Atheism on the Rise

I always figured we were under represented in polls. I think people are realizing that even though atheist are the most reviled group in America, there are a lot more of us than people realize.A lot of atheists are "in the closet' for the same reason homosexuals tended to be for years. They are afraid of being ostracized and afraid of family reaction.My basic reaction to what others thought of my atheism was "f' em".

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Facts don't lie or have an agenda. Facts are just facts

I do not think atheist are any less charitable than religious people. We just tend not to need to justify our intentions. I retired at a young age(married to a physician), and I volunteer at least 4 days a week at the local schools. If I were a christian, I would probably be doing it to secure myself preferential seating in some sort of post life paradise. As an atheist I do it because I know it will improve my community, which will in turn improve my life.

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Facts don't lie or have an agenda. Facts are just facts

I don't give a rats ass if my charity is visible. I don't need to impress anyone. I volunteer because I enjoy it and it improves my community. Anyone that feels they need to get recognition has another agenda. I find, yes this is just anecdotal evidence, that very few atheist feel the need for acknowledgment for their good works.The argument was made earlier that some protestant religions do not believe that good works affects your ability to get into heaven, but this has a weird way of manifesting itself. They believe that faith alone will get them into heaven, but there is the subcontext that doing good works shows their faith.An example of this is Calvinism. They believe in the elect. Before you are born it is decided if you are one of the elect and going to heaven. You never know if you are one of the elect, but your behavior on earth is determined by whether you are elect or not. It is a circular reasoning.For example,
I live a good, christian moral life so I may be one of the elect. He does not live a good christian moral life so he can not be.My point is a lot of christian churches and christians publicize their good works as an exaltation to their mythical being.

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Facts don't lie or have an agenda. Facts are just facts

quote:

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Until the christian movement can lop off the fundie branch their numbers will continue to plummet until only the most myopic isolationists remain.

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Like Republicans?

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Facts don't lie or have an agenda. Facts are just facts