Am I Inferior?

[GettinInTune]

I am an atheist and subjected to bigotry. According to some Christians, I am unfit to hold some public offices. If I do not believe in your god, I cannot partake in certain politics. It begs the question, why is God a bigot?

 

[Robbie_James_Francis]

Maybe he knows that if common sense starts to take a hold on society, his followers will start being sectioned.

 

[Beanieboy]

I don't think God is a bigot. It think that if you are a bigot, you create a Bigot God, who thinks it's ok to judge a person as unfit to hold office. You won't, say, pray to God for help, like Bush. You won't be able to blantantly lie, like Bush, because you aren't wearing sheep's clothing. You won't be able to spend a lot of money and lives on a questionable war, because it isn't a Holy War in your head, and God isn't on your side, but rather, you will think with your brain.

As 20 different Christians what God is like, and they will begin to tell you that God is love. Then they will start telling you completely different versions. To one, God hates sinners, and especially, homosexuals and abortion doctors, and will point to the OT to show how God hates the sin, AND the sinner. Another will say that God is just and merciful, and takes all things into consideration. Another will say that rules are rules, and God sends even the nicest athiest to hell, and the most cruel Christian to heaven.

They create God in their image, so that they don't have to change for God, but have God change for them.

It is the people that are the bigots, not God.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Any 'Christian' who attempts to force Christian values onto others through the agency of human government is apostate, and perfectly describes the 'harlot astride the beast'. We are called to come out of this world, not join with it in an unholy union of church and government.

owg

 

[The Nihilist]

Obviously, it's because you have no morals, and you could just up and start a genocide at any time. Also, you could make it legal to have sex with nine year olds, which everyone knows that is one of the primary goals of the EAC

 

[NavyGuy7]

I am an atheist and subjected to bigotry. According to some Christians, I am unfit to hold some public offices. If I do not believe in your god, I cannot partake in certain politics. It begs the question, why is God a bigot?

So because of the actions of a few people, you conclude God is a bigot. Allow me to enlighten you, as you seem to carry the same prejudice against Christians as many others, though you may not know it as a prejudice.

I'm assuming you, of course, think Christians have to be absolutely perfect. Well, that's impossible for us to do. Remember, we are human beings. And it angers me when people who say they are Christian say such things to non-Christians. My best friend is Mormon, yet I do not say he is "unfit" for anything just because he is Mormon. Remember, there are hypocrites among Christians, those who think they are doing the right thing. They decide they're going to try and remove a speck from another's eye, when they are totally blind because of the plank in their own.

So you cannot conclude God, a perfect being, is automatically a bigot through the actions of mortals, imperfect beings. At least, you can't reasonably conclude.

 

[suzybeezy]

So because of the actions of a few people, you conclude God is a bigot. Allow me to enlighten you, as you seem to carry the same prejudice against Christians as many others, though you may not know it as a prejudice.

I'm assuming you, of course, think Christians have to be absolutely perfect. Well, that's impossible for us to do. Remember, we are human beings. And it angers me when people who say they are Christian say such things to non-Christians. My best friend is Mormon, yet I do not say he is "unfit" for anything just because he is Mormon. Remember, there are hypocrites among Christians, those who think they are doing the right thing. They decide they're going to try and remove a speck from another's eye, when they are totally blind because of the plank in their own.

So you cannot conclude God, a perfect being, is automatically a bigot through the actions of mortals, imperfect beings. At least, you can't reasonably conclude.

So true, worth repeating!

 

[NavyGuy7]

I don't think God is a bigot. It think that if you are a bigot, you create a Bigot God, who thinks it's ok to judge a person as unfit to hold office. You won't, say, pray to God for help, like Bush. You won't be able to blantantly lie, like Bush, because you aren't wearing sheep's clothing. You won't be able to spend a lot of money and lives on a questionable war, because it isn't a Holy War in your head, and God isn't on your side, but rather, you will think with your brain.

As 20 different Christians what God is like, and they will begin to tell you that God is love. Then they will start telling you completely different versions. To one, God hates sinners, and especially, homosexuals and abortion doctors, and will point to the OT to show how God hates the sin, AND the sinner. Another will say that God is just and merciful, and takes all things into consideration. Another will say that rules are rules, and God sends even the nicest athiest to hell, and the most cruel Christian to heaven.

They create God in their image, so that they don't have to change for God, but have God change for them.

It is the people that are the bigots, not God.

Exactly my point. The people are to blame. Many times, though, they are misunderstanding a lot of things. God doesn't hate the sinner, but hates the sin, for one thing. And I find it disturbing that some of those who say they are Christians deny the possibility of hell. To say it does not exist is to say Christ's sacrifice was in vain. If we were all going to heaven anyway, then what is the point?

Unfortunately, people are people, and tend to view things how they want to see them. Even if it distorts truth. They give true Christians a bad name, as if the world didn't hate us enough already.

 

[Beanieboy]

Exactly my point. The people are to blame. Many times, though, they are misunderstanding a lot of things. God doesn't hate the sinner, but hates the sin, for one thing. And I find it disturbing that some of those who say they are Christians deny the possibility of hell. To say it does not exist is to say Christ's sacrifice was in vain. If we were all going to heaven anyway, then what is the point?

Unfortunately, people are people, and tend to view things how they want to see them. Even if it distorts truth. They give true Christians a bad name, as if the world didn't hate us enough already.

I'll go one step further - there is a brand of Christianity that is very vocal and doing Satan's work for him. They will go as far as to tell people that God hates them. (On numerous occassions, I have been told that God hates me because I am not Christian, and therefore, they hate me as well. They hate me because they love me too much, becasue, to them, love and hate are not the opposite, but part of one another. And the dish ran away the spoon.)

In the case of the OP, though, I will agree that when running for public office, you have to say that you are Christian, you say things like, "God Bless the United States of America", etc.

When I was a kid, Carter was asked if he had ever committed adultery. He admitted that he had thought about it, so he had committed adultery in his heart. People were outraged (by his simply temptation)! Why? Why didn't they think highly of him for resisting to act on it? Or to admit it in honesty, and not just say no? Are why didn't they think well of him for admitting that lust in his heart was the same as action, when most people don't, and it was according to the bible?

I wish this the US were truly a country of religious freedom, but because the majority are Christian, and of those, many of the older people are taught to believe that Christians-good, anyone else-bad, it is very, very difficult to be athiest, or Buddhist, or Muslim, and be the President, or Senator, or any office. It's not impossible, but people use Christianity in order to get into office, even if they only go on Christmas Eve and Easter.

That, I think, is far more disturbing than not being Christian. It's a spit in the face of the very God they revere, or say they revere.

 

[GettinInTune]

So because of the actions of a few people, you conclude God is a bigot.

It was hyperbole and perhaps a poor choice of words. I do not judge a group based on the actions of a few. There are Christians who have earned my respect. There are some who think I am inferior and unfit to hold public office due to my lack of belief.

Allow me to enlighten you, as you seem to carry the same prejudice against Christians as many others, though you may not know it as a prejudice.

I'm assuming you, of course, think Christians have to be absolutely perfect.

I never made that assumption.

 

[Beanieboy]

\I'm assuming you, of course, think Christians have to be absolutely perfect. Well, that's impossible for us to do. Remember, we are human beings. And it angers me when people who say they are Christian say such things to non-Christians.

Again, to you. One of the most frustrating things for me are the modern day Pharisee Christians who walk about pointing at people and saying, "drunkard," "harlot", "stoner", "[wash my mouth][wash my mouth][wash my mouth][wash my mouth]", often not even knowing the people. When you point back and say, "gossip" or "loveless", they shrug it off, and say, " Well, Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven."

In other words, they can condemn others, while above condemnation themselves, because they are not held to the law. Why would someone who is not held to the law blantantly want to break it? Who do you show mercy to, the 2 year old who spreads peanut butter on the floor because he doesn't no better, or the 4 year old who knows better, but knows that you will forgive him, so he does it anyway?

That is the current problem with the church. Unfortunately, they also have the right to vote.

 

[Harpuia]

So because of the actions of a few people, you conclude God is a bigot. Allow me to enlighten you, as you seem to carry the same prejudice against Christians as many others, though you may not know it as a prejudice.

I'm assuming you, of course, think Christians have to be absolutely perfect. Well, that's impossible for us to do. Remember, we are human beings. And it angers me when people who say they are Christian say such things to non-Christians. My best friend is Mormon, yet I do not say he is "unfit" for anything just because he is Mormon. Remember, there are hypocrites among Christians, those who think they are doing the right thing. They decide they're going to try and remove a speck from another's eye, when they are totally blind because of the plank in their own.

So you cannot conclude God, a perfect being, is automatically a bigot through the actions of mortals, imperfect beings. At least, you can't reasonably conclude.

Can I be honest with you?

If Christians, especially right-wing Christians, claim themselves to be more righteous than others, they SHOULD be held to a higher standard. The "only human" thing would just be an excuse to attack others for their beliefs while reassuring your own.

 

[NavyGuy7]

I agree. These Christians should be held responsible for their actions, as anyone else should. But not by you. Holding them to such an impossible standard would imply you are judging them. Yes, they are wrong for assuming they are more righteous than others, but you would be wrong to judge them in this indirect way. And such a standard would be used by those against Christianity on ALL Christians, when it clearly has been stated that not all of us are that way. That's like saying that because one person of a certain race is ignorant, that automatically makes all others in that race ignorant. You can see the bigotry in this, no?

Yes, the only human thing is an excuse for some of the Pharisee Christians, but don't be so ready to gun all of us down for the mistakes of others. Doing so would make you prejudiced against us, as I am sure it could be argued.

 

[Phred]

So because of the actions of a few people, you conclude God is a bigot.

No, an atheist has concluded that gods don't exist. If a god did exist (here's my two cents) I can't imagine it would care very much whether we believed in it or not. It's certainly smart enough to use us or not regardless of our beliefs to achieve its own ends. No, the the actions of a few (far more than a few) my conclusions are that people are bigots.

Allow me to enlighten you, as you seem to carry the same prejudice against Christians as many others, though you may not know it as a prejudice.

What's the difference between a prejudice and a judgment? Oh right, one is unfair and one is fairly arrived at. Look, we're all prejudiced and racist and bigoted to some extent. The point is we know it's wrong. Those who don't are the problem.

I'm assuming you, of course, think Christians have to be absolutely perfect.

Just those who claim to be.

Well, that's impossible for us to do. Remember, we are human beings. And it angers me when people who say they are Christian say such things to non-Christians. My best friend is Mormon, yet I do not say he is "unfit" for anything just because he is Mormon.

edited

Remember, there are hypocrites among Christians, those who think they are doing the right thing. They decide they're going to try and remove a speck from another's eye, when they are totally blind because of the plank in their own.

That would be any Christian who thinks that what they believe applies to anyone but themselves... but, seeing as the religion tells you otherwise we have a quandary there, don't we?

So you cannot conclude God, a perfect being, is automatically a bigot through the actions of mortals, imperfect beings. At least, you can't reasonably conclude.

You can't conclude God exists. So anything after that is just your opinion. And you're on him about the bigot thing?

 

[Harpuia]

I agree. These Christians should be held responsible for their actions, as anyone else should. But not by you. Holding them to such an impossible standard would imply you are judging them. Yes, they are wrong for assuming they are more righteous than others, but you would be wrong to judge them in this indirect way. And such a standard would be used by those against Christianity on ALL Christians, when it clearly has been stated that not all of us are that way. That's like saying that because one person of a certain race is ignorant, that automatically makes all others in that race ignorant. You can see the bigotry in this, no?

Yes, the only human thing is an excuse for some of the Pharisee Christians, but don't be so ready to gun all of us down for the mistakes of others. Doing so would make you prejudiced against us, as I am sure it could be argued.

It's just hard to see that, especially when you're on a forum everyday and you see everyone with a cross and an elephant, with the exception of a select quiet few, speaking, shouting, and throwing the same comments over and over, like you can't really tell the difference between one and the other.

 

[GettinInTune]

Perhaps I should have posed the question differently: Does a lack of belief make one inferior and unfit for public office?

 

[charmtrap]

If Mormons truly believe the things they claim to believe then they are unfit for lots of things. For if they espoused these things under any guise but religion they'd be locked up.

Wow...talk about naked bigotry. What the hell? A mormon sleep with your wife or something?

 

[ArchaicTruth]

Stereotyping is a rather rampant problem, and has been for as long as anyone here can attest to, and even before them I'm sure. This bigot God you speak of is only an image of God created in the minds of flawed people. If God is perfect, then none should be able to speak of him in such a manner, for as we are flawed beings, so our thoughts are flawed, and in turn our idea of perfection is flawed.

Only lack of a sound mind and leadership skills is reason to be catapulted from office.

 

[Renton405]

Haven't we had quite a good amount of athiest/non-christian presidents??

George Wasington
George Washington never once took communion.
John Adams
Thomas Jefferson
James Madison
James Monroe
John Quincy Adams
Andrew Jackson
Great Early Patriots
Benjamin Franklin
Thomas Paine
Later Presidents
John Tyler
Abraham Lincoln:
Ulysses S. Grant
Theodore Roosevelt
Primary Influences on the Founding Fathers
John Locke (1632-1704)
Lesser Influences
Plato
Ferdinand Magellan


We've had quite a large amount of non-christian presidents in the US. I don't understand why non-christians are so confused about this..Could it be maybe that the office just didn't want you because of your work ethic and not your religious beliefs??

 

[GettinInTune]

I think deism died out of the oval with Andrew Jackson. One can argue Lincoln was a deist; he admired Thomas Paine. Teddy Roosevelt hyperbolically called Thomas Paine a "filthy little atheist".

Even though I have some reverence for Teddy, that's not cool.