Hmmm, sounds like an even better strip than I thought!

In all seriousness, the growing imposition of religion in our politics and our lives, and the chilling absense of unbelievers and skeptics in popular culture is the source of great sadness for me. [img]/resources/ubb/frown.gif[/img]

Anyone calling himself an un-believer is a believer by default. You believe in something to not believe.

Or maybe you're just a straightforward believer, trying to not believe.

One or the other.

To clarify, BTR, I'm an atheist.

Unbelief doesn't refer simply to atheism. It also refers to skepticism in general. And even those who want to adhere to their religious beliefs would profit from a better understanding of skepticism and the scientific method.

I don't believe this.

To respond further to the above-- if somebody tells you a lie, and you recognize it as such, does that make you either a believer in the untruth of that lie or someone who is trying not to believe the lie? Maybe so, but doesn't that needlessly complicate things? What about the person who hasn't even been told the lie? They don't fall into either category.

Furthermore, if someone is a Christian, say, and they are told about Buddhism and don't believe it, are they then in the position of either believing in the untruth of Buddhism, or of trying not to believe in Buddhism? Ordinarily nobody presumes to impose this philosophical connundrum upon Christians (or Buddhists, for that matter.)

But there is a kind of subtle bigotry that the religious have towards atheists, that they hope to undermine their position by loading them up with this silly excess baggage.

Why not just let Christians be Christians, Buddhists be Buddhists, and atheists be atheists?

I'm all for that Joe, even in the face of some of them saying for example, that the floods that nearly wiped out Jamaica a few years back were some sort of divine retribution for Jamaicans as a nation "turning their backs from God", I've heard more than one "christian" espouse that particular dogma, so it's a bit mystifying.

Atheism is cool, I look at it as a sort of "I'm so pissed at God I won't even speak to him for this whole lifetime incarnation" kind of thing. I think God can relate to atheism, no matter what the mouthpieces of organized religion suggest.

That's kind of like defining a Christian as someone who hates the Norse pantheon.

Which, if you think about it, is kind of the root of Christian theology. I'll never forget chanting "There is no Midgard Serpent! There is no Midgard Serpent!" in Sunday School.

Jack, which God am I supposed to be pissed at?

Assuming for the sake of argument that you are not a Scientologist, does that mean you're pissed at L. Ron Hubbard?

Taking your position to its logical conclusion, we must both be royally pissed at a whole helluva lot of mythical beings!

Maybe so, but I understand and forgive you both. Joe especially, as he's done me the honor of answering my posts kindly from time to time despite the fact of his disbelief in my existance. Now THAT is one good hearted man.