I was a committed atheist and then this incredible thing happened to me

[Agnostic007]

Atheists are not filing lawsuits claiming emotional distress caused by seeing religious symbols on public property because they are concerned about some greater good.  They are doing those things because they are extremists who believe the public square has to be cleansed of all religious references.  It's a whacked out view and frankly sort of pathological that they get worked up over something they do not believe exists. 

Religion is part of the foundation of the greatest country on earth.  It was worked out phenomenally well in the U.S. 

You certainly have a right to that opinion.

[Dos Equis]

You certainly have a right to that opinion.

Part opinion.  Part fact.

[Las Vegas]

A007: If you could find a single word to describe the most valuable thing in your life, what would it be?

[Agnostic007]

A007: If you could find a single word to describe the most valuable thing in your life, what would it be?

I  have to admit..that is a unique question. awesome would be my first answer.

[Las Vegas]

I  have to admit..that is a unique question. awesome would be my first answer.

Oh, I think you upped me.    How'd it show itself to be exceedingly valuable in your life? (if i may ask)

[Agnostic007]

Oh, I think you upped me.    How'd it show itself to be exceedingly valuable in your life? (if i may ask)

The most valuable thing in my life is life itself. Without that, nothing else really matters

[Las Vegas]

The most valuable thing in my life is life itself. Without that, nothing else really matters

Of all the things that'd then be described as "nothing", if without a life: which of them do you keep closest to your heart, so to speak?

[Las Vegas]

Btw, you know I'm not trying to be any sort of wiseass.  I'm trying to learn about human nature, as a general thing.  You've always been a very good sport with these sorts of discussions and I really do appreciate it.

[Agnostic007]

Btw, you know I'm not trying to be any sort of wiseass.  I'm trying to learn about human nature, as a general thing.  You've always been a very good sport with these sorts of discussions and I really do appreciate it.

I enjoy a philosophical discussion. The danger is, I'm not all that complex/smart and sometimes the questions can be so abstract as to lose me. I'd say I value my family the most. what about you?

[Las Vegas]

I enjoy a philosophical discussion. The danger is, I'm not all that complex/smart and sometimes the questions can be so abstract as to lose me. I'd say I value my family the most. what about you?

If you mean it's love you value most, and I'm sure you must, then we're the same in that regard.

At the same time, some individuals wouldn't value it at all - some to the point they can't recognize what it is, and don't believe it exists.

We'd be at a loss to explain it to them in logical terms, certainly.

It's an interesting parallel to this subject, for sure.  And I get to see you on the other side of it, which is a rare sight!!  

[IroNat]

When I was in college there were the glazed-eyed students who would try to recruit you into the reborn Christian movement.

These kids were lost and looking for something like the author of the article.  They were having emotional problems and latched onto the reborn thing.  Nutty. 

I told my own kids to watch out for these types when they went to college.  They are still out there with the glazed-eyes.

[Dos Equis]

When I was in college there were the glazed-eyed students who would try to recruit you into the reborn Christian movement.

These kids were lost and looking for something like the author of the article.  They were having emotional problems and latched onto the reborn thing.  Nutty. 

I told my own kids to watch out for these types when they went to college.  They are still out there with the glazed-eyes.

Then there are those people who experience hard times or a tragedy in their lives and become atheist as a result.  Many of them are bitter.  Doesn't downplay whatever they experienced, but does explain why a lot of people convert to the atheist religion. 

[IroNat]

Then there are those people who experience hard times or a tragedy in their lives and become atheist as a result.  Many of them are bitter.  Doesn't downplay whatever they experienced, but does explain why a lot of people convert to the atheist religion.  

Wouldn't know as I'm not an atheist but I'm sure that happens.  Atheism is just another "-ism".

People who suffer emotional problems grab onto whatever they can.

Some find go to a psychiatrist, some go to church, some turn to drugs and alcohol, etc.

Beware all "-isms".

[FREAKgeek]

Good story.

I was a committed atheist and then this incredible thing happened to me
Lenya Heitzig By Lenya Heitzig   | Fox News

My atheist father raised me on fanciful parables where the moral of the story concluded that God did not and could not exist. His strong belief in human ability and the power of positive thinking laced my childhood with quips like “What one conceives and then believes can be achieved.” No pie in the sky in the sweet by-and-by awaited us. Instead, if I wanted help, I needed look no further than the end of my own arm.           

By my college days, my arms were weighed down by the baggage of my parent’s divorce, an absentee father, and a stoically distant step-father. Like many college coeds, I tried to cope with one-night stands, binge drinking, and recreational drugs. But at night when the lights were out, I was left wondering, Is there something more to life? Unlike Wonder Woman, I possessed no ability to rescue others, least of all myself from these destructive behaviors.
 
A Message from Stansberry Research

Guess Who's About To Go Bankrupt In America
Man who predicted the collapse of GM, Fannie, and Freddie says the next big bankruptcy is going to catch everyone by surprise.

During my sophomore year, my dad—now a doctor, law student, and author—had a born-again experience after reading a red letter edition of the Bible to determine whether Jesus professed positive things. His newfound faith threatened me. Outwardly, I wildly mocked him. Inwardly, his reversal of worldviews launched me on a quest to discover the meaning of life.

I took a class on non-Western religions like Buddhism, Taoism, and Hinduism. I interviewed classmates about their belief systems while we stood around a keg smoking joints. Family members tried to draw me back into their godless fold with words devoid of logic or comfort.

Something I read in chapter 3, “Does God Really Speak to Us,?” chafed against my scientific belief in evolution. Billy Graham proposed that God is a Creator who speaks through nature, whether in a crying infant or the song of a bird. “Yeah, right,” I blurted out.

One day, I passed a bookstore where Billy Graham’s new book “How to Be Born Again” beckoned to me like a neon light. I tucked the volume into my beach bag, grabbed a six-pack, and drove to the sand-duned shores of Lake Michigan to party with friends. While they hit the waves, I spread out a blanket to soak up the sun.

Something I read in chapter 3, “Does God Really Speak to Us,?” chafed against my scientific belief in evolution. Billy proposed that God is a Creator who speaks through nature, whether in a crying infant or the song of a bird. “Yeah, right,” I blurted out. I arrogantly put God to a challenge and inadvertently offered my first prayer: “God, if You rule over nature, if You’re sovereign even over the instincts of a bird, then make that bird chirping in the distance fly into the tree next to my blanket.” Fluttering toward me, the small grey swallow lit upon the branch above my head. Closing the book superstitiously, I thought, Maybe God does exist and created me for a purpose.

Billy recommended you read the Bible because it contains the very words of God. Reading it introduced me to God’s great love and His ability to provide each of us an abundant life full of significance. I devoured the pages of the Bible as though all my life I’d only eaten vanilla ice cream and someone had introduced me to 31 flavors. I couldn’t get enough.

I was transformed from tending bar on the weekends to marrying a pastor who tells people every Sunday about the living water that satisfies our deep thirst for more. Who would believe that a bird and a Bible would one day lead us to becoming friends with Billy Graham and his family? We’ve enjoyed a meal in their home, traveled with them on vacation, and were privileged to participate in the baptism of Billy’s grandson William Franklin Graham IV.

I wonder how God is waiting to speak to you. You never know the audacious plans He has in store for you. Are you listening?

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2018/03/25/was-committed-atheist-and-then-this-incredible-thing-happened-to-me.html

Lol. What crap

[Agnostic007]

Lol. What crap

Kind of what I thought

[avxo]

Then there are those people who experience hard times or a tragedy in their lives and become atheist as a result.  Many of them are bitter.  Doesn't downplay whatever they experienced, but does explain why a lot of people convert to the atheist religion. 

Atheism is a religion in the same way that baldness is a hair color.

[Dos Equis]

Atheism is a religion in the same way that baldness is a hair color.

Not at all.  I've laid out the reasons, with proof, of why atheism is a religion.  It's on the board.  Fits all the criteria of a religion. 

[Agnostic007]

Not at all.  I've laid out the reasons, with proof, of why atheism is a religion.  It's on the board.  Fits all the criteria of a religion. 

May be the dumbest post of the day

[avxo]

Not at all.  I've laid out the reasons, with proof, of why atheism is a religion.  It's on the board.  Fits all the criteria of a religion. 

You may have convinced yourself that that’s the case. It doesn’t mean you’ve convinced anyone else.

[Dos Equis]

May be the dumbest post of the day

lol.  That's really funny coming from you.   

[Dos Equis]

You may have convinced yourself that that’s the case. It doesn’t mean you’ve convinced anyone else.

I'm not trying to convince you or anyone else of anything.  Just stating facts:  atheist churches, atheist hymnals, atheist websites, regular atheist meetings, atheist books, atheist activism, atheist lawsuits, etc., etc.  You can choose to put your own spin on those facts.  I don't really care. 

Atheists have a pretty comprehensive website at http://www.atheists.org/ 

I guess this answers my question about the atheist message.  Their proselytizing is much more involved than I thought:

About American Atheists

Since 1963,  AMERICAN ATHEISTS has been the premier organization laboring for the civil liberties of Atheists, and the total, absolute separation of government and religion. It was born out of a court case begun in 1959 by the Murray family which challenged prayer recitation in the public schools. That case – Murray v. Curlett – was a landmark in American jurisprudence on behalf of our First Amendment rights. It began:

"Your petitioners are Atheists, and they define their lifestyle as follows. An Atheist loves himself and his fellow man instead of a god. An Atheist accepts that heaven is something for which we should work now – here on earth – for all men together to enjoy. An Atheist accepts that he can get no help through prayer, but that he must find in himself the inner conviction and strength to meet life, to grapple with it, to subdue it and to enjoy it. An Atheist accepts that only in a knowledge of himself and a knowledge of his fellow man can he find the understanding that will help lead to a life of fulfillment."

Now in its fourth decade, American Atheists is dedicated to working for the civil rights of Atheists, promoting separation of state and church, and providing information about Atheism.

The organization was founded by Madalyn Murray O'Hair, the noted Atheist activist, as the result of her successful battle against mandatory school prayer and bible recitation. Over the last thirty years, American Atheists has:

    * Fought fervently to defend the Separation of Religion from GovernmentAppeared in all formes of media to defend our positions and criticisms of religion and mythology
    * Held Atheist conventions and gatherings throughout the United States, including "Atheist Pride" Marches in state capitals.
    * Demonstrated and picketed throughout the country on behalf of Atheist rights and state church separation. The organization has marched to defend the rights of intellectuals such as writer Salman Rushdie, protested the use of government funds to support public religious displays, and conducted the first picket of a Roman Catholic pope in history.
    * Published over 120 books about Atheism, criticism of religion, and state/church separation.Published newsletters, magazines and member-alerts.
    * Built a broad outreach in cyberspace with mailing lists, an ftp and web site, FaxNet and other projects to keep members and the general public informed.
    * Fostered a growing network of Representatives throughout the nation who monitor important First Amendment issues, and work on behalf of the organization in their areas.
    * Grown a network of volunteers who perform a variety of important tasks in their community, from placing American Atheist books in libraries to writing letters and publicizing the Atheist perspective.
    * Preserved Atheist literature and history in the nation's largest archive of its kind. The library's holdings span over three hundred years of Atheist thought.Provided speakers for colleges, universities, clubs and the news media.
    * Granted college scholarships to young atheist activists

http://www.atheists.org/about

There is an atheist speaker's bureau.  These boys are serious. 

American Atheists Speakers' Bureau

Educating For Reason, State-Church Separation and Atheist Civil Rights...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The American Atheists Speaker’s Bureau provides outstanding lecturers on a range of topics of interest to nonbeliever groups and other organizations. Whether it is a debate or presentation format, our Speaker’s Bureau can help to make your organization’s next meeting an exciting and informative event!

FEES AND HONORARIUMS American Atheists will try to work with you in providing a speaker for a reasonable cost. This can factor in related expenses when appropriate, including travel and reasonable per diem, and other associated costs. A suitable honorarium is appreciated from institutions.

TOPICS OF INTEREST Whether it involves a philosophical subject, strategies for defending the First Amendment or political developments, The American Atheists Speaker’s Bureau will help to find and deliver the appropriate presentation for your organization.

http://www.atheists.org/about/speakers_bureau

[Agnostic007]

I'm not trying to convince you or anyone else of anything.  Just stating facts:  atheist churches, atheist hymnals, atheist websites, regular atheist meetings, atheist books, atheist activism, atheist lawsuits, etc., etc.  You can choose to put your own spin on those facts.  I don't really care. 

Atheists are religious as much as civil rights protesters were religious or women organizing for the right to vote was religious. All you've really shown is that in order to combat Religion being intertwined in government, Atheists have had to organize to insure we don't fall under a Christian Sharia law

[Dos Equis]

Atheists are religious as much as civil rights protesters were religious or women organizing for the right to vote was religious. All you've really shown is that in order to combat Religion being intertwined in government, Atheists have had to organize to insure we don't fall under a Christian Sharia law

Not the same as civil rights protesters, who successfully fought to change Jim Crow laws.  Atheists are doing precisely what Christians do:  have a common belief, meet weekly in atheist churches, sing out of atheist hymnals, publish magazines and books regarding their beliefs, have speakers, try and convert people, protest, file lawsuits, etc.  And there is no end in sight.  All the hallmarks of a religion. 

[Agnostic007]

Not the same as civil rights protesters, who successfully fought to change Jim Crow laws.  Atheists are doing precisely what Christians do:  have a common belief, meet weekly in atheist churches, sing out of atheist hymnals, publish magazines and books regarding their beliefs, have speakers, try and convert people, protest, file lawsuits, etc.  And there is no end in sight.  All the hallmarks of a religion. 

Except for the one main ingredient that is mandatory for a religion..

[Dos Equis]

Except for the one main ingredient that is mandatory for a religion..

Whatever that is. 

They share a main ingredient of unifying around the non-belief in something.  Weird, but that's what it amounts to.