December 10, 2008 4:12pm by Steve | 
“So many Gods, so many creeds,
So many paths that wind and wind,
When just the art of being kind
Is all this sad world needs.”
Courtesy of the wonderful Freedom From Religion Foundation.
On a side note, a sign displaying this message was stolen from the Legislative Building in Olympia, Washington as it resided along side a nativity scene. The nativity scene was untouched.
Silly Christians, “thou shalt not steal.”
Category: 
HOORAAAAYYYY Winter Solstice Season! Oh no, wait, it’s cold, wet and gets dark early. Yeah, this season sucks. Thanks anyway Steve.
David,
I t think there are few things better than getting up in the morning and looking out upon a quiet world covered in whit blanket of snow.
Hmmm, after the brief moment of calm, and reality sets in, how does it rank against the shoveling-it experience?
Davo
David,
I don’t mind shoveling at all; although if possibly my preference is to not leave the house until the snow melts. It is after cars start driving and turn all the show brown that things start to suck.
So, are you saying or condoning the statement that some 70% of Americans and most of your family and friends have hardened hearts and enslaved minds? …Just wondering.
P.S. As far as I know, the sign is still in the Legislature Building in Olympia, Washington, next to the Nativity Scene. Can you provide a MSM link reporting it stolen?
Hardens hearts? Speaking very generally, yes. It is well established that religious belief provides an almost universally accepted mechanism for perpetrating violence and other harmful behavior against fellow humans. It does so by providing an easy, unquestioning application of the basic human need to be part of a like-minded group while removing the need for personal accountability, allowing deferment to a "higher power" as needed.
Enslave minds? Absolutely. To paraphrase others, religion teaches us to be satisfied with not understanding our world. It essentially amounts to brainwashing and the primitive practice of relying upon constructed deities to explain the unknown. I see it already in Logan. He gives me solid reasons why he does not believe in Santa, but he is completely unwilling to apply those same criteria to his belief in God. Why? Simply because somebody told him that he shouldn’t.
I forgot about the links. I was mistaken in that it was the sign in Illinois that was stolen. Here are a couple of links. It really wasn’t a big deal… just sort of an amusing aside.
1) http://www.sj-r.com/homepage/x1720697940/Atheist-sign-stolen-from-Capitol-rotunda
2) http://ffrf.org/news/2008/illsignstolen.php
Cheers.
"…well established that religious beliefs provide an almost universally accepted mechanism fro perpetrating violence…"
You mean like killing millions and millions of people that are perceived to be threatening your power or are simply not useful in your political plans, or possess wealth that you want to take, i.e. Atheists like Stalin, Hitler, Mao, the Khmer Rouge, Castro, etc.
As I see it, violence has nothing to do with religion. It is part of man’s animal instincts to be the top dog, to kill the weaker, to appropriate all you can. Christianity is actually addressing and trying to curb such innate instincts. The Western world is based on Judo-Christian principles. Just compare life and living here vs. living in atheist run countries like China, Russia, Cuba, and tell me that atheism is making things better!
As for religion being a hindrance to our understanding science and our world, I would say, where do you find the greatest progress in the sciences? Is it China, Russia, Cuba?
A belief in God does not dampen man’s desire to understand physics, chemistry, the sciences, the universe. Thirst for knowledge is innate. Religion may help quench that thirst for many people, but it certainly does not prevent anyone from looking for more.
AsaI see it, one atheist doctrine is: "telling the truth…optional".
John