Well, I actually don't truly believe that and I'm also not a big fan of arguing with people.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

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I think you're misreading Harris. He doesn't claim expertise on many subjects. He's a guy who starts conversations. It's certainly fine if you dislike him, but I'd be interested in what specifically you disagree with him on.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

Zeph nailed him. He DOES act like an expert on everything, even when talking to experts on the subject. I posted the interview with Bruce Schneier, a security expert, where he tried talking down to Bruce on the subject of airport security and just got owned at every turn.

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Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

You and I have had this conversation. I know you don't like him.He didn't talk down to Schneier at all. If anything it was the other way around.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

It is not about something being brought up. I couldn't care less if you told me that you were an atheist. I'm not going to try to convince you why you shouldn't be one or mock what you believe. Most religious people under 40 that I've encountered are generally the same way. MANY atheist I know get pissed every time God or Jesus are mentioned. MANY of them spend a lot of time trying to convince you that you are wrong or mock you for your beliefs. Even on this board the religious people aren't mocking those who don't believe.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

And religious people on this board are not really mocked either. You and Spaulding have very weird associates.

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Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

I've never had an atheist knock on my door and try to convince me not to believe in anything.

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Do you consider atheists putting up an A in Daley Center during the time a Christian crèche is present is militant? I have no ulterior motives in asking the question. I just would like to hear people's thoughts.

It seems like a pretty aggressive move from my perspective. They could claim any other holiday period as theirs, with very logical dates like Thanksgiving or 4th of July. However, their display is not so much an assertion as a response. The crèche or the menorah are not meant as a thumbing of the nose to those who don't agree. I don't think you can say the same about the A, even if it may also have other, alternative explanations for the importance of that time of their to atheists...and they appropriated the A from anarchists

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

I said under 40

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

From a practical perspective, I think it is aggressive and unnecessary, and it certainly does nothing to advance any constructive conversation. I would never take part in it.

From a philosophical perspective, I do think that atheists representing their views in a public place that is adorned with decorations for a specific religion is "fair." But we don't live in a perfect world, and Christianity inarguably had influences on America and our ideals. An educated atheist must at least be aware of this and recognize that moving the meter to a more secular government and way of life will take time. This is just sort of a dickish thing to do. There are better ways to go about making your point that don't ostracize religious people.

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No, not militant, but a little douchey. In my mind, atheistic militancy in that scenario would involve attempting to get the displays removed, legally or illegally, or in some way defacing them**. Placing something symbolizing atheism in the same (publicly owned, I believe) area as other symbolic expressions of theism (in a culture in which the separation of Church and State is codified) is not aggressive enough to be considered militant.

It is, however, kinda douchey, because as you said: there are any number of times to express an aversion to theism throughout the year, doing so to just-so-happen coincide with the religious celebrations of other major religions is "bad optics", and belies a childish MO.

**EDIT: ...or degrading them. It occurred to me that there is a symbol of atheism that would cross over into militancy, for my tastes: the Flying Spaghetti Monster. If an atheist or group of atheists attempted to construct or completed a depiction of the Flying Spaghetti Monster for display next to other religious expressions, the divisiveness of the very spirit of the FSM thought experiment would warrant a "militant" label.

I think a symbol of non-religious giving and charity would have been more appropriate. Like Oprah.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Yeah, that's a good thought.

EVEYBODY GETS A CAR!

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I've had plenty of people under 40 tell me to go to church, convert to their religion, say that religion is necessary to properly raise children or have it mentioned as a way of being "good". It happens far more than even causal mentions of doubting religion in causal conversation. I can assume that you find doubting religion to be irksome, so you like to call atheists annoying.

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Why are only 14 percent of black CPS 11th-graders proficient in English?

Just as long as they don't respond to obvious inaccuracies posted by others.

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There is at least one poster here that is in danger of slipping a disc trying to bend over backwards to convince others that he is an atheist.

When that disc eventually pops, my chiropractor will be ready to help.

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If my post is innaccurate feel free to respond as to why. I don't really see it but I might be wrong.

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Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

I'm not sure how many times I can say I don't care what you believe but I will try it again. I don't care what you believe. I'm not going to beat you up for your beliefs.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

It happens.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

So it's only Spaulding that is constantly dealing with militant atheists?

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

You don't read Darkside either.

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I try not to

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Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

Brick and leash as well I guess.

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Leash is a militant atheist. Does Rick mock your religion? He's a dick so probably but I haven't seen it I guess.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

I believe I self-identify as the same religion as him.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

He still mocks the religion though.

Which is his right.

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That's not really mocking though. Anyway, to save the semantics arguments, let's just call leash a 6.

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Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

I didn't think that was mocking at all.

Just trying to update you as to what leash self describes himself as. I know that you are a very busy young man and didn't have time to read the whole thread.

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