Bible Ban sparks flood of hate mail

[zensiert]

I agree with gramma. No religion means no religion. If gideon bibles are offered (with parental consent) then every other religious book would need to be offered as well.

If anything, I would love to tick off the religious right by making the consent form deliciously vague... something like "would you consent to your child receiving religious material from local organizations?" Then sit back, crack open a beer and have fun seeing the excrement go flying once little Bobby and Jane bring home Wiccan and Atheist materials...

[Nom_de_Plume]

If anything, I would love to tick off the religious right by making the consent form deliciously vague... something like "would you consent to your child receiving religious material from local organizations?" Then sit back, crack open a beer and have fun seeing the excrement go flying once little Bobby and Jane bring home Wiccan and Atheist materials...

That would be somewhat amusing, however just for clarification purposes, atheist isn't a religion (ergo it's not something one needs to capitalize) it's the absence of one.
simple definitions:
religion = belief in some sort of deity(ies) or supreme beings
atheist = no belief in deity(ies) or supreme beings

[Glacier]

I'm not entirely sure about that. Normally atheist is not capitalized. For example: "Are you an atheist or a theist?"

However, it is used as a proper noun in some contexts. I'm thinking that zensiert's sentence above would be one such case. If it weren't a proper noun he would have used the word atheistic instead.

[cliffy1]

How about the distribution of graphic novels to students, full of sex and violence. Wouldn't be much different than the old testament.

[Nom_de_Plume]

I'm not entirely sure about that.

http://atheism.about.com/od/definitionofatheism/a/CapitalizingAtheism.htm

[Nom_de_Plume]

How about the distribution of graphic novels to students, full of sex and violence. Wouldn't be much different than the old testament.

Agree, and equally inappropriate (well almost)
Most bibles don't have pictures, I think the visuals in the graphic novels would make them slightly worse.

[Glacier]

Normally I'd agree with you, but you cannot write a sentence with two nouns in a row unless one of them is a proper noun.

[zensiert]

If anything, I would love to tick off the religious right by making the consent form deliciously vague... something like "would you consent to your child receiving religious material from local organizations?" Then sit back, crack open a beer and have fun seeing the excrement go flying once little Bobby and Jane bring home Wiccan and Atheist materials...

That would be somewhat amusing, however just for clarification purposes, atheist isn't a religion (ergo it's not something one needs to capitalize) it's the absence of one.
simple definitions:
religion = belief in some sort of deity(ies) or supreme beings
atheist = no belief in deity(ies) or supreme beings

You are entirely correct. As the old saying goes, if religions were like the channels on a TV, you get Atheism when you turn the TV off.

However, it is religious in that it provides a non-religious secular counterpoint to religious dogma. It is the other side of the religion coin, and therefore should be in the same category as religion.

[36Drew]

it is religious in that it provides a non-religious secular counterpoint to religious dogma. It is the other side of the religion coin, and therefore should be in the same category as religion.

Perhaps - kind of like how not smoking could be called a habit, and not collecting stamps is a hobby.

Perhaps you're confusing atheism with anti-religion (kind of like non-smoking with anti-smoking)?

[zensiert]

it is religious in that it provides a non-religious secular counterpoint to religious dogma. It is the other side of the religion coin, and therefore should be in the same category as religion.

Perhaps - kind of like how not smoking could be called a habit, and not collecting stamps is a hobby.

Perhaps you're confusing atheism with anti-religion (kind of like non-smoking with anti-smoking)?

Personal atheism is very different than activist atheism. Personal atheism is what exists between the two ears of anyone who does not believe in a higher being. Activist atheism is what exists between people, when they make others (who are curious about disbelief and critical thinking) aware of what Atheism is.

Your "plain atheism" is much like a personal decision to not believe. Your "anti-religion" is much like a set of brochures designed to be taken home by students to provide them with information about Atheism, much like how they brought home Bibles to learn about Theism.

So yes, in your terminology atheism between people is very much indeed anti-religion. It provides a counter-point to religion being disseminated between people, and is very much the other side of the coin.

Besides, your "anti-religion" is a very strange term that I have never heard before. What is an anti-religion? Do we decide to ostracize members from society simply because they believe in an invisible psychopathic sky-god? Do we spit on them in the street and call them evil due to their beliefs? Do we send theists death threats when they defend the constitution? Do we deny them jobs, deny them access to their children or entry into social/youth organizations because of their belief? Do we go around shooting worshippers because of their belief? No, Nope and Hell No. And yet, the reverse happens to Atheists all the time.

IMHO your "anti-religion" term is very misleading, because the vast majority of atheists do not promote the destruction of religion -- it would be like shooting ourselves in the foot: we promote freedom of religion, we just emphasize that it also includes freedom from your religion. If anything, we are just fighting for an end to persecution of non-theists and outreach to others who are questioning their faith (or have already done so, but who are too frightened to "come out of the closet").

[Nom_de_Plume]

I might be able to shed some light on this anti-religion thing Z
I've met lots of people who have a very strong belief in a deity but are opposed to organized religion and it's nutty followers.
so they want religion to stay they heck out of their life (which is actually sometimes compatible with atheist beliefs in that regard)
so possibly anti-religion means this.

[zensiert]

I might be able to shed some light on this anti-religion thing Z
I've met lots of people who have a very strong belief in a deity but are opposed to organized religion and it's nutty followers.
so they want religion to stay they heck out of their life (which is actually sometimes compatible with atheist beliefs in that regard)
so possibly anti-religion means this.

That is far narrower than what I would have defined it as. To me, anti-religion should be just like anti-atheism, in that (with anti-atheism) those who are non-theistic are persecuted for their non-belief directly and personally. Ergo, anti-religion should target the theists directly, to the point where they are actively discriminated against (loss of job, loss of access to children, heavy social stigma, etc.) due to their own personal and private theistic beliefs.

[Nom_de_Plume]

That is far narrower than what I would have defined it as. To me, anti-religion should be just like anti-atheism, in that (with anti-atheism) those who are non-theistic are persecuted for their non-belief directly and personally. Ergo, anti-religion should target the theists directly, to the point where they are actively discriminated against (loss of job, loss of access to children, heavy social stigma, etc.) due to their own personal and private theistic beliefs.

yes that's why I thought I'd clarify.
Anyone who've I've met who terms themselves as anti-religious is only opposing that. Organized religion and their zealot dogma.
They usually have a strong belief in a deity and it's associated minions, but prefer to worship at home away from the others who they find just poison their faith.
Not saying anything at all really except giving you my definition of the term based on my interaction with others who claim this particular phrase as their credo.
Oh forgot to add
they also don't want those zealots pushing their crazy beliefs into everyone elses everyday life. Definitely want a separation of church and state, because they don't believe they can be trusted to make proper choices because their belief system has been poisoned.

[French Castanut]

Never got a bible in school. Only the "new testament" back in 2-3rd grade. a pink one. i've read it once and thought jesus was born and dead 4 times LOL. Don't recall having to ask parent's auth to receive it cuz I guess I was receiving "catholic" classes already.

That was 21 years ago.