Things are looking up.

[FluffyMcDeath]

Tithes must be waaaaay down. 10% of nothing is nothing, after all. Now is the time to become an atheist. It's so much more affordable and you get your Sundays back.

Hour of Power church is broke

 

[Robert]

In addition to a $36 million mortgage, the Orange County-based church owes $7.5 million to several hundred vendors for services ranging from advertising to the use of live animals in Easter and Christmas services.

Sweet, sufferin Jeebus!

 

[metalman]

Crystal Cathedral was founded at a drive-in theater and attracted congregants with its sermons on the power of positive thinking.

Just like another televangelist in the news

 

[cecilia]

I'm a proud atheist.

my money stays in my pocket :mrgreen:

 

[metalman]

I'm a proud atheist.

Though ordained in the Reformed Church in America, Schuller minimized historic Christian orthodoxy and stressed instead the message of positive thinking. In his 1982 book, Self-Esteem: The New Reformation, Schuller explicitly replaced the message of salvation from sin with a message of rescue from low self-esteem. In his 2001 autobiography, My Journey, Schuller told of the massive influence of Dale Carnegie and Norman Vincent Peale on his thinking and theology. He told of his decision early in his ministry to replace theology with therapy. “I realized that every sermon I preached (whether formally from the pulpit or casually at a coffee shop) should be designed, not to ‘teach’ or ‘convert’ people, but rather to encourage them, to give them a lift. I decided to adopt the spirit, style, strategy, and substance of a ‘therapist’ on the pulpit

“Possibility Thinking” was Schuller’s central message, proclaimed from the "Gospel of Success.” A message of this-worldly well-being through the power of positive thinking.

Seems like it would be the perfect church for atheists.

Oh Lord! Won't You Buy Me A Mercedes-Benz?

 

[cecilia]

I'm a proud atheist.

my money stays in my pocket :mrgreen:

there's no such thing as a church for atheists

anyone that claims to be part of such nonsense is NOT an atheist.

atheist don't join anything.

 

[metalman]

I'm a proud atheist.

my money stays in my pocket :mrgreen:

"IN GOD WE TRUST"

atheist don't join anything.

So which denominations of atheism are you? Communist, Evolutionary, or Libertarian?

Your definitely an Evangelical.

 

[faethor]

there's no such thing as a church for atheists

anyone that claims to be part of such nonsense is NOT an atheist.

atheist don't join anything.

There is small atheist Sunday events cropping up. Typically these are in the larger cities. The events are to meet like minded people and support the community around them. They don't worship anything they get together and have coffee and bundt cake.

In the larger context your statement is correct. It's Christians who get together religiously (pun intended). Are lead by central authorities. If there's an organized threat it's not from Atheists.

 

[FluffyMcDeath]

"IN GOD WE TRUST"

Typical slack quality control at the US mint. Typos like this really shouldn't get through. It's spelled Gee, Oh, ELL, Dee.

 

[cecilia]

I'm a proud atheist.

my money stays in my pocket :mrgreen:

"IN GOD WE TRUST"

the only type I care about on money is the NUMBERS. 1, 5, 10, 20, etc
even the occasional 2

atheist don't join anything.

So which denominations of atheism are you? Communist, Evolutionary, or Libertarian?

Your definitely an Evangelical.

I have never paid dues to any group. and i don't collect money so i can't be a slimmy evangelical

try again

 

[cecilia]

there's no such thing as a church for atheists

anyone that claims to be part of such nonsense is NOT an atheist.

atheist don't join anything.

There is small atheist Sunday events cropping up. Typically these are in the larger cities. The events are to meet like minded people and support the community around them. They don't worship anything they get together and have coffee and bundt cake.

In the larger context your statement is correct. It's Christians who get together religiously (pun intended). Are lead by central authorities. If there's an organized threat it's not from Atheists.

I've noticed there are pages on FaceBook where atheists are free to talk to each other. Frankly, I had no idea there were so many people who are rational and reasonable. gives me hope for the future.

i'm STILL not joining any group or giving my money, however. :mrgreen:

 

[faethor]

I've noticed there are pages on FaceBook where atheists are free to talk to each other. Frankly, I had no idea there were so many people who are rational and reasonable. gives me hope for the future.

i'm STILL not joining any group or giving my money, however. :mrgreen:

Not all groups on Facebook are public. I'm on a couple of private groups, none are atheist related. Friendly Atheist website does have a presence. It's fairly vocal.

Speaking of donations the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation might be considered Atheist. They don't fund evengelical Atheist causes. (Is there such a thing?) They have some great medical causes and Bill Gates is supposedly an Atheist. (Which of course proves that Bill Gates is not the Devil because the Devil not only believes there is a god he would know it.)

There are quite a few people who are rational thinkers in our society. And as a society founded out of the Enlightenment period we have a rich history of Free Thinkers. I'd characterize Atheists and Rational thinkers as related but not one in the same. I see rational thinking as the trip as it's a way to look at the world. I see Atheism as a destination as it's an end point. Typically people use rationalism to get to Atheism which to me means they are closely related, but not the same. I do know some very strong rational thinkers that are simply blocked at applying the methodology of rationalism (some might call scientific method) to analyze the question of an existence of a higher power.

 

[metalman]

atheist don't join anything.

So which denominations of atheism are you? Communist, Evolutionary, or Libertarian?

Your definitely an Evangelical.

I have never paid dues to any group. and i don't collect money so i can't be a slimmy evangelical

try again

Evangelism: the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs

:roflmao:
Your doing an awful lot of evangelizing atheism, rather than quietly reading your un-scriptures.

 

[metalman]

One of you is an infidel. The other, an atheist

 

[cecilia]

Evangelism: the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs

:roflmao:
Your doing an awful lot of evangelizing atheism, rather than quietly reading your un-scriptures.

you do realize that i don't give a rat's ass what YOU believe in, right???

I ain't sellin' nothin'

no money goes into MY pocket - unless it's from WORK I do. Not an idea I have.

you will never hear me say, 'I saw a UFO and he wants me to build a church...give me money"

 

[cecilia]

I've noticed there are pages on FaceBook where atheists are free to talk to each other. Frankly, I had no idea there were so many people who are rational and reasonable. gives me hope for the future.

i'm STILL not joining any group or giving my money, however. :mrgreen:

Not all groups on Facebook are public. I'm on a couple of private groups, none are atheist related. Friendly Atheist website does have a presence. It's fairly vocal.

Speaking of donations the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation might be considered Atheist. They don't fund evengelical Atheist causes. (Is there such a thing?) They have some great medical causes and Bill Gates is supposedly an Atheist. (Which of course proves that Bill Gates is not the Devil because the Devil not only believes there is a god he would know it.)

There are quite a few people who are rational thinkers in our society. And as a society founded out of the Enlightenment period we have a rich history of Free Thinkers. I'd characterize Atheists and Rational thinkers as related but not one in the same. I see rational thinking as the trip as it's a way to look at the world. I see Atheism as a destination as it's an end point. Typically people use rationalism to get to Atheism which to me means they are closely related, but not the same. I do know some very strong rational thinkers that are simply blocked at applying the methodology of rationalism (some might call scientific method) to analyze the question of an existence of a higher power.

interesting. I think I was an atheist from the age of about 5 or 6, So I came to my disinterest in voodoo very early in life.
But, being rational really takes work. every single day you have to choose. It's not hard work, but you have to stay alert because there's lots of people who want to encourage wacko thinking.

I know Gates gives lots of money to charities but I'll have to check out what medical stuff he encourages. and, yes, this IS a good thing.

 

[faethor]

interesting. I think I was an atheist from the age of about 5 or 6, So I came to my disinterest in voodoo very early in life.

If my two kids are 'typical' they are evidence that one is born with rationalism built in. Religiousness? No so much.

But, being rational really takes work. every single day you have to choose. It's not hard work, but you have to stay alert because there's lots of people who want to encourage wacko thinking.

I know what you mean. Sometimes it's hard to let someone live in ignorance. But, if they appear unapproachable I often let them live with their misexplaination. I'm often amazed at home much people don't know about physics. Really people the door shut due to change in pressure not the ghost of your dead Grandma.

 

[cecilia]

But, being rational really takes work. every single day you have to choose. It's not hard work, but you have to stay alert because there's lots of people who want to encourage wacko thinking.

I know what you mean. Sometimes it's hard to let someone live in ignorance. But, if they appear unapproachable I often let them live with their misexplaination. I'm often amazed at home much people don't know about physics. Really people the door shut due to change in pressure not the ghost of your dead Grandma.

it is also amazing that some people can be brilliant and educated for most things, and every once in a while they hold on to some strange superstition. I figure as long as they are ok people and rational most of the time a little eccentricity is fine.

it's the people who want to pass laws making their superstitions affecting my life that I have a problem with

 

[metalman]

Evangelism: the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs

:roflmao:
Your doing an awful lot of evangelizing atheism, rather than quietly reading your un-scriptures.

you do realize that i don't give a rat's ass what YOU believe in, right???

:roflmao: you do care, or you would not have responded with so much "passion" :roflmao:

you will never hear me say, 'I saw a UFO and he wants me to build a church...give me money"

hmmm, that eliminates the "The Raëlians" who consider UFO sightings as proof of their messenger's claims. ...

Guess your more suited for "$cientology" its beliefs and practices are based on the scientific research of Dianetics and E-Meter auditing. After you become a Clear, you will be prepared for the advanced teachings of the story of Xenu.

 

[the_leander]

Guess your more suited for "$cientology" its beliefs and practices are based on the scientific research of Dianetics and E-Meter auditing.

There is nothing scientific about Dianetics or auditing.

Could it be that Cecilia was in fact, exactly what she said she was?