Atheism hits a new low
Posted on: June 10, 2009 - 12:18am
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Atheism hits a new low
EVERY goddamn religion in
the world constantly asks for money. In fact, if there is anything more distasteful than that, whilst visiting a church or synagogue, I've yet to experience it.
What I never would have expected is the nauseating feeling of seeing Atheists doing the same thing, such as the
"RRS Clothing Store."
Geez! If you're committed to Atheism, then for christ sake, acting like a mega-church isn't very convincing.
Do it at your own expense, because you believe in it, instead of commercializing Atheism like a religion.
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They give people an opportunity to get some decent gear while helping a group of people pay for the equipment that keeps the website online—the horror of it all! One might suspect from this that they aren't communists! But it's all a ploy to take your money and spread the wealth around! Don't you see it? It's a conspiracy—the evil atheist conspiracy.
Stultior stulto fuisti, qui tabellis crederes!
You're clueless...
It takes money to run a site like this. Also, believe it or not...MAYBE people would like to show their support for the RRS just like a Theist shows their support by wearing a cross.
Plus, it's not like the admins here are getting atheist-tax breaks. Exaggerate much?
So said the Evangelical High Preist to his flock.
And you're the fucking Pope.
(Yawn.)
The people who run this site do it full time for the most part, if I'm not mistaken. Even if they don't it still takes a lot of money to run something like this and keep the technology as up to date as possible. That gets damned expensive. I'm sure that they do put their own resources into this movement as much as they can afford. Many of the members donate to this site as well. I have no problem with them selling t-shirts, jewelry, mugs or whatever. At least they're selling rationality so to speak as opposed to non-sensical flights of fancy that are ultimately detrimental to society.
As far as I'm concerned they are doing public service unlike the christians involved in fundamentalist xtianity. They're in it for money and power and nothing else. I would not be surprised to find many of them don't even believe in god and bible, they're just running a fantastic scam and making money hand over fist, which is not the case here. Take a look at the preachers with the mega-churches. $1k suits and plenty of them, limos, Cadillacs, opulent homes, expensive and outlandish jewelry, etc. is not my idea of showing your dedication to something you believe in.
You can be committed to anything you want, if you don't have sufficient income you're not going to be able to do much with that dedication. The RRS and it's member atheists may or may not be "dedicated" to atheism but we're not out conning little old ladies out of their life savings with promises of an afterlife in Shangri-La. There's nothing wrong with making an honest buck, there is something seriously wrong with making a fortune off people, mostly poor who are desperate for hope in the future.
"Erecting the 'wall of separation between church and state,' therefore, is absolutely essential in a free society." Thomas Jefferson
www.myspace.com/kenhill5150
EVERY goddamn religion in
the world constantly asks for money just like you. Oh! It's for our our web site, our staff, our supplies and operating expenses, our TV station, our offices, our papers and sermons.
The only damn difference is they claim to ask in god's name, and you don't.
In fact, as there is no god, there's actually no goddamn difference.
Sapient and Kelly probably don't make much money off the store. Any money they might make from it goes right back into paying for RRS servers. Websites this big that aren't corporate rely on donations. Does Maddox run a religion because he asks for donations?
My Brand New Blog - Jesu Ad Nauseum.
God of the Gaps: As knowledge approaches infinity, God approaches zero. It's introductory calculus.
Watch out for those sports teams too they sell all sorts of stuff including clothing.
Sounds made up...
Agnostic Atheist
No, I am not angry at your imaginary friends or enemies.
The only difference is the manner in which they ask for money? Wrong. They emotionally manipulate people to such an extent that giving money is damn-near compulsory. The first step of manipulation is to indoctrinate people into believing it is a moral issue, that the souls of children in third-world countries might not be saved, and might in fact be tortured endlessly by the god of love, if they do not give money to them, so if you do not donate then you are a sick, sadistic bastard who is undeserving of heaven and, therefore, of burning eternally along with the children they condemned. If they find that superstitious rubbish unpersuasive, then can be persuaded by the zealous imbeciles who are sitting next to them, eyeing their hands to ensure money goes into the collection plate, lest that person receive some stern condemnations, even if those condemnations go unspoken. If you're an old lady or old men who is approaching the end of the journey of life, and therefore an emotionally unstable state, they make sure that you know the importance of giving and how that it will earn them brownie-points for the afterlife. They use every tool of mental manipulation from indoctrination, blackmail, extortion, and every other method of exploitation they have devised over the centuries while filling their heads with anti-intellectual rubbish that ultimately curbs the advancement of legitimate modes of inquiry and therefore the attainment of human felicity. There's a difference, and its a blindingly obvious one.
Stultior stulto fuisti, qui tabellis crederes!
No... im pretty sure hes The Flying Spaghetti Monster...
What Would Kharn Do?
Yeah yeah yeah, and rock bands. High schools. Charities. The zoo. They all sell stuff.
*gasp* I just remembered something; I've sold stuff in a garage sale before. Am I a religion?
Our revels now are ended. These our actors, | As I foretold you, were all spirits, and | Are melted into air, into thin air; | And, like the baseless fabric of this vision, | The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces, | The solemn temples, the great globe itself, - Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve, | And, like this insubstantial pageant faded, | Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff | As dreams are made on, and our little life | Is rounded with a sleep. - Shakespeare
even if you were... im still not getting on my knees, anywhere near you Butter >.>
What Would Kharn Do?
Just fucking wow at the stupidity of this post there treat2. Lets see, running a website, plus server costs, bandwidth costs, storage and upkeep costs.....ummm sell some products or put the money out of their own pockets....hmmm lets see what makes more sense here, sell products to maintain the website and forums makes far more sense. Besides the advertisements, which sure they bring in money, but I doubt they are enough to maintain a website of this size....so how would you raise money to maintain this all? Maybe sell some products? sheesh take a fucking genius to figure that out.
Hey treat every company asks money for their product and or services are they fucking religions too? How about charities are they religions too?
This is an inaccurate statement. Many religions do not ask for money at all, let alone constantly. Basically the religions that ask a financial contribution of the followers are christian, moslem and jewish types of faiths.
It's distasteful because:
a. Their bibles actually preach against material desire so it should be against their religion to commercialse themselves. ie it's distasteful because it's pure and unadulterated hypocrisy.
b. They say it's God asking for the money and not themselves. This is distasteful because 90% of the time it's barefaced dishonesty.
c. To add insult to injury the cash they get is untaxed and unmoderated income, and it is such only because the lies and hypocrisies clearly outlined in a and b are taken at face value or considered divinely beyond question.
now notice:
re (a). atheism involves no such obligation to this standard or principle, or any like it.
re (b). which imaginary figure are atheists going to pass the buck to? lets face it, if they ask for money, they can't justify it by saying, I'm not the one asking.
and re (c). atheists have to pay tax and account for monies raised in their activities because there is no tax clause for raising funds in the name of atheism to fall back on.
They aren't doing the same thing. Those who run the site openly divulge that they are accepting the money in exchange for service, and that this site is a business interest. If you don't like that, leave. But please note, it is not the same as collecting a tax free unchecked dividend from an investment in lies and hypocrisy.
Theist badge qualifier : Gnostic/Philosophical Panentheist
www.mathematicianspictures.com
Wake up y'all!.
Check out this new thread entitled;
"Revealing the thread: 'Atheists hit a new low'"
You are not going to find any major atheist site who doesn't do this. American Atheists, Atheist Alliance International, ect ect ect.
The difference between atheists an believers when they do this is that atheists aren't scaming people by selling them a fictional utopia.
AND, if you don't like it, no one is forcing you to stay on this site.
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog
Since you guys like the idea of financing this site and you are all frequint posters, Brian 37, treat 2, Eloise, Latincanuck, The Doomed Soul, Butterbattle, Zymotec, Bulldog, The Flying spagetti monster, etc....... why don't you take out a membership, you know---- put your money where your post is.
"Very funny Scotty; now beam down our clothes."
VEGETARIAN: Ancient Hindu word for "lousy hunter"
If man was formed from dirt, why is there still dirt?
They have produced thousands of thoughtful posts and have immeasurably enriched this website. Their contributions are more than enough of a donation, so far as I'm concerned.
Stultior stulto fuisti, qui tabellis crederes!
For the record, the last time I checked with Sapient this site runs at a financial loss. Sapient and crew are not in this for the money. I view this site as I view a hobby: it's not intended to make money, but intended to make your life better
Your god's silence speaks loud and clear
Ohh Ohhh. I want to be a pope too.
They have lovely hats.
because it takes money, something that is tied up at this moment of time until I get my paycheque raised again...since my partner and I decided to lower it, most of my money goes back into my company most of the time and I much rather have a paycheque and a future. However I am planning on buying a membership as soon as I do get more money to play with. Hopefully before years end.
Well treat2, it is your wallet and nobody here is prying it open with a Hurst tool.
Seriously, I spend about $8.00/day for lunch so the $0.83/day that I spend on this site is not all the big of a deal. I have not bothered to buy a shirt, darwin fish or any other thing but the prices that they charge are similar to any of the crap that I can buy from anyone with a cafepress store. I might break down and buy some crap for Christmas presents for my local atheist friends though (the irony will be worth the lulz).
Just for the record, if I went to church, my tithe would be about $60.00/week or to use the same terms as above, about what I spend on lunch.
Honestly, if you do not want to pay for the site, I really don't care. It doesn't affect my life in any meaningful way.
=
(and im a cheap bastard, and the economies in the sink, and i purposely lack a way to pay for shit with CASH)
What Would Kharn Do?
I seam to have hit a sore spot here, terribly sorry old sports. Have I ever mentioned that my job (of 32 years) went to such exotic locals as China, Mexico, Sri Lanka and most exotic of all Redstone Pennsylvania. My company didn't even have the decentcy to go bankrupt, they just moved to other towns. Kelly & Brian are not millionaires and the best way to keep this site going is to contribute what you can, I do and I encourge others to do also. Is the guilt meter working here????
"Very funny Scotty; now beam down our clothes."
VEGETARIAN: Ancient Hindu word for "lousy hunter"
If man was formed from dirt, why is there still dirt?
Naw, I don't feel guilty at all, in the end I never met you guys or girls in person and don't feel a personal connection, I don't mind the convsersations/debates and I think you would all be pretty decent people, with a few exceptions, but naw no guilt.
i'm pretty sure EVERYBODY asks for SOME kind of remuneration on almost a daily basis, if nothing else just for the fact that they fucking need to eat. if asking for money is the definition of religion then shit, everybody really IS the fucking pope.
well, not me. i'd rather be an ayatollah.
"I have never felt comfortable around people who talk about their feelings for Jesus, or any other deity for that matter, because they are usually none too bright. . . . Or maybe 'stupid' is a better way of saying it; but I have never seen much point in getting heavy with either stupid people or Jesus freaks, just as long as they don't bother me. In a world as weird and cruel as this one we have made for ourselves, I figure anybody who can find peace and personal happiness without ripping off somebody else deserves to be left alone. They will not inherit the earth, but then neither will I. . . . And I have learned to live, as it were, with the idea that I will never find peace and happiness, either. But as long as I know there's a pretty good chance I can get my hands on either one of them every once in a while, I do the best I can between high spots."
--Hunter S. Thompson
... guilt is quite litterally, a foreign concept to me... it just doesnt process ^_^
What Would Kharn Do?
...Wait, what?
People spend 60.00 a week on their tithes on average? That's fucking nuts. Cripes, I don't spend that much on new video games.
- Leon Trotsky, Last Will & Testament
February 27, 1940
Mormons donate 10% of their salary............
Our revels now are ended. These our actors, | As I foretold you, were all spirits, and | Are melted into air, into thin air; | And, like the baseless fabric of this vision, | The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces, | The solemn temples, the great globe itself, - Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve, | And, like this insubstantial pageant faded, | Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff | As dreams are made on, and our little life | Is rounded with a sleep. - Shakespeare
Holy crap. And here I thought Scientology was the main culprit for robbing people blind.
I just thought most people laid down a five or a ten into the plate on Sunday (which doesn't sound too bad if that's your thing; sort of like a club membership fee).
- Leon Trotsky, Last Will & Testament
February 27, 1940
Well, that is based on my income. And many people make more than me, so they probably give more. But yah, “tithe” is middle English for tenth, as in a tenth of your income. Although I have heard pastors claim that it is Latin for tenth but then they are not used to reality anyway.
So in theory, a congregation with a hundred members should, in theory, have an income commensurate to ten men.
=
er... yeah, I don't object to the methods offered to members to contribute to the site, from the look of it, all exchanges are of real and above board value so it's a fair ask by any normal standard. I personally don't subscribe because I have extremely limited means and I don't want to default on them. I think it's worse to not keep a promise than it is to not make a promise, no matter how right it might seem to make the promise.
Theist badge qualifier : Gnostic/Philosophical Panentheist
www.mathematicianspictures.com
I don't have to get an abortion to be pro-choice, do I?
It's zymotic, by the way.
My Brand New Blog - Jesu Ad Nauseum.
God of the Gaps: As knowledge approaches infinity, God approaches zero. It's introductory calculus.
Wow...this is an impressively imbecilic premise to start a thread with...this is right up there with the "There must be a god for you not to believe in him" line of reasoning...
I vote trolling through annoying subversion...
www.RichWoodsBlog.com
And to think that I had the impression for the tiniest moment a while ago that treat2 might be coming around.
Shame on me.
- Leon Trotsky, Last Will & Testament
February 27, 1940
well, in my experience growing up in church, that is the standard practice. then again, i never was a "church kid" and hated those who were (my sunday school teacher once said i wouldn't amount to anything, even though i knew the bible way better than him--oh, and he always had trouble holding down ANY job, the fat, lazy fuck). my family wasn't a god squad family either--we were basically cultural christians--so i guess my experience isn't the best reference.
of course, my former stepfather was known to leave $100 checks in the plate, but he's an extremely successful car dealer with 5 dealerships, so that basically was like dropping a five for him. plus he was a controlling asshole who had multiple affairs and treated a lot of people like shit, particularly my mom, me, and my half-siblings, so he compensated for it by acting all charitable and people thought he was a fucking saint. which is bullshit, because he was always capable of giving a SHIT LOAD more than he ever gave. so his big tithes had nothing to do with religion. ok, rant finished.
honestly, i think most tithing is automatic. people see the plate and their reflexes open their wallets.
"I have never felt comfortable around people who talk about their feelings for Jesus, or any other deity for that matter, because they are usually none too bright. . . . Or maybe 'stupid' is a better way of saying it; but I have never seen much point in getting heavy with either stupid people or Jesus freaks, just as long as they don't bother me. In a world as weird and cruel as this one we have made for ourselves, I figure anybody who can find peace and personal happiness without ripping off somebody else deserves to be left alone. They will not inherit the earth, but then neither will I. . . . And I have learned to live, as it were, with the idea that I will never find peace and happiness, either. But as long as I know there's a pretty good chance I can get my hands on either one of them every once in a while, I do the best I can between high spots."
--Hunter S. Thompson
Sweet!