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Getbig Misc Discussion Boards => Religious Debates & Threads => Topic started by: Butterbean on October 27, 2011, 12:38:10 PM

Title: "Atheists Make Embarrassing Billboard Mistake"
Post by: Butterbean on October 27, 2011, 12:38:10 PM
Atheists' Billboard Falsely Attributes Quote To Thomas Jefferson

A billboard in Costa Mesa, Calif., is getting some attention, but it's certainly not the kind its sponsors were hoping for.

The sign, paid for by atheist group Backyard Skeptics, includes a quote about Christianity attributed to Thomas Jefferson. But further research reveals there's no solid evidence that Jefferson ever uttered or wrote the words, the Orange County Register first reported.

The billboard includes a picture of Jefferson with the quote: "I do not find in Christianity one redeeming feature. It is founded on fables and mythology."

Experts at the Jefferson Library Collection at Monticello are constantly asked about the quote, the Orange County Register reports. Some say the former president wrote the words in a letter to a Dr. Wood, but officials cannot find trace of any correspondence to a person by that name.

Bruce Gleason, a member of the group, told the Orange County registrar that he should have done a bit more research before putting the words on the sign. The billboard was unveiled on Wednesday, the newspaper reports. Gleason explained that purpose of this sign and others around the city was to "expunge the myth that this is a Christian nation," as well as to "share the idea that you can be good and do good without a religion or god


Title: Re: "Atheists Make Embarrassing Billboard Mistake"
Post by: Butterbean on October 27, 2011, 12:51:40 PM
"I do not find in Christianity one redeeming feature."


Helping/loving others isn't a "redeeming feature"   ???


Phil 2:3,4

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,  not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others.

Hebrews 13:16
And do not neglect doing good and sharing; for with such sacrifices God is pleased.


Matthew 25:35-40
'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You drink? 'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 'And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' "And the King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'


John 15:12
"This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.

Title: Re: "Atheists Make Embarrassing Billboard Mistake"
Post by: Mr. Magoo on October 28, 2011, 07:11:41 AM
Helping/loving others isn't a "redeeming feature"   ???

I think he (the source of the quote, if there is a source, NOT Thomas Jefferson) meant that there is no truth in Christianity. Not that there is no utility in holding christian beliefs. There may well be, but that doesn't mean that it is true, only that it is useful if believed to be true.

That's my take on the quote.
Title: Re: "Atheists Make Embarrassing Billboard Mistake"
Post by: Butterbean on October 28, 2011, 02:38:03 PM
I think he (the source of the quote, if there is a source, NOT Thomas Jefferson) meant that there is no truth in Christianity. Not that there is no utility in holding christian beliefs. There may well be, but that doesn't mean that it is true, only that it is useful if believed to be true.

That's my take on the quote.

Aren't Christian beliefs a part of Christianity?  

And so if they believe the useful beliefs of Christianity whether true or not, are they not useful nonetheless and their being Christian beliefs makes them a part of Christianity?


 :D
Title: Re: "Atheists Make Embarrassing Billboard Mistake"
Post by: Reeves on October 28, 2011, 07:56:47 PM
It seems well that I should speak on this pull quote.

..."share the idea that you can be good and do good without a religion or god".
 

Of course you can be good and do good sans any religion or god.  It is also true that you can be an atheist without screaming it out on billboards or talking about how "good" you are without a belief in god.  You can give to charities of your choice or not.  You can watch dumbass television shows full of crap or not.  You can do anything within reason and the various laws of this land and have people respect you for who you are and not know nor care to know what you represent because when you get right down to it no one really gives a flying fuck about what you believe in when it comes to "faith'.

Except for you.  And you should care about what you have chosen to believe or not believe and to pass these things down to your children who, when they are old enough to decide for themselves, will choose to continue in your line of thought or go another way.

Here then is how I, a genuine atheist of the first order (whatever the fuck that is  ;) ) present to you on what Atheism really is:

Atheism is not a system of beliefs but instead a system of denial

We deny the existence of God or even gods and goddesses.  We deny the belief or faith in a creator.  In general we think that the world evolved from science knows what and that much like people of faith, all things came from one beginning.  We just don't think it was God.  Much of what and how we deny a God is what pisses people off.  Just as a few faux followers of the Christ stir the waters to mud so too do a few atheists squeal like Bay4Pay at a double dildo festival.

I think that what we need to do is evolve to the point we can tolerate another's beliefs or lack thereof.  Except of course, islime.  Fuck those ragheaded, camel fucking, pedophiliac silicon schwartz's.  That backwards bedouin belief is for mongrel morons.  FTN.

This much I know. Life is short and muslimes would have ours shorter.  Like my Christian friend says, you don't have to agree on everything but neither do you have to behave disagreeably. 

What I have just presented to you, especially so the emboldened part is what I hold to be true. Much too much of it long and rambling but I am not feeling great right now.  I know...BFD.  Later, kids.
Title: Re: "Atheists Make Embarrassing Billboard Mistake"
Post by: abijahmaniaco on October 28, 2011, 08:21:37 PM
I think he (the source of the quote, if there is a source, NOT Thomas Jefferson) meant that there is no truth in Christianity. Not that there is no utility in holding christian beliefs. There may well be, but that doesn't mean that it is true, only that it is useful if believed to be true.

hit the nail on the head precisely sir.
Title: Re: "Atheists Make Embarrassing Billboard Mistake"
Post by: haider on October 28, 2011, 08:28:07 PM
Atheism is not a system of beliefs but instead a system of denial

We deny the existence of God or even gods and goddesses.  We deny the belief or faith in a creator.  In general we think that the world evolved from science knows what and that much like people of faith, all things came from one beginning.  We just don't think it was God.  Much of what and how we deny a God is what pisses people off.  Just as a few faux followers of the Christ stir the waters to mud so too do a few atheists squeal like Bay4Pay at a double dildo festival.
I think in general it goes farther than that: it is a reductionism that pervades modern society, i.e. the belief that reality is just the sum of the smallest parts observable to the naked eye (or the most precise instrument, such as lets say a particle accelerator that can detect the elementary particles). This axiomatically excludes everything from our understanding of reality that cannot be 'scientifically measured'.

This is the form of atheism that is a belief, not the kind that refutes creationism. Creationism is quite easy to refute with some observation of facts and a bit of common sense.

Some examples to illustrate my point-
The following is not atheism that constitutes a 'belief' system:
-The earth is not 6000 years old. Evidence points to a 4.5 bn year old earth
-We likely are not created, we likely evolved through a process of natural selection.
-There is no literal Adam and Eve, it is an allegorical story that can be interpreted in other more sensible ways.

The following are indeed beliefs:
-All that is real is what is measurable by science.
-Human beings are nothing more than their physical form. There is no soul.

Quote
I think that what we need to do is evolve to the point we can tolerate another's beliefs or lack thereof.  Except of course, islime.  Fuck those ragheaded, camel fucking, pedophiliac silicon schwartz's.  That backwards bedouin belief is for mongrel morons.  FTN.

This much I know. Life is short and muslimes would have ours shorter.  Like my Christian friend says, you don't have to agree on everything but neither do you have to behave disagreeably. 

What I have just presented to you, especially so the emboldened part is what I hold to be true. Much too much of it long and rambling but I am not feeling great right now.  I know...BFD.  Later, kids.
Love you too  :-*

You really talk out of your ass when it comes to Islam, I don't get it.

I can sort of empathise though, there's some cultures/beliefs I really don't like, guess theres room for all of us to be edumacated  ???
Title: Re: "Atheists Make Embarrassing Billboard Mistake"
Post by: Reeves on October 28, 2011, 09:18:26 PM
I think in general it goes farther than that: it is a reductionism that pervades modern society, i.e. the belief that reality is just the sum of the smallest parts observable to the naked eye (or the most precise instrument, such as lets say a particle accelerator that can detect the elementary particles). This axiomatically excludes everything from our understanding of reality that cannot be 'scientifically measured'.

This is the form of atheism that is a belief, not the kind that refutes creationism. Creationism is quite easy to refute with some observation of facts and a bit of common sense.

Some examples to illustrate my point-
The following is not atheism that constitutes a 'belief' system:
-The earth is not 6000 years old. Evidence points to a 4.5 bn year old earth
-We likely are not created, we likely evolved through a process of natural selection.-There is no literal Adam and Eve, it is an allegorical story that can be interpreted in other more sensible ways.

The following are indeed beliefs:
-All that is real is what is measurable by science.
-Human beings are nothing more than their physical form. There is no soul.
Love you too  :-*

You really talk out of your ass when it comes to Islam, I don't get it.

I can sort of empathise though, there's some cultures/beliefs I really don't like, guess theres room for all of us to be edumacated  ???

With regard to "in general", yes one could go deeper but I prefer to distill it down to its essence.  We atheists deny the existence of a God, god, gods, et al.  There is no proof of any deity.

I never talk "out my ass".  islime is evile, just as other cults have been wicked, so too is islime.  I have seen what your fellow followers of the for-his-own-profit-homohammed (Pork be unto him) can do and it flat out sucks.  It is a bad or worse as pedophile priests being hidden by the corrupt vatican. Fuck catholicsm and islime.  There... Feel better not being "alone" in my disdain for false faiths? 

Your faith, such as it may be, is neither above nor beneath my contempt.  It is fucking evil and for you are any other person to deny it would be hilarious if it weren't so preposterous.

I don't sugar coat this shit.  islime sucks even more than catholicism.  That is bad news as catholicism is a shit hole of a perversion on the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.  islime doesn't so much as take the cake as it fucks the cake and then forces others to eat that shit.  Or die.  "Submit"?  Submit my ass. 

Hope this helps.   ;D 
Title: Re: "Atheists Make Embarrassing Billboard Mistake"
Post by: Butterbean on October 29, 2011, 08:19:02 AM
hit the nail on the head precisely sir.
???   I guess I'm not following his logic.
Do you feel that Christian beliefs are a part of Christianity?  
Title: Re: "Atheists Make Embarrassing Billboard Mistake"
Post by: Necrosis on October 29, 2011, 09:15:05 AM
I think in general it goes farther than that: it is a reductionism that pervades modern society, i.e. the belief that reality is just the sum of the smallest parts observable to the naked eye (or the most precise instrument, such as lets say a particle accelerator that can detect the elementary particles). This axiomatically excludes everything from our understanding of reality that cannot be 'scientifically measured'.

This is the form of atheism that is a belief, not the kind that refutes creationism. Creationism is quite easy to refute with some observation of facts and a bit of common sense.

Some examples to illustrate my point-
The following is not atheism that constitutes a 'belief' system:
-The earth is not 6000 years old. Evidence points to a 4.5 bn year old earth
-We likely are not created, we likely evolved through a process of natural selection.
-There is no literal Adam and Eve, it is an allegorical story that can be interpreted in other more sensible ways.

The following are indeed beliefs:
-All that is real is what is measurable by science.
-Human beings are nothing more than their physical form. There is no soul.
Love you too  :-*

You really talk out of your ass when it comes to Islam, I don't get it.

I can sort of empathise though, there's some cultures/beliefs I really don't like, guess theres room for all of us to be edumacated  ???

why are you lumping atheism with reductionism, they are not mutually inclusive at all. You can believe in reincarnation and the soul but no god and be an atheist, meaning no theistic beliefs. You are describing however, the majority of atheists i will grant, including myself.

what about the world can science not understand, afterall science is simply observation and best explanation. Saying there are things we can't observe defeats the argument itself, you could never explain these things nor prove they exist otherwise. How do you know something exists?
Title: Re: "Atheists Make Embarrassing Billboard Mistake"
Post by: haider on October 29, 2011, 09:13:15 PM
why are you lumping atheism with reductionism, they are not mutually inclusive at all. You can believe in reincarnation and the soul but no god and be an atheist, meaning no theistic beliefs. You are describing however, the majority of atheists i will grant, including myself.
Who said you could address me directly?

 ;D

I think you misread my post, although its possible my post was unclear. I was drawing a distinction between the types of atheism, reductionism being the pervasive one. Reductionism is not merely a denial of dieties. Correct me on this as you please.

Quote
what about the world can science not understand, afterall science is simply observation and best explanation. Saying there are things we can't observe defeats the argument itself, you could never explain these things nor prove they exist otherwise. How do you know something exists?
jesus it took me 10 minutes to decipher what you even said, what the fuck is this??  ??? ??? ???

The main point of my post was to point out reductionism as being a belief. What you are asking me is about the utility of 'unobservable reality' as it can not be 'proven'. (I hope you noticed that you're setting up your own argument to win by saying that the only way to prove something is through empirical observation). That's a separate discussion altogether.

I really can't give a solid answer regarding that, but perhaps I can point to some things. There are certain phenomena that are not adequately explained by science, such as ESP, near death experiences, psi, etc. which are dismissed simply because there's no 'scientific explanation' for it. Also, the spiritual traditions speak of acquiring knowledge through different modes of perception that can not be scientifically investigated; think of the meditative trasitions such as yoga, buddhism as well as cabbalism and sufism. Does it automatically mean that their claims are hogwash because they cannot investigated by science?

Now you may say that its only a matter of science having yet to develop the tools to bring these phenomenon within its boundaries, and you may be right to an extent. But i think its more than that, its a fundamental difference in approaching the world: the empirical and experiential. Perhaps where they don't overlap is where science can not give us any answers.

Hope that makes a little bit of sense... I'm still evolving my views on this issue and hoping to gain more knowledge. There's still hope as I'm still a young neegar falcon  8)
Title: Re: "Atheists Make Embarrassing Billboard Mistake"
Post by: haider on October 29, 2011, 09:22:45 PM
With regard to "in general", yes one could go deeper but I prefer to distill it down to its essence.  We atheists deny the existence of a God, god, gods, et al.  There is no proof of any deity.

I never talk "out my ass".  islime is evile, just as other cults have been wicked, so too is islime.  I have seen what your fellow followers of the for-his-own-profit-homohammed (Pork be unto him) can do and it flat out sucks.  It is a bad or worse as pedophile priests being hidden by the corrupt vatican. Fuck catholicsm and islime.  There... Feel better not being "alone" in my disdain for false faiths? 

Your faith, such as it may be, is neither above nor beneath my contempt.  It is fucking evil and for you are any other person to deny it would be hilarious if it weren't so preposterous.

I don't sugar coat this shit.  islime sucks even more than catholicism.  That is bad news as catholicism is a shit hole of a perversion on the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.  islime doesn't so much as take the cake as it fucks the cake and then forces others to eat that shit.  Or die.  "Submit"?  Submit my ass. 

Hope this helps.   ;D 
No it didn't help.

Don't think it goes to waste though- just shows that intelligent people can have biases that skew their perspective beyond comprehension.
Title: Re: "Atheists Make Embarrassing Billboard Mistake"
Post by: Reeves on October 29, 2011, 10:42:38 PM
No it didn't help.

Don't think it goes to waste though- just shows that intelligent people can have biases that skew their perspective beyond comprehension.

It doesn't take intelligence to recognize evil.  It just takes honesty and integrity.  I have those.  If you had any within you, you would renounce islime for what it is.  Submit?

Fuck That Noise.

Later, young man.
Title: Re: "Atheists Make Embarrassing Billboard Mistake"
Post by: Necrosis on October 30, 2011, 10:16:50 AM
Who said you could address me directly?

 ;D

I think you misread my post, although its possible my post was unclear. I was drawing a distinction between the types of atheism, reductionism being the pervasive one. Reductionism is not merely a denial of dieties. Correct me on this as you please.
jesus it took me 10 minutes to decipher what you even said, what the fuck is this??  ??? ??? ???

The main point of my post was to point out reductionism as being a belief. What you are asking me is about the utility of 'unobservable reality' as it can not be 'proven'. (I hope you noticed that you're setting up your own argument to win by saying that the only way to prove something is through empirical observation). That's a separate discussion altogether.

I really can't give a solid answer regarding that, but perhaps I can point to some things. There are certain phenomena that are not adequately explained by science, such as ESP, near death experiences, psi, etc. which are dismissed simply because there's no 'scientific explanation' for it. Also, the spiritual traditions speak of acquiring knowledge through different modes of perception that can not be scientifically investigated; think of the meditative trasitions such as yoga, buddhism as well as cabbalism and sufism. Does it automatically mean that their claims are hogwash because they cannot investigated by science?

Now you may say that its only a matter of science having yet to develop the tools to bring these phenomenon within its boundaries, and you may be right to an extent. But i think its more than that, its a fundamental difference in approaching the world: the empirical and experiential. Perhaps where they don't overlap is where science can not give us any answers.

Hope that makes a little bit of sense... I'm still evolving my views on this issue and hoping to gain more knowledge. There's still hope as I'm still a young neegar falcon  8)

i didnt read this, much too long full of non-sensical ranting based on "faith", i honestly don't know what i wrote, reading it again did nothing change this.

all those transcendental states of yogis etc can be studied viewing MRI etc. plus these states and feeling associated with can be explained. There are areas of the brain that control physical boundaries or the sensation of this, ie your last layer of skin. In deep meditative states an area called the OAA is activated which reduces your sensation of boundary, hence the feeling of oneness, its an actual state.

NDE's can be replicated in g force simulators. Plus the evidence is all anecdotal.

so i did read your post it seems, so if you get to this point, don't read the first paragraph, if you are here though it's probably to late. At this point just cut your losses and imagine you didnt read me saying i didn't read your post. I would probably not read this either as it's wasting more time.
Title: Re: "Atheists Make Embarrassing Billboard Mistake"
Post by: Butterbean on October 31, 2011, 07:03:19 AM
i honestly don't know what i wrote, reading it again did nothing change this.




so i did read your post it seems, so if you get to this point, don't read the first paragraph, if you are here though it's probably to late. At this point just cut your losses and imagine you didnt read me saying i didn't read your post. I would probably not read this either as it's wasting more time.


 ??? ;D ??? ;D :)
Title: Re: "Atheists Make Embarrassing Billboard Mistake"
Post by: Straw Man on October 31, 2011, 12:27:41 PM
To bad they didn't pick one of the many other statements by Jefferson regarding religion:

I concur with you strictly in your opinion of the comparative merits of atheism and demonism, and really see nothing but the latter in the being worshipped by many who think themselves Christians.
-Thomas Jefferson, letter to Richard Price, Jan. 8, 1789 (Richard Price had written to TJ on Oct. 26. about the harm done by religion and wrote "Would not Society be better without Such religions? Is Atheism less pernicious than Demonism?")


I never submitted the whole system of my opinions to the creed of any party of men whatever in religion, in philosophy, in politics, or in anything else where I was capable of thinking for myself. Such an addiction is the last degradation of a free and moral agent.
-Thomas Jefferson, letter to Francis Hopkinson, March 13, 1789

Christianity neither is, nor ever was a part of the common law. -Thomas Jefferson, letter to Dr. Thomas Cooper, February 10, 1814

And the day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerve in the brain of Jupiter. But may we hope that the dawn of reason and freedom of thought in these United States will do away with this artificial scaffolding, and restore to us the primitive and genuine doctrines of this most venerated reformer of human errors.
-Thomas Jefferson, Letter to John Adams, April 11, 1823



my favorite
simple and to the point and it covers everything from all gods to no god

But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.
-Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, 1782



Title: Re: "Atheists Make Embarrassing Billboard Mistake"
Post by: Butterbean on October 31, 2011, 01:59:18 PM
To bad they didn't pick one of the many other statements by Jefferson regarding religion:

I concur with you strictly in your opinion of the comparative merits of atheism and demonism, and really see nothing but the latter in the being worshipped by many who think themselves Christians.
-Thomas Jefferson, letter to Richard Price, Jan. 8, 1789 (Richard Price had written to TJ on Oct. 26. about the harm done by religion and wrote "Would not Society be better without Such religions? Is Atheism less pernicious than Demonism?")


I never submitted the whole system of my opinions to the creed of any party of men whatever in religion, in philosophy, in politics, or in anything else where I was capable of thinking for myself. Such an addiction is the last degradation of a free and moral agent.
-Thomas Jefferson, letter to Francis Hopkinson, March 13, 1789

Christianity neither is, nor ever was a part of the common law. -Thomas Jefferson, letter to Dr. Thomas Cooper, February 10, 1814

And the day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerve in the brain of Jupiter. But may we hope that the dawn of reason and freedom of thought in these United States will do away with this artificial scaffolding, and restore to us the primitive and genuine doctrines of this most venerated reformer of human errors.
-Thomas Jefferson, Letter to John Adams, April 11, 1823



my favorite
simple and to the point and it covers everything from all gods to no god

But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.
-Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, 1782





Straw, I don't know if he was Atheist or not but maybe I need to see the surrounding text of these quotes because I see nothing in them that demonstrates that he was an Atheist (if that's the point you were trying to make [not sure]).


IMO:
First quote shows some people think they are Christians but actually worship demons.  I agree.

Second quote, he doesn't submit the whole system of his opinion to the creed of any party of men.  I agree.

Third quote, are you saying this statement shows him as atheist?

Fourth quote..he realizes people will pervert the message of Christianity and hopes that freedom of thought will do away with these errors.

Last quote...shows that he does not take others' rejection of Christ personally.  In fact, Jesus does not want us to take it personally.  Though it may make us sad for the person, for us to take it personally would result in discouragement and possibly dispair which may hinder us in His work.  He can handle the "rejection" better than us, it may "hurt" Him to know the implications of the rejector's soul but it can't hinder Him. 




Supposedly this is a quote of his in a letter to Benjamin Rush:

"To the corruptions of Christianity I am indeed opposed; but not to the genuine precepts of Jesus himself. I am a Christian, in the only sense he wished any one to be; sincerely attached to his doctrines, in preference to all others; ascribing to himself every human excellence; & believing he never claimed any other."
Title: Re: "Atheists Make Embarrassing Billboard Mistake"
Post by: Straw Man on October 31, 2011, 02:47:20 PM
Straw, I don't know if he was Atheist or not but maybe I need to see the surrounding text of these quotes because I see nothing in them that demonstrates that he was an Atheist (if that's the point you were trying to make [not sure]).


IMO:
First quote shows some people think they are Christians but actually worship demons.  I agree.

Second quote, he doesn't submit the whole system of his opinion to the creed of any party of men.  I agree.

Third quote, are you saying this statement shows him as atheist?

Fourth quote..he realizes people will pervert the message of Christianity and hopes that freedom of thought will do away with these errors.

Last quote...shows that he does not take others' rejection of Christ personally.  In fact, Jesus does not want us to take it personally.  Though it may make us sad for the person, for us to take it personally would result in discouragement and possibly dispair which may hinder us in His work.  He can handle the "rejection" better than us, it may "hurt" Him to know the implications of the rejector's soul but it can't hinder Him. 




Supposedly this is a quote of his in a letter to Benjamin Rush:

"To the corruptions of Christianity I am indeed opposed; but not to the genuine precepts of Jesus himself. I am a Christian, in the only sense he wished any one to be; sincerely attached to his doctrines, in preference to all others; ascribing to himself every human excellence; & believing he never claimed any other."



I don't think Jefferson was an atheist (our definition of not believing in a god or creator)

I do think it's pretty well established that he did not believe in the divinity of jesus, didn't believe the virgin birth, didn't believe in the miracles, didnt believe in the trinity, etc..

Title: Re: "Atheists Make Embarrassing Billboard Mistake"
Post by: loco on October 31, 2011, 06:08:47 PM
The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth Extracted Textually from the Gospels, Together with a Comparison of His Doctrines with Those of Others [Paperback]

Thomas Jefferson (Author)

"1902. In 1803, while overwhelmed with other business, Mr. Jefferson cut from the evangelists such passages as he believed would best present the ethical teaching of Jesus, and arranged them, on the pages of a blank book, in a certain order of time or subject. He called it The Philosophy of Jesus of Nazareth, extracted from the account of his life and doctrines, as given by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; being an abridgment of the New Testament for the use of the Indians, unembarrassed with matters of fact or faith beyond the level of their comprehension."

http://www.amazon.com/Nazareth-Extracted-Textually-Comparison-Doctrines/dp/141790576X
Title: Re: "Atheists Make Embarrassing Billboard Mistake"
Post by: Man of Steel on November 01, 2011, 10:26:36 AM
Atheists' Billboard Falsely Attributes Quote To Thomas Jefferson

A billboard in Costa Mesa, Calif., is getting some attention, but it's certainly not the kind its sponsors were hoping for.

The sign, paid for by atheist group Backyard Skeptics, includes a quote about Christianity attributed to Thomas Jefferson. But further research reveals there's no solid evidence that Jefferson ever uttered or wrote the words, the Orange County Register first reported.

The billboard includes a picture of Jefferson with the quote: "I do not find in Christianity one redeeming feature. It is founded on fables and mythology."

Experts at the Jefferson Library Collection at Monticello are constantly asked about the quote, the Orange County Register reports. Some say the former president wrote the words in a letter to a Dr. Wood, but officials cannot find trace of any correspondence to a person by that name.

Bruce Gleason, a member of the group, told the Orange County registrar that he should have done a bit more research before putting the words on the sign. The billboard was unveiled on Wednesday, the newspaper reports. Gleason explained that purpose of this sign and others around the city was to "expunge the myth that this is a Christian nation," as well as to "share the idea that you can be good and do good without a religion or god




Unfortunately this won't be the last embarrassing mistake atheists make.