and goals are not shared by the majority of the country. It frightens them and makes them more zealous about their agenda.

[MarcusA]

The rules of a minority of people are abhorrent, and yet the majority of people never check or halt this ruling minority, for the majority don't wish to rule. The majority just want peace at any price.

[Recusant]

The rules of a minority of people are abhorrent, and yet the majority of people never check or halt this ruling minority, for the majority don't wish to rule. The majority just want peace at any price.

In the US, this is complicated by the structure of the government and the way presidential elections are tallied. Clinton beat Trump handily in the popular vote in 2016 (by about 3 million votes), but the Electoral College system gave Trump the election. Biden beat Trump by about 7 million votes in the popular vote but barely squeaked by, for the same reason.

The Electoral College is tied to the US Senate, where a state like Wyoming with about 600,000 population gets 2 US senators, while a state like New York with a population of about 20,000,000 gets two senators as well. This inherently anti-democratic state of affairs is dictated by the US Constitution. The Constitution can be amended but it's difficult to accomplish, and in this instance nearly impossible: It would require the cooperation of the people who represent states like Wyoming.

[MarcusA]

The US Constitution was made by honest and good men.