Comments on: An Atheist Defense of Christianity http://the-classic-liberal.com/atheist-defense-christianity/ Libertarian & Old Right Conservative News, Politics, Economics, Opinion, Analysis. Tue, 22 May 2012 10:50:23 -0400 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: bittramp http://the-classic-liberal.com/atheist-defense-christianity/comment-page-1/#comment-38367 bittramp Fri, 28 Jan 2011 01:51:29 +0000 http://the-classic-liberal.com/?p=16394#comment-38367 So somehow it becomes logical to side with a Theocracy? Hardly. If you believe that the people with imaginary cosmologies are somehow better than the power hungry, you are correct at picking the less of two evils. But there is that insidious marriage of the two. If you have bolstered the spirits of those fighting in your rebellion by telling them of the rewards they will receive in the afterlife, then yeah, you can't start backpedaling now, you big political animal, you. You have to start teaching tolerance. Once you see the demographics on our military force's volunteers, it suddenly makes sense to compromise and kowtow and hope you can use this as a wedge between state and population. But what happens when they start electing God fearin' ppl? You know, the ones whose ultimate authority is a complete work of fiction in your view. So somehow it becomes logical to side with a Theocracy? Hardly. If you believe that the people with imaginary cosmologies are somehow better than the power hungry, you are correct at picking the less of two evils. But there is that insidious marriage of the two.

If you have bolstered the spirits of those fighting in your rebellion by telling them of the rewards they will receive in the afterlife, then yeah, you can't start backpedaling now, you big political animal, you. You have to start teaching tolerance. Once you see the demographics on our military force's volunteers, it suddenly makes sense to compromise and kowtow and hope you can use this as a wedge between state and population. But what happens when they start electing God fearin' ppl? You know, the ones whose ultimate authority is a complete work of fiction in your view.

]]> By: Colin http://the-classic-liberal.com/atheist-defense-christianity/comment-page-1/#comment-12298 Colin Sat, 27 Feb 2010 15:28:18 +0000 http://the-classic-liberal.com/?p=16394#comment-12298 The state is just another religion. There's this ominous thing out there. Last time around it was called "God", this time it's called "Government". It demands your obedience, and can crush you if you falter, but do exactly what you're told and everything will be okay. Just as there is no such thing as a god, only individuals and the things they say and do, there is no such thing as "the government", or "the state", or "the Public". Only individuals, and the things they say and do. The state is just another religion. There's this ominous thing out there. Last time around it was called "God", this time it's called "Government". It demands your obedience, and can crush you if you falter, but do exactly what you're told and everything will be okay.

Just as there is no such thing as a god, only individuals and the things they say and do, there is no such thing as "the government", or "the state", or "the Public". Only individuals, and the things they say and do.

]]> By: misanthropope http://the-classic-liberal.com/atheist-defense-christianity/comment-page-1/#comment-7750 misanthropope Sat, 14 Nov 2009 09:00:20 +0000 http://the-classic-liberal.com/?p=16394#comment-7750 no despotism on earth has ever matched the intransigent hatred of human freedom that characterizes the death cults that fester in the Middle East and United States. There are terrible governments and merely bad ones, but every advance humanity has ever made has been against the full weight of ignorant, authoritarian, bigoted superstition. The ugliest charge that can be laid against libertarianism is that it has been influenced by Rand. She was a f***ing FICTION WRITER, you morons! she appeals to your ego and the critical thinking faculty just gets flushed down the old endocrine system. Zero difference from L Ron Hubbard no despotism on earth has ever matched the intransigent hatred of human freedom that characterizes the death cults that fester in the Middle East and United States. There are terrible governments and merely bad ones, but every advance humanity has ever made has been against the full weight of ignorant, authoritarian, bigoted superstition.

The ugliest charge that can be laid against libertarianism is that it has been influenced by Rand. She was a f***ing FICTION WRITER, you morons! she appeals to your ego and the critical thinking faculty just gets flushed down the old endocrine system. Zero difference from L Ron Hubbard

]]> By: Strabismus http://the-classic-liberal.com/atheist-defense-christianity/comment-page-1/#comment-7749 Strabismus Sat, 14 Nov 2009 08:17:50 +0000 http://the-classic-liberal.com/?p=16394#comment-7749 Robert, you are funny! It seems you are insecure in your beliefs and so you blame it on religion. Keep in mind, folks, that the religious are not the religion. True, most religions are man-made but you wouldn't say a mental hospital is a reprehensible institution simply because it houses those who are insane. It's WHY they're there and what happens there that matters. Don't overlook utility because of misuse. A knife can be dangerous: it can be used to kill a man. But it can also be used to cut bread and do many other good things. It would be foolish to say that we as humans are perfect. It would also be foolish to say that, though we are imperfect we don't need any guidance. Spite is one of the most self-destructive aspects of humans. If someone says something true but you detest that person or his/her ideologies, you are likely to either deny what they say or grudgingly agree with them. Truth is universal. One thing I disagree with in the article is that an enemy of one's enemy is a friend. What if it's a free-for-all and the enemy of your enemy also declares YOU to be his enemy? Robert, you are funny! It seems you are insecure in your beliefs and so you blame it on religion.

Keep in mind, folks, that the religious are not the religion. True, most religions are man-made but you wouldn't say a mental hospital is a reprehensible institution simply because it houses those who are insane. It's WHY they're there and what happens there that matters. Don't overlook utility because of misuse. A knife can be dangerous: it can be used to kill a man. But it can also be used to cut bread and do many other good things. It would be foolish to say that we as humans are perfect. It would also be foolish to say that, though we are imperfect we don't need any guidance.

Spite is one of the most self-destructive aspects of humans. If someone says something true but you detest that person or his/her ideologies, you are likely to either deny what they say or grudgingly agree with them. Truth is universal.

One thing I disagree with in the article is that an enemy of one's enemy is a friend. What if it's a free-for-all and the enemy of your enemy also declares YOU to be his enemy?

]]> By: D'n http://the-classic-liberal.com/atheist-defense-christianity/comment-page-1/#comment-7690 D'n Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:12:02 +0000 http://the-classic-liberal.com/?p=16394#comment-7690 The problem is that the fundamental tenant of nearly every religion is obedience to authority. The state claims that it is the source of all liberty. Religion claims the same thing. Yes religious groups can be opposed to the tyranny of the state. In the same way in medieval Europe their were people so loyal to the king that they fought against the control of the catholic church. Does that make kings agents of freedom? No, the enemy of my enemy is not actually my friend. They may be convenient, but they do not automatically become friends. Look at the Taliban, almost all of the middle east, most of southeast Asia, and the religious fight against gay marriage. Religion, like the state, claims that it has supreme moral authority to do whatever it wants. Religious libertarians are fine as long as they adhere to the principles of liberty over the principles of their religion. Otherwise they will oppose the state for the sole purpose of imposing a theocracy. Every single time that religion has gained power it has codified its religious strictures into law. Yes, unfortunately, many people have been threatened with a gun to the head to go to church. Even now throughout the world religions are using the law (which is forever backed by threat of violence) to enforce purely religious tenants. The problem is that the fundamental tenant of nearly every religion is obedience to authority. The state claims that it is the source of all liberty. Religion claims the same thing. Yes religious groups can be opposed to the tyranny of the state. In the same way in medieval Europe their were people so loyal to the king that they fought against the control of the catholic church. Does that make kings agents of freedom? No, the enemy of my enemy is not actually my friend. They may be convenient, but they do not automatically become friends.
Look at the Taliban, almost all of the middle east, most of southeast Asia, and the religious fight against gay marriage. Religion, like the state, claims that it has supreme moral authority to do whatever it wants. Religious libertarians are fine as long as they adhere to the principles of liberty over the principles of their religion. Otherwise they will oppose the state for the sole purpose of imposing a theocracy. Every single time that religion has gained power it has codified its religious strictures into law. Yes, unfortunately, many people have been threatened with a gun to the head to go to church. Even now throughout the world religions are using the law (which is forever backed by threat of violence) to enforce purely religious tenants.

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