A study at the University of Minnesota this year lends credence to the group's discussion. It found that Americans favor gays and lesbians, recent immigrants and Muslims over atheists in "sharing their vision of American society." Respondents also said they were least accepting of intermarriage with atheists than with any other group.
"I think the key to this animosity is probably this idea that somehow morality and religion are deeply linked and if you lose any kind of religious doctrine, you inevitably lose some purchase upon morality," said Sam Harris, best-selling author of "Letter to a Christian Nation."
Harris' book is a response to Christians who have criticized his writings on atheism.
"People think unless you've found Jesus, you can't love your neighbor in any significant sense," he said.
http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/state/16352145.htm
Interesting. And here it seemed to me that those who have 'found Jesus' are LEAST likely to be accepting and love their neighbor in any significant sense. Blacks? Jews? Hispanics? Muslims? Well, they are all terrible sub-humans who have no place in a God fearing Holy Empire of the United States, but those Atheists…they'll eat your babies!
I don't know, maybe there are churches somewhere where they actually do teach tolerance, acceptance and open-mindedness, but it probably builds solidarity among the group if you make the world outside the glorious walls of your church (motto: we're the only ones who REALLY know what God intends, those (insert neighboring church name) are all blasphemers who are going to hell) a dangerous and crazy place. Fear is an excellent tool to control your own local population…and the more people who fear and show up and tithe, the better!
As a raging Atheist, I guess I am just as biased against the 'other' group as the 'other' group would seem to be biased against me. I just assume that someone who is at all serious about religion or god is going to be less serious about reality. They are NOT going to think critically about The Situation and be much more likely to accept the Authority Figure or the Official Message without question.
I don't know how the Bible gives you any particularly insight into morality, unless it is by building critical thinking skills while trying to separate the wheat (love thy neighbor) from the chaff (burn the whores)…
Here is a little chestnut:
In 2002, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the pledge is unconstitutional when recited in public schools, agreeing with a suit filed by atheist Michael Newdow of Sacramento, Calif. The Supreme Court in 2004 reversed that decision. Newdow has since revived the case and last year a federal judge ruled in his favor.
The old joke here? That the Supreme Court is upholding the idea of the constitution or the intent of those who founded this country in the hope of an open and tolerant place where all could feel welcome and at home…you know, freedom to practice your religion (or lack thereof, most were not Christians but instead Deists) without interference from the government.
Thomas Jefferson was a bad-ass motherfucker:
"The clergy converted the simple teachings of Jesus into an engine for enslaving mankind and adulterated by artificial constructions into a contrivance to filch wealth and power to themselves…these clergy in fact, constitute the real Anti-Christ."
—-
Finally, I thought I'd fight against the forces of Chaos for a minute and help bring some enlightenment to the world, however briefly. Tempur-pedic (aka we're the 1000% markup people) had an infomercial where they spread once again that 'your mattress increases in weight by some insane amount over ten years, so throw it out and buy one of ours'. What is the real story? It is all nonsense. Some jackass wrote an 'article' in the WSJ, and now the story was a fact to be quoted in literature by a wide range of manufacturers for years to come…hmm, I wonder how much money changed hands? Check this out:
I never quoted that statistic. I told [the reporter] that Internet web sites have statistics that try to strike fear in the consumer, thus promoting their products. I gave her a few off the top of my head (two million mites in an average mattress, mattress doubling in weight, etc.) that I read over the years. She asked me if any of these statistics have any scientific merit and I told her that none of them are in the literature. To the layman that is NO! In fact I asked the Wall Street Journal writer to call an expert on mattresses at the internal sleep products association. She did and was told that the statistic on mattresses doubling in weight was far from the truth. The journalist choose to include it in the story anyway. She liked the statistic because it made her story more interesting.
If it wasn't for this guy doing a little bit of fundamental research, this fallacy would continue to perpetuate forever (no, really, that site calls it a 'frightening statistic'!!!). How many times a day does this shit happen? Thank the baby jesus that the internet puts a TREMENDOUS amount of information at your fingertips. You can actually track down sources, and if you aren't afraid of the telephone, you can within minutes verify information for yourself. You know, the truth, not some bullshit that sells advertising.
