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Posted on October 19, 2009 | tags

 
 

Politics: Our world is full of godless heathens. Let’s be honest about it.

“A Million New Yorkers Are Good Without God. Are You?” What a question. It begs you to respond. An anonymous donor with a lot of money and an inquisitive spirit has a pretty good question to ask New York subway-dwellers starting next week. And it's one bound to attract (depending on your corner) curiosity, debate, criticism or anger. But we say it's a good time to ask. Here's why:
  • At a turning point We’re closer to being a godless society than at any point in our world’s history. The thing is, though, it’s largely not recognized. Millions of people float around without going to any kind of church or actively thinking of religion. We may as well recognize it and talk about it, the heathens we are.
  • Why should we talk? Simple: It’s happening. And it’s not something that discounts anyone else who is religious or has a strong sense of faith in their lives. But the anonymous donor who wrote this clever ad is way closer to being right than many religious conservatives might like to admit. Let’s be straight-up about it.
  • Is this a good thing?Honestly, we’re not sure if this is even going to last. There’s a lot of reasons why religion is great on a purely practical scale – the building of community, for example. But on the other hand, religon often breeds intolerance and tolerance at equal levels. What do you guys think? We’re wondering. source
 
  • Lucas M

    Storm’s Comin.

  • http://twitter.com/miscellaneous_t Alex Snell

    Nietzsche said “God is dead” over a hundred years ago for a reason. Society has reached a point in globalization where we no longer can use religion as our moral compass as people from wildly different cultures can create conflicts. All we can do now is what is best for humanity as a whole, no exceptions.

  • The Dharmatist

    It’s all good and well to say that society is closer than ever to becoming “godless” but we’re still a hell of a long way from actually getting there. Think of it in terms of one simply question… Would Obama have been elected had he been an atheist? No chance in hell.

  • dreciferous

    I see what you did there.

  • http://twitter.com/robbie_tweets Robbie Elliott

    I’m think we need to be a society that is capable or morality and compassion without the reward of heaven or fear of hell. Religion has been a good tool because it’s good for organizing people for a good cause (though also for bad ones.) I just would like to see more private agnostic/atheist organizations set out to address the suffering in the world.

    Honestly, I think a good number of self proclaimed Christians in the US are more like deists who sorta like that Jesus fellow than they are practitioners of any organized religion.

    The country is still overwhelming Christian and only time will tell if that changes.

  • vizink

    I’m think we need to be a society that is capable or morality and compassion without the reward of heaven or fear of hell. Religion has been a good tool because it’s good for organizing people for a good cause (though also for bad ones.) I just would like to see more private agnostic/atheist organizations set out to address the suffering in the world.

    Honestly, I think a good number of self proclaimed Christians in the US are more like deists who sorta like that Jesus fellow than they are practitioners of any organized religion.

    The country is still overwhelming Christian and only time will tell if that changes.

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